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Color
Whale by Keith
Lesson from Draw Write Now, Book 4.
This adaptation of the lesson is shared in our free e-mail newsletter.
“After my daughter's class got the Draw Write Now series, all the books were quickly selected during the ‘free choice’ times. During recesses, I often witnessed the teacher needing to insist that a child put a book away and go outside to play.
Their impact in the classroom is tremendous!”
— Ellen C., parent
Color Inside the Lines
Encourage children to develop the skill and control of coloring within their pencil drawing lines. It is a sign of craftsmanship and discipline.
Singing at the Admiral Theater
by Jessie, age 7
Singing in front of an audience! Jessie's self-portrait came from the heart, bringing out her finest skills. Using color pencil, she kept the blue out of the yellow stage lights and her blond hair. The flowers on her dress are distinct, and the curtains look sharp. Good coloring skills enabled her to execute her creative idea.
Coloring Strokes
Coloring strokes add so much to a drawing!
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Horizontal strokes give the impression of calm.
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Vertical strokes give the impression of height or depth.
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Curved or jagged strokes give the impression of action.
A Variety of Strokes
 by Aaron, age 7
See a larger image of this drawing.
Aaron made an active background drawing for his flying, honking goose. Look at the sky. Aaron's coloring strokes go in different directions. Does the sky look still or does it look breezy? Look at the water. The strokes are groups of curved lines. Is the water a pond (still water) or is it a river (moving water)? The strokes in the wings flow from the body to the wing tips. Aaron, a first grade student, colored this drawing after a two or three minute presentation by Mrs. Hablitzel in which she encouraged the children to think about the strokes they use while coloring. She had left the room to work with a reading group. When she saw Aaron's finished drawing, she exclaimed, "It's a Van Gough!" (Starry Night).
Horizontal Stroke
by Jordan, age 7,
Jordan used only horizontal strokes while coloring her picture. It gives her drawing a feeling of calm.
Color Choice
Color can compliment and add to a drawing. The drawings shown below were created by students as they studied the natural habitat of the Asian Elephant. See how color augments each of their drawings.
Yellow Sky, Red Sun
by Dustin, age 7
Dustin chose yellow for the sky and red for the sun. Does his elephant live in a hot place? Yellow and red help make the place look hot.
Palm Trees and Blue Sky
by Jordan, age 7
Jordan used blue for the sky. She colored the ground an orange-brown. Do you think Jordan's elephant lives in a hot place? Does Dustin's location apear to be warmer than Jordan's?
White and Turquoise World
by Jordan O. age 7
Jordan O. colored the bushes and the palm tree leaves turquoise. The sun is a small ball in the sky. She left the ground and the sky white. Does Jordan's elephant drawing appear cooler than the other two drawings? Her color choice may not seem to make sense, until her drawing is seen alongside the other animal drawings she made using turquoise and white in the backgrounds.
Outlining
Children carefully draw their pictures using pencil, but the details can be covered when color is added. Outlining (going over the pencil lines with black) defines their details. We like to use black crayon for outlining, but also use a black marker (Papermate Flair or Sylist Pen) when working with finer details or when working with color pencil.
Angler Fish (with outlining)
by Luke, age 7
Luke outlined his drawing. Outlining helps us see the Angler Fish against the big rock, along with the details in the tail and fins. It also helps us see the teeth. Luke did not outline the glowing "light" at the end of the antenna.
Chickadee (without outlining)
by Laura, age 8
Laura made a chickadee in a tree using pencil, but did not outline with black after coloring. The chickadee is a small bird. If Laura had outlined the bird and the tree, her delicate bird drawing may have been spoiled. Laura created this chickadee lesson, and shared her drawing along with her own step-by-step instructions.
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