Drawing and Photography A Resource for Teachers1

Suitable for Key Stage 2–5 Art & Design

Lynn WeddleJuliette Buss

July 2017

DRAWING AND PHOTOGRAPHY A RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS

photoworks.org.uk #photoworks @photoworks_uk

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[4] Introduction

[5] How to use this pack

[6] Activities

[13] Artists working with drawing and photography

[15] Share your students’ work with us

[16] Useful links

DRAWING AND PHOTOGRAPHY A RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS

CONTENTS

All images: Lynn Weddle

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“ Drawing as a form of communication has transcended history and cultures. In arts education it is viewed as central to students’ visual and creative thinking. Drawing is a key skill for pupils wishing to work in the sector.” Making a mark: art, craft and design education, Ofsted, 2011

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INTRODUCTION

Drawing and photography both investigate representation and present themselves via the two-dimensional surface. Parallels exist within the grain of film, the texture of paper, metallic surfaces of graphite and the silver within emulsion.

Children draw as a way to record and respond to their experiences. In early years children are confident in imaginative drawing, play and creative mark making. Drawing becomes more representational as they progress through the education system and many teachers comment on confidence levels falling. However, at the same time, many children also gravitate to drawing, preferring this to any other activity.

Drawing and photography can take many forms and be integrated in many ways. This resource invites you toembrace, challenge and explore the links between the two mediums and how they can be creatively employed within the classroom with all ages.

There is a fine line between drawing and photography. Photography has been termed ‘drawing with light’ and was born in the 1850’s, with artists and draftsmen wishing to capture a truly authentic representation of the world by experimenting with a lens to project an image of the outside world inside a darkened box or room as reference for their preparatory sketches.

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There is an increased emphasis on drawing in the Art & Design National Curriculum. This pack offers teachers a range of ideas to increase the creative use of drawing and photography within their teaching. It highlights and suggests ways of engaging students and outlines activities to explore in the classroom, themes to consider and questions to ask. The themes represent an indication of potential learning opportunities and the questions are intended as prompts for further discussion.

The pack is relevant mainly within the Art & Design and Photography curriculum at Key Stage 2 - 5. However, teachers of other subjects and age groups may also find it useful. The information and activities are suitable for adaptation at different levels.

Curriculum links: The pack does not presume to make explicit curriculum links, but the themes outlined are appropriate for embedding within a variety of different schemes of work at different levels of study.

What Teachers have said about these suggested activities:“A brilliant range of approaches. Very tangible when working with students. Low cost, very important. I will use them all in my teaching.”

“Lovely, alternative idea for photograms. Also using the projector and scratching into the negatives, sharing ideas with others we realised we could use our overhead projector and use it in the same way – may be scratching into our old back and white film negs.”

About Photoworks Photoworks is a national development agency for photography. Photoworks’ programme includes commissions, new writing, participation and exceptional projects including the national Jerwood/Photoworks Awards, Photoworks Annual and Brighton Photo Biennial. Our aim is to connect outstanding artists with audiences and to champion talent and ambition. Photoworks is based at the University of Brighton, UK and is a National Portfolio Organisation supported by Arts Council England.

info@photoworks.org.ukphotoworks.org.uk

HOW TO USE THIS PACK

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Draw · Project · DocumentWorking in small groups, students make/select a photograph that fits with their existing project theme(s). The image is projected onto a large piece of paper pinned to the wall. Together the students make marks with graphite sticks, chalk (on sticks) or lines with electric/gaffa tape focusing on making patterns and building texture.

Further images can be projected on top of the original, so the drawing develops and grows with every new image, eventually culminating in an abstract piece.

The process can be varied at different stages. The finished work may be the drawing, or the finished work may be a photograph of the drawing with the projected image included. Students may prefer to work alone. Remember to encourage students to document the process.

ACTIVITIES

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Make a MarkThis activity investigates ways of manipulating the photographic image using traditional analogue photographic equipment. Using 35mm negatives, students incorporate drawing processes by making scratches and marks into the glossy side of the negatives.

Old slides can be found in junk shops and charity shops, or by asking family members. The marked slides are then placed inside a slide-mount and projected using a carousel slide projector onto a wall. New photographic artwork is then created by photographing theprojected image.

If you don’t have a carousel slide projector, you can use a negative scanner. Alternatively, a number of apps are available that turn your phone or tablet into a lightbox, allowing the slide to be easily viewed.

Other ideas:[] Use bleach to make marks into

the emulsion side of the negative.

[] Acetate laid on top of the negative can be painted before projection

[] Ghostly traces and effects can be created by using cut up/layered sticky tape.

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StitchingA simple, yet effective way of working with mark making and photography is to stitch or sew photographs – stitching collaged elements together, or sewing (by hand or with a machine) with coloured threads to create patterns and texture across photographs.

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Drawing with LightSometimes known as ‘Painting with Light’ or ‘Light Graffiti’, this photographic process uses a slow/long shutter speed to trace the movements of hand held lights

Glow sticks, LED torches, coloured finger torches, LED key chain lights or digital light wands are all ideal light-sources. If you have use of a portable flash-gun, you can use it to add flashes to your images and highlight areas. You need a DSLR camera set to manual mode, with a bulb setting - this allows your camera to keep taking the photo until your finger comes off the shutter button – perfect for long exposures. Your camera needs to be on a tripod as you are working with slow shutter speeds. Another tip is to work with a remote control or cable release so camera movement doesn’t affect your image. This allows you to work with a really low ISO of 100 to 200.

It’s a good idea to make sure your light source directly faces the camera to capture the ‘marks’ being made in the air.

This activity works best in the dark. Working in a dark space means your shutter speed can be as slow as possible, ideally over 30 second shutter speed to have enough time to create a drawn image.

If your work space isn’t very dark, an 8-10 second exposure will work, but your time to draw will be short and you may need to experiment to capture your drawing.

You can play with different effects: work to eliminate an object, bring it to life, draw around its shape or creatively add to it, or you could move the camera itself during the exposure time to create painterly effects and build layers into your image.

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Camera ObscuraCamera obscuras are ancient optical device used since thesixteenth century to aid drawing.

The camera obscura creates a projected image of the outside world onto the wall of a dark box, or room. A tiny hole in one wall allows the image into the room/box. Because the light travels in a straight line, this image is inverted (upside-down) and back to front.

Placing a lens across the hole sharpens the image. The camera obscura principle informs the pinhole camera – a box with a pinhole and light sensitive paper inside it – the precursor to the modern camera.

You can make a simple camera obscura from any box with a pinhole or lens, revealing the magic of photography and drawing with light.

You can choose any box small or large. Work with a lens or just a tiny pinhole, however, a lens makes it easier to work with low light levels.

STEPS:[] Choose your box. Cut a viewing

hole in one end and open up the opposite end

[] Find a lens (you can unscrew a torch and use the lens, or purchase inexpensive mini toy magnifying glasses online).

[] Tape the lens across the hole you have just cut.

[] Take a scrap of tracing paper and hold it inside the box. Look through the tracing paper towards the lens – moving the tracing paper closer or further away until you find where the image is sharpest. Mark this point on the inside of the box.

[] Cut the box in half (using scissors or a craft knife) at the point you have just marked. Hold on to the piece you have just cut off – you will need it!

[] Tape a sheet of tracing paper over the end of the box and then fix the piece of box you cut off back into place over the tracing paper using tape.

[] Tape over any gaps.

[] Try out your camera obscura!

It works best when you point it at a strong light source – such as a window. The image will be faint in low-level light, so try taking it outside into bright sunlight and explore – experiment with different distances from objects to see how it focuses.

Digital (or phone cameras can be used to capture the projected image. With a mobile phone camera you can easily correct the upside down image.

The same principal can be used to turn an entire room into a camera obscura relatively simply. The image will be projected onto one wall. Students can pin large sheets of paper to the wall and use the projected image as a guideline for a drawing or painting, or a combination of drawn and projected image that

is photographed to create a final image. Photography can be turned into sculpture or installation by placing objects in front of the wall, so that the image falls across the object.

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BlueprintsCyanotypes - also referred to as “blueprints” or “sun prints” are the oldest non-silver photographic process. They are made by exposing paper that has been treated with a solution of potassium ferricyanide and ferric ammonium citrate to a UV light source such as the sun, then placing objects on top of the paper to create photogram type effects. The image is then ‘set’ by fixing the paper with water.

Sunprint paper is photosensitive paper that mimics the cyanotype process. It is available to buy cheaply online and is a great way of combining photography and drawing processes. Students draw and make marks on sheets of acetate using marker pens, electrical tape or gaffa tape (which can be cut) to make marks, patterns and shapes that are then placed on top of the sunprint, and exposed to daylight before being washed in water to develop.

The sheets of acetate should be the same size as the sunprint sheets, and should be clipped onto the sunprint to avoid light leaking underneath. You will also need trays of water to submerge your sunprint after exposure for up to 1 minute to ‘fix’ the paper before being dried. When the print dries, it turns a much darker blue.

The final piece could then be drawn onto to add another layer of mark making.

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Anna Atkins 1799 – 1871An English botanist and photographer, influential in the development of photography, as a medium to capture and represent the natural world. Atkins’s late 18th century practice explored Cyanotype photography making, using and made within the natural world.

Robert Rauschenberg 1925 – 2008An American painter and graphicartist whose early works influenced the pop art movement. Rauschenberg experimented with many mixed media processesconsidered ground breaking at the time, in particular combining well-known photographic images (often from the press) on his large canvas paintings using screen printing processes. Rauschenberg was a painter an a sculptor, but he also worked with photography, printmaking, papermaking, and performance.

Tacita Dean b.1965Dean works primarily with 16mm film. Her work explores sense of place, history and time, playing with the unique qualities of analogue film and blurring lines between fact and fiction. The sea is a recurring theme. Although film is her primary medium, Dean also works with drawing most notably her chalkboard series that is evocative of black & white film storyboards.

Lichtfaktor established 2006A collective of light writing artists based in Germany working with video and light projection. The group’s ‘lightwriting’ style is influenced by graffiti and street art. Many of the collective have street art backgrounds.

Eric Staller b.1947One of the first, and best known artists to create light drawings, Staller’s work combines performance and sculpture. Staller often worked at night walking the streets of New York City creating light painting photographs. Eric’s Light Drawing series could be the very first light art performance photographs ever created.

ARTISTS WORKING WITH DRAWING AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Abelardo Morell b.1948Morell is best known for turning entire rooms and interior spaces into giant camera obscuras. He works in different spaces across the world, blending internal and external views to create his delicate images.

Julie Cockburn b.1966British artist Julie Cockburn embroiders found photographs and paintings transforming them into elaborate, hand-crafted objects. Nature and urban life, gender and identity are themes that she often returns to. Dryden Goodwin b.1971Drawing is integral to Dryden Goodwin’s photography, and he uses a variety of approaches to achieve this, sometimes using live-action video, or drawing onto photographs, often making drawn portraits that he photographs and re-photographs repeatedly to create multi-layered images with a strong sense of movement.

Jan von Holleben b.1977Jan von Holleben experiments with illusion and the magic of photography. Childhood, play, and imagination feature heavily in his work, which uses tricks of the lens to tell a story.

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Workshop with Jan von Holleben for Brighton Photo Biennial. Photo: Andrei Lionaschescu

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We’ve launched a Youth Showcase providing a high profile platform for photography by 16-18 year olds that follows the success of our established online showcase for emerging photographers.

Our website currently attracts visits from over 10,000 photography lovers a month. Submission to our Youth Showcase is free and open to all 16-18 year olds whether they are studying photography or not.

Every month we’ll pick our favourites and share them with our global community of photography lovers.

Find details on how to submit your work at: www.photoworks.org.uk/category/youth-showcase

SHARE YOUR STUDENTS’ WORK WITH US

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BPB.ORG.UK The Biennial website includes information about exhibiting photographers and collaborators, and details of the festival programme and related events and activities.

PHOTOWORKS.ORG.UK Photoworks commissions new photography, produces exhibitions and events including the Brighton Photo Biennial, publishes books and an annual magazine.

MAGNUMPHOTOS.COM One of the world’s leading photo agencies Magnum photographers document people, events, issues and personalities across the world.

TATE.ORG.UK Tate’s Learn Online section is extensive and thorough. It has a range of resources for children, young people and teachers including in depth information on artists and exhibitions, images from the collection, archive film footage, audio and video. The online shop sells teachers’ packs and activity sets.

NPG.ORG.UK The National Portrait Gallery includes extensive resources for teachers about portraiture in a variety of media, including photography.

PHOTOGRAPHYTIPS.COM A well regarded website offering practical information and advice on techniques to improve your photography. A practical ‘how to’ site, and a free membership site.

USEFUL LINKS

VAM.AC.UK The Victoria & Albert Museum’s website includes numerous resources and a subject hub for photography. The section includes articles, thematics, genre information, and details on photographic processes, photographers and exhibitions.

THEPHOTOGRAPHERSGALLERY.ORG.UK The Photographers’ Gallery is the largest public gallery in London dedicated to photography. Its website includes details of photographers, exhibitions, and learning resources.

PHOTOPEDAGOGY.COMA site created by photography teachers for photography teachers. With a blog, resources and showcase.