Time to draw shoes!
For their first art project, the fifth grade artists are exploring the idea of "walking in someone else's shoes" and learning different line drawing techniques. Not only are we thinking about how shoes actually look, but we are also discussing shoes and their purpose at a global level.
Why do we have different types of shoes?
Where are our shoes made?
Why are so many shoes made in other countries?
What does it mean to walk in someone else's shoes?
As we thought about those questions, we looked at shoes from other cultures to open our minds to different designs and purposes shoes have.
For their first art project, the fifth grade artists are exploring the idea of "walking in someone else's shoes" and learning different line drawing techniques. Not only are we thinking about how shoes actually look, but we are also discussing shoes and their purpose at a global level.
Why do we have different types of shoes?
Where are our shoes made?
Why are so many shoes made in other countries?
What does it mean to walk in someone else's shoes?
As we thought about those questions, we looked at shoes from other cultures to open our minds to different designs and purposes shoes have.
We came up with three categories for shoes: fashion, protection, performance. Shoes can reflect the personality, culture, or profession of the person wearing them! The fifth graders explained "walking in someone else's shoes" as trying to experience the world from someone else's perspective. For their art project, they will draw their own shoes and include personal and cultural elements that show others what it would be like to walk in their shoes!
Before beginning on the final drawing, we exercised our eyes by drawing our shoes using different line drawing techniques. Blind contour drawing was especially entertaining as we drew our shoes without looking at our paper! Blind contour drawing is an exercise in observation and only looking at the object being drawn. Next, we tried not picking up our pens and drawing our shoes using one continuous contour line. These practice drawings help us learn the importance of looking at what we are drawing more than looking at our drawing. By the time the fifth grade artists drew their shoes with regular contour lines, they were experts!
Next week, we will plan the personal and cultural elements that will surround the final shoe drawing. Check out a slideshow below of more wonderful contour drawings in progress!