Artist and illustrator Millie Nice spent the day with us today to explore the limitless possibilities of drawing. She asked the children to approach drawing as if it was a scientific process, helping us to find out about the world around us.

We began the morning by making a portfolio case to hold our work. As children arrived they used mirrors to make a self-portrait on their folder.

We then went outside to make some large scale drawings using chalk and charcoal. We worked together on strips of paper observing the trees around us. Using charcoal in different ways really helps capture the texture of tree bark.

The children then hid small drawings of animals in the huge jungle we had created.

And can you spot the larger ones lurking in the background.

We then went inside for some quieter activities. Our next challenge was to draw two very different textures – water and fur.

We played with the water, watched how it changed, dripped and how bubbles formed then tried to recreate it. It was hard to say what colours we could see.

Millie taught us to layer pastels and apply to scrunched paper to create clever effects.

We discovered how water droplets could be coated with the powder from our pastels, then applied to our drawings.

Scrunching paper then applying pastel created interesting effects for furry textures.

Some of us also tried to draw scales.

We tried some concentrated observational drawings of… potatoes. This activity is apparently used by trainee architects to encourage close looking and exact replication. Once you have made your drawing you have to be able to pick out your potato from a basket again, matching it to your drawing!

We then drew with scissors to cut out shapes of buildings and make them into an architectural cityscape, drawing in details after. We cut it out and combined with our water studies to create a pop-up city with a waterfront setting.