One of the first assignments in my Drawing/Imaging class involves analytical drawing using containers for products that were personally consumed by the student. Students spend the week gathering containers that they would normally discard after use. Students have to research where each product originated. This information is then used to create a still life composition. The object that traveled the farthest distance to get to the consumer is represented largest on the page while the object that traveled the shortest distance is represented smallest on the page. This exercise helps students tie in larger issues about sustainability and conceptual mapping into their drawing, which might not otherwise hold these attributes if I supplied the still life objects.
