Drawing and Photography a Resource for Teachers
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1 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers DRAWING AND PHOTOGRAPHY A RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS Suitable for Key Stage 2–5 Art & Design Lynn Weddle July 2017 Juliette Buss photoworks.org.uk #photoworks @photoworks_uk 2 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers DRAWING AND PHOTOGRAPHY A RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS CONTENTS [4] Introduction [5] How to use this pack [6] Activities [13] Artists working with drawing and photography [15] Share your students’ work with us [16] Useful links All images: Lynn Weddle 3 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers “ Drawing as a form of communication has transcended history and cultures. In arts education it is viewed as central to students’ visual and creative thinking. Drawing is a key skill for pupils wishing to work in the sector.” Making a mark: art, craft and design education, Ofsted, 2011 4 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers INTRODUCTION Drawing and photography both investigate representation and present themselves via the two- dimensional surface. Parallels exist within the grain of film, the texture of paper, metallic surfaces of graphite and the silver within emulsion. Children draw as a way to record and respond to their experiences. In early years children are confident in imaginative drawing, play and creative mark making. Drawing becomes more representational as Drawing and photography can take they progress through the education many forms and be integrated in system and many teachers comment many ways. This resource invites you on confidence levels falling. However, toembrace, challenge and explore at the same time, many children also the links between the two mediums gravitate to drawing, preferring this and how they can be creatively to any other activity. employed within the classroom with all ages. There is a fine line between drawing and photography. Photography has been termed ‘drawing with light’ and was born in the 1850’s, with artists and draftsmen wishing to capture a truly authentic representation of the world by experimenting with a lens to project an image of the outside world inside a darkened box or room as reference for their preparatory sketches. 5 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers HOW TO USE THIS PACK There is an increased emphasis What Teachers have said about on drawing in the Art & Design these suggested activities: National Curriculum. This pack “A brilliant range of approaches. offers teachers a range of ideas Very tangible when working with to increase the creative use of students. Low cost, very important. drawing and photography within I will use them all in my teaching.” their teaching. It highlights and suggests ways of engaging students “Lovely, alternative idea for and outlines activities to explore in photograms. Also using the the classroom, themes to consider projector and scratching into and questions to ask. The themes the negatives, sharing ideas with represent an indication of potential others we realised we could use our learning opportunities and the overhead projector and use it in the questions are intended as prompts same way – may be scratching into for further discussion. our old back and white film negs.” The pack is relevant mainly within About Photoworks the Art & Design and Photography Photoworks is a national development curriculum at Key Stage 2 - 5. agency for photography. Photoworks’ However, teachers of other subjects programme includes commissions, and age groups may also find it new writing, participation and useful. The information and activities exceptional projects including the are suitable for adaptation at national Jerwood/Photoworks different levels. Awards, Photoworks Annual and Brighton Photo Biennial. Our aim is Curriculum links: to connect outstanding artists with The pack does not presume to make audiences and to champion talent explicit curriculum links, but the and ambition. Photoworks is based themes outlined are appropriate at the University of Brighton, UK and for embedding within a variety is a National Portfolio Organisation of different schemes of work at supported by Arts Council England. different levels of study. [email protected] photoworks.org.uk 6 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers ACTIVITIES Draw · Project · Document Working in small groups, students make/select a photograph that fits with their existing project theme(s). The image is projected onto a large piece of paper pinned to the wall. Together the students make marks with graphite sticks, chalk (on sticks) or lines with electric/gaffa tape focusing on making patterns and building texture. Further images can be projected on top of the original, so the drawing develops and grows with every new image, eventually culminating in an abstract piece. The process can be varied at different stages. The finished work may be the drawing, or the finished work may be a photograph of the drawing with the projected image included. Students may prefer to work alone. Remember to encourage students to document the process. 7 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers Make a Mark This activity investigates ways of manipulating the photographic image using traditional analogue photographic equipment. Using 35mm negatives, students incorporate drawing processes by making scratches and marks into the glossy side of the negatives. Old slides can be found in junk shops and charity shops, or by asking family members. The marked slides are then placed inside a slide-mount and projected using a carousel slide projector onto a wall. New photographic artwork is then created by photographing the projected image. If you don’t have a carousel slide projector, you can use a negative scanner. Alternatively, a number of apps are available that turn your phone or tablet into a lightbox, allowing the slide to be easily viewed. Other ideas: [] Use bleach to make marks into the emulsion side of the negative. [] Acetate laid on top of the negative can be painted before projection [] Ghostly traces and effects can be created by using cut up/layered sticky tape. Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers 9 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers Stitching A simple, yet effective way of working with mark making and photography is to stitch or sew photographs – stitching collaged elements together, or sewing (by hand or with a machine) with coloured threads to create patterns and texture across photographs. Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers 10 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers Drawing with Light It’s a good idea to make sure your Sometimes known as ‘Painting light source directly faces the with Light’ or ‘Light Graffiti’, this camera to capture the ‘marks’ being photographic process uses a slow/ made in the air. long shutter speed to trace the movements of hand held lights This activity works best in the dark. Working in a dark space means Glow sticks, LED torches, coloured your shutter speed can be as slow finger torches, LED key chain lights as possible, ideally over 30 second or digital light wands are all ideal shutter speed to have enough time light-sources. If you have use of a to create a drawn image. portable flash-gun, you can use it to add flashes to your images and If your work space isn’t very dark, highlight areas. an 8-10 second exposure will work, but your time to draw will be short You need a DSLR camera set to and you may need to experiment to manual mode, with a bulb setting capture your drawing. - this allows your camera to keep taking the photo until your finger You can play with different effects: comes off the shutter button – work to eliminate an object, bring perfect for long exposures. it to life, draw around its shape or creatively add to it, or you Your camera needs to be on a tripod could move the camera itself as you are working with slow shutter during the exposure time to create speeds. Another tip is to work with painterly effects and build layers a remote control or cable release into your image. so camera movement doesn’t affect your image. This allows you to work with a really low ISO of 100 to 200. 11 Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers Camera Obscura [] Take a scrap of tracing paper and is photographed to create a final Camera obscuras are ancient hold it inside the box. Look through image. Photography can be turned optical device used since the the tracing paper towards the lens into sculpture or installation by sixteenth century to aid drawing. – moving the tracing paper closer placing objects in front of the wall, or further away until you find where so that the image falls across the The camera obscura creates a the image is sharpest. Mark this object. projected image of the outside point on the inside of the box. world onto the wall of a dark box, or room. A tiny hole in one wall [] Cut the box in half (using scissors allows the image into the room/box. or a craft knife) at the point you Because the light travels in a straight have just marked. Hold on to the line, this image is inverted (upside- piece you have just cut off – you down) and back to front. will need it! Placing a lens across the hole [] Tape a sheet of tracing paper over sharpens the image. The camera the end of the box and then fix obscura principle informs the pinhole the piece of box you cut off back camera – a box with a pinhole and into place over the tracing paper light sensitive paper inside it – the using tape. precursor to the modern camera. [] Tape over any gaps. You can make a simple camera obscura from any box with a pinhole [] Try out your camera obscura! or lens, revealing the magic of photography and drawing with light.