When The Arts Collide

Sophie Dryden ('20) poses behind a drawing of her made by Trinity Funk ('22).

Often we think of each one of our fine arts programs as a separate entity that never intersects with any of the others; however something almost magical happens when ​two or more of the arts collaborate. Upper School students in Art II spent five class periods learning to draw the human figure using live models. What better place to find models with a dramatic flair than the Advanced Acting theater class?

Advanced Acting students came to class in a variety of costumes and posed for several Art II classes. The art students used a variety of mediums such as graphite, charcoal, chalk, ink and pastel. The lessons began with drawing sessions as short as two to three minutes and expanded to sessions of up to ten minutes. These quick sketching sessions help students better develop quicker visual acuity and break tendencies to overwork drawings.

Learning to capture figures from direct observation during short, timed sessions teaches students to focus on what is important in their drawings and develop confidence in mark-making.

~ Mrs. Blackburn, Upper School Art Teacher

In an earlier session, Nancy Nemeh ('22) poses for her classmates Erica Papp ('22) and Trinity Funk('22). Students took turns during the first few days of the lesson posing for each other.

The results of a fast-paced exercise like this? Students end up with pieces that have a better sense of the important details in a subject and looser, more life-like works. Quick and collaborative exercises like this force each student to grow as an artist and gives both the artist and the model an appreciation for the other's talents.

Legacy Christian Academy Fine Arts inspires students to discover, develop, and express their creative talents for the glory of God, while fostering a lifelong appreciation of the arts. For the latest information on Legacy fine arts, subscribe today. For more information on Legacy, visit our admissions page.