Why I Start Beginning Art with Linear Perspective

After all the beginning-of-the-year routines, seating charts, and basic art vocabulary lessons, I like to dive right into linear perspective with my Beginning Art students.

Why? Because it’s a powerful way to demystify drawing. Many students walk into art class thinking drawing is some magical talent you’re either born with or not. But with perspective, I can show them a few simple techniques that immediately improve their work, and that early success builds confidence and buy-in.

We start with 1-point perspective, where students learn about the horizon line, vanishing point, and converging lines. Projects like a cityscape or interior scene give them room to experiment while reinforcing these foundational skills.

Then we move into 2-point perspective, where they see how shifting to two vanishing points creates more dynamic compositions. They often feel like “real” artists after mastering this step.

Once they've built the structure, we take it further with shading. Students apply graphite or colored pencil to add light, shadow, and depth, making their drawings look realistic and three-dimensional.

If you want ready-to-use lessons for your own classroom, I’ve put together:

• 1-Point Perspective Unit (4 days)

• 2-Point Perspective Unit (3-4 days)

• Applying Shading to Perspective Drawings (2 days)

These resources include step-by-step instructions, videos, and rubrics so you can focus on teaching and giving feedback instead of reinventing the wheel.

Teaching perspective isn’t just about lines and vanishing points. It’s about giving students a tool they can use again and again to make their drawings stronger. I’ll be honest, I struggled with teaching perspective for years. Students work at such different paces, and the range of ability is wide;  some are ready to build complex architectural scenes, while others are still learning how to use a ruler as a straight edge.

Over time, I found ways to break it down so every student can experience success, no matter where they start. When they realize they can create believable space and depth with just a few steps, you can see their confidence grow and they start to buy in to the idea that you might actually be able to teach them how to draw.

Whether you’re introducing perspective for the first time or refining your students’ skills, these lessons are designed to make the process clear, approachable, and fun for both you and your students.

Sale on Teachers Pay Teachers! August 5 & 6

 🎉 TPT Sitewide Sale — August 5 & 6! 🎉

Save up to 25% off ALL my resources during the Back-to-School Sale!

I'm offering 20% off everything in my store and TPT is adding an extra 5% off at checkout when you use code: BTS25

Looking to start the school year strong? Here are some favorites to check out:

Welcome to Beginning Art Bundle: Everything you need for the first few days: syllabus, survey, parent brochure, newsletter, and a creative kickoff assignment.

Unit 1: Introduction to Art: A complete bundle with vocabulary slides, an Edpuzzle on Lowenfeld’s stages, a fun mixed media project, and more! Perfect for the second day of school.

Unit 2: Elements of Art & Principles of Design: Scaffolded lessons, practice activities, and engaging visual resources to help students build foundational art vocabulary and visual literacy. A must-have for your early units!

AP® Art & Design Complete Course Guide - Planning for advanced students? My full AP resource pack includes case studies, editable assignments, and a full Canvas course!

Art Room Newsletter & Open House Brochure Templates: Build strong communication from the start with templates designed to save you time while looking professional.

✨ Whether you’re organizing your first week or diving into a year-long course, now is the perfect time to stock up and save!

🛒 Visit my store here: teacherspayteachers.com/store/windy-lampson
📆 Sale ends August 6 at midnight!
💸 Use promo code: BTS25 at checkout

SketchBox Review: July 2025 Premium Box - Acrylic Brush Marker Exploration

This month’s SketchBox Premium box was a treat for fans of bold color and painterly mark-making. Featuring a full set of SketchBox Signature Acrylic Brush Markers, this collection inspired me to explore both non-objective design and more layered, representational approaches.

What’s in the Box?

According to the SketchBox product page, this month's Premium box includes:

• A SketchBox Signature set of 6 custom acrylic brush markers – highly pigmented, smooth, and layerable with brush tips that offer precision and expressive control.

• 2 Karin Pigment Real Brush Markers in Lilac and Ochre - water-based pigment markers with a softer, more flexible tip.

• A Pink Prismacolor Col-Erase pencil - great for sketching under marker since it’s both visible and erasable.

• A Gold Posca Brush Marker - a pump-action brush pen that adds a semi-opaque metallic sheen.

• A Clairefontaine 4x6 Bristol Pad (10 sheets) - with brilliant white paper designed to highlight the intensity of marker colors.

First Impressions and Materials

The acrylic brush markers were a standout for me. I loved how layerable the pigment was and how the slightly stiffer brush nib gave me a greater sense of control. These markers made it easy to add details and revisit areas without lifting or muddying the layers underneath.

In contrast, the Karin Pigment Real Brush markers had a much more flexible tip, which felt less controlled in my hand. While I appreciate that they’re meant to blend, I personally preferred the firmness of the SketchBox Signature nibs.

The Gold Posca Brush Marker was a fun addition. It has a larger, softer tip and delivers a rich metallic sheen. It's about 50% transparent when applied quickly, but can build up to full opacity if layered or applied more slowly. I used it as a final touch to add glints of shimmer over dried areas.

Trying the Tutorial: Non-Objective Design

I began by following the tutorial in the SketchBox insert, which focused on a flat, non-objective abstract composition. This gave me a chance to test how the colors layered and interacted. I enjoyed the process but found myself wanting to push the materials further to build up forms and experiment with layering to create depth.

Shifting Gears: A Tree Study

That curiosity led me to my next piece: a simple tree study. I started with the Col-Erase pencil to sketch the basic form. It was perfect for this kind of underdrawing - bold enough to see as I worked, but easy to hide beneath the markers once I began layering color. Before diving into details, I laid down some quick value using the orange and dark brown markers to establish light and shadow.

Final Result

The final artwork demonstrates what I loved most about this box: the freedom to layer and build vibrant surfaces, with enough control for precise detailing and mark-making. I used short dabs, sweeping strokes, and overlapping layers to create foliage and shadows. The acrylic markers held up beautifully, even when revisiting the same area multiple times. The gold Posca added a soft sparkle to some of the highlights and ground.

Final Thoughts

This SketchBox was both versatile and inspiring. Whether you're an abstract artist or someone who likes to work from observation, the blend of opaqueness, blendability, and surface compatibility makes this a strong pick. I especially recommend it for artists who enjoy layering and building surfaces with a painterly touch, but still want the ease and precision of a marker.

Have you tried this month’s SketchBox? Let me know what you created. I’d love to see how others explored these tools!

Art 1 / Beginning Art: Unit 3: Visual Literacy & Art Critique

When students walk into my Beginning Art class on the first day of school, I know I’m meeting them at very different starting points.

Some have been drawing for years. Some are naturally creative but haven’t had much structure. And others? They’ll tell me - sometimes proudly - that they "can’t even draw a stick figure." Not every student comes in by choice—some were placed in the class to complete their schedule, and aren’t sure what to expect.

That range is exactly what makes teaching this course so interesting, challenging and exciting.

Beginning Art isn’t about natural-born talent. It’s about helping every student, regardless of their background, see that art is a skill they can learn, just like math or science. Yes, it’s expressive and creative. But it’s also full of vocabulary, process, and skill-building. And when students begin to understand how art works, the fear starts to fade and the confidence begins to grow.

To illustrate this to students, I show them how much growth some of my students have achieved. For example, the images below were created by the same student - one during her 9th grade year, and one during her 12th grade year.

Start With the Truth: Art Is Learnable

One of the most powerful ways I start the semester is by introducing students to Lowenfeld’s Stages of Artistic Development. It’s a lightbulb moment for so many of them.

Instead of thinking, “I’m just not artistic,” they begin to realize, “Oh, this is a skill I can develop.”

We look at examples, identify what stage they might be in, and talk about how practice, feedback, and learning vocabulary can help them grow. For students who feel like they’re "behind," it’s validating. For those who’ve always drawn intuitively, it gives language to what they already do, and a path forward to keep improving.

Unit 1: Laying the Foundation with Permission to Play

The first unit in my Art 1 curriculum is all about building that foundation. We go over:

• The Stages of Artistic Development

• Basic vocabulary: portrait vs. still life, landscape, media, and more

• How to navigate critique in a supportive, productive way

At the same time, we begin a low-pressure art activity inspired by expressive portraiture - playful, layered, and totally unique. This piece becomes a creative thread that runs through the first few weeks, giving students space to explore while they build their visual vocabulary.

Art 1 expressive portrait by Serena T.

Unit 2: Elements & Principles - The Visual Grammar of Art

In Unit 2, we shift into the visual grammar of art: the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. These form the foundation of every art decision they’ll make moving forward.

Students:

• Define each element and principle in their sketchbook

• View real artwork examples and sketch visual interpretations

• Learn to use formal vocabulary in writing and discussion

• Analyze artwork using short, scaffolded writing activities

• Track their understanding through a pre/post assessment and mastery checklist

Even though there’s no major final project in this unit, students are learning to see like artists, and that matters just as much as learning to create like one.

Of course, the ongoing expressive portrait assignment continues during any downtime. It’s a constant reminder that art doesn’t have to be polished to be powerful.

Art 1 Expressive Portrait by Daphne Q.

Unit 3: Classifying and Critiquing Art

By Unit 3, students have a strong vocabulary and a growing sense of confidence. Now it’s time to teach them how to think more deeply and write about what they see.The differences between representational, abstract, and non-objective art

• Understanding the differences between representational, abstract, and non-objective art

• Breaking down the four steps of critique: Describe, Analyze, Interpret, Evaluate

• Practicing critique collaboratively before writing one independently

• Using a scaffolded format to write a complete, formal critique of an artwork

It’s a big step, but students are ready. Because we’ve taken the time to lay the groundwork, they’re no longer intimidated by “art speak.” They know what to look for. They have the words. And they’re ready to use them. 

Building a Strong Foundation, One Layer at a Time

The first few weeks of art class aren’t about flashy projects or gallery-ready pieces. They’re about building confidence, vocabulary, and a sense of identity as an artist.

Each unit in my Beginning Art curriculum is designed to build on the last - helping students move from uncertainty to self-assurance, from “I can’t draw” to “I see what I did well, and what I can improve.”

If you’re looking for structured, student-friendly resources to support your own Beginning Art students, I’ve built these materials with flexibility, standards alignment, and classroom-tested experience in mind:

• Welcome to Beginning Art Starter Module
• Unit 1: Foundations + Expressive Portrait Activity
• Unit 2: Elements & Principles of Design Vocabulary + Analysis
• Unit 3: Visual Literacy, Art Types, and Critique Writing

Want to take the guesswork out of planning? The full Canvas-ready module is available for those who prefer plug-and-play instruction for Unit 2 AND Unit 3!

Finished (For Now): My AP® Art Curriculum

 If you've ever built an entire course from scratch - not just the lessons, but the pacing, the projects, the rubrics, the daily agendas, the revisions, the critiques, and all the little moving parts that hold it together - you know what a labor of love (and late nights) it can be.

After years of classroom testing, reflecting, and refining, I’ve finally bundled my complete 18-week curriculum for teaching AP® Drawing and 2-D Design. It’s the structure I rely on in my own classroom - one that helps students stay focused on growth, risk-taking, and building a portfolio that feels personal and evolving. 

It’s also a structure that has led to real success for my students. This past year, every student in my AP® Art class earned a passing score, with a group average well above state and global means:

This version is designed for a single-semester course, but it’s just the beginning. My plan is to continue building on this foundation, expanding it into a full-year curriculum in the future.

Inside, you’ll find:

• My week-by-week pacing guide
• Linked daily slides with assignments and materials
• Project prompts, sketchbook tasks, rubrics, and critique tools
• And something I’m especially excited to share: my fully built Canvas course, ready to import and make your own

If this sounds like something that would support your teaching, you can find it here (without Canvas) and here (with Canvas).

And if you’re still in the process of shaping your own course, I hope this helps you get there just a little faster.

AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this product.

AP® Art Peer Scoring: Fresh Eyes and Final Revisions

In the last couple of weeks of your AP® Art Course, your students have probably written and rewritten their Sustained Investigation statements more times than they can count. They’ve cropped, rearranged, and reconsidered their images a dozen different ways — and they’re so close to the work that sometimes they can’t see what’s obvious to everyone else.

That’s where a well-structured round of peer feedback can make all the difference.

A good peer review isn’t just about catching mistakes — it’s about celebrating each other’s growth, noticing what’s working, and pointing out small changes that can make a big impact before that final upload. For so many students, this is the moment when they feel truly proud to share their investigation with someone else, often for the first time as a near-final body of work. 

I like to remind students that we can sometimes be a little blind to our own work, especially after working with the same images and writing for weeks or even months. Having someone else look at it with fresh eyes — someone who knows the rubric but also cares enough to read thoughtfully — can be the push they need to revise those last sticky spots in their written evidence or swap out that one image that doesn’t quite connect.

Make peer feedback meaningful.

I like to keep the feedback process intentional and structured. Each student completes a scoring sheet for their peer, so they’re not just giving vague praise or generic suggestions. They’re looking specifically at how the images connect to the inquiry, whether the writing clearly explains practice and revision, and how well the materials and ideas feel synthesized. It uses the same language as the AP® rubrics so students continue to internalize them. 

Here’s some sample feedback for an inquiry that explores how water can represent different emotions:

“Your writing mentions your question about how water can represent emotions, and I see some pieces that show crashing waves and calm ripples. But a few images don’t clearly connect back to your question in your writing. Try to explain how each piece shows an emotion — for example, how a stormy sea shows anger or how still water shows peace.”

You can feel how thoughtful and supportive that is — it’s not just “Good job!” or “Add more detail,” it’s a real suggestion that helps the artist see their own work through someone else’s eyes.

Turn feedback into action.

But the real magic happens the next day. After peer scoring, we spend another class session reviewing all the feedback — both from peers and from me. Each student uses a simple Revision Planning Form to list out their biggest strengths and the specific changes they want to make to their portfolio.

This step is non-negotiable: it helps students move from “Okay, I got feedback” to “Here’s exactly what I’m going to fix — and why.” It also gives me a chance to check in, answer questions, and make sure they’re not spinning their wheels making changes that don’t help their main idea. 

Here’s another example from a student who reviewed a peer’s Sustained Investigation about how visual symbology has changed over hundreds of years:

“Your portfolio shows how you explored ancient symbols and modern reinterpretations, but your writing doesn’t always explain how each piece connects to the bigger idea. Try adding a few sentences that describe how the materials you used (like stone texture or digital overlays) help show how symbols evolve but keep some original meaning. You're synthesizing materials, processes and ideas - Make it easy for reviewers to see that connection! Be clear, direct, and confident in your writing; it helps your ideas come through clearly in both your art and evidence.

When students translate this kind of note into an actionable to-do — like rewriting a paragraph or adding a quick side-by-side process image — their portfolios improve overnight. 

One last push before the finish line.

By this point, most students feel exhausted but excited — they know they’re almost there. The peer review process is one last chance to tighten up weak spots, strengthen connections, and celebrate the hard work they’ve done. I love seeing how proud they are to share their portfolios with each other, and how invested they are in helping their classmates succeed too.

A good scoring guide, clear rubrics, and real examples of constructive feedback make this process less intimidating and a lot more rewarding — for students and teachers alike. 

If you’re looking for an easy way to structure your own peer review and revision days, I put together the same lesson plans, scoring sheets, and revision forms I use in my classroom. They keep the feedback process clear and the revision process focused — and they’re available here.

AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this post or product.

Why Tracking Evidence Makes AP® Portfolios Stronger

One of the biggest challenges for AP® Art students — whether they’re working on 2D Design, Drawing, or 3D — is staying focused on the big picture of their Sustained Investigation throughout the year. It’s so easy for them to get lost in the making: the endless experiments, process photos, and half-finished pieces. But when it comes time to submit their portfolio, students need to show clear, connected evidence of how they’re exploring, developing, and refining an idea over time.

                                          

I’ve taught AP® Drawing and 2D Design for over ten years, and since the portfolio process shifted from Concentration and Breadth to Sustained Investigation, it’s taken me awhile to get comfortable with the best ways to help students understand how to include all the requirements throughout their process — and document it in a way that’s meaningful.

One simple strategy I’ve found helpful is to build in time for students to pause and reflect on what they do have — and what they still need. I ask:

• How is your Inquiry changing or growing?

• Which images really demonstrate your synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas?

• Where are you showing experimentation, practice, and revision — and where could you push that further?

When students revisit these questions throughout the semester, they start to see gaps before it’s too late. They’re better prepared to make intentional work that truly fits the requirements.

A checklist that requires them to revisit the rubrics — and reflect on how they’re meeting them — has been invaluable. This year, I created a simple progress checklist that does exactly that. It gives students an easy way to check off not just what they’ve submitted, but how each piece supports their Inquiry and the types of evidence emphasized in the AP® scoring criteria. My students keep this as a living document they update every time they submit something new.

If you’re looking for a tool to help your own students track their evidence and stay focused on what really matters, you can find my AP® Art Progress Checklist here. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference in helping students work with purpose — and ultimately feel more confident about their final portfolio.

AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this post or product.

Strengthen AP® Art Portfolios with Progress Checks

One thing I see every year with my AP® Art & Design students is that they’re great at making a beautiful final piece… but not always great at showing how they got there.

And that process — the evidence of practice, experimentation, and revision — is what can make or break a portfolio score.

Why Process Evidence Matters

In AP® Art, it’s not enough to just turn in a finished work. The portfolio needs to prove that students are thinking, testing, pushing ideas, and making intentional decisions. This is what the College Board means by “synthesis” — how your materials, processes, and ideas connect and evolve.

I’ve found that my students do best when they have a clear structure for showing that work-in-progress. That’s why I created an AP® Art Progress Check resource — and it’s made such a difference in how my students document and understand their own process.

What the Progress Check Looks Like

        

Each Progress Check guides students to:

• Include 1–3 clear photos of practice, experimentation, or revision
• Write a short reflection explaining what they tried, why they made certain choices, and how their materials, processes, and ideas connect to their inquiry
• Keep this evidence organized in their sketchbook, a slide, or a digital folder

How I Use Progress Checks in Class

I use Progress Checks throughout the semester, usually at key points when students are about halfway through a project. It’s a quick “portfolio checkpoint” that:

• Helps them slow down and reflect on what’s working and what needs to change
• Gives me a chance to give focused feedback on their process, not just the final piece
• Builds habits that pay off big when they write their final commentary for the College Board

Here are a few photos of my students’ process work and finished pieces. Notice how they use sketches, thumbnails, material tests, and written notes to explain their choices — this is exactly what AP® scorers love to see.

 

If you’d like to try this with your own AP® students, my AP® Art Progress Check resource is ready to plug in — and includes:

• Editable student directions with clear submission requirements
• A simple, rubric-aligned template for images and written explanation
• Linked student example to show what a strong Progress Check looks like
• Printable or digital format — perfect for sketchbooks, slides, or online portfolios

When students can confidently show how they practice, experiment, and revise, their portfolios become so much stronger — and they’re more prepared to talk about their work, too.

I hope this helps you support your artists in making their process visible, meaningful, and portfolio-ready!

AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this post or product.

AP® Art Week 1: Set Students Up for Portfolio Success

If you teach AP® Art & Design (2-D or Drawing), you know that first week can feel overwhelming — for you and your students! There’s the Course & Exam Description (CED), all those unfamiliar rubrics, new expectations for process work, evidence, and revision — and students who are talented but not always confident in how to tie it all together.

After years of tweaking, I finally have a Week 1 structure that helps students get clear on what the portfolio actually is, what AP® readers look for, and how to start building a Sustained Investigation that’s more than just a theme.

Day 1: Syllabus & CED Quiz

We start with the basics — my students get binders with the syllabus and the full CED. We walk through the portfolio requirements together, then take a short quiz (open-note) to clear up common myths.

Is there a sit-down exam? Nope! What’s the difference between Selected Works and Sustained Investigation? Why do we care about written evidence?

Day 2: Understanding the AP® Rubrics

This is where the magic happens.We look at sample portfolios modeled on AP® scoring expectations and practice applying the rubric.

Students guess first, then compare their scores to the actual ones and read the College Board rationales. It’s eye-opening! They see how visual and written evidence work together — and why a beautiful piece with no clear inquiry might not score as well as they’d expect.

This year, I completely revamped my Cracking the AP® Rubrics activity — it now has a clear Teacher Guide, student scoring sheets, and re-formatted slides so students don’t accidentally see the final scores before they think for themselves. This activity leads to real, productive conversations about what the AP® rubric values.

Days 3–5: Inquiry Brainstorming & First Project Planning

Once they understand the rubric, students start developing their Sustained Investigation inquiry. They brainstorm topics, share ideas with peers for feedback, and sketch out compositional possibilities for their first work.

I want them to see that their inquiry can evolve — and that their process matters just as much as the final piece. They finish Week 1 with a development plan for their first artwork, plus a research, practice, and revision strategy that sets them up for meaningful portfolio evidence.

If you want your first week to run smoothly without hours of planning, I’ve bundled all these pieces for you in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store - linked here:

• Full Week 1 Lesson Plans — daily objectives and agendas you can adapt to your block or period schedule
• CED Quiz + Answer Key — clears up those confusing basics
• Applying the AP® Rubrics Activity — revamped Teacher Guide, scoring sheets, rationales, and samples that hide final scores upfront
• Sketchbook Inquiry Assignment — flexible brainstorming & feedback structure, plus an easy rubric
• Project 1 Development Plan — clear steps for thumbnails, research, experimentation, and revision, with optional Google Slides & Canva templates for documenting process work

Here’s to a Strong Start!

Week 1 really does set the tone for your students’ whole portfolio year. The more they understand the why behind the rubrics and how to document their process, the stronger their final submission will be.

AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this post or product.

AP® Art: Grow Your Sustained Investigation with Sketchbook Prompts That Work

In strong AP® portfolios, students show practice, experimentation, and revision throughout their process. Sketchbook prompts make that process visible — and manageable — for your students.

Below is work from one of my recent AP® students. These pages show how sketchbook practice, experimentation, and revision actually look when students are encouraged to push their ideas, test materials, and make connections.

Early planning pages — notes and sketches to explore an inquiry question.

A sketch becomes more than a sketch — every test, note, and idea is connected to the big idea.

Strong portfolios show the full path from idea → sketch → experiment → final work.

If you're interested, I have my ready-to-use Sketchbook Prompts you can incorporate into any AP® Drawing or 2-D classroom available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. These prompts encourage students to:

• Try new materials and surfaces

• Practice risk-taking and revision

• Make visible connections between materials, processes, and ideas

• Build strong written evidence for their portfolio

You can use these prompts as weekly warm-ups, mini check-ins, or independent sketchbook tasks — all while giving students clear structure that still feels open-ended and personal.

AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this post or product.