Extending Directed Drawing: Turning a Simple House Drawing into a Creative Art Lesson

From Simple Shapes to Creative Art: Extending a Directed Drawing Lesson

One of the reasons teachers love directed drawing is that it helps young learners feel successful right away. When students can follow simple steps and create a recognizable picture, they gain confidence in their drawing skills—and that confidence often leads to more creativity.

In my My First Directed Drawing pack, the drawings are intentionally very simple. They are perfect for students who are just beginning to follow directions, learning how to draw basic shapes, or building confidence with drawing before writing.

 

One of the drawings in the pack is a simple house made from familiar shapes:

• a square or rectangle for the house
• a triangle roof
• square windows
• a door in the middle

This type of drawing is perfect for helping students practice drawing shapes and following descriptive positional language with purpose. But the fun doesn’t have to stop there!

Turning a Simple Drawing Into an Art Project

After students complete the basic directed drawing, you can easily extend the lesson into a creative art activity. Encourage students to add details and design their own scene around the house.

Start by talking with students about questions like:

• Who lives in the house?
• What season is it?
• What might be around the house?

This conversation helps students start imagining the story behind their drawing.

Connect the Drawing to the Season

A simple way to extend the lesson is by connecting it to the current season.

For example, in spring, you might talk about:

• flowers starting to grow
• trees getting new leaves
• sunshine and clouds
• birds returning

Then invite students to add these elements to their drawing.

Students might add:

• trees beside the house
• flowers in the yard
• a winding path to the door
• a bright sun in the sky
• fluffy clouds
• grass or a garden

Suddenly that simple house becomes a full spring scene!

Encourage Students to Play With Shapes

Directed drawing helps students learn that pictures are made from shapes. Once they understand that idea, you can encourage them to experiment.

Ask questions like:

• What shape could you use to make a tall building?
• How could we change the roof?
• Could you add a chimney?
• What other shapes could make windows?

Some students might design:

• a tiny cottage
• a tall city building
• a house with a garden
• a house with a big tree beside it

This kind of exploration builds both art skills and creative thinking.

Add Storytelling

After students finish their drawings, you can also turn the activity into a speaking or writing lesson.

Students might:

• tell a story about who lives in the house
• describe what is happening in the yard
• write a simple sentence about their picture

This connects drawing with language development and storytelling.

Simple Drawings Build Big Confidence

Sometimes the simplest drawings are the most powerful learning tools. When students start with shapes they can manage, they feel proud of their work—and that pride encourages them to keep adding ideas and details.

A basic directed drawing can quickly grow into:

• an art lesson
• a storytelling activity
• a seasonal discussion
• a creativity exercise

All starting with a simple house made from shapes.

If you’d like to try these beginner-friendly directed drawing activities with your students, you can find the resource here:

My First Directed Drawing
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Directed-Drawing-My-First-Directed-Drawing-3470880

It’s a wonderful way to help young learners build confidence, practice following directions, and start expressing their creativity through drawing.