Students will create imaginary monsters in this fun drawing lesson.
By Geoff Snyder [Geoff is an art teacher and artist from Harry Hoag Elementary in Fort Plain, NY.]
Objectives:
- Give students the opportunity to create using their imaginations and creativity.
- Students must visually express an emotion or feeling through drawing and color.
What You Need:
- Sheets of 12×18 inch white and black construction paper.
- Pencils
- Construction paper
- Crayons, markers, etc.
What You Do:
- I usually start the lesson by telling a scary story. I shut off all the lights and have the students close their eyes. I tell a fictional story of a night when I was little:As I went to sleep I heard strange noises coming from my closet. In fright I threw the covers over my head and as I did I heard the closet door open. Whatever was in my closet was now in my room and I could hear its footsteps getting closer to my bed. The “thing” then touched my covers and…
- I then end the story by turning on the lights and I have my students open their eyes.
- On the sheet of black paper I have the students create, using pencil, the monster they thought about as I told the story.
- They are to pretend that the black sheet is the opened closet with the monster inside.
- Students are to make sure the monster is as tall as the sheet of paper and as wide.
- As a class we make a list of things that we might think would give us clues to whether their monster was scary, silly, sad, or happy.
- I also create a monster in the front of the room as an example using ideas from the list. Students then use the generated list to begin creating their own drawings.
- Once the drawings are completed students are to color them in with construction paper crayons and outline with white.
- After the monsters are finished the students are to create a door for their closet using white paper. Students are to decorate the white paper to look like a door.
- They can draw posters, pictures, and recessed panels to make the door look more realistic.
- Students outline their drawings then color them in using crayon or marker.
- Finally the teacher places the door on the monster, staples one end for a hinge and glues a pom-pom on the door for a door knob.
- Students can then tell their own stories, open the door and be “scared”.
Recommended Resource:
MONSTROLOGY
www.monstrology.com
Blog from Johan Olander, the author of A Field Guide to Monsters… Googly-eyed Wart Floppers, Shadow-Casters, Toe-Eaters, and Other Creatures. Here kids can send in their drawings of monsters!