Drawing from Nature

1. aTi South 2015
DRAWING FROM NATURE
OR
DRAWN FROM NATURE
By Barbara-Jill Vitale

2. With Teaching Artist
Cathy LaCleire

3. The morning of first day we went over all
of the supplies that were available for us to use.
• Pencils
• Color Pencils regular and water soluble
• Pastels Chalk and oil
• Markers of all kinds
• Watercolor paint
• Crayons
• Sumi-e ink
• Pens
• Charcoal
Nearly anything anyone might need to make a
mark on paper.
We also went over the different kinds of paper and
what they were best use for.
• Fiber
• Finish
• Size and Absorbency
• Weight
Are some of the things looked at when selecting
A piece of paper.

4. We learn about different types of pencils H9-B9 and the different marks each ones makes.
HBHH2H3H4H5H6H7H8H9 B B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9
The H pencils make a hard fine light line.
The higher the number the harder and
lighter the mark made.
The B pencils make a soft thick line.
The higher the number the darker and softer
the mark made.
Drawing made with a 2B ,B4 , and a 2H

5. We tested different types of
Mediums that could be used to
Change the surface of the paper.
• Fine Pumice: white, light, sandy
• Black Lava: black, rough, grains
• Clear Gesso: fine, clear, any color could
be added to it.
• Micaceous Iron Oxide: med., grit, blackish
gray with sliver flecks,
• Black Gesso: fine, jet black
• White Gesso: fine, white
• Ground for Pastels:
I really like the micaceous iron oxide it had a
sandy texture and a slight shimmery sliver
glow.

7. While out walking
I built a sculpture to
be found later by my
classmates when we
would walk to lunch later
that day. This is the first
one of four that I built
over the week to be found
by my fellow class mates
on our way to lunch each
day. Each one I would
build in the morning
before going to class.
When building the
sculptures I would hoped
no one would see me. I
like to leave my sculptures
behind anonymously.
A little something left
behind on a hike to let
someone know someone
else has been there.

9. For My first drawing I decided to draw my sculpture of bark, moss and a rock.
I used ink and a paint brush to draw the outlines.
I then decided to use water soluble color pencils to add color to the drawing.
It had been a while since I sat down and concentrated on drawing. It took sometime
to get into the swing of things. This made me realize how hard it must be for my
student to enter my classroom sit down start a project and in thirty-seven min stop
only to continue one week later.

10. DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3
DAY4 DAY 5 DAY 6

11. For the drawing of the grass stalks
I chose sumi-e ink and brush, which
is a Japanese form of painting, to
capture the delicateness of the
Grass stalks.
I like the simplicity of the drawing
using brush and ink.

12. Drawing completed on
the first day.
While looking at the finished
drawings from our class, for the day,
what struck me was how different
everyone's choices were. We were
all given the topic of nature but we
chose different mediums and
materials to draw our chosen object
of nature. That got me think of
incorpating some kind of choice
based art into my classroom.

13. Day 2
In the morning we watched the movie about Andy Goldsworthy RIVERS AND TIDES. He is one of
the artist that has inspired my own work, I was thrilled to see the movie again and get re-
inspired. Andy Goldsworthy is an artist that builds sculptures in nature out if all natural materials
found in the environment in which he is working in. He is a British sculpture and photographer
and environmentalist, he produces sight specific sculptures and art. I was extremely inspires after
class, that the weekend after I had returned home, I went to visit Strom King, which is a sculpture
park which is also home to one of his famous sculpture 5 MEN, SEVENTEEN DAYS, FIFTEEN
BOULDERS, ONE WALL, 2010, Fieldstone.

16. Micro Drawing:
Today I decided to do a micro study of some gooses feathers I
had found. I like the intense force it took to draw the feathers it
was very meditational and relaxing.

19. This Painting was done with the
home made egg tempera that we
made early. This painting was
inspired by our trip to the marshes
we had taken early in the week. I
love the intensity of the egg
tempera and the glossy sheen it
gives to the painting. Egg tempera is
created by mixing the egg yolk with
concentrated paint, which gives it
its glossy sheen. What I found
interesting about egg tempera is
that you have to use equal amounts
of the egg yolk and pure
concentrated pigments or else
you’re left with either a chalky
painting or sticky looking painting.

20. Next Cathy shows us how to make homemade watercolors using gum arabic, concentrate
pigments, and water. What a fun way to show students how to mix colors, and to be able to
make their own paints.

21. I painted this panoramic ocean scape, using the homemade water
colors.
I love the intensity I was able to achieve by using these water colors.

22. A Collage made by drawing of a piece of bark with color pencils on black paper, Chinese Joss
paper, on black paper.

24. A drawing inspired by leaf photo I had taken outside of the studio. Done using watercolor
paints and color pencils. The spider was added by using a stamp that I carved out of a white
eraser.

26. We next learned how to make several simple books. Accordion
books for panoramic drawings, pocket books good for inserting
information cards, and flip books good for combining visual
images, and text. The cover of this panoramic book was created
using sliver leaf. A process by which a fine thin piece of gold,
silver, or bronze is glued to a surface. This technique will be great
to use with when I teach Illumination and gothic lettering to my
sixth grade students.

27. The covers to these two books
were created using natural
materials.
The top book was made by using
a plant, color pencils, and PVA
glue.
Flip Book
Pocket Book
The bottom book was made out
of tree bark adhere to the cover
using PVA glue. Using the PVA
glue made the bark flexible so it
would not turn brittle and brake
of.

28. This drawing
was made by
using a fine
piece of sliver
wire on paper
prepare with a
white ground.
This processes is
called silver
point. You can
also use a piece
of gold or bronze
wire to draw
with. The
drawing is of a
pine branch.

29. In the end the class could not have been as successful as it was if it had
not been for our dedicated teacher Cathy LeCleire whose commitment,
enthusiasm and knowledge, inspired us to explore our creative. We
were all eager to try new things, learn from one another, and
experiment with what it means to draw from nature. We thought
outside the box and learned many new things to bring back to our class
rooms and students.