By Paula Briggs

This resource shares unsual yet accessible drawing exercises for beginners. How can we change the nature of the drawings we make, and deliberately make “shy” drawings?

Why make a shy drawing?

To make a drawing which seems shy, you really have to slow down and withdraw from the hustle and bustle of the school day. The act of making a shy drawing, although sometimes tricky at first, helps pupils relax into a state of mind which isn’t normally experienced during the school day, and which lends itself to creative thought.

These exercises and suggestions provide a focus which enables pupils and teachers to explore different aspects of making a drawing, including sound, action and intention. By taking the focus a way from what the drawings look like in the first instance, and by providing starting points which may be outside of pupils existing experience, pupils are less inclined to be discouraged because they think they “can’t draw”. By presenting these exercises as opportunities for the class to “think together” around the activity,in an open-ended way, you will also be encouraging pupils to think laterally and inventively.

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