This document provides the quarterly sketchbook assignment directions for Mrs. Nelson's Visual Arts class. It lists 20 assignments that students must complete by the given due dates at the end of each quarter. The assignments include drawing names with background designs, geometric shapes with shading and shadows, shoe contours, color wheels, quotations, layered patterns, clothing designs, magazine collages, observational drawings, fonts, words in different styles, interpretations of icons, melting objects, watercolor paintings, cut-and-draw collages, animal/object combinations, directional line drawings, illuminated letters, and silhouettes made of letters.

1. Visual Arts
Mrs. Nelson
SKETCHBOOK ASSIGNMENTS 2014-15
Directions: Select Assignment and look at examples. See Due Dates Below.
Quarter 1: Complete 1-10 by: Monday, October 6th
(before the end of 1st
Quarter)
Quarter 2: Complete 11-20 by: Monday, December 8th
(before the end of 2nd
Quarter)
1. Draw your name and use inspiration from San Francisco artist, Tom Mueske for
the background design. Go to http://tommueske.com for more examples.
2. Draw a cube, cone, sphere, and pyramid. Now shade your objects, choosing a
light source. Don’t forget to give your objects a cast shadow.
3. Draw the contour line (outline) of your shoe.
Draw from whatever shoe you are wearing the day you attempt this challenge.
4. Design your own color wheel. Look at example on the walls of the classroom.

2. 5. Illustrate a famous saying/quotation.
6. Draw arrows criss-crossing your sketchbook page. Give them depth.
7. Starting at the corner of your sketchbook page fill it with different layers of
line and pattern (Remember your Zentangles!!!)
8. Design an article of clothing (shoes, hat, t-shirt, dress, suit, jacket) that you
would like. Be sure to think of color and pattern.

3. 9. Make a dream like collage using magazine images in one color. Ex: a collage of
just blue things.
10. Find an object of interest inside your house or art room. Create an
observational drawing of it.
11. Design your own font (letter design) of this year’s theme: Educating Hearts and
Minds.
Ex. EDUCATING HEARTS AND MINDS
12. Choose any word (Make sure its appropriate!!!) Draw it in a minimum of three
different fonts or lettering. EX:
13. The marks of a Holy Cross Education are : Information (a flame), Formation (a
hand), and Transformation (a heart), design your own interpretations of these
icons. In other words use your sketchbooks design you own flame, hand, and
heart icons.

4. 14. Draw an object melting.
15. Take watercolor paint and dab a little bit on your paper. Blow on it so the paint
spreads. Let this dry. Then using a pen create a cartoony monster from it.
16. Cut out and collage part of an image in your sketchbook. Then draw the rest of
it.
17. Create a drawing combining two things together. This can be an animal with
anther animal, or animal with an object, etc.
18.
"Directional Lines" Unlike the expressive, directional lines are very precise. Lines
should all be the same thickness. These lines look as if they are bending and
overlapping. This is not "free" like expressive lines) but calculated constant, and even.

5. • Start anywhere on your paper. Move in a certain direction. stop and begin in a
new direction . Keep lines in a group the same distance apart.
19. Illustrate a decorative letter. It can be the first letter of your name or any
letter you wish to embellish. Think of contrast and making the letter stand out from
your page. Use the entire sketchbook page! Marker, pen or colored pencil. Can be
black and white or have color. Look up Illuminated Manuscripts for examples.
20. Using
only letters create the silhouette of any cartoon character, animal,
person, or object. It can be one letter repeated, a word(s) repeated, or phrase.