Feb 16 2012
goofing around
Here are some 6th graders gathering up the recycling stuff, they pose, obviously gifted at what they do… and like always, Coach comes thru and knocks the boxes all down. 
Feb 15 2012
4th grade sketches…
More fun with thumbnail drawings… they really got into it. I’m sooo proud.
Feb 14 2012
thumbnail sketches
Sometimes, it’s tough to draw what we see. Our brain needs to be trained to notice details. We played around with this in 6th grade today.
Oh, and Happy Valentines Day! Thanks again for all of the sugary stuff.
At the very bottom of the selected art is a very cool design by one of my *extremely* talented students. Enjoy!
Feb 12 2012
Thumbnail sketching
We are learning the importance of engaging the world around us through our sense of sight. Our challenge is to draw what we see, and using a thumbnail sketch helps us in that endeavor.
By using your finger, pencil, or even a little paper square, you can apply the proper proportion to your drawing so it looks more realistic.
Some of my students actually cut holes in their notebooks to achieve this goal. The first two pictures you see the student drawing his snack size applesauce, just look for his drawing later in the stack of work I have to show you. Other students drew their peers, the flag and other everyday objects in the room.
The trick is to not just assume that one piece of paper means one drawing… you can add as many little thumbnails as you like to help flesh out your ideas. Take a look, and remember – try drawing what you see… not your grandma’s pet ferret (which is not in your classroom). Enjoy!
Feb 08 2012
trying out the new camera
I took some pictures of Gaby with my new camera.
She is now dry from her morning bath, and she is very soft and fluffy.
![IMG_0002[1]](http://sketchfun.edublogs.org/files/2012/02/IMG_00021-1gcnrh4.jpg "IMG_0002[1]")
![IMG_0003[1]](http://sketchfun.edublogs.org/files/2012/02/IMG_00031-1uvfg4e.jpg "IMG_0003[1]")
![IMG_0004[1]](http://sketchfun.edublogs.org/files/2012/02/IMG_00041-1xfxv8b.jpg "IMG_0004[1]")
Feb 05 2012
head rotations and hands
As we prepare for our coming animation assignment, we spent some time reviewing basic rules about drawing heads and hands.
The little twist I added was with a number line. If we looked at the five faces, with the center face being the full-frontal view, it would be right where the value for ‘zero’ is on the number line.
The arrows showing the horizontal movement, show us which direction the face is moving, and with horizontal motion for the head, we saw that the ‘eye-line’ stayed the same in each picture, but the ‘nose-line / mid-line’ was shown to move as the face turned.
We also compared the movement of the head as it dipped down and moved upward, showing now that the ‘eye-line’ is moving, but the ‘nose-line’ is our fixed (stationary) line.
Of course, the most action takes place in the 3/4 view, which is between the full frontal and the profile view. This transitional area of action would be called an inbetween frame in animation. Inbetween frames are crucial to good smooth animation.
This is cool for those of us who know how to plot points and graph numbers.
We also examined how to use a square or a cube to track the movement of hands.
Feb 04 2012
Zoo construction zone
More zoos are being constructed, and will be coming home soon!
These are some great pictures! And one zoo featured is only for girls, with girl animals too. 
Another features some dinosaurs, and yet another has doors that actually open! Awesome!
