We were left with a single class at the end of this last session. So, we had to do a project we could complete in one hour or less. This can be tough, especially for older students. This Surrealist inspired imaginary animal project was perfect.

We began by looking at the book, Imagine, by Norman Messenger. Then I passed around black and white illustrations of animals but only half of an animal. Students were to choose the front of one animal and the backside of another animal. They then put the two parts together to form a new animal. We lightly sketched our animals in pencil and then outlined in Sharpie. I introduced hatching and cross-hatching to add shading and texture. I brought in some watercolor pencils and Tombow markers to add color.

I gave students freedom to use their imaginations with this project. Some combined 3, 4, or even five animals. Some added parts made up of animals we didn’t have pictures of. They had a lot of fun coming up with names for their creatures. I love how this project combined drawing from observation with stretching the imagination. Turned out to be a great way to spend the last class.