Sketchbooks in Schools
Using sketchbooks to build creativity and ownership
Sketchbooks: an active way to display!
Ways to display sketchbooks which encourage pupils, parents and teachers to share
Starters for 10 – Using Sketchbooks in the morning
Using sketchbooks in the morning for a positive start to the day
Children's Sketchbooks
Ben
Ben was one of the nominated “Meet my sketchbook” pupils. “I like working in my sketchbook because it is where I can show my work any way I like and I can explore different techniques. I can be creative and use different types of media. I love working in my sketchbook at school especially during art club or in my free time, because I feel relaxed and I have all the available equipment I need. My sketchbook helps me to express my ideas and designs. It lets me judge what works well and what doesn’t. It lets me produce work I am proud of!” Ben Ford, Alameda Middle School Teacher:... [Read the full story]
Icebreakers
Icebreaker by Jo Blaker
This icebreaker exercise was kindly submitted by Jo Blaker. Split the class in two. Give one half paints and ask them to mix a shade, and cover different kinds of scrap paper with this colour. Encourage them to try different techniques – broad strokes, little dots, patterns etc. Once dried these can be cut into strips, shapes etc and used in sketchbooks for future drawings. The second group then try to draw members of the first group whilst they paint. They could stay seated so that their view is slightly obscured – eg they may have to draw the side of someone’s face, the back... [Read the full story]
Drawing
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... [Read the full story]
Making Sketchbooks
Simple stapled book
See Also: Making a Simple Stapled Book about your School SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Simple stapled book", url: "http://www.accessart.org.uk/sketchbook/?p=2089" });
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Making Sketchbooks – an Introduction
Simple Approaches Simple folded Making your own sketchbooks is a great way to get started on this project. Buying sketchbooks is fine, but they can be anonymous and expensive. Making your own sketchbooks is a great opportunity, and there is nothing like action to get the creative juices flowing. There are many...
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Shared sketchbook inspired by words
Shared Sketchbook This activity can be used to enable pupils to work independently to create pages which are then tied together to create a shared sketchbook. Collect various types of paper (tracing, cartridge, brown paper etc), and tear or cut into the size of sketchbook pages. Punch holes with a hole punch. The...
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Making sketchbooks – Simple folded
This is just about the most simple sketchbook you could make! It takes about one minute to make, and is great fun to use – the folded pages mean it can be refolded in several different ways to change the way images meet. You can make a new booklet for each sketchbook exercise, and keep them all together in a...
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Making sketchbooks – Elastic band sketchbook
These books are really easy for all ages to make, and can be personalised in terms of their covers and the paper types inside them. They are also non-permanent in that they can be taken apart, and new pages added. They can also become nice and fat with added elements – just wrap another elastic band around the...
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Making sketchbooks – Hole punch sketchbooks
These sketchbooks are quick and easy to make, and are an excellent way of using up old papers. The covers are made in the same way as the pages, and all kinds of materials can be used to personalise the sketchbooks. Many thanks to Jan Barrett from Frederick Gent School in Derbyshire for sending the images below,...
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Making sketchbooks – Sewn sketchbooks
These sketchbooks are slightly more complicated and take longer to make, but the result is a sketchbook which is solid yet, (if the cover is cloth) flexible – perfect for carrying around. It may not be practical to make these with a whole class (young children will certainly not be able to sew the pages) but...
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Making sketchbooks – Thinking laterally
The short video below explores how there is a great opportunity for us to get children to practice those creative and lateral thinking skills we are trying to enable, in the actual making of the sketchbook itself. If you have images of books made in this way, or suggestions for development, pls email us here. SHARETHIS.addEntry({...
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Thinking around
The variety of names that schools have given (or considered giving) their sketchbooks,...
Sketchbooks should be made accessible to as wide a range of skills as possible, and...
9 questions to deepen and widen understanding
This module is about helping pupils to widen and deepen their understanding of their...
Starters for 10 – Using Sketchbooks in the morning
Once you have made or personalised your sketchbooks, to start getting pupils into...
Sketchbooks for Design or Thinking
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Sketchbooks for Design or Thinking", url: "http://www.accessart.org.uk/sketchbook/?p=1543"...
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Introducing the project to your pupils
So… What’s so great about sketchbooks?
So… What’s so great about Sketchbooks? has been designed as a quick reminder...
This module is aimed at introducing the idea of “sketchbook” to children. We...
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Sketchbooks in Schools aims to promote, inspire and enable the creative use of sketchbooks in primary schools. Sketchbooks can be a vital tool to encourage creative and critical thought and action across the whole school, and beyond the art curriculum. Read more
“Doodling ‘may help memory recall’:
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Doodling could help the mind remain alert during dull tasks
Doodling may look messy, but it could in fact be a sign of an alert mind, a study suggests. Plymouth University researchers carried out memory tests on 40 volunteers, asking them to listen to a phone call and recall names and places.
Doodlers performed 29% better than non-doodlers, the team found.” -
