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Sketch a Story
Use what you’ve learned about Marc Chagall to design a drawing that communicates a narrative
You’ve seen how Marc Chagall presents stories in his paintings. Now it’s your turn to use color, mood, space, scale, and character to tell a tale in your own drawing.
sketchbooks/ paper
colored pencils
graphite pencils
kneaded erasers
pencil sharpener
illustration boards
Step 1: Develop Your Idea
Develop your ideas by writing and sketching.
How does the student who created this drawing use scale?
Before you begin drawing, think carefully about the narrative you want to share and the best way to present it. Sometimes it helps to work out your ideas in words before you put pencil to paper. Think about three feelings you’ve experienced, such as love, fear, joy, or anxiety. Write a few paragraphs about the events that inspired these emotions, describing how they felt. Then circle each word related to color, mood, scale, space, or character. Compile a list of these words. Next make a few thumbnail sketches that explore these expressive words. Once your idea begins to solidify, look in magazines and on the internet for photographs that could serve as references for the objects that you want to include in your composition.
Tip: Significantly transform your reference images to make sure your drawing is entirely original.
Step 2: Design Your Composition
Draw your work in graphite.
How does repetition create a sense of movement in this work?
Begin sketching your composition on your illustration board with graphite pencil. Refer to your thumbnail sketches and reference images frequently. Remember to use artistic techniques to create a visual narrative. Use scale to emphasize one figure or object. Repeat an image to create movement. Render space in an unexpected way by rotating your paper as you work. Decide which edge is the top of your composition after you’ve finished drawing. When you’ve blocked in the scene, carefully refine the contours of each form and then erase any messy lines.
Tip: Merge seemingly unrelated forms to add unexpected whimsy.
Step 3: Add Color
Use colored pencils to set the mood.
How does the student who made this work use color?
Before you begin adding color, think about the mood you want to convey. Don’t be afraid to experiment. You might work with arbitrary colors. Or you might begin with a single color and then add pops of contrasting color to emphasize part of your drawing. Once you have a plan in mind, start working with colored pencils. Press lightly at first, beginning with the shadows and highlights and working from the warm colors to the cool ones. Gradually apply more pressure, building the contours of each form. This will help your drawing look three-dimensional and realistic. Use your eraser to add dramatic highlights and a black-colored pencil to render shadows.
Tip: Use varied line qualities to create texture.
Prepared by: Peter Yuscavage, Jersey City Arts, Jersey City, New Jersey
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