Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v3 - Senior Secondary 3
Drawing and painting from life cont.
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Drawing and painting from life cont.
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Nigeria 2025 app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Visual Art
Class: Senior Secondary 3
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 1
Theme: 2 Dimensional Art
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This topic builds upon foundational skills in observation and representation, delving deeper into the nuances of drawing and painting directly from real-life subjects. It emphasizes the development of refined observational skills, expressive interpretation, and advanced technical application of various two-dimensional media. Mastering these skills is crucial for aspiring artists in Nigeria, enabling them to capture the rich visual tapestry of the country – from vibrant market scenes and diverse human figures to unique architectural forms and lush landscapes.
a wrapper, or the converging lines of a pathway in a landscape can lead the eye towards the main subject.
Negative Space: The space around and between the subject(s) of an image. Paying attention to negative space can help define positive forms and create a sense of depth and balance.
Example: The shape of the space between a person's arm and their torso can be as important as the arm itself in defining the figure's posture.
Depth and Foreground/Midground/Background: Creating the illusion of three-dimensionality and distance using size, overlap, atmospheric perspective, and detail.
Example: A drawing of a traditional compound might show a detailed, large figure in the foreground, smaller, less detailed figures in the midground, and a hazy background of distant trees or hills. 2.
3. Expressive Interpretation and Personal Style Beyond accurate representation, "drawing and painting from life" also involves infusing the artwork with the artist's unique perspective, feelings, and style.
Capturing Mood and Emotion: Using colour, brushwork, and composition to convey the emotional quality of the subject or scene.
Example: A portrait of an elder might use warm, soft tones and gentle brushwork to convey wisdom and serenity, while a market scene might use bold, contrasting colours and energetic strokes to depict bustling activity.
Stylization and Abstraction (controlled): While drawing from life emphasizes realism, artists can selectively simplify, exaggerate, or interpret forms to communicate a particular idea or feeling without losing the essence of the subject.
Example: Exaggerating the elongated neck in a portrait of a Fulani woman or simplifying the patterns on an Adire fabric to highlight its core design.
Developing Mark-making/Brushwork: Consciously choosing how marks or paint strokes are applied to reflect personal expression (e.g., loose, gestural, controlled, delicate). 2.
4. Advanced Medium-Specific Techniques (from Life) Drawing Media (Charcoal, Conté Crayon, Pastels, Ink Washes): Charcoal: Emphasize varied pressure for rich blacks, soft greys, and fine lines. Techniques like smudging for smooth transitions, lifting for highlights, and using compressed charcoal for large areas. Conté Crayon: Exploit its earthy tones (sanguine, sepia, black) for warmth and depth, especially for figure studies or portraits. Blending and layering are key.
Pastels: Layering colours, blending with fingers or tortillons, using the side of the pastel for broad strokes, and its tip for details. Observing how colours mix optically.
Ink Wash: Diluting ink with water to create a range of tonal values. Building up tones from light to dark, maintaining transparent layers. Excellent for quick studies of light and shadow. Painting Media (Acrylics, Watercolours): Colour Mixing from Life: Beyond basic primary/secondary, focus on mixing subtle hues for skin tones (considering various Nigerian complexions), fabric colours under different lighting, and natural environment colours. Understanding complementary colours for vibrant shadows. Worked
Example: Mixing Skin Tones: To achieve a specific brown Nigerian skin tone, start with a base of burnt sienna or burnt umber. Add a touch of cadmium red for warmth, a tiny bit of yellow ochre for olive tones, and a very small amount of ultramarine blue or Payne's grey to mute or cool it down. Adjust with white for lighter areas, always observing the live model closely for undertones (reddish, yellowish, bluish).
Acrylics: Impasto: Applying thick paint with a brush or palette knife to create texture and expressiveness.
Glazing: Applying thin, transparent layers of paint to build up colour and depth.
Dry Brush: Using a brush with very little paint to create a textured, broken-colour effect, excellent for rendering rough surfaces like woven baskets or dry earth.
Watercolours: Wet-on-Wet: Applying wet paint to a wet surface for soft, blended, atmospheric effects, ideal for skies or smooth skin transitions.
Wet-on-Dry: Applying wet paint to a dry surface for crisp edges and defined shapes.
Lifting: Using a damp brush or cloth to lift wet or semi-dry paint for highlights or corrections.
Masking: Using masking fluid to preserve white areas or create sharp edges. This section focuses on refining previously acquired skills and introducing more sophisticated approaches to drawing and painting from life. 2.
1. Refined Observational Skills: Beyond the Surface Observation in art goes beyond merely seeing. It involves active perception, analysis, and interpretation of visual data. For advanced life studies, students must move beyond outlining and basic shading to understand: Form in Space: How light interacts with three-dimensional objects to create areas of light (highlights, mid-tones) and shadow (core shadow, cast shadow, reflected light). Emphasis should be on understanding how forms turn in space, not just as flat shapes.
Example: When drawing a kola nut, observe not just its outline but how the light falls on its curved surface, creating subtle gradations of tone that define its roundness and indentations.
Atmospheric Perspective: The effect of the atmosphere on the appearance of objects viewed from a distance. Objects further away appear lighter, less saturated, and less detailed.
Example: In a landscape painting of a Nigerian village, distant mountains or huts will appear hazier and bluer compared to a foreground market stall, which will have sharper details and more intense colours.
Reflected Light: Light bouncing off surrounding surfaces onto the shadowed parts of an object. This prevents shadows from appearing completely flat and dark.
Example: When painting a dark brown clay pot, the shadowed side might pick up subtle warmer tones reflecting from a nearby yellow calabash or a red Ankara fabric.
Edges and Contours: Varying the sharpness or softness of edges to define form, indicate distance, and create visual interest. Hard edges suggest closeness or strong contrast; soft edges suggest distance, rounded forms, or diffused light.
Example: The crisp edge of a newly carved wooden mask's features versus the softer edge where the mask meets a diffused background.
Texture: The visual and tactile quality of a surface. Advanced observation captures not just the pattern, but how light and shadow play across textured surfaces.
Example: The rough, porous quality of a terracotta pot, the smooth sheen of polished wood, or the intricate weave of an Aso-Oke fabric, all rendered through varying brushstrokes or pencil marks. 2.
2. Advanced Compositional Principles for Life Studies Composition is the arrangement of visual elements within the picture plane. For life studies, especially when working with complex subjects (e.g., a bustling market scene, a multi-figure arrangement), effective composition is vital.
Focal Point: The primary area of interest. All other elements should support and lead the eye to the focal point.
Example: In a still life of traditional Nigerian food items, a perfectly rendered plate of Jollof rice could be the focal point, with surrounding ingredients arranged to complement it.
Rule of Thirds: Dividing the canvas into nine equal sections by two equally spaced horizontal and two equally spaced vertical lines. Placing key elements along these lines or at their intersections creates more dynamic and balanced compositions than simply centering the subject.
Example: Positioning the eye level of a portrait subject along the upper horizontal line, or a prominent market vendor at an intersection point. Dynamic Balance vs.
Symmetrical Balance: Dynamic balance (asymmetrical) creates visual tension and movement, while symmetrical balance creates stability and formality. Life studies often benefit from dynamic balance.
Example: Instead of placing a single calabash exactly in the center, positioning it off-center and balancing it with smaller items or negative space on the opposite side.
Leading Lines: Real or implied lines that guide the viewer's eye through the composition.
Example: The long arm of a yam pounder, the folds of a wrapper, or the converging lines of a pathway in a landscape can lead the eye towards the main subject.
Negative Space: The space around and between the subject(s) of an image. Paying attention to negative space can help define positive forms and create a sense of depth and balance.
Example: The shape of the space between a person's arm and their torso can be as important as the arm itself in defining the figure's posture. * Depth and Foreground/Midground/Background: Creating the illusion of three-dimensionality and distance using size, overlap, 3.
1. Teacher Activities: Introduction & Review (10 mins): Briefly recap the previous lesson's fundamental concepts of drawing/painting from life (basic observation, proportion, simple forms). Introduce "Drawing and Painting from Life Cont." by highlighting the focus on advanced observation, composition, expressive interpretation, and medium-specific techniques. Display examples of master artworks (Nigerian and international) that demonstrate advanced life studies (e.g., portraits by Ben Enwonwu, still life by Bruce Onobrakpeya, landscape paintings by Aina Onabolu), emphasizing how artists go beyond mere depiction.
Demonstration: Refined Observation & Composition (20 mins): Set up a complex still life arrangement (e.g., a Nigerian market basket with fruits, vegetables, and a traditional fabric draped over it; or a model posing in a culturally relevant attire). Demonstrate how to analyze the still life/model for light and shadow patterns, reflected light, atmospheric perspective, and varied edges. Physically show how to apply compositional principles (e.g., Rule of Thirds, creating a focal point) by using a viewfinder (a cut-out frame) to "crop" the scene effectively. Sketch/paint a quick initial study, verbalizing the decision-making process for composition and initial observation of forms and tones.
Demonstration: Advanced Medium Techniques (30 mins): Using the same still life or a simpler setup, demonstrate one or two advanced techniques relevant to the chosen medium (e.g., for drawing: charcoal blending for realistic skin tones and fabric textures; for painting: mixing a complex skin tone or achieving a specific fabric texture using wet-on-wet/dry brush with acrylics/watercolours). Provide step-by-step guidance on how to achieve specific effects (e.g., how to blend charcoal for smooth transitions, how to mix a range of browns/reds/yellows for various Nigerian complexions, how to create textured brushstrokes for fabric).
Practical Application Setup (10 mins): Divide students into small groups. Provide diverse still life arrangements or instruct students to pose for each other (for quick figure/portrait studies). Ensure each group has access to appropriate materials (charcoal, pastels, acrylics/watercolours, paper/canvas). Remind students to focus on the day's objectives: refined observation, advanced composition, and applying specific techniques. Guided Practice & Individual Support (40 mins): Circulate among students, providing individual feedback and guidance.
Ask guiding questions: "Where is your focal point?" "How does the light hit that surface?" "What colour undertones do you see in the shadow?" "How can you make that texture more convincing?" Offer targeted advice on improving observational accuracy, compositional choices, and technical application. Critique Preparation & Conclusion (10 mins): Instruct students to put down their tools. Explain the process for peer critique. Summarize key takeaways for the lesson. 3.
2. Student Activities: Active Observation & Discussion: Students actively observe the teacher's demonstrations, noting down techniques and compositional strategies. Engage in brief Q&A sessions during demonstrations, seeking clarification.
Setup & Initial Sketch/Study: Students set up their workstations with chosen materials. Students create a preliminary compositional sketch, considering focal point, rule of thirds, and overall balance of their chosen subject (still life, portrait, figure). For painting, students may start with a light underdrawing.
Life Drawing/Painting Session: Students work on their main drawing or painting from life, applying refined observational skills and chosen advanced techniques. They should continuously refer to the live subject, analyzing light, shadow, form, texture, and colour relationships. Students are encouraged to experiment with the demonstrated techniques (e.g., charcoal blending, colour mixing for specific skin tones, wet-on-wet for backgrounds). Self-Assessment & Peer Critique (if time permits or as homework): Students informally assess their own work based on the learning objectives. Students (in groups) provide constructive feedback to peers, focusing on observation, composition, and technical execution, relevant to the context of Nigerian art. classmate's hand or face, focusing on accurately mixing and applying diverse skin tones observed directly from the model under natural light. Solution &
Commentary:
1. Base Tone: Start with a dominant warm brown (e.g., Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber).
2. Adjusting for Undertones: Warmth: Add a touch of Red (Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson) or Yellow (Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna) to warm it up.
Coolness: Add a tiny bit of Blue (Ultramarine Blue) or a cool brown/grey to cool it down or neutralize it.
Lighter Tones: Add white (for acrylics) or dilute with water (for watercolours) to achieve lighter values, observing highlights.
Darker Tones: Add more Burnt Umber, a touch of dark blue, or a very dark neutral mix to deepen the shadows.
3. Application: Acrylics: Apply paint in layers, blending on the canvas or palette. Use varied brushstrokes to capture subtle changes in plane. Consider glazing for transparent effects or impasto for texture.
Watercolours: Build up layers from light to dark. Use wet-on-wet for soft transitions on broader areas (e.g., cheek, forehead) and wet-on-dry for crisper details (e.g., lips, eyes).
4. Observation is Key: Continuously compare the mixed colour to the model's actual skin tone, making small adjustments. Remember skin is not one flat colour but a blend of many hues.
Commentary: This is a crucial skill in portraiture and figure painting, especially in a diverse country like Nigeria. It trains the eye to see subtle colour variations and trains the hand to mix complex hues accurately, moving beyond generic "flesh" colours.
Cultural Documentation and Preservation: Application: Artists who master drawing and painting from life can directly contribute to documenting Nigeria's rich cultural heritage. They can create visual records of traditional festivals (e.g., Argungu Fishing Festival, Eyo Festival), ceremonies, local crafts (e.g., calabash carving, pottery, weaving), and diverse human figures in traditional attire. These artworks serve as invaluable historical and cultural archives, preserving visual knowledge for future generations, much like early colonial artists documented aspects of Nigerian life.
Local Context: A student could be commissioned to paint portraits of community elders, depicting their wisdom and unique features, or to illustrate local myths and legends using life models.
Commercial Art and Design: Application: The ability to accurately observe and render forms, textures, and colours from life is fundamental for various commercial art fields. This includes fashion illustration (drawing live models in Nigerian clothing designs), architectural rendering (sketching buildings and landscapes from observation for project proposals), product design (visualizing new local products like furniture or utensils), and advertising (creating realistic visuals for campaigns promoting Nigerian goods and services).
Local Context: An artist might be hired to sketch new clothing designs for a Lagos fashion house, illustrate a children's book featuring everyday Nigerian life, or create visual concepts for a new community market design in Abuja.
Environmental Awareness and Tourism: Application: Life drawing and painting can be used to capture the beauty and fragility of Nigeria's natural landscapes, wildlife, and urban environments. Artists can create works that highlight environmental issues (e.g., deforestation, pollution of rivers like the Niger Delta) or celebrate natural landmarks (e.g., Zuma Rock, Idanre Hills). These artworks can raise awareness, inspire conservation efforts, and promote tourism by showcasing Nigeria's scenic beauty to a wider audience.
Local Context: Students could participate in art exhibitions focusing on local environmental themes, depicting the challenges faced by their community's environment, or creating vibrant paintings of popular tourist destinations in Nigeria, selling them to tourists or local businesses.