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Nature Journaling Tip #2: Pure Contour Sketching
Seeing more accurately is one of the goals of nature journaling and drawing is unique in its ability to train your eyes to see. Practice the following exercise yourself and model it for your students. Then let them give it a try. In addition to the tool kit described in last week’s blog, each student will need a natural object such as a leaf, pinecone, or seashell. Collect plenty of these, spread them out on a table, invite each student to pick one, and pick one yourself.
Place the point of your pencil on a page. Holding the object in your other hand, focus your attention on one point on the surface of the object. Pretend that your pencil point is actually touching what you are looking at. Then let your eye begin to wander slowly over the object, while your pencil point wanders in the same way across the page. Do not look at the page at all as you draw. Draw slowly as your eye explores all the ins and outs and nooks and crannies, and keep your pencil in contact with the paper the whole time. Be patient, and do not think you need to "finish" the sketch. After a few minutes look at your paper. The results may surprise and amuse you. Did you notice some detail about the object or do you have a question about it as a result of observing it this way? If so, your nature journal is already helping you become a better observer.
Next week’s tip: Modified Contour Sketching
Mark Baldwin is the Director of Education at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History (RTPI), a proud partner in National Environmental Education Week. Each year RTPI offers online workshops for educators interested in bringing nature journaling into the classroom. For more information visit www.rtpi.org.
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Posts: 3
Reply #1 on : Mon March 17, 2008, 11:59:47