Lesson 05: A1 — The Final Observational Drawing
Pre A Level Art & Design · Unit 1 · U1·L5 · ← L04 | next unit: U2 Photography →
At a glance
| Session | W5, one Wednesday double (~90 min) — Unit 1 closes |
| Date | Wed 2026-09-30 |
| Focus | A1 sat: the final observational drawing finished under assessment conditions, plus the written reflection |
| Deliverable | The final drawing + reflection, submitted at close |
| Feeds | A1 feeds the mid-term grades (due Thu 2026-10-29); HW1 set (due Wed 10-14, opens U2) |
| Homework | HW1: ≥20 photos of one subject in varied viewpoint and light, over the National Day break; MB posting |
Goal
This is a working session with a deadline. You have one double to bring your drawing from decided-everywhere to finished — full tonal range, texture where it earns its place, edges resolved. The reflection is part of the submission: A1 is a drawing and your evidence that you can see what you did.
How it runs
- Set-up (5 min) — stations are rebuilt from last week’s photographs; drawings out; criteria on the board: observation · tone · composition. From here it is your eyes and your paper — no phones, no neighbor’s drawing.
- Studio (60 min) — finish the drawing. Suggested arc, as a checklist: push the full tonal range first (darkest darks in, before caution sets in) → texture passes where the surface demands it → edges and cast shadows → step back at arm’s length twice, at 20 and 50 minutes. No hands on drawings today.
- Reflection (15 min) — one page in the sketchbook: “I chose this viewpoint because …” / “The light comes from …, so the darkest tones are …” / “The texture I am most happy with is … because …” / “The hardest part was …” / “Next time I will …” Use full sentences, at least four of the five frames.
- Close (10 min) — submit drawings and reflections together. HW1 briefed: over the break, take ≥20 photographs of one subject — varied viewpoint, varied light, no editing — due Wed 10-14; it opens Unit 2. There is no class next Wednesday (National Day, 10-07).
Assessment
A1 — final observational drawing + reflection, sat in class today. Marking focus: observation, tone, composition; marked against the announced criteria, returned with feedback within five working days, and feeds the mid-term grades due Thu 2026-10-29. Register: PAL S1 Assessments.