What's your Name, Exercise in Line

Medium: Black Pens and Watercolor Markers

Reason for the Lesson: This is a line drawing lesson with a play on each students name. This lesson teaches how to make block letters and to think a bit outside the box.

Prep Time:  10 minutes to gather supplies and materials

Materials: Black Sharpies, Watercolor Markers (for the brilliant pop of color), white construction paper 24 x 18.

Instructions to Lead Lesson: 

Start with the first letter of your name and place it on the bottom of the page in a block letter format. This letter becomes the “foundation” of the pile.  Then, begin adding the other letters, not necessarily in spelling order, around, behind, in front and on top of the first letter. To help with flow, tell the children to turn their papers around.

Show the students how to add a letter behind another and in front of another. 

After the letters are piled high (repeating letters is encouraged!), fill in the spaces with patterns. It helps to have some sample patterns on the board to kick-start creativity.

Once the patterns (lines) are filled in, bring out the markers and let the children color in the letters. No color rules here: whatever color they chose is fantastic

After I show the students a sample, there is always one student who points out that their name is too short. I mean, what can you do with “Sam” or “Amy”? Lots, I say. It doesn’t matter how many letters the students use (first name, last name, both), layering and toppling the letters in a random, creative way is what its all about.  I suggest using all capital letters, as their are less round shapes, but that can be decided by the students.