Drawing With Eyes Closed

In this lesson, students will explore the idea of strength and create a drawing with their eyes closed. Students will be guided through a drawing project and create a guided drawing of a dung beetle and a lion while their eyes are closed. Students will draw basic shapes without looking at their work and then work over the top of their drawing to add detail and colour.

Lesson 1

Students explore and discuss the word strength and what strength looks like in the animal kingdom. They draw a dung beetle, one of the strongest animals in a guided drawing activity.

Lesson 2

With closed eyes, and one step at a time, students draw an arched body, a top arch, six legs, and a centre line to resemble a basic dung beetle.

Lesson 3

Opening their eyes, students add colours and details to their drawing using markers or pencils.

Lesson 4

Students complete their work and reflect on their own inner strengths and what they believe makes people strong.

Lesson 5

Students can repeat the process with the same or different animals, representing strength or other positive qualities like courage. They can choose animals such as a lion or other creatures which may symbolise these traits.

Reflection

How did the guided drawing activity help you understand the physical features of a dung beetle? Did you find it challenging or enjoyable?

Reflect on the process of drawing with closed eyes. How did it feel to rely solely on your imagination and sense of touch? Did it affect your drawing in any way?

Think about your own inner strengths. What qualities or abilities do you possess that make you feel strong? How do these strengths contribute to your life or the lives of others?

Can you identify any qualities or attributes that make people strong beyond physical strength? How do these inner strengths impact individuals and their interactions with others?

If you were to choose a different animal to represent strength or another positive quality, which animal would you choose and why?
How can you apply the concept of strength to overcome challenges in your life?

Extension and differentiation

Students can research different animals and what they may symbolise. They can go through the same process to draw these animals for their artwork.

Students can create their drawings and then cut them out to create a group collaborative collage.

Students can repeat the same process multiple times and use a variety of different materials to create their artwork such as oil pastels, water colour paint or acrylic paint.

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