drawing a leaf 4 different ways & learning how to see/draw like

davinci

(applying kolb’s 4 aspects of experiential learning model : concrete experience,
reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, reflective observation)
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concrete experience in 6 steps

• materials: 2B or HB pencils, sharpeners, access to outdoors for leaves or bring real leaves in
(preferably dry/dead and with irregular, broken edges — break/tear small pieces out as
needed)

• color printouts of davinci sketchbook drawings (much more effective/impactful and ‘real’ to
students than projected images, allows for close-up and real-scale examination and
understanding of his line quality which is essential for this lesson — instructor demo’s
benefits of this skill by freehand copying a piece of one of these drawings in front of students
in a 1-2 minute contour study before showing them how to do it in step 5

step 1 students are asked to draw a leaf as if they are three years old,
using their non-dominant hand, keeping their eyes closed, and being reminded
that they are too be as awkward and abstract as possible, since when you're 3 you have 
conceptual ideas do not translate into recognizable or conventional visual form/symbols. you
should just use your body and move the pencil around and enjoy the SENSATION of drawing.



step 2 students are asked to draw a leaf symbol that they’ve been taught
- an image that uses no real effort of imagination or creativity to invent something, but is rather
something they were taught to copy 



step 3  students are asked to draw a leaf from their imagination which
should not follow any conventional symbolic, set image they’ve learned or seen before.
therefore, it should be an original, quirky, unexpected invention that they’ve never seen before.



step 4 “BEFORE” drawing - 5 min, no instruction 

Students will be given a Leaf or asked to collect one from outside . 



they are asked to write a number from 1-10 about how much they ‘like’ or ‘enjoy’ this leaf itself.



then,  they will then be asked to draw in five minutes in pencil. (*no instruction or feedback)


step 5 - explanation & demo of observational contour

students are shown examples of davinci contour drawing of natural forms. PASS AROUND
COLOR COPIES.

students are asked to look back at step 1 (3 year old) drawings and find the similarities of
the LINE QUALITY and MARK MAKING with this master

instructor asks-

• why do we want to know how to do this?

• because we can draw like davinci, but also…

• you’ll see what seeing like an artist can do for how you live, feel, and understand the world!

intro the 3 s's-- which are explained as the principles of contour drawing (and then demo’d
by instructor using a leaf as subject)




• snail - imagine you are touching where you eye lands, and let your pencil follow your
eye without looking at your drawing more than 1/2 the time- keep your eye on the ‘snail’
that is crawling along the edge
• slow - go as slowly as a snail does, never lifting up your pencil (snails can’t jump)
• specific - everything counts. you don’t eliminate or change anything you find- you’re a
snail. you’re not interested in WHAT you’re drawing, you’re interested in WHERE YOU
ARE TOUCHING, and noticing and moving your pencil up or down exactly on what you
touch or run into while you ‘crawl’ with your eye.
• REMEMBER! 50/50 (look at the SNAIL crawling along the edge MINIMUM 50% of
the time, or EVEN MORE THAN at your drawing)

instructor demo’s contour drawing freehand by copying a small piece of one of the davinci
drawings in 1-2 minutes while students watch.

• asks them to watch & note how often look at drawing vs. at original ? (should be at or more
than 50% of the time)

• point out: key is focus on what you are looking at, where the snail is crawling, not on own
drawing-that is just a RECORD of where you’ve been, what you’ve noticed)



step 6 “AFTER” drawing - students re-draw same leaf using new contour
skills

students apply demo’d technique from step 5 and spend 5 minutes drawing the leaf a
second time, this time using their new "3 s" (snail, slow, specific, 50/50) contour principles



afterward, they are asked to write a second number from 1-10 about how much they ‘like’ or
‘enjoy’ this leaf now.

they are asked how satisfied/improved their ability to see & capture this leaf is compared to the
“before” drawing.



they're asked to reflect on the value of drawing from the body and senses, and fully in contact
with themselves, and how that's relevant for drawing like a master. this is one of the keys of
drawing like davinci, and living life like an artist.

• so, the point of this exercise was?

• we can draw like davinci, but also…

• seeing like an artist can expand our aliveness, and sense of connection to the small beauty
and magic of the moment , ourselves, and the world around us.

• that’s where inspiration comes from.

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reflective observation
at each step, students share, discuss, and reflect on their drawings & experience

• how difficult it was to create

• how fun the experience was,

• how satisfying the result was,

• was there a difference between experience & result satisfaction & why

• what each type of drawing reminded them of- what happens to our sense of ‘i can draw’ or
‘what is the right way to draw’ as we grow up, as we take art classes.

• why some adults say ‘i can’t draw”?

• is drawing a skill that can be taught and improve?

• do you know some of davinci’s secrets for drawing now?

• how would you explain it to someone else?

• how did it feel to slow down and really see? now that you’ve done step 6, do you think before
today you’d ever really seen a leaf?

• why is this skill — learning how to see— so important for artists?

• how did your number of liking the leaf change or stay the same from when you drew without
special contour skills compared to after- how much did you‘like’ or ‘enjoy’ this leaf?

• what changed- why do many feel they like the leaf more?

• did it feel fun/good/interesting/amazing to really see this leaf? if so, 


what difference could it make in life in general—slowing down, paying attention— in terms of
how much joy, wonder, happiness, curiosity, and delight we experience about ordinary things? 

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abstract conceptualization
students learn and instructor helps pull out from reflective questions linked to concrete
experience the ideas that:

• drawing is not just about symbols and communication, but also about the experience/way
of being of the artist and the world around us. 


• it can change our ability to enjoy, feel delight and wonder. 


• drawing is also more than making a set patterned image of something- it can involve our
imagination and be unique to us and only we understand it. 


• drawing is also about learning how to see, and falling in love with ordinary things
which we now have the 'superpower' to see as beautiful
•
• drawing is a skill which can be taught, and whatever natural ability or not we think
we are born with can be improved and build upon

• we do not stop using our childhood line quality/body/delight in movement, nor our
imagination, when we learn how to draw observationally (contour), they are all
valid tools in our toolboxes as artists.

• the way we make marks as children is very similar to the way the masters make
marks with varying thickness/thinness/pencil pressure - our natural marks in
drawing are powerful and beautiful tools - even a scribble has beauty and is an
important vocabulary word in drawing 


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active experimentation
• students have invented ways to approach a leaf, including non-dominant hand, blind,
imaginative drawing, and

• engaged the idea that each type of drawing, and each age of drawing skills, can offer
fresh imagery and marks in their drawing work.

• drawing is both the marks on paper itself (independently of image) PLUS experience of
the maker, PLUS the resulting image. we look at & learn to focus on ALL 3 in art

marks/line quality itself + image produced/thing represented + experience = drawing