Add to my favorites

Drawing speed

This exercise can be used during sketchbook time as a way of focussing the mind, as well as a way of improving drawing and looking skills. It can take five minutes, or much longer, depending upon how you present the activity. Again as a teacher it might be beneficial if you try this activity at the same time as your pupils.

Speed might not be a word which you associate with drawing, but in fact when children (or adults) become frustrated with a drawing, it might be because the speed with which they are looking at the object, and the speed with which they are drawing, are not well matched. The hand might be moving to draw before the eye sees!

Exercise:

1. Set up several small collections of objects on each table for the pupils to draw. It is vital that each pupil can see the objects easily.

2. Ask your pupils to take a minute to let their eyes wander over the object (in silence). Ask them to become aware of how slowly they can look… that is to say to become aware of their eyes moving slowly around the object, taking in its details.

3. Then ask them to pick up their pencil, and begin to draw the object, this time matching the speed of which they make marks on the paper, with the speed at which they look. If you think the pencils are moving to quickly, ask them to slow down their looking and drawing still further.

4. Remind them that their pencil should move across the paper at the same speed as their eye moves over the object. Tell them not to worry about what the drawing looks like – but to concentrate more on how it feels to match the speed of drawing and speed of looking. The end result of the drawing is less important than bringing together drawing and looking as one continuous action, and acknowledging what this feels like.

5. After an agreed time (say 5 minutes) get them to stop drawing and have a look at their drawing. Get the pupils to label it “slow drawing, 5 minutes).

6. Remind them that they can come back and try this exercise whenever they feel frustrated with their drawings, or if they feel they need to relax or calm down. By reminding them what this exercises is good for, you can give it to the pupils as something they can come back to, and use, when they feel the need.