organisms

We don't get into life drawing.  However, we do look at the shapes and proportions that make up the bodies of various organisms: plants, animals, whatever students choose.  Students can try and make these works realistic or representative.

Our first lesson we look at lots of images of organisms and pick out shapes, lines, and textures.  We then work in our journals.  

The next lesson we look through other artist's work, focusing especially on backgrounds (I also have a large collection of nature photography that we pass around; some day I will get to scanning & uploading it), and reviewing why it doesn't have to look real and some of the reasons for realisitic and representational art. We then spend several lessons creating our own work.

1. Make Representational Animals
http://switchzoo.com/zoo.htm

http://www.booooooom.com/2011/07/04/drawings-by-artist-nick-mann-aka-doodles/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29146556@N02/

2. Blogs with Good Photographs to Draw From
http://catbobsartblog.wordpress.com/tag/animal-photography-2/

http://www.booooooom.com/2012/10/24/cut-paper-art-by-calvin-nicholls/#more-41294

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/08/winners-of-the-national-geographic-traveler-photo-contest-2012-announced/

http://artsnursery.blogspot.com/

http://stoneartblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/plant-kingdom-source-for-inspiration.html

http://theartroomplant.blogspot.com/

3. How to Draw
http://www.exploringnature.org/db/subcat_index.php?dbID=46

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/how-to-draw-flowers-and-plants.htm

http://drawsketch.about.com/od/learntodrawanimals/ss/how_to_draw_sketch_cats.htm

http://drawsketch.about.com/od/learntodrawanimals/ss/zoo-animal-sketching.htm

http://drawsketch.about.com/od/learntodrawanimals/ss/drawdog.htm