Blackboard Sketching

Chapter 26: PLATE 23

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About This Book

The manual offers step-by-step instruction for making effective blackboard sketches using chalk and charcoal, beginning with basic strokes and progressing to complete classroom illustrations. Plates show stroke techniques and examples — simple shapes, objects, landscapes, seasonal and subject-based drawings — with explicit directions for pressure, angle, and chalk handling. Lessons explain how to adapt sketches for reading, arithmetic, geography, history, nature study, calendars, and holidays, and encourage teachers to practice strokes, vary touches, and adapt examples rather than copy them. Emphasis is placed on using sketching as a visual teaching aid to hold attention, clarify lessons, and lead children to use drawing as spontaneous expression.

Plate 23

PLATE 23

The strokes used in the birds are exactly like those described in the previous lesson.

Sketch first an egg shape, No. 1, using half or two-thirds of a stick of chalk, and pressing a bit upon the outer end, letting the stroke blend into the board.

Add to this a few blended strokes representing the form and position of head, tail and wing. The sketches at 2, 3 and 4 indicate upon which end of the chalk the pressure should come. Be careful to keep the delicate gray or middle tones.

After such drawings as those at 2, 3 and 4 are made, then add the characteristic details with the chalk and charcoal. It will be seen by studying these finished drawings that only a few touches are necessary to complete the sketches.

In order to obtain a contrast between the background and the head of the bird in the lower sketch, a little chalk was massed upon the board as a background. See plate 12.