Inspired by our Drop-In Drawing and Writing Club programs, this itinerary invites you to take inspiration from the art on view to create your own work.
Sculpture Garden 🌿⛲
Floor 1, Sculpture Garden
Since its opening in 1939, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden has served as a respite from the frenzy of Midtown Manhattan. It was established as an outdoor gallery for changing installations that unite nature, architecture, and art.
Perspective 👀
Find a sculpture and draw it from an unusual angle. Experiment with your viewpoint—kneel, stand on your tiptoes, or sit down to see how your perspective changes. Discover how changing your position can transform what you see and inspire some fun drawings.
Sound 👂🐦🚕
Sit quietly and take in the sounds around you. This could be birds chirping, leaves rustling, cars honking, or people chatting. Create a visual representation of the sounds you hear using lines, shapes, and words. Try drawing with your eyes closed to heighten the sounds around you. How does the rhythm and tone of the sounds influence the mood of your drawing?
Nature 🌳🗿
Draw a sculpture interacting with natural elements—flowers, trees, water—in the Sculpture Garden. Pay attention to whether their colors and shapes complement or contrast with the sculpture.
Richard Serra’s Equal 📦
Floor 2, Gallery 210
Drawing weight ✍️
Equal consists of eight forged steel boxes stacked in pairs. Draw the artwork as you see it and try to convey the weight and mass of these structures. Make as many sketches as you can and use these techniques to help guide you:
—Use the weight of your pencil
—Use the heaviness of your hand
—Use the thickness of the pencil line
Textures✏️
Notice the varied textures on the surfaces of these sculptures. Use different techniques to draw what you notice, including hatching (close parallel lines) or cross-hatching (intersecting parallel lines), quick scribbles, and stippling (small dots to create a difference in tone). You’ll start to see your cube drawing come to life.
Scale 📐
Experiment with scale by adding elements around the cube that emphasize its size and mass. You could sketch someone standing next to the sculpture. Play with perspective by drawing the sculptures in the back of the gallery smaller than the sculptures closest to you. This will add depth and dimension to your page.
Gordon Matta-Clark’s Bingo 🏠
Floor 4, Gallery 400
To make Bingo, Gordon Matta-Clark cut the facade of a soon-to-be demolished home into nine pieces and rearranged them, including the three on view here.
Background 🏙️
Start by drawing an outline, or contour drawing, of Bingo. Capture the basic shapes and lines of the artwork without focusing on shading or additional details. Expand your contour drawing by adding a cityscape in the background. Incorporate elements like buildings, streets, or other urban features to situate the artwork within an imagined environment. Look out the window for inspiration.
Shapes🔹🔻🔸
Pick one side of Bingo and sketch each section separately. Repeat with the opposite side. Tear apart your drawing and put the sections back together in a new way to create a new version of the sculpture. Go back in and add details or patterns.
One Thing After Another 🎨
Floor 4, Gallery 413
Size and scale inspired by Claes Oldenburg’s Giant Soft Fan🔌
Look closely at Claes Oldenburg’s Giant Soft Fan and notice its massive scale. Draw the sculpture, focusing on its size and texture. Try adding people or other objects to convey its towering presence.
Body Constructs 🦵💪
Floor 4, Gallery 417
What a body needs 🧠
Begin by exploring this gallery and reflecting on what your body needs today. Write down a list of things you need.
Gunnar Aagard Andersen’s Armchair and Kazuo Kawazaki’s Carna Folding Wheelchair 🪑🦽
Looking at the list you made, think about some of the ways a chair or seat might represent your idea of “what a body needs.” Make a sketch of your imagined chair.
This could describe the physical qualities of a chair design, or its style, its materials, or how it might feel.
Body on the Line ⚢👩🎨
Floor 4, Gallery 420
Nature and identity inspired by Ana Mendieta’s Nile Born 👤
Ana Mendieta’s Nile Born is made of sand on a wood base, and is shaped to the scale and contour of the artist’s body. Choose a natural element—such as earth, air, fire, or water—and explore how it reflects your experiences and emotions. First, brainstorm a list of words. Next, circle your favorite words. Using the words you circled, write a poem that explores this connection between nature and identity.
Join us every Friday night for Drop-In Drawing to explore artworks through drawing in a relaxed all-ages environment. In addition to self-guided drawing prompts, each session features artist-led demos throughout the evening. Materials and seating are provided. Participation is open to all, with no experience, ability, or reservations required. Drawing prompts will be available in English and Spanish.
Writing Club is offered on a monthly basis and offers opportunities for visitors to experience art through writing. We offer a calm, supportive, and welcoming environment for anyone interested in writing in response to art.
Inspired to try more at home? Watch our In the Studio videos for step-by-step instructions on how to work with clay, watercolor, collage, and other materials and methods. Share your work with us! We want to see the incredible work you make while traversing MoMA’s galleries with these prompts. Email your drawings to [email protected].