Grade 7 students made the most of the beautiful weather by taking their still life studies outdoors. As part of their art unit, students explored cast shadow tracing as a starting point for a still life composition. This simple technique helped students observe shapes more carefully and plan their artwork before painting.
Using everyday objects and natural items such as leaves, flowers, and small classroom objects, students arranged a still life and placed their paper underneath to capture the shadows. They traced the outlines of the shadows using pencil or charcoal, focusing on clear shapes, overlapping forms, and the negative space around the objects.
Back in the classroom, students refined their drawings by adding contour lines with black Sharpie. They then developed their still life artwork using a water-based medium such as ink or watercolor. By experimenting with brush size, water, and tone, students created expressive compositions while strengthening their understanding of shape, composition, and observation.
