Basic 8 · Creative Arts and Design · Drawing
Drawing Tools, Drawing from Observation, Memory and Imagination, and Tempo
In this topic you will explore manual and digital tools and materials for drawing, shading and colouring, draw from direct observation, memory and imagination, and tell how fast or slow music is using Italian tempo terms.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Identify manual and digital tools and materials for drawing, shading and colouring
- Draw an object from direct observation, from memory and from imagination
- Use Italian terms to describe the tempo of music
What you already know
- Still-life drawing and shading (Basic 7)
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
Lesson 1
- Strand
- Design
- Sub-strand
- Drawing
- Indicator
- B8.1.2.1.1 – Explore available manual and digital tools materials and techniques for drawing shading and coloring to create designs from lines simple shapes and forms
Introduction
Artists today can choose between a pencil and paper or a tablet and stylus. Each tool has strengths. Knowing them helps you choose the best tool for each task.
1. Manual Tools and Materials
| Tool or material | Use |
|---|---|
| graphite pencils (HB–8B) | sketching and shading in grey tones |
| charcoal | bold lines and deep dark tones |
| coloured pencils | colouring with fine control |
| oil and chalk pastels | rich colour and blending |
| crayons | bold colour for large areas |
| markers and felt-tip pens | strong, even lines and colour |
| poster colour and watercolour | painting areas of colour |
| erasers, sharpeners, rulers | correcting, preparing and measuring |
| cartridge paper, manila card | drawing surfaces |
2. Digital Tools
| Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| tablet or smartphone | a touch screen for drawing |
| stylus | a pen-like tool for precise drawing on a screen |
| drawing applications | software with brushes, colours, layers and undo |
| computer and mouse | drawing with programs such as Paint |
| graphics tablet | a pad connected to a computer for drawing |
3. Comparing Manual and Digital Tools
Manual tools are cheap, need no electricity and let you feel the texture of paper. Digital tools allow you to undo mistakes, change colours instantly, work in layers and share work easily, but they need devices, power and some training. Many professional designers sketch ideas by hand and finish them digitally.
4. Caring for Tools
Keep pencils sharp and stored in a case. Close marker caps to stop them drying. Wash brushes after painting. Handle tablets carefully, keep them charged and clean screens with a soft cloth. Good care saves money and makes tools last longer.
New words
- stylus
- A pen-like tool for drawing on a touch screen.
- pastel
- A stick of colour made from pigment and a binder.
- drawing application
- Software for creating drawings.
- layer
- A separate level in a digital drawing that can be edited alone.
Summary
- Manual tools include pencils, charcoal, pastels, crayons, markers and paints.
- Digital tools include tablets, styluses and drawing applications with layers and undo.
- Each type has advantages, and tools must be cared for properly.
Class activity: Tool Exploration
- Try drawing the same simple shape with a pencil, a crayon and, if available, a tablet.
- Record the advantages and disadvantages of each.
- Share your findings with the class.
You need: Pencils, Drawing paper, Printed photographs of Ghanaian stools, Baskets
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. A pen-like tool for drawing on a screen is a…
- A. stylus
- B. brush
- C. crayon
- D. ruler
Show answer
Answer: stylusDigital tool.2. An advantage of digital drawing is that you can…
- A. undo mistakes easily
- B. work without power
- C. feel paper texture
- D. never need training
Show answer
Answer: undo mistakes easilyUndo.3. Charcoal produces deep dark tones.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueBold medium.4. A separate editable level in a digital drawing is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: layerDigital feature.5. State three manual and two digital drawing tools.
Show answer
Answer: Manual: pencil, charcoal, pastel; digital: tablet, stylus (or drawing application).Any correct.6. Why do many designers sketch by hand and finish digitally?
Show answer
Answer: Hand sketching is quick for ideas, while digital tools make editing, colouring and sharing easier for the final design.Combined strengths.
Lesson 2
- Strand
- Visual Arts
- Sub-strand
- Drawing
- Indicator
- B8.2.1.1.1 – Explore media and techniques in drawing from direct observation/ memory and imagination print making and weaving to express own views in visual artworks to encourage recording and research skills
Introduction
An artist can draw what they see, what they remember and what they imagine. Each kind of drawing trains a different skill.
1. Three Ways of Drawing
| Type | Meaning | Skill developed |
|---|---|---|
| observation drawing | drawing an object while looking at it | careful looking and accuracy |
| memory drawing | drawing an object after it has been removed | remembering shapes and details |
| imaginative drawing | creating new images from ideas | creativity and invention |
2. Drawing from Observation
Study the calabash from different viewpoints. Describe its line, shape, texture and tone. Then draw it while looking at it, measuring proportions and showing light and shadow with charcoal. Observation drawing records the real appearance of an object.
3. Drawing from Memory
After studying the object, cover it and draw it again from memory. You may find you remember the outline well but forget details such as cracks or exact tones. Memory drawing trains you to look carefully and store visual information, which is useful when drawing moving subjects such as people at a market.
4. Drawing from Imagination
Take one feature of the calabash, such as its curve, and change it into something new: a bird, a boat, a lamp or a pattern for cloth. Imaginative drawing lets you express your own ideas and views. Many great Ghanaian designs, such as adinkra symbols, started as imaginative drawings based on real objects.
5. Comparing the Three Drawings
Place the three drawings side by side. Ask: Which is most accurate? Which is most creative? How did observation help the other two? Recording these thoughts in your sketchbook develops research and reflection skills.
New words
- observation drawing
- Drawing while looking at the object.
- memory drawing
- Drawing an object from memory.
- imaginative drawing
- Creating new images from ideas.
- viewpoint
- The position from which an object is seen.
Summary
- Observation drawing records what we see; memory drawing what we remember; imaginative drawing what we invent.
- Each type develops different skills: accuracy, memory and creativity.
- Comparing the three helps artists reflect and improve.
Class activity: Three Drawings
- Draw a calabash from observation.
- Cover it and draw it from memory.
- Turn one feature into an imaginative design and compare all three.
You need: Local calabash still-life object, Drawing paper, Charcoal pencils
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Drawing an object while looking at it is…
- A. observation drawing
- B. memory drawing
- C. imaginative drawing
- D. abstract painting
Show answer
Answer: observation drawingLooking.2. Imaginative drawing mainly develops…
- A. creativity
- B. memory only
- C. accuracy only
- D. measurement
Show answer
Answer: creativityInvention.3. Memory drawing is done after the object is removed.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueFrom memory.4. The position from which an object is seen is the ______.
Show answer
Answer: viewpointAngle of view.5. State one skill developed by each type of drawing.
Show answer
Answer: Observation: accuracy; memory: remembering details; imagination: creativity.Three skills.6. Explain how observation helps imaginative drawing.
Show answer
Answer: Knowing real shapes and details gives a base from which new ideas can be developed convincingly.Foundation.
Lesson 3
- Strand
- Performing Arts (Music)
- Sub-strand
- Media and Techniques
- Indicator
- B8.2.1.2.5 – Tell how fast or slow music is heard and compare and contrast activities and events that are associated with fast or slow music
Introduction
A funeral dirge moves slowly and gently; a Kpanlogo rhythm races along. The speed of music, called tempo, changes how it makes us feel.
1. What Is Tempo?
Tempo: The speed at which music is played or sung.
Tempo is measured in beats per minute (BPM). A slow tempo might be 60 BPM, about one beat each second, while a fast tempo may be 140 BPM or more. A device called a metronome clicks at a set tempo to help musicians keep time.
2. Italian Tempo Terms
| Term | Meaning | Approximate speed |
|---|---|---|
| largo | very slow and broad | very slow |
| adagio | slow | slow |
| andante | at a walking pace | moderately slow |
| moderato | at a moderate speed | medium |
| allegro | fast and lively | fast |
| presto | very fast | very fast |
| accelerando | gradually getting faster | changing |
| ritardando (rit.) | gradually getting slower | changing |
| a tempo | return to the original speed | — |
| poco a poco | little by little | used with other terms |
3. Recognising Tempo
To tell the tempo of a piece, tap or clap along with the beat. If your claps are slow and spaced out, the tempo is slow; if they are quick and close together, it is fast. Listen to a highlife song, a hymn and a Kpanlogo rhythm and compare their tempos.
4. Why Italian Terms?
Italian was the main language of music when many musical terms were developed in Europe, so musicians worldwide still use Italian words. When you see "allegro" on a piece of music in Ghana, Japan or Brazil, every trained musician knows it means fast and lively.
New words
- tempo
- The speed of music.
- BPM
- Beats per minute.
- metronome
- A device that keeps a steady beat.
- allegro
- Fast and lively.
Summary
- Tempo is the speed of music, measured in beats per minute.
- Italian terms such as largo, adagio, andante, allegro and presto describe tempo.
- Clapping along with the beat helps you recognise the tempo.
Class activity: Tempo Clapping
- Clap a steady beat on wooden clappers while the teacher plays a slow, then a fast rhythm on the atumpan.
- Name each tempo using the Italian terms.
- Try accelerando and ritardando together as a class.
You need: Atumpan drum, Wooden clappers, Printed music notation cards
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. "Allegro" means…
- A. fast and lively
- B. very slow
- C. at walking pace
- D. getting slower
Show answer
Answer: fast and livelyTempo term.2. Gradually getting faster is called…
- A. accelerando
- B. ritardando
- C. largo
- D. a tempo
Show answer
Answer: accelerandoSpeeding up.3. A metronome helps musicians keep a steady beat.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueClicks in time.4. The speed of music is called ______.
Show answer
Answer: tempoSpeed.5. Arrange from slowest to fastest: allegro, largo, andante, presto.
Show answer
Answer: largo, andante, allegro, prestoOrder.6. Why are Italian words used for tempo worldwide?
Show answer
Answer: Many musical terms developed when Italian was the main language of music, so they became an international standard.History.
Homework
- Listen to three songs and record the tempo of each using Italian terms.