This resource shares how schools might use Henry Moore’ Shelter Drawings to inspire creativity in the classroom. See this resource as part of a pathway for use in schools here.

The Shelter Drawings can be used to:

• Develop visual literacy skills
• Explore watercolour, ink and wax resist
• Explore how to convey form in drawings by using contour lines
• Explore Chiaroscuro (light / dark) to convey mood
• Explore perspective to build sense of claustrophobia / confinement
• Explore themes of shelter, confinement, safety, being trapped

Context & Background

Henry Moore was a sculptor and draughtsman.

When introducing his drawings to children, it’s important to remember the fact that he was a sculptor – his drawings have a characteristic “sculptural” feel. Understanding this will help children explore how they convey form in their own drawings. Moore’s sculptures were monumental, inhabiting the landscape, but his studio was full of small maquettes (models) inspired by fist sized pieces of flint and bone. Even his drawings of these small objects feel “sculptural” and solid.

The Shelter Drawings

Some records say Moore made his shelter drawings after taking shelter one night in 1940 in Belsize underground station, when Moore was fascinated by the families camping out underground. Other records say Moore took many underground journeys and saw the figures in the platforms as the trains passed by.

Returning to his studio, the Shelter Drawings were often made from his memory of the experience. The images capture feelings of confinement and claustrophobia; the figures are anonymous but relationships between figures are clear. The figures in the underground, often seated or reclining, also reminded Moore of his sculptures.

See the clip above at 10 minutes 30 seconds for images of Moore making his Shelter Drawings

See this resource as part of a pathway for use in schools here.

This is a sample of a resource created by UK Charity AccessArt. We have over 850 resources to help develop and inspire your creative thinking, practice and teaching.

AccessArt welcomes artists, educators, teachers and parents both in the UK and overseas.

We believe everyone has the right to be creative and by working together and sharing ideas we can enable everyone to reach their creative potential.

You May Also Like…

Pathway: Exploring Form Through Drawing

This is featured in the ‘Exploring Form Through Drawing’ pathway

Watercolour Washes Inspired by the Tapestries of Henry Moore

What We Like About This Resource…

“We’re really grateful to Jake from Draw Brighton for sharing this activity which became so well received during lockdown 2020.

This is the perfect reminder that wherever we are in the digital or physical world, we have our eyes, hands and faces, and drawing provides a wonderful opportunity to come together in small groups to make sketches of each other. Use this activity as an ice breaker before a workshop, or as a transition activity between classes or events. Thank you Jake!” Paula, AccessArt

You Might Also Like…

Pathway: Exploring Identity

This is featured in the ‘Exploring Identity’ pathway

Talking Points: Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Making Physical or Digital Layered Portraits

Introduction to Portraits

Exploring Portraits in Graphite, Collage and Clay

Last week we looked at how we can use sound to help develop our mark making in a very intuitive way. Today we are going to look at how we can develop our mark making skills in a slightly more analytical way – through examining the work of other artists. By doing this, and by using our new mark-making vocabulary in the drawings we make, we can begin to understand how different types of marks create personality and meaning in our drawings.

As with all the AccessArt resources, we want to help learners aim high, but through a series of small steps. And at each of the steps we ensure we are encouraging open-ended, creative experiences so that the learning is really owned by the learner.

Find the recording of the In The Studio session exploring diverse mark-making below.

Activities which help learners identify new marks…

Finding marks through artists

thoughtful mark making

drawing clouds and mark making

Typography for children

Monoprint with Oil Pastel

Flat Yet Sculptural making

Making Sculptural Wild Things

See This Resource Used In Schools

You May Also Like…

Pathway: Typography and Maps

This is featured in the ‘Typography and Maps’ pathway

Pathway: Cloth, thread, paint

This is featured in the ‘Cloth, Thread, Paint’ pathway

Session Recording: Finding Marks Made by Artists

See How This Resource Is Used in Schools…

You May Also Like…

Pathway: Spirals

This resource is in the ‘Spirals’ pathway.

the drawing journey

Layered Colour Gestural Drawing

See the Resource Used in Schools…

You May Also Like

Pathway: Exploring Identity

This is featured in the ‘Exploring Identity’ pathway

Talking Points: Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Explore the work of Njideka Akunyili Crosby

Talking Points: Yinka Shonibare

See how Yinka Shonibare uses pattern to express identity

See This Resource Used in Schools…

You May Also Like…

Mark Making & Sound: Part Two

Mark Making & Sound: Part Three

Pathway: Music and art

This is featured in the ‘Music and Art’ pathway

Drawing to a Slow Rhythm

Inspired by Miro

Drawing to Music

See This Resource Used in Schools…

You Might Also Like…

Pathway: Gestural Drawing with Charcoal

Featured in the ‘Gestural Drawing with Charcoal Pathway’

Session Recording: exploring Charcoal

Molly Hausland

The ancient art of konan

A collection of imagery and sources which you can use to prompt drawing in schools and community groups. 

Please note that this page contains links to external websites and has videos from external websites embedded. At the time of creating, AccessArt checked all links to ensure content is appropriate for teachers to access. However external websites and videos are updated and that is beyond our control. 

Please let us know if you find a 404 link, or if you feel content is no longer appropriate. 

We strongly recommend as part of good teaching practice that teachers watch all videos and visit all websites before sharing with a class. On occasion there may be elements of a video you would prefer not to show to your class and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure content is appropriate. Many thanks. 

Nests

Use the film below to enable children to explore drawing nests. Try to create a sense of momentum – for example you might pause the video 4 times and ask the pupils to make a 1 minute, 2 minute, 3 minute and 4 minute drawing at each pause. 

Encourage close and slow looking by talking as they draw – use your voice to attract their attention to qualities of the nest.

Try the same exercise using different materials, ie handwriting pen, ink and nib, pastel, watercolour…

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Davis, United States. Original public domain image from Wikimedia Commons

Bird nest hanging on a tree. Free public domain CC0 photo.

Birds nest in tree, nature photography. Free public domain CC0 image.

Birds nest in tree, nature photography. Free public domain CC0 image.

You May Also Like…

Pathway: Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & determination

This is featured in the ‘Sculpture, Structure, Inventiveness & Determination’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Find out how pupils can respond to artists work in sketchbooks

Show me what you see

Enable close looking and drawing with this exercise

A collection of imagery and sources which you can use to prompt drawing in schools and community groups. 

Please note that this page contains links to external websites and has videos from external websites embedded. At the time of creating, AccessArt checked all links to ensure content is appropriate for teachers to access. However external websites and videos are updated and that is beyond our control. 

Please let us know if you find a 404 link, or if you feel content is no longer appropriate. 

We strongly recommend as part of good teaching practice that teachers watch all videos and visit all websites before sharing with a class. On occasion there may be elements of a video you would prefer not to show to your class and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure content is appropriate. Many thanks. 

This resource is free to access and is not a part of AccessArt membership.

Drone Footage Over Natural Landscape

Use the film below as source material to enable an exploration of drawing natural landscapes. You can also try to find drone footage of your own environment, or that of areas relating to projects you are covering in school.

Pause the footage at points which catch your eye and invite the children to make timed drawings – 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 2 minutes or 1 minute. 

Vary the drawing materials you use and work in sketchbooks or sheets of paper of different sizes and textures. You may also like to make multiple line drawings over one page – each with a different colour or line weight, to describe different pause points in the same film to capture a moving landscape. 

Dixie National Forest, Utah

Howqua Hills, Australia

Reading, UK

The Netherlands

This Source Material Features in…

Pathway: Cloth, thread, paint

This is featured in the ‘Cloth, Thread, Paint’ pathway

Pathway: Mixed Media Land and city scapes

This is featured in the ‘Mixed Media Land and City Scapes’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see