Lesson Plan: A Drone's Eye View [Presented by Blick Art Materials]

In the centuries before the development of aircraft, map-makers relied on a largely imagined aerial perspective to depict their surroundings. Imagine what it would have been like to be some of the early air travelers and see the Earth from a perspective no one had ever seen it from before! To 20th century artists, being able to fly in a plane or view aerial photos opened up a whole new way to create landscape art. These artists coined the term “aeropainting,” and it appealed to realist and abstract painters alike.

Looking down at one's environment from the sky, even tall buildings appear flattened and two-dimensional. Streets and highways form lines, and there's texture and a wide variety of color in fields, trees, and water. There's no horizon line, background, or foreground. The world becomes very abstract.

Using readily available satellite imagery from an online mapping source, students can find an overhead view of their own community and turn it into map-like art. Trace the main lines and features, color realistically or use your imagination to turn it into a fantasy world or complete abstraction.

**GRADES 3-12** Note: Instructions and materials are based upon a class size of 24 students. Adjust as needed.

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