From the first time someone "borrowed" a garden gnome, took it on vacation and then sent back pictures of the places it had been-- people have taken a liking to garden gnomes. A travel agencies adoption of one as a spokes- person is the premise for this lesson. Each eighth grade artist chose a gnome to draw against a famous backdrop.
The students placed a 1/2" grid over a picture of a gnome and then drew what was in each grid square to a corresponding 1" square on the drawing paper. This exercise teaches that careful looking is important when drawing. The elements of design addressed in this project are value, space, and texture.