Filling a Sketchbook: Sketchbook Exercises

By Paula Briggs

Each week during the AccessArt Art lab for ages 11, 12, and 13 at Wysing Arts Centre, students will be working in their sketchbooks undertaking a five or ten minute exercise.

The sketchbooks have been kindly donated by Pink Pig International and as well as filling them with the drawing exercises, children are also encouraged to use the books to help explore ideas related to the main session. Creating sketchbook content like this which is a mixture of exercises and personal study should help fuel creativity and ownership.

We hope you enjoy the session ideas below.

What is a Canvas?

Making drawings which compete with the background

Making drawings which compete with the background

Making a Charcoal Animation

Inspired by the animations of William Kentridge

Inspired by the animations of William Kentridge

Making Ruler Drawings

Using 2 grades of pencil and only straight lines

Using 2 grades of pencil and only straight lines

Drawing Brushes with Charcoal

Using varied marks to capture the qualities of brushes

Using varied marks to capture the qualities of brushes

Many thanks to Pink Pig International for the sketchbooks

Introduction to Landscape by Hester Berry

Teachers Explore ‘Line and Shape’ at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge with AccessArt

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THOUGHTFUL DRAWING AND MARK MAKING IN THE ARMOURY

Teachers explore armour with Kate Noble

USING SKETCHBOOKS, DRAWING AND REFLECTIVE TOOLS IN THE 20TH CENTURY GALLERY

fitz-session-1-58 PB

Making Sketchbooks at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Fitz - sketchbooks - Sheila

USING DRAWING TO GET CLOSER TO 18TH CENTURY PORTRAITS

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MAKING SCULPTURAL INTERPRETATIONS OF 18TH CENTURY PORTRAITS

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GATHERING MARKS AND TEARING PAPER TO APPRECIATE PRINTS BY GOYA, TURNER AND CORNELIUS

Browsing the Print Collection

MONOPRINTING INSPIRED BY GOYA, TURNER AND CORNELIUS

Teachers begin their Exploration!

TEACHERS PLAY WITH PLASTICINE TO MAKE PRINTS

Print Revealed

Teachers Play with Plasticine to Make Prints in the Education Room at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

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Year 1, Combs Ford Primary School

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Featured in the 'Simple Printmaking' pathway

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PRINTING PROCESSES USING EVERYDAY MATERIALS

Roll out plasticine on textured surfaces using guides, (lengths of wood of equal depth around half inch thick) - Ruth Purdy

TEACHERS EXPLORE ‘LINE AND SHAPE’ AT THE FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM

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Gathering Marks and Tearing Paper to Appreciate Prints by Goya, Turner and Cornelius at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

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Monoprinting with Oil Pastel and Carbon Copy Paper

Join Paula Briggs to see how children enjoy the element of surprise when monoprints made with carbon paper paper are revealed. Join Paula Briggs to see how children enjoy the element of surprise when monoprints made with carbon paper paper are revealed.

Using Sketchbooks to Inform Larger Work

See how teenagers make large, torn collages on A1 paper with Sheila Ceccarelli See how teenagers make large, torn collages on A1 paper with Sheila Ceccarelli

Making Sculptural Interpretations of 18th Century Portraits at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

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Launched! Make, Build, Create: Sculpture Projects for Children!

Published by Black Dog London (April 2016), Make, Build, Create aims to remind us of the importance and pleasure of making. Make, Build, Create is a practical, beautiful and uplifting book which contains 24 fully illustrated sculpture projects for children, plus information on tools and materials that will enable a creative and open-ended exploration of key sculptural ideas. Published by Black Dog London (April 2016), Make, Build, Create aims to remind us of the importance and pleasure of making. Make, Build, Create is a practical, beautiful and uplifting book which contains 24 fully illustrated sculpture projects for children, plus information on tools and materials that will enable a creative and open-ended exploration of key sculptural ideas.

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Drawing and Making Flowers

Turning drawings into flowers using mixed media

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Drawing and Making: processes feeding each other

Making Sketchbooks at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

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Making Sketchbooks: An Introduction

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Artist Aurora Cacciapuoti Introduces Japanese Bookbinding

Artist Aurora Cacciapuoti demonstrates, step by step, how to bind a sketchbook Artist Aurora Cacciapuoti demonstrates, step by step, how to bind a sketchbook

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Continuous Line Drawings (Squiggle Drawings) of Sticks

Look at this post to see how pupils aged 6 to 10 respond to a continuous line exercise exercise led by Paula Briggs. Look at this post to see how pupils aged 6 to 10 respond to a continuous line exercise exercise led by Paula Briggs.

Teenagers Make Prompts to Overcome White Page Syndrome

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Thoughtful Drawing and Mark Making in the Armoury at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

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See all the blog posts from AccessArt's InSET in collaboration with the Fitzwilliam Museum. Find top Museum Education practice with practical, hands on learning in Fine Art disciplines including: drawing, printmaking, sketchbooks, collage and sculpture.

Teachers Explore ‘Line and Shape’ at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge with AccessArt

See all the blog posts from AccessArt’s InSET in collaboration with the Fitzwilliam Museum. Find top Museum Education practice with practical, hands on learning in Fine Art disciplines including: drawing, printmaking, sketchbooks, collage and sculpture.

Thoughtful Mark Making

Look at this post to see how pupils aged 6 to 10 respond to a similar mark making exercise led by Paula Briggs. Look at this post to see how pupils aged 6 to 10 respond to a similar mark making exercise led by Paula Briggs.

Drawing Projects for Children by Paula Briggs

Published by Black Dog Publishing London, Drawing Projects for Children is a beautifully illustrated collection of activities that will expand the mark making abilities and imagination of children of all ages, and help fuel their passion for drawing. The book features a collection of drawing exercises and projects taken from the AccessArt website, presenting them in a beautiful and inspirational format. Published by Black Dog Publishing London, Drawing Projects for Children is a beautifully illustrated collection of activities that will expand the mark making abilities and imagination of children of all ages, and help fuel their passion for drawing. The book features a collection of drawing exercises and projects taken from the AccessArt website, presenting them in a beautiful and inspirational format.

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A colour study of a shell.

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Collage and Construction

50 Minutes Looking and Sketching Autumn Leaves

Monoprinting with Oil Pastel and Carbon Copy Paper

Paula Briggs introduces children in her drawing class , aged 6 - 9 to drawing fossils and carbon paper as a medium for monoprinting. Paula Briggs introduces children in her drawing class , aged 6 – 9 to drawing fossils and carbon paper as a medium for monoprinting.

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What is a Canvas? Exploration Activity

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Jan Miller: Our “Talented Art Teacher” Winner!

In 2016 AccessArt launched the Children’s Art Competition, supported by Cass Art. Amongst the categories for children we had one for teachers, to acknowledge all the hard work and dedication we know you put in to inspiring and enabling children.

Thank you to all the teachers who entered – you filled us full of enthusiasm and passion!

We’re very pleased to announce the winner: Jan Miller from Moreton Hall School in Oswestry. Congratulations Jan!

Jan impressed us with the sheer energy and range of her work with the children – we’re sure the snapshot of images below will give you a flavour of the work she submitted. We hope Jan will be collaborating with AccessArt very soon to create some resources for us, so watch this space!

Jan Miller – Talented Teacher Award

 

 

 

“I completed my degree in Illustration at Kingston University followed by a PGCE at UCL. I have almost 20 years experience of teaching Art, across the full primary and secondary age spectrum. My interests particularly lie in the students’ development of observational drawing and mixed media. I strongly believe in the use of personal sketchbooks at all levels. I expect the older students to have the same confidence and spontaneity as their younger counterparts. Similarly, I encourage the younger pupils to develop large work, over several sessions, alongside the older students. For several years I have been the Art Editor for SATIPS, a prep school magazine, to inspire Art teachers nationwide. I have recently developed Able, Gifted and Talented sessions for my own students and have extended this to a biannual event to other schools.”