Baby Doll tomatoes

This pastel portrait was something I did a few weeks ago for my adopted grandma at the frame shop. I spent about five hours and was working from a very old 1"x2" photo (and I didn't even draw the whole photo).  I have pretty good close up vision, but I definitely had to scan the picture into my computer and enlarge it so I didn't go crazy trying to see the details. :) I also had to make the woman look happy and not like the sun was in her eyes like she did when the photo was snapped. That was a fun little challenge. "Grandma" was very happy.

I love doing portraits, and if you or anyone you know would like a portrait done come talk to me! I usually work in pencil, charcoal, pastel and oils (full color and oil wash). 

Bug drawings

Main purpose of the bug drawing project
1. Learn and develop drawing skills
2. Continue working on blending and shading
3. Draw items that the students enjoyed
4. Sources MUST be used for this project or they will not be learning how to draw a tarantula that looks like a tarantula etc.

This project was slightly adapted from an idea I found on an art teacher's blog that I cannot find again so I cannot give credit unfortunately.
Every student drew three insects/spiders/bugs and then cut them out. I helped with the cutting some with my xacto knife. I printed lots of pictures that I will be able to use for other classes down the road, and some of the students brought pictures of their favorite bugs. I taught them about observing what they were drawing and drawing accurately. I did not allow ants to be drawn as three circles with lines coming out of them.... anyone can do that, but we are learning to draw. We also worked with shading and blending with the colored pencils.
The other teacher had them draw a bug jar with some sticks and leaves on a large piece of paper and then paste their bugs on to that piece. I decided to just have them draw a "habitat" for their bugs instead of a bug jar. I provided pictures of leaves and sticks and flowers for this part of the project. The bugs can either be pasted on flat or with the wings etc. popped out  3-D.
We spent at least 3 to 4 hours on this project and by the end I was definitely seeing an improvement in the students drawing ability. Everyone enjoyed this and there was a good balance between me as the instructor telling the students what to draw and the students choosing themselves what butterflies/insects/spiders were their favorites.

They turned out beautifully, but I only have pictures of two because I never remember to bring my camera to class....  Next year I will be better about that.

This was done by one of my stellar 5th graders. I took this picture before he was finished with the background. Some students do try to stop with blank space between the grass and the sky, but I always remind them to think about where their horizon is and make sure that there is no empty space on their page.

This was done by another 5th grader that "draws a movie" every week :) Here the tarantulas and scorpions are having a battle on a basketball court. He could be a comic book artist and writer.