How do you begin the year in your AP studio (insert Drawing, 2D, 3D) class? This was my question and my struggle for three years after the redesign of the College Board curriculum. I could not find a balance between ideation and skill building. That is until last year when I decided to begin the year with “Drawing Boot Camp.” I was bound and determined to review and build drawing skills with my students, many of whom had already had an AP class before but some had come straight from Art 1 or other courses and had some deficits that needed to be bridged. So, I planned a week of a different skill or technique to practice every day. Beginning with gesture, then contour and value. We began each class period with a review and sketchbook practice, then drew on a large, 18”x24” piece of white drawing paper using different media and added on to it day by day while thinking about composition.
The first day I had the students practice gesture drawing with figures, taking turns posing for one another but also introducing them to figurosity.com, where they could set timers and select different genders, poses and viewpoints to work from. We reviewed human body proportions, I put out drawing books on their tables for references and had them draw in both mass and line gesture. We used conte sticks, charcoal and pastel and I encouraged the students to draw large and overlap their figures while trying ever longer and more complicated poses.
Day 2 centered on contour drawing. I introduced the students to continuous line, blind and cross contour drawing again, by practicing first in sketchbooks. Then, students had to create several different contour drawings on their large drawing paper, overlapping again what they had done the day before. We also used different media, this time focusing on ink. As an extension, some students used embroidery thread to create contour lines on their large drawings.
Day 3 was an introduction to value and shading techniques such as stippling, cross hatching and blending. We practiced in both ink and graphite in our sketchbooks first by drawing a 5 step value scale and shading a sphere utilizing the principles of shading. Then, students added value to their drawings using different techniques and media.
Finally, students were allowed to take their drawings home over the weekend to embellish in any way they wanted. This could also include digital enhancement, text, different media, etc. Students brought their drawings back to class on Monday and participated in a class critique and compositional theory review. They were then given an additional week to make revisions to their final piece based on feedback from peers and instructor and had to give written evidence as to what they revised, how and why.
Student A
Before
Student A
After
To improve this artwork, I added more black in the background as contrast. This helped the piece feel more cohesive and put together. Additionally, I added more text as I had text on some parts of the artwork. Again, this was to add cohesion.
Other examples
Student B
Before
Student B
After
With feedback from my peers, I decided to increase the emphasis on my focal point by adding black leading lines, which ended up looking like a web (which wasn’t my intention). I also added more value and texture next to embroidery floss using the stippling method. Finally, for a bit more movement, I made a dripping effect on the cross contoured hands using vertical lines.
Student C
Before
Student C
After
The revisions I added to my piece were color. Lots of critiques told me I should include color so that’s what I did. I added colors so that the piece would pop more and added them where they were because it feels balanced. I added color in the middle, bottom left, bottom right, top left, and top right.
I love beginning the year with this assignment now for a number of reasons. First, it allows me to be able to pre-assess drawing skills, second, I can teach/re-teach basic skills and introduce different media and processes right off the bat and lastly, students have to think about both mark making and composition early on. I also use this assignment to introduce my process to students and show them how to properly document their work, revise and write about what they have done.
Drawing Boot Camp has worked wonders for my AP students and I hope it helps yours as well! I would love to hear how you use/adapt this lesson in your classroom or if you have other intro lessons that have worked well with your own students.
