Eating Fruit
Submitted by Jenny Thomas, art teacher at
Toorak College Mt. Eliza, Victoria, Australia

Level: Drawing, Year Levels 8-10 This is a popular lesson with most students because they get to eat whilst creating a work of Art. Students start by folding a large piece of cartridge paper* into six or nine squares (depending on how much time you have). I then ask students to select a piece of fruit from a central table. Of course you need to purchase a variety of fruit beforehand. I find that various types of apples work well and so do peaches, pears and bananas.

After some discussion on ways of representing form and proportions the students start to record as accurately as possible, the entire fruit. They love using soft chalk pastel but any media would be suitable. Students need to start this first drawing in the top left hand square. The next step is to take a bite or two and record the fruit again in the next square of paper. The exercise continues in this manner until all that is left is the core or a few pips. The students always get great results and the completed works of the entire class make a fantastic display.

* Cartridge paper or drawing cartridge, are terms used by many British countries and Australia for very heavy drawing paper. It is usually available in 90 gsm and 125 gsm. Heavy quality drawing paper - Strathmore Bristol or any similar paper is a good substitute. Stonehenge also comes in similar weights to cartridge paper.