Middle School, High School Traditional Art Project: Charcoal Drapery Drawing

In my high school art drawing course I always include an introduction to charcoal. This traditional art lesson, charcoal drapery drawing, is perfect for students with a range of experience levels and is great for late middle school art or high school art classes.

I like to start with background information on the history of charcoal and its use in the art world before jumping into techniques. They then learn about reductive shading and additive shading techniques before watching a demo and practicing their skills in a sketchbook project. Next, they create a traditional still life study: a drawing of a drapery.

This assignment is the perfect introduction to the ability of charcoal. It's a successful art assignment, which means the majority of the students will walk away with a strong drawing. It helps build their art knowledge base as well as their confidence in their drawing ability before moving on to more personal and technical works of art. Your drawing class isn't complete without a charcoal drapery drawing project.

All in all this lesson pack includes:

• A lesson plan (with a big idea, objectives, vocabulary, national middle and high school art standards, and step-by-step instructions on implementing the project)
• PowerPoint, to introduce the assignment
• Sketchbook assignment handout
• Charcoal drapery drawing Project guide
• Critique sheet
• Display signs
• Rubric

This lesson is designed for a middle school or high school visual art class. It can be modified for older and younger age groups.

This lesson is part of my semester-long drawing curriculum bundle. Get everything you need to teach an entire semester of drawing, 12 lessons in all, for a discounted price. Check it out here. 

Each of my classes is designed to build on the last. This curriculum builds on the lessons and techniques taught in my Introduction to Art course. Check out my yearlong Introduction to Art curriculum bundled at a discount price here.

• Check out the still life drawing that precedes this assignment here.
• A metaphorical self-portrait drawing here.
• Check out my shading review lesson plan here.
• Check out my hand-drawn elements of art worksheet, value, here.
• Check out my digitally designed elements of art worksheet, value, here.

Check out my other products here.