Carefully focussed observational drawing often supplies the raw material from which art can be created.
Our environment is full of information and of visually interesting material. Some material can be brought inside the classroom to be used individually or as still-life arrangements. Frequent field trips should be made to interesting sites.
Prior to taking the students on a field trip, select an interesting site: car wreckers yard or rubbish dump, a bridge, a dilapidated shed, interesting building - church or old house, construction site, petrol station, shopping mall or marine, harbour, fire station, fishing boats, botanical gardens, bus depot, railway yards, derelict farm buildings and vehicles, historic village, native bush, airport, waste area, rockpools - ideas are limitless.
For the same purpose, visually interesting material can be brought into the classroom - cats, motorcycles, stuffed birds, potted plants, softball gloves and ball, weeds and flowers, eggbeaters, lanterns, school bags and musical instruments.
Secondhand marts, garages and flea markets provide rich sources of objects.

• Step One
  Focus on the subject. Discuss briefly the structure, shapes and patterns on the objects. Draw attention also to the shapes created by the spaces between objects and parts of the object.
  Focus can be aided by the use of magnifying glasses, viewfinders or frames cut from card. To guide children's looking, questions should be asked which result in close examination.
  Skills of perception are learned through direction. Questions should focus on detail, shape, pattern structure, texture, comparisons, proportions, sizes, spaces - in fact all that can be seen.
  
  
• Step Two
  Guided drawing - suggest methods of attack and establish a slow pace of work. Guide the drawing through question and suggestion.
  The children must be encouraged to work slowly - think as you draw. They may need to have starting methods suggested.
  The teacher must move about offering ways of increasing techniques and skills of observation and asking questions that guide children to look more carefully and truthfully.
  
  
• Step Three
  Look at artists' methods of working, drawing attention to personal technique, impact, line, texture, shape, variety, repetition, simplification and omission, contrast, exaggeration and distortion.
  Frequent opportunities should be taken for directed looking at work of artists. During this drawing unit, students can be asked to look at specific features of drawings by illustrators of school bulletins which are a rich source of this type of work.
  
  
• Step Four
  Repeat drawing concentrating on various art elements, e.g. patterns and textures, shapes and spaces or dark and light values.
  Students can re-draw the work carefully from their own drawings without the subject in view. Alternatively, they may have a second look at the subject - either drawing as before but keeping in mind things noted during the study of illustrations, or choosing part of the subject and working in greater detail. Another possibility is to draw other objects that surround (behind and beside, and/or in front of) the original. They may emphasise other aspects - e.g. cast shadows or reflections.
  
  
• Step Five
  Discuss children's work in the manner used previously for that of illustrators (step 3). Focus on positive aspects of each student's work.
  Discuss positive aspects of each student's work - its different viewpoint or emphasis, use of variety of line, texture, tone etc.