Ebony pencils, erasers, 12x18 drawing paper, 18" rulers
Reginald Marsh's High Yaller or Twenty Cent Movie, several 12" or 16" wooden manikins
Place a manikin in an action pose on each table. Holding the paper horizontally, students should begin by drawing the first pose at the far left of their paper. After 5 minutes, each manikin should be switched to the next table going clockwise around the room. Students should be able to complete 3-4 drawings.
Post the drawings in front of the room. Ask students to reflect on the different ways the same subject was drawn.
- How did your drawings change from the first one to the last one?
Ask students to choose a particular pose they find compelling.
- Why did you choose this drawing?
- Which manikin does it depict? How do you know?
- How can we make this drawing more closely resemble the manikin?
Tell students that the next lesson will explore "a longer investigationof the figure in action."
There are many ways that artists draw the human figure. Go to the website: www.alhirschfeld.com. This artist is known for his caricatures of famous people.
- What is a caricature?
Click on the last picture on the "table" to select the year 2000 and view a number of the images. Select one drawing that illustrates the figure in action and print it out to include in your homework.
- Explain why you chose this drawing.
- Describe how the artist has used line and shape to depict action.