Trenton Central High School
Using Charcoal to Draw a Still Life
March 6, 2024
Mr. Montanari chose to provide some fruit for the art class happening right before the spring vacation, a time of year when it might be difficult for students to concentrate in a late day art class due to their excitement with their coming break.
YANJ/EP Teaching Artist, Triada Samaras, introduced several new materials: vine charcoal, charcoal pencils, block charcoal, kneaded erasers, blending stumps and more to Mr. Montanari's high school art classroom. Students were able to see their "still life" items close up and near to their artwork which makes a huge difference in their ability to carefully observe details, shapes, forms, textures and values and to then create them on a blank page. In addition they observed fruits as the subject for this still life lesson that they are familiar with from food prepared at home or from shopping for groceries with their families.
As a result, the students were highly engaged with this art lesson, creating interesting drawings (see below) while enjoying the lesson as well.
Appealing to high school students' interests with this type of food (instead of the usual display of anonymous or typical objects eg. an apple and a vase that are used for still life drawing) led to greater student engagement with the drawing process as well as the sharing of ideas amongst the students.
Ms. Montanari and Ms. Samaras chose this lesson together carefully focusing on the circumstances, the art materials and the lesson plan objective that would engage the students in the most sustained and joyful way.
Culturally responsive teaching is "a mindset, a way of thinking about, and organizing instruction to allow greater
flexibility in teaching
Triada Samaras 4/26/2024
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