The Sketchbook Journey Step 3: Practice & Explore

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Exercises to Build Sketchbooks

The resources in this section of the Sketchbook Journey provide you with lots of ideas for practising sketchbooks skills and for beginning to understand how the sketchbook can be embedded in your day.

You will also find resources which relate to specific sketchbook projects, to help you deepen your exploration of what sketchbooks can be.

All the resources can be adapted for all age groups and the exercises below should be used regularly to help learners develop their sketchbook skills. Use them as standalone activities or embed them in wider projects.

Bring the booklets together...

Explore Sketchbook Exercises...

Ten minutes, five times a week

If you are new to AccessArt start here with these exercises!

If you are new to AccessArt start here with these exercises!

drawing spirals

Start with a simple spiral to explore how you control the drawing medium

Start with a simple spiral to explore how you control the drawing medium

continuous line drawing

Continuous line drawings help learners develop observational skills and coordinate hand and eye

Continuous line drawings help learners develop observational skills and coordinate hand and eye

feely drawings

Drawing through the sense of touch

Drawing through the sense of touch

Backwards forwards drawings

Use the backward forward drawing technique to help slow down your drawing

Use the backward forward drawing technique to help slow down your drawing

making stronger drawings

Try this exercise to help learners make bolder drawings

Try this exercise to help learners make bolder drawings

see 3 shapes

Explore how seeing simple shapes can help develop drawing skills

Explore how seeing simple shapes can help develop drawing skills

thoughtful mark making

Develop mark making vocab and decision making skills

Develop mark making vocab and decision making skills

drawing small

Make a series of small drawings to settle into the drawing process

Make a series of small drawings to settle into the drawing process

finding Marks through artists

Be inspired by the marks made by artists

Be inspired by the marks made by artists

Deconstructing to help you see

In this exercise pupils will practise close looking, and explore mark-making

In this exercise pupils will practise close looking, and explore mark-making

drawing hands

Create simple continuous line drawings of hands

Create simple continuous line drawings of hands

Mark Making & Sound

Let sound and music inspire your drawing

Let sound and music inspire your drawing

drawing with a ruler

Make your drawings with straight lines only

Make your drawings with straight lines only

blind contour drawings

Match the speed of drawing with the speed of looking

Match the speed of drawing with the speed of looking

Drawing Prompts

Simple drawing prompts for use in the classroom or gallery

Simple drawing prompts for use in the classroom or gallery

show me what you see

Encourage children to respond to what they are seeing through drawing

Encourage children to respond to what they are seeing through drawing

Sketchbook Projects

Once you have introduced your learners to basic sketchbook skills, explore these short projects to help develop skills further and enhance creative thinking.

 

A Visual Poetry Zine with Monotype

Explore printing and making sketchbooks inspired by poetry

Explore printing and making sketchbooks inspired by poetry

Exciting Colour Sketchbook

Collect colour to inspire your work

Collect colour to inspire your work

Nests: Materials, Tools Testing and Sketchbooks

Explore ways of making marks using a range of drawing tools and ink

Explore ways of making marks using a range of drawing tools and ink

Concertina Landscapes

Fill a concertina filled with collages, paintings and drawings

Fill a concertina filled with collages, paintings and drawings

Sketchbooks and Performance

Capture a sense of theatre and performance in a sketchbook

Capture a sense of theatre and performance in a sketchbook

What is a canvas?

Explore drawing surface and understand how it might influence the drawings made

Explore drawing surface and understand how it might influence the drawings made

Developing Ideas through Exploring Media

Enable children to have the confidence to create their own learning journey

Enable children to have the confidence to create their own learning journey

An Introduction to Sculpture

Explore artwork in sketchbooks before moving into sculpture

Explore artwork in sketchbooks before moving into sculpture

Develop mark-making and pattern

Using sketchbooks to develop mark-making, texture and pattern

Using sketchbooks to develop mark-making, texture and pattern

Foreshortened Studies

Practice foreshortening working from photographic source material in your sketchbook

Practice foreshortening working from photographic source material in your sketchbook

Walking and Drawing

Take your sketchbook for a walk to inspire a new kind of mark-making

Take your sketchbook for a walk to inspire a new kind of mark-making

Drawing in the Dark

Keep your sketchbook with you when you watch films to explore drawing in the dark

Keep your sketchbook with you when you watch films to explore drawing in the dark

Three Approaches to drawing

Adapt these drawing approaches to sketchbook work

Adapt these drawing approaches to sketchbook work

Drawing in Candlelight

Exploring drawing by candlelight

Exploring drawing by candlelight

Concertina Sketchbook for Wellbeing

Use a concertina sketchbook to put mindfulness at the heart of drawing

Use a concertina sketchbook to put mindfulness at the heart of drawing

Drawing a day

Create a drawing a day with a concertina sketchbook

Create a drawing a day with a concertina sketchbook

Using a Sketchbook to develop ownership of imagery

Develop ownership of imagery by collaging artwork

Develop ownership of imagery by collaging artwork

Animating with Charcoal

Inspired by William Kentridge, explore making charcoal animations in a sketchbook

Inspired by William Kentridge, explore making charcoal animations in a sketchbook

Teenagers Make Their Own Drawing prompts

Overcome fear of the "white page"

Overcome fear of the "white page"

Using Photocopies to develop ideas

Use photocopies of drawings to help pupils develop their ideas

Use photocopies of drawings to help pupils develop their ideas

Mayan Tabletop Eraser Printing Project

Develop sketchbook work around printmaking

Develop sketchbook work around printmaking

Visual Notes

Help children to slow down and process information with this exercise

Help children to slow down and process information with this exercise

Making a Washing Line Sketchbook

A sketchbook exercise to encourage collaborative creative thinking

A sketchbook exercise to encourage collaborative creative thinking

Sketchbooks for Design

Use sketchbooks as a tool to inform design

Use sketchbooks as a tool to inform design

Show Me What You See

See how sketchbooks are used to help children see, before they go on to make

See how sketchbooks are used to help children see, before they go on to make

A Sketchbook Challenge!

Practice your sketchbook skills with our How Much Does A Cloud Weigh? challenge

Practice your sketchbook skills with our How Much Does A Cloud Weigh? challenge

Play and Explore

Inbal Leitner demonstrates how Line and Shape can be used to illustrate poetry

Inbal Leitner demonstrates how Line and Shape can be used to illustrate poetry

Unfolding stories

Inbal Leitner shows us how to step out of the sketchbook

Inbal Leitner shows us how to step out of the sketchbook

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