MATERIALS:
- Animal figurines (e.g., deer, dinosaur, horse, etc.)
- Strathmore drawing pad
- Coloured pencils or pastels (DeSerres Artist's Case)
- Lead pencils
- Scissors
- Glue
- Sunshine ☼
Soak up every ray of sunshine during school break and keep your little artists busy! This drawing activity teaches children to draw by playing with shadows. With just a few supplies, this simple activity can be done anywhere and could be tailored to each child's age or interests.
Step 1:
Place the figurine on a sheet of paper facing the source of sunlight (in front of a window) so that the figurine’s shadow falls on the sheet and the animal’s outline can be clearly identified. This step also helps younger kids understand how shadows work! Move your sheet around to discover how shadows grow or shrink depending on the figurine’s position relative to the sun.
Step 2:
Once the animal is well positioned, trace its silhouette with the lead pencil.
Step 3:
Colour your animal in the colours of your choice!
Step 4:
Use the scissors to cut out your animal shadow drawing to create a collage with a background drawing. Tip: think of a theme and draw several animals to integrate them all into your thematic drawing!
Step 5:
On another sheet of paper, draw and colour your landscape using coloured pencils, pastels, paint, or another medium. Enjoy the creative process!
Step 6:
Glue your animal onto your background and admire your work! Repeat the steps to add more animals to your drawing. Tip: This activity could also serve as a fun way to learn how to compare and rank animals by size.
