Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
STANDARDS
This lesson meets National Arts Standards 1.a,
1.b, 2.a, 2.b, 2.c, 4.a
Plate from the Charles Bargue Drawing Course
SUMMARY
MATERIALS
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
There are many advantages to
understanding the concept of envelopes.
Envelopes allow artists to view the shapes
of subjects abstractly. They help artists set
proportions for subjects at an early stage in
drawing, and focus attention on dominant
angles in the composition. In a drawing
with several objects, envelopes enable the
artist to consider the group of objects as a
whole before considering the constituents
of the group. This practice respects the
principle of working from general to
specific, which is very important when
learning how to draw.
Equally important are mistakes that are
avoided by using envelopes. They prevent
artists from using preconceived ideas
of what objects look like. For example,
many people would draw an apple by
first making a circle and adding a line
for a stem instead of drawing what they
really see. An envelope forces the artist to
find angles in the apple and draw a more
accurate version of its overall shape instead
of what the artist believes an apple to look
like. An envelope also stops artists from
focusing on tiny details at the beginning
stages of a drawing, which is a very difficult
habit for drawing students to overcome.
Classically trained artists often use
envelopes and it is helpful to study how
and why they do so.
In the image to the right, Charles Bargue
simplifies a foot by using a triangular
envelope. In this series of drawings, it is
easy to identify how this envelope helped
Have each set of partners join their mushrooms with another set of partners, so that
every student is now looking at a grouping of
four mushrooms. The mushrooms should all
be touching each other and grouped closely.
Have students draw this pile of mushrooms by
starting with an envelope.
STEP 3: Practice
Distribute DaVinci worksheet, and have each
student practice making envelopes using the
worksheet as a guide.
STEP 4: Application
Have students return to looking at their
mushrooms. Give each student a new piece of
paper, and have them draw their mushrooms
by starting with an envelope.
ASSESSMENT
Assessments are one of the most important tools educators have at their disposal when teaching skill-based
learning. Students need specific feedback in order to learn and understand advanced drawing skills. Use
this rubric, or write one of your own, to evaluate how well students understand the concept of envelopes.
Straight Lines
Small # of Lines
Cropping
Craftsmanship
3 points
Envelope includes
curved lines.
Envelope uses many
unnecessary lines.
4 points
Envelope mostly uses
straight lines.
Envelope uses almost
the smallest possible
number of lines.
Envelope crops somewhat tightly, and/or
includes some of the
major parts of the
grouping.
5 points
Envelope uses only
straight lines.
Envelope uses the
smallest possible
number of lines.
Envelope does not
Envelope crops tightly
crop tightly and/or
to the grouping, withinclude some major
out unnecessary white
parts of the grouping.
space. The envelope
includes all major
parts of the grouping.
Student needs to more Student mostly disDrawing displays high
carefully consider
plays good craftsman- level of craftsmancraftsmanship.
ship.
ship.
ENVELOPE WORKSHEET
NAME:
DIRECTIONS: Make an envelope around each of these DaVinci drawings using the designated number of lines.
Pick only the most significant lines to use for your envelope. Remember that it is okay to crop minor parts of an
DRsuch
AWING
WITH
ENVE
LOPE
S Good envelopesGRADES
DRAWING
image,
as hair or tips
of feet in order
to simplify
an envelope.
should not6-8
use /curved
lines,
should not have interior lines, and should not include insignificant lines. Before starting, study Example 1. Notice
that the envelope emphasizes the most important aspects of the drawing and that it crops out a piece of hair.
EXAMPLE1.
Use 4 lines
2. Use 4 lines
3. Use 4 lines
EXAMPLE 1
4. Use 5 lines
5. Use 3 lines
6. Use 3 lines
7. Use 5 lines
9. Use 3 lines