Arts >> Art >> Other Art

How to Invent Early Drawings

More than 10,000 years ago during the Paleolithic era, primitive man scratched or painted simple images on rock surfaces. Of those created outside, only a few etched drawings remain, but underground caverns, especially in southern France and northern Spain, contain a number of painted pictures that have stood the test of time. Fortunately, color reproductions are available, so modern-day artisans can take inspiration from these primitive forms without having to travel to southwestern Europe.

Things You'll Need

  • Drawing tablet
  • Drawing pencils (2B, 2H)
  • Eraser
  • Paper towels
  • Scissors
  • Rolling pin
  • Old newspapers
  • Stoneware Clay with Grog No. 48
  • Velvet underglazes
  • 2-ounce jars of liquid underglaze in decorative colors
  • Small brushes
  • Sponges
  • Potter's kiln
Show More

Instructions

  1. Exploring Forms and Shapes

    • 1

      Find some images from one of the several cave sites of southern France and northern Spain. These are readily available in books and on the Internet.

    • 2

      Create drawings and sketches of some of your favorite primitive art forms that you find among these color reproductions. Use a 2B pencil to make multiple sketches of images you admire.

    • 3

      Start combining several different images on a single page of your drawing tablet. Your images can overlap or they can be drawn as separate shapes.

    • 4

      Choose one of your drawings to use as a starting point for a painted drawing on a hard surface.

    Making the Clay Tablet

    • 5

      Roll out a small piece of clay until a 3/4-inch thick rectangular slab is formed. Make sure there are no sharp edges along the perimeter.

    • 6

      Cut out one or more animal shape(s) from the drawing tablet with a pair of scissors.

    • 7

      Place one of the cutout animals in the wet clay.

    • 8

      Coat the area outside the paper form with a velvet or liquid underglaze. Use a sponge to apply the underglaze.

    • 9

      Remove the paper and apply underglaze colors to the body of the animal. Again use a sponge to apply the color.

    • 10

      Paint a black line around the shape with a small paint brush.

    • 11

      Add additional paper templates, if applicable, after the paint has dried, and repeat the process of applying underglaze.

    • 12

      Sign or initial the surface of the clay.

    • 13

      Allow the clay to dry, and then fire the tablet in a kiln to cone 6.

Other Art

Related Categories