Building Confidence in Students Who Don’t See Themselves as Artistic

“Purposeful and perceptive ‘looking’ can reveal new perceptions as an artist.”

This was the statement of inquiry that Riverstone International School art teacher, Tanith Brown, and her Grade 9 students discussed as they embarked upon their current unit: Linear Perspective Drawing.

The goal of the unit is for students to develop the skills required to recreate an image from real life observation.

As Tanith explained, “Linear perspective provides a framework for drawing using protractors and rulers to establish accurate representations of three-dimensional objects, such as buildings, roads, sidewalks, etc. This process is ideal for students wanting to create accurate images without relying on guess-work.”

The students were encouraged to explore the school campus in order to practice their one-point perspective skills. By observing campus buildings and recreating their vanishing lines, or orthogonals, a horizon line, and a single vanishing point, students could establish accurate representations of the buildings.

Tanith also shared that, “Linear perspective is a wonderful area of skills development that can be applied to any three-dimensional object in future artworks, such as video game and film design, and illustration. This unit also helps build problem-solving skills, confidence, and spatial-relational thinking.

One reason I love teaching linear perspective is that anyone can do it once they learn the basic rules. Students at this developmental stage want to create detailed, realistic artworks but haven’t yet learned the required skills, which can be frustrating for them. With linear perspective, you don’t need natural skill; you just need to know how to use a protractor set and follow simple rules. It’s a great way to build confidence in students who don’t see themselves as creative or artistic, and is an excellent building block for more advanced concepts.

I also love teaching students to work in pen and ink as it helps them let go of the stifling need for perfection and embrace the learning process. Art is about taking risks and courageously failing forward, two things that exemplify our Guiding Principles.

I’m lucky to work with such a resilient group of students and look forward to seeing them grow as artists and people.”

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The Arts are one of eight subject areas included in the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Grades 6-10. Students study a semester each of visual art and music every year, before choosing whether to commit to study either Art or Music during their final two years in high school in the Diploma Programme.

According to the International Baccalaureate® (IB), “MYP students develop through creating, performing and presenting arts in ways that engage and convey feelings, experiences, and ideas.” Read more about the Arts curriculum and significance in the MYP here.