Drawing Source Material: Shells & Spirals

A collection of imagery and sources which you can use to prompt drawing in schools and community groups. 

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Shells

Use the films below to enable children to explore drawing shells. Try to create a sense of momentum – for example you might pause the video 4 times and ask the pupils to make a 1 minute, 2 minute, 3 minute and 4 minute drawing at each pause. 

Encourage close and slow looking by talking as they draw – use your voice to attract their attention to qualities of the shells.

Try the same exercise using different materials, ie handwriting pen, ink and nib, pastel, watercolour…

Charles Dessalines

Different types of mollusks illustrated by Charles Dessalines D' Orbigny (1806-1876). Digitally enhanced from our own 1892 edition of Dictionnaire Universel D'histoire Naturelle.
Different types of mollusks illustrated by Charles Dessalines D' Orbigny (1806-1876). Digitally enhanced from our own 1892 edition of Dictionnaire Universel D'histoire Naturelle.

Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt

Common Triton Horns, Charonia tritonis (1596–1610) by Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt. Original from the Rijksmuseum. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.

Common Triton Horns, Charonia tritonis (1596-1610) by Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt. Original from the Rijksmuseum. 

George Shaw

Tritonian murex or Sea trumpet illustration from The Naturalist's Miscellany (1789-1813) by George Shaw (1751-1813)

Tritonian murex or Sea trumpet illustration from The Naturalist's Miscellany (1789-1813) by George Shaw (1751-1813)

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