Observational Drawing: City Buildings

After being a way for a week, the children had a keen eye for details… in the changes they noticed in the classroom and outside at the park.

There are new activities.

The trees are blossoming!

There are new things on the wall.

Our clipboards aren’t up high anymore.

Noticing details is an important skill that is practiced in various ways in pre-school: completing a puzzle, building with blocks, or observational drawing.

Observational drawing involves drawing what is seen as realistically and true to life as possible. This week the children began the process of observing pictures of buildings that look like the ones they noticed in Church Square Park.

First they picked a building to draw. 

They started with the large shapes and noticed different lines, like curving lines, straight lines, leaning lines, angled lines.

Finding a starting point was the next step, after which they traced the lines with their finger on the paper.

Holding the paper with the non-writing hand and flair pen in hand… the children drew the lines that they saw and practiced.

After all the big shapes and lines were drawn, they examined the pictures even closer and noticed details.

Curved windows

Door knobs

This practice of observational drawing helps children slow down, notice details, and work carefully with planning and purpose.

Stay tuned for more to come!

Next week, they will use these skills to make observational drawings from pictures they took using the class iPad of buildings around Church Square Park.

From these drawings, children will then build the structures with blocks.