Bringing Middle School Art into Focus

Course Title: AR800
Grades: 8
Instructor: Mariana Depetris
Project: MASS GESTURE DRAWING
In Mrs. Depetris’ Middle School art class, students learned to draw without being aware of their subject. The initial picture presented to them appeared completely out of focus. They were asked to build based on the relationships between mass, light and shadow.

As the drawings progressed, the focus was incrementally adjusted in small percentages. Students had to show adaptability during the process as the image continually changed before them.

Abstaining from initially using lines to define a drawing, students were also asked not to use erasers with the idea of correcting mistakes. Instead, erasers were used as a drawing tool in a reductive manner. Other materials such as charcoal and sanguine were used as an additive process. Depetris says, “It was interesting to see their learning in value and value distribution perception as they comparatively noticed proportion within the notion of scale and space. There were no devices or techniques used except for a mass gesture approach and pure observation. The results were not aimed to achieve proportion or accuracy to the original but sensibility to space, adaptability and value range.”

Inspiration: Edgar Degas (1834-1917), Ballet Rehearsal on Stage, 1874, Oil on canvas, H. 65; W. 81 cm, Musée d’Orsay.
Final work created by the students:

 
Artwork in progress: