ANT CITY ACTIVITY:ACTIVITY: Drawing in the woods. An activity to do alone or in a group.

OUTCOMES:OUTCOMES: Developing observational drawing skills, stimulating the imagination.

KIT:KIT: Outdoor cushion, sketchbook, drawing pencils of varying softness (2B, 4B, 6B), rubber, sharpener.

AGE 8 UPWARDSMake sure your legs and feet are covered as you’ll be sitting on the forest floor for a while. Use insect repellent.

1. Find a place in the woods that looks interesting

on the forest floor level. It might have old rotten

stumps, twisting roots, interesting plants, ferns,

mosses and lichens. Choose a stump or trunk

- the sort of place that would make a 5 star

Insect Hotel.

2. Settle on your cushion with your back

against a tree trunk. You need to feel

comfortable and experience the view

from the forest floor.

3. Start sketching in the main shapes of

the stump.

- WOODLAND ACTIVITIES-

4. Draw in some details; leaves, pine

needles and so on. Try making different

marks for mosses and lichen. 5. Now think about your city.

Where can you add streets and

houses? Maybe plot in a street

lamp or two.

6. Look for useful lines and shapes

in your drawing and let your

imagination run wild!

- WOODLAND ACTIVITIES-

TAKING IT FURTHER…

If you’re in a group go out drawing together in a stumpy woodland.

Once you’ve got your drawings done you can cut them out and

assemble them to make a massive ‘Antopia’ collage, adding cut out

silhouettes and maybe even some printed images.

This giant picture was made in a day by a class of Year 4 children

at Greenford Primary School.

Emerald Ant engages people in nature through art activities - www.emeraldant.com