Learning the art and technique behind sketching forms the basic foundation for a variety of types of art. By sketching, you learn to interpret, understand and recreate the basic form of objects. You also gain an understanding of dimension, perspective and even shadowing and highlights. Have students sketch a variety of objects, from still life to the human anatomy. By sketching a skeleton and then a human form, such as a self portrait, students will be able to build upon their increasing knowledge of the human form to master the art of sketching.
Sculpting builds upon the basics of form and structure learned in sketching, but incorporate an entirely different type of creation and art tools than drawing or painting. Pottery is a basic form of sculpture that dates back to ancient times. Have students gain a feel of the ancient art of pottery by creating their own. Students can mold the creations by hand or by using a pottery wheel. By hand-making the artwork, students will gain a new appreciation for structure and form.
Graphic arts and graphic design are an emerging art form that eventually leads to designing with computer software, such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. The basic concepts of graphic designing are first learned away from the computer, however. Students need to understand the concept of placement, eye flow and white space before being able to create and design logos, ads, websites and fliers effectively on a computer. Have students work with the placement of several words of their choice on a page to help demonstrate how to utilize white space to cause the viewer's eye to travel to the places you want them to.
Help demonstrate to the students the importance of well placed color and shapes by having them create a mosaic mural on a wall or walls of the school. Assign each student a section of wall space or invite the students to work together to create one giant mural. Supply the students with a variety of media of varying textures and designs to create the mosaic. For example, supply the students with pieces of magazines and newspapers, construction paper and tissue paper. Instruct the students to tear and cut the media and assemble them on the wall to form an image or picture.