Grade 4 Art And Craft Picture Making โ Still-life Drawing Notes
Art And Craft โ Picture Making
Sub-topic: Still-life Drawing (for age 9)
Still-life drawing means drawing objects that do not move. We often draw fruit, cups, baskets and things from around the house or classroom. In Kenya you can choose a mango, a bunch of bananas, a kiondo (woven basket) or a cup of tea.
- Observe shapes and sizes of objects.
- Draw simple outlines and add light shading.
- Use colour to make your picture bright and neat.
Materials
- One A4 paper or drawing book
- Pencil (HB), eraser and sharpener
- Colouring pencils or crayons
- A small table and a window for light
- Three objects to draw (example: mango, cup, small kiondo)
Set up your still life
- Choose 2 or 3 simple objects. Example: ๐ mango ๐ต cup ๐งบ kiondo.
- Place them on a small table near a window so light falls from one side.
- Look carefully: which object is nearest? Which is taller?
Step-by-step drawing
- Look first: Describe shapes in your head โ circles, ovals, rectangles or cones.
- Light sketch: Use a soft pencil to draw the big shapes. Do not press hard.
- Refine lines: Make clearer outlines of each object. Erase extra lines.
- Shade simply: Find the light side and the dark side. Shade softly on the dark side to show roundness.
- Add colour: Colour inside the lines. Use light layers โ you can add a second layer for darker colour.
- Draw the shadow: Add a small dark shape under the object to show it sits on the table.
Look: The bright side faces the light. The darker side and the shadow show where the light does not reach.
Tips for neat work
- Keep your pencil sharp for thin lines.
- Use the side of the pencil for soft shading.
- Take your time โ draw slowly and look closely.
- Mix colours gently for smooth skin of fruits (e.g., yellow + a little red for mango).
Practice activities (20โ30 minutes)
- Quick sketch: Arrange 3 items from home and make a 10-minute sketch with no colours.
- Shading practice: Draw one round fruit and shade the dark side only.
- Colour challenge: Colour a small still-life, keeping the background light.
Simple assessment (checklist)
- Shapes are the right size compared to each other (big/small).
- There is a clear light side and a dark side.
- Colours are inside the lines and neat.
- A small shadow is drawn under the objects.