The next generation of urban sketchers
Posted: October 25, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized 54 CommentsA few months ago I wrote about how I was hoping to motivate my first-year students to draw every week in a sketchbook as part of our Adobe Illustrator class together. In the past, despite my optimism, as the semester goes on I find that students draw less and less. This year, I am more than pleasantly surprised. I have never had such a keen bunch of artists. On Mondays they are proud to show me their drawings and they are improving every week.
Today I took them on an outing to one of my favourite places to draw — McGill’s Redpath Museum. We spent the day sketching the dinosaurs, the taxidermy animals and even a bit of architecture. I have to say that it was one of the best days in my teaching career. First of all, at least half of the first-year cohort turned up for the optional event (this was a day off for them) and they stayed all day! And for a group who (for the most part) were never sketchers before they started this class, they did some truly incredible work (see the montage below). They made me proud to be their teacher.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Wow…..bravo to your class!!!!!
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Thanks Suzanne. They are amazing, aren’t they?
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Could be the teacher too, wish you taught at my school, when I was growing up. Great job by your students.
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Sue, they are a dedicated bunch. It was a great day for all of us.
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Your student’s work is impressive! You absolutely should feel elated with this class!
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I do feel elated by their progress! Thanks for writing Sue.
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Fantastic! No wonder you are proud of them. Good teaching!
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Thanks so much!
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Great work! And as a teacher, I understand how you feel – your students make the job worthwhile, especially when you see what they accomplish.
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That is so true. Despite all the grading and preparation that sometimes takes up full weekends, a day like this does make it worthwhile.
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Hi Sheri, Thank you for this email. Your students did some beautiful work. I so appreciate your posts. They are so encouraging. Thank you, Malinda Anderson
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Thanks Malinda. I agree, they did some amazing work and they should be so proud of themselves.
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That must be so gratifying to see the effect you had on their sketching habits. They did such a great job!!!
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It was very gratifying Joan, and fun too.
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It is inspiring to me that you inspired them! I had never drawn anything before reading your blog, so you have also helped me to start drawing and painting. I also bought both of your Craftsy classes and hope you will be doing more of them.
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Gail, thanks so much for writing. I am so happy to hear that you’ve started drawing too. As for more Craftsy classes, I would love to do them but have a problem finding the time. After this post I am sure you can see why…
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This is awesome! I think it is so important to encourage and empower youth. So that they can know that YES I CAN!! Their work is stellar! Bravo to you all!
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Thanks so much!
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Very uplifting. Congrats on your influence and thanks for sharing.
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I had to share this great day, Gerry. Thanks for writing.
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Way to go! Your best teaching day ever must have been just as rewarding for them. Impressive work.
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Very impressive work for sure. I had to share it. Thanks for writing Joe.
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Indeed! Really handsome work! It is so exciting to see a follow-up on this motivated geoup.
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Thanks Christine. I had to share it because it was so exciting to see.
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Fantastic work from your students! It was nice to see the follow-up from your other post. When we visited Montreal a couple years ago, we stayed at a place near there and the Redpath Museum was one of my favourite places to go sketch.
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Hello Thyme. I’ve never done a follow-up like this because I’ve never had such a keen group. It was thrilling to see. Thanks for writing.
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Holy Cow! Those are all really good!! Well done, Shari and class!
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Thanks so much Sheryl.
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They did a great job, and they are also really lucky to have you as a teacher!
– Tina
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They did do a great job. Thanks Tina!
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These drawings are wonderful!
I’m impressed with their work and dedication.
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They impressed me so much Rhonda. Thanks for writing.
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Fabulous, do you have a sketch club or weekly cafe sketchers group they can continue with after the class term?
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HI Madeline, I don’t have a weekly sketch club but I wish I did because I’d love them to keep this up. You are giving me ideas!
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What fine work. How old are these students?
This post brings back memories. When I was very young-maybe grade school-the Cleveland Museum of Art had a program for kids on Saturdays. We would be given a stool and a clip board with paper and pencils. And we could sketch various rooms in the museum. My favorite was a huge room with knights in full armor on horses. I drew these many times. No dinosaurs here tho.
Field trips are wonderful for art students. You are a great teacher.
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Hi Judy,
Usually the students in first year are approx. 18 years old but this group is more mixed. The range is 18-28. Thanks for writing!
Shari
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Fantastic! Most uplifting on many levels.
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Thanks Alison. Uplifting for sure.
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LUCKY KIDS.
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Lucky me.
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Really great work.
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Yes Chris. Really great!
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Your students have incredible talent. They will be glad one day that they were taught by you and that they learned the gift of observation at a young age. They should be as proud of themselves as you are of them. I look forward to more of their works.
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Thanks Patricia. I will try to share more of their work if I can!
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Gold stars for everyone!
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I agree!!
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Nice going Shari. There’s hope yet for the smartphoners. I was in your workshop in Galway. Let me know about your 2018 workshops.
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Wow, those sketches are wonderful! I didn’t know about the Redpath museum but I will definitely have to go there next time I am in Montreal.
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Wonderful post and terrific work from your keen students. Thank you for sharing, Ms. Blaukopf.
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Congratulations on having motivated students who are engaged! I love that you are excited about their commitment. Teachers set the table but the students chose whether to eat. You do an excellent job! Thanks for being a teacher.
Frank B
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Thanks for sharing this experience and your students’ artwork. Excellent all the way around. How nice that you have provided inspiration, skills, and the right environment for your students to sketch.
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How lucky they are!!
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That is very kind Nicki. I am lucky too!
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Wow! Their work is fantastic. No wonder you are proud of them. I am sure that the teacher has something to do with the results and their dedication. Glad for all of you and wish you all the best success for the weeks to come in your semester.
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