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 part of AccessArt membership.

Wild Flowers

Use this collection of films as source material for pupils exploring wild flowers. In the first instance you might want to pause the videos as suitable points to enable the children to carefully look at the main forms and details. 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 features of the flowers. 

When pupils are more experienced, you can also try getting them to make their drawings as the videos play – making quick gestural sketches. 

Drawing Exercises

1. Have the children draw in a quiet room, with the video on the whiteboard.

2. Stop the video at a chosen frame and use your voice to direct their drawing. Choose words which relate to the imagery, for example you might decide to focus their attention on vertical lines, so you might choose words like: line, growth, upward, downward, fall… or you might choose to attract their attention to the energy of a wave or the curve of a plants stem. Think carefully about the words you use – they don’t have to be used in sentences – you can speak lists. 

3. Each sketchbook response might take just 3 to 5 minutes, then move on to another still. Create a sense of momentum. 

4. Direct pupils to use a chosen medium. You might like to start with soft pencil or handwriting pen. 

This Source Material Features in…

Pathway: Cloth, thread, paint

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

Pathway: Flora and Fauna

This is featured in the ‘Flora and Fauna’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see

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 part of AccessArt membership.

Insects

Use this collection of films as source material for pupils exploring insects. In the first instance you might want to pause the videos as suitable points to enable the children to carefully look at the main forms and details. 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 features of the insect. 

When pupils are more experienced, you can also try getting them to make their drawings as the videos play – making quick gestural sketches. 

Drawing Exercises

1. Have the children draw in a quiet room, with the video on the whiteboard.

2. Stop the video at a chosen frame and use your voice to direct their drawing. Choose words which relate to the imagery, for example you might decide to focus their attention on vertical lines, so you might choose words like: line, growth, upward, downward, fall… or you might choose to attract their attention to the energy of a wave or the curve of an animals back. Think carefully about the words you use – they don’t have to be used in sentences – you can speak lists. 

3. Each sketchbook response might take just 3 to 5 minutes, then move on to another still. Create a sense of momentum. 

4. Direct pupils to use a chosen medium. You might like to start with soft pencil or handwriting pen. 

This Souce Material Is Used In…

Pathway: Flora and Fauna

This is featured in the ‘Flora and Fauna’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see

A collection of embedded google maps at chosen locations to help you explore architecture through drawing and discussion.

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 part of AccessArt membership.

Navigate around the building to explore. 

• Draw from different angles and perspectives

• Invite children to make drawings of different timed length: 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 2 minutes.

• Try various challenges:

  • Make a drawing in one continuous line.

  • Make a drawing using only straight lines.

  • Make a drawing using different line weights.

  • Make a drawing using charcoal, pen, ink and nib etc

You May Also Like…

Pathway: Be an architect

This is featured in the ‘Be an Architect’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see

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.

These resources are free to access and are not a part of AccessArt Membership.

The Natural World

Use the film below as source material to enable the children to draw the natural world.

You can either choose to stop the video, and draw from a collection of paused images, or you can also choose to ask the children to work from the moving image. 

Find drawing exercises below to help your drawing exploration.

Drawing Exercises

1. Have the children draw in a quiet room, with the video on the whiteboard.

2. Stop the video at a chosen frame and use your voice to direct their drawing. Choose words which relate to the imagery, for example you might decide to focus their attention on vertical lines, so you might choose words like: line, growth, upward, downward, fall… or you might choose to attract their attention to the energy of a wave or the curve of an animals back. Think carefully about the words you use – they don’t have to be used in sentences – you can speak lists. 

3. Each sketchbook response might take just 3 to 5 minutes, then move on to another still. Create a sense of momentum. 

4. Direct pupils to use a chosen medium. You might like to start with soft pencil or handwriting pen. 

You May Also Like…

Pathway:Exploring the world though mono print

This is featured in the ‘Exploring The World Through Mono print’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Pathway: Making Animated Drawings

This is featured in the ‘Making Animated Drawings’ pathway

Show me what you see

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. 

These resources are free to access and are not a part of AccessArt Membership.

Birds

Use this collection of films as source material for pupils exploring birds. In the first instance you might want to pause the videos as suitable points to enable the children to carefully look at the main forms and details. 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 features of the bird. 

When pupils are more experienced, you can also try getting them to make their drawings as the videos play – making quick gestural sketches. 

You May Also Like…

Pathway: Making Birds

This is featured in the ‘Making Birds’ pathway

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see

What We Like About This Resource….

“This project links poignant subject matter with meaningful art processes and local history. What we learn about the re purposing of materials, (in this case spent ammunition) re affirms how we can use what is around us as a starting point to making and creating. You could extend or adapt this project by looking at broken pottery, re purposing that into new sculptures that link with Roman or other local historical cultures” – Rachel, AccessArt

You May Also Like….

Henry Moore’s Shelter Drawings

Remembrance Day Soldiers

For Remembrance Day

What We Like About This Resource….

“This resource is a lovely example of how words and text can generate ideas, which can then be transferred to paper. Working in this way with children is a great way fo them to engage with literature – and to have an individual response. Try reading poems out loud to a class and ask them to list all the images that spring to mind before exploring those images through drawing”. – Rachel, AccessArt

You May Also Like…

Pathway: Telling Stories through drawing and making

This is featured in the ‘Drawing Stories Through Drawing and Making’ pathway

Rosie Hurley: Esio Trot

Poetry and Printmaking

Found Poetry

You Might Also like…

Pathway: Telling Stories through drawing and making

This is featured in the ‘Drawing Stories Through Drawing and Making’ pathway

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 the Resource Used in Schools…

See This 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