Art lessons – Conclusion by Michaela Lišková
In just five hours of art with Dorte, we had a chance to try out for many of us many new techniques and ways to create, and some of us have drawn and painted so deeply for the first time in their life.The first lesson was in the name of drawing a portrait. First, we trained five-minute portraiture. At first it seemed impossible for us to create something a bit like a human face just only in five minutes, but gradually, drawing one portrait after another, we found out that it is still easier and easier. This exercise gave me a lot because I was always used to have a lot of time for drawing, which is not always the best, because you do not concentrate so intensively, and on the other hand five or fifteen minute portraits require immediate attention and a sharp eye. It's about not thinking so much about unnecessary details, but watching and really drawing what I see. This means that we have tried to link that what we saw with that what we draw. In other words, connect the eye with the hand and though activate the right brain hemisphere.
I also think that this training showed us that we actually CAN draw, that it is not impossible for us to create something quite good and also showed us that we can make progress step by step if we try. Also homework we made helped us to understand that hard work is important and if we want to improve it is essential. The first task was to draw any portrait of our fellow students or whomever. To do this we received printed materials about how to draw a nose, eyes, shape of face, lips, etc. With this assistance, and unlimited time to work, we could really learn how the human face works.
Another hour was associated with the colours and their meanings which we later used for creating expressionistic portraits based on photos we had made.As for my future practice as an art teacher I will certainly use the technique of five-minutes portraits and monoprints. Because both of these techniques supports a creativity of a child and helps to overcome usual obstacles like a fear of doing things wrong or not knowing how to start. This (monoprinting) technique absolutely surprised me. I knew about it before, but I had never used it that way we did. That provided us with something to start with. Because usually we start with plain white paper and it is sometimes quite hard to start with painting. And monoprinting already gave us some kind or frame or field to work with. It was like an inspiration or starting point so that all of us discovered something new in the painting.
Concerning my portrait from that day I have to admit that I over did it and therefore I am not so comfortable with my work, but I really enjoyed making it and learnt that sometimes less is more, which is always my problem and I have to work on it. And I am sure I will use this way of painting again and not only with portraits.
Also using famous paintings as an inspiration for creating one´s own painting or drawing is a great way how to work during art classes. Because already made picture is a great source of information. That is to say we can try to use the technique in which is the picture painted or colours and at the same time we can learn about the painting itself, about its author, about the technique, about the period when the painting was made and so on.This will be very usable also during lessons about the history of art, because children can learn about certain period, impressionism for instance, and artists of that period and then they can try to make their own impressionistic painting, using same technique and colours like impressionists did.
Misha
