Draw a Triptych Panel Artwork

What You Need:

• Paper
• Drawing pencil
• Markers in a variety of colors
• An apple

What You Do:

1. The first drawing is a line drawing, focusing on outline and form. Have your child trace the outline of the apple with his finger. What is the basic shape? Perhaps the apple is a circle with a rectangular stem.
2. Now draw it. Does the drawing look two- or three-dimensional? Line drawings look two-dimensional because there is no shading.
3. Next he will do a tonal drawing that shows shadows. Start by observing the apple again. Have your child point out the most shadowed places, as well as the places that have glints of light. Look at how dark shadow transitions into lighter shadows.
4. Now have him make a quick line drawing. Where is the shadow the darkest? Shade this in almost black. Then color in the medium shadows, and finally the lightest ones. Because of the shadows, tonal drawings look three-dimensional.
5. The last drawing is pointillism – dots of color are laid onto the paper to form the blending of colors we see. Observe the apple again. Look for subtle differences in color.
6. Do a line drawing. What color does he see most on the apple? Lay that color down first, dotting the paper with the marker tip. Pay attention to where this color is interspersed with other colors. Now have add the second most common color, then the third, etc.

When you are all finished, have a discussion with your child about how each drawing is similar to the original apple. How are they each different than the original? Display his art for everyone to enjoy!