Sunsets & Sketches

Implementing digital sketching

into the art classroom

Presented by Élisabeth, Lauriane, Many and Olivia.

 Table of contents
01 02 03
Research Lesson Plan Activity
WHY & HOW to Let us have some big
Take a look at what
implement paper/digital old fun with the
we have in store for
sketching/drawing in the Sketchbook app!
your next art class!
art classroom?
01
Sketching:
WHY & HOW…
Students with
disabilities benefit
from digital painting
‘’Sand art and other digital painting
methods were proven to be
beneficial in improving cognitive
functioning and social aspects of
those with intellectual disabilities.’’
Journal of Intellectual disabilities
 Everyone benefits from sketching
● It reduces anxiety and stress: It fosters inner peace, muscle relaxation, dopamine levels
rise and overall mood improvement.
● It helps improve memory: It develops imagination, builds problem-solving skills and
helps remember information (draw mind maps and key concepts for studying).
● It helps improve fine motor skills: Picking up a pen and moving the hands and fingers to
create lines, shapes, and other details can help improve coordination and dexterity.
● It is a confidence boost: A Finished art piece can bring a sense of accomplishment, help
feel more confident in abilities, foster pride of skills and build a positive self-image.
● It helps develop a growth mindset: Persevering instead of giving up by keeping a
sketchbook as a way of tracking your progress and seeing just how far you’ve come.

Native News Online

 WHY should we teach sketching
To students?
● To hone skills: Drawing from life improves observational skills and eye-hand coordination.
● To practice using new materials: Artists don’t only draw with pencils, they try new media
that they're not used to working with, like watercolor, acrylic or mixed media. DIGITAL!!!
● To keep a visual journal of experiences: The brain remembers things differently when
drawing people/places/things rather than taking photos of these same elements.
● To develop ideas for projects: Doing a quick sketch of an idea in a sketchbook to save it. It
is particularly helpful for fantastical elements or professional design elements like logos.
● To play: When you have fun while making art, you lose yourself in the "Zone" and begin to
tap into your right brain.

Milan Art Institute

 “Teaching digital drawing shouldn’t replace traditional drawing
methods. However, it can be a tool to teach the same concepts in a
more time-efficient way. We want our students to create. As our
students get older, they will most likely have a phone or tablet on
them at all times. If we teach them to use these tools for artmaking
now, they’ll continue their creative ventures for a lifetime.”
The Art of Education University
 HOW can we implement digital drawing
in the art classroom?
● Merge Traditional Artmaking with Digital Drawing: Take a photo of a traditional artmaking process and
enhance it with digital drawing.
● Teach Depth and Space : Students can work in layers to understanding foreground, middle ground, and
background. They create an overlap of elements.
● Bring Everyday Objects to Life : Take a photo of an everyday object and bring it to life to explore
mark-marking and familiarize the students with the drawing application they are using.
● Teach Perspective : Some apps can turn drawn lines into straight lines, to teach perspective drawing with
the help of some digital aid.
● Create Digital Sketchnotes : Sketchnotes are beneficial in the retention of student learning. Not only will
the students be able to swap out colors easily, but they can also quickly pull in images.
● 3-D Forms & Value : Have your students create 3D forms. This way, if students do not understand the
concept, they can immediately make changes.

The Art of Education University

IEEE Computer Society
02
Sunsets &
Sketches…
QEP Cross-Curricular + Visual Arts
Lesson Plan Objectives
REMEMBERING: The students can reproduce the gestures of the teacher within the app.

UNDERSTANDING: The students can identify the warm and cool colours of a sunset.

APPLYING: The students can operate the Sketchbook app on their electronic device.

ANALYZING: The students experiment with the tools and brushes within the Sketchbook app.

EVALUATING: The students select appropriate warm and cool colours for their sunsets.

CREATING: The students construct a digital sunset drawing using the Sketchbook app.
 Resources
● Electronic tablets and pens
● Computers and mouses,
● Sketchbook app
● YouTube video.

Introduction to lesson
Asking students if they know why sunsets are so colourful? After the discussion, a video will be shown to educate the
students about sunsets and will answer their questions. With this video the students will be able to get an understanding
of the project. The teacher will show an example of their own digital sunset drawing to show students what they will be
creating. Afterwards, the teacher will ask the students if they remember their warm and cool colours and recap if need
be.
 Lesson Sequence
● The students will get an overview of the sketchbook
app with all its tools and features. As well, test out
the tools on their own digital device.
● The students can select the warm and cool colours
they will be using for their sunset beforehand.
● Select a blank page within the app (this is the first
layer). Select a big size watercolour paintbrush and
your base colours to start off the sunset.
● Make a horizon line with the cool colours at the
bottom of the page and the warm colours at the top
of the page.
● Use the bending tool to blend out the first layer of
colour.
● Add a 2nd layer and create the reflection of the sun as
well as the sun with the watercolour paintbrush. Then
blend out with the small blending tool.
● Repeat step 5 to add shadows to the water in a darker
colour. Don’t forget to blend.
● Add a 3rd layer and create even lighter reflections on the
sun with the watercolour paintbrush. Then blend out
with the small blending tool.
● Repeat step 5 to add lighter water reflections on the 3rd
layer. Don’t forget to blend.
● Keep touching up all layers until the students are
satisfied with their sunsets.
● The students display their works on a smartboard within
the classroom to be able to show and observe other
students' works.
03
Ready,
Sketch,
Draw!
Try them out!
● Try layering them
● Compare them
● Try blending out each
tool
● Use different tools for
different steps
 Layers!
● Try putting different
colors and see how they
interact with each other

● Try using different pens

and paintbrushes on
different layers
Extra Tools
● Lasso
● Ruler
● Geometric shapes
● Text
● Curved lines
● Perspectives
● Moving tool
 Extra
functions
● Import images
● Choose your canvas size
● Easy sharing
● Copying previous work
onto another
Check out this step by step tutorial to make a sunset using
Sketchbook!
Thank
you :)
 Resources
Donohue, J. (2020, May 1). The Big Impact of a Small Hobby. The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/well/mind/coronavirus-health-benefits-drawing-art-hobbies.html

Beautiful Science. (2019, March 29). Beautiful Science – Why does the sky change color at sunset? [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peCJG8CXr-g

Bilderrausch. (2021, May 13). How to paint an Ocean Sunset with Autodesk Sketchbook Mobile [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs7ENwjxASA&t=61s&ab_channel=Bilderrausch

Fernandes-Marco, A. (2007, September-October). Graphically Speaking, Digital Art: When Artistic and Cultural Muse Merges with Computer
Technology. ResearchGate.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3210584_Digital_Art_When_Artistic_and_Cultural_Muse_Merges_with_Computer_Technology

Milan Art Institute. (2020, November 3). 5 reasons why artists keep a daily sketchbook.
https://www.milanartinstitute.com/blog/5-reasons-why-artists-keep-a-daily-sketchbook

Native News Online. (n.d.). 5 health benefits of drawings.

https://nativenewsonline.net/advertise/branded-voices/5-great-health-benefits-of-drawing

Rosenfeld Halverson, E. (2013). Digital Art Making as a Representational Process. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 22: 121–162.
DOI: 10.1080/10508406.2011.639471

Schukei, A. (2019, September 6). 8 ways to use Digital drawing in the art room. The art of education university.
https://theartofeducation.edu/2019/09/8-ways-to-use-digital-drawing-in-the-art-room/