Teaching Perspective Drawing Using Google Sketch-Up

Ohio Visual Arts Content Standards

Benchmark A: Demonstrate mastery of materials, concepts, and personal concentration when creating original artworks.

Indicator 2: Use available technology as a tool to explore art techniques and to express ideas.

Indicator 4: Explain their artistic processes from conceiving an idea to completing a work of art.

ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers

Category 1: Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity (Indicator a: promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.)

Category 2: Design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments

(Indicator a: design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity

Students were introduced to both one and two point perspective skills and vocabulary and students completed two worksheets. These served as a pretest and I was able to ascertain which students were struggling with the concept of depth and adding dimension to a drawing.

Before students left class that day I did a presentation with Google Sketch-Up. I showed them the most commonly used tools and the little help tool that shows how to use each feature. I then drew a variety of buildings. They were instructed to meet the following day in the architecture lab where I had installed Google Sketch-Up on 22 computers.

They immediately went to work.

It was the quietest three periods I have ever taught!!!

I showed them once again how to begin and how the most commonly used tools worked using the projector and the computer I worked on.

Students were told how to get the shadows tool bar and to experiment with the results.

The following period students were introduced to the lesson. They were to design their personal throne and draw it in two point perspective. I showed them a presentation about traditional and artistic thrones.

Formative work consisted of three different chair/throne designs experimenting with creative solutions in regard to shape, materials, and significance of those components. Once completed, students began a larger version of the design in two point perspective.

To

From this to A much more successful start

Nicole’s work is nearing completion and she admits now that, “SHE GETS IT!!!!!!!!!”

I also worked along with my students in class in my sketchbook. My throne had to be based on a coffee cup with the handle providing my ‘perch’.

I also did a mock-up in Google SketchUp for the students in order to show them the importance of shading and cast shadows.

Once the work was completed students paired up and took photographs of each other. We put these in Photoshop and sized them

properly for the look of the throne. Both students had to be very aware of the eye level of the throne that was drawn when they

took the photograph.

I reinforced how to determine the horizon line as well as position the student in a way that they would appear to be sitting on their thrones. I explained how to use the camera but left them to make their own decisions. They could include their partner in their visual as well.

Horizon Line

Vanishing Points

The rubric the students were given covered the technical aspects of the work: perspective on the throne

perspective on the ground

application of watercolor and colored pencils

application of markers

the photograph was taken from the correct eye level

The rubric also covered the creative aspects of the work:

throne design shows us something about the student in shape and

materials that the throne is made of

the sky the student presented is interesting

the student showed creativity in their written reflections

Both of these students used their love of water to inspire their thrones.

They also both felt that SketchUp helped them understand perspective drawing better. In fact, out of 62 students, only 3 indicated that SketchUp didn’t really help. Two out of the three have superior drawing skills.

Evaluation Out of the 62 students in my three art one classes:

Worksheet pretest: 17 students needed serious remediation in skills

11 students needed remediation in one or two point perspective

6 students needed a bit of help to get caught up

28 students understood the concepts

Results of the reflection sheet: Did Google SketchUp help with the concepts of space and shapes going back in space along with how cast shadows really appear?

• 44 students said yes, it did help. Many said it helped them understand why shapes appeared to get smaller as they go further back in space.

• 6 students said no, it didn’t help at all.

• 8 students said they already knew how to draw in perspective so they didn’t need the help.

• 4 students were absent the day we went to the architecture lab.