Hidden-Picture Drawing Worksheet for 14-Year-Olds — Art & English Instruction-Following Activity

Instructions

Read each instruction carefully and complete it in order on a blank piece of paper. Do not read ahead! The goal is to see what picture emerges when you follow the steps precisely. Use a pencil so you can make corrections if needed.

1. Find the center of your page. In the upper half of the page, draw a large circle. This circle should take up about one-third of the page's height.
2. Directly below the large circle, leaving a small gap of about one inch, draw a small square. Make the square's width about one-fifth of the circle's width.
3. Draw four thin, straight lines that connect the bottom edge of the large circle to the top corners of the square. These lines should act as tethers, holding the two shapes together.
4. Now, focus on the large circle. Draw a series of vertical, slightly curved lines that go from the top of the circle to the bottom, following its rounded shape. Space them out evenly. This should make the circle look like a segmented sphere.
5. Draw two horizontal lines that stretch across the circle, creating a wide band in the middle.
6. In the sky around your main object, draw three or four fluffy, cloud-like shapes. Vary their size and position.
7. About two-thirds of the way down your page, draw a single, straight horizontal line from one edge of the paper to the other. This is your horizon line.
8. Below the horizon line, on the left side, draw a series of jagged, connected peaks to represent a small mountain range.
9. You have just drawn a hot air balloon floating over a landscape! Now, use your creativity to add color and any other details you can imagine. Perhaps there are people in the basket, or birds in the sky.

Reading & Vocabulary Check

Answer the following questions based on the instructions you just followed.

1. In step 4, you were asked to draw "vertical, slightly curved lines." What does the word "vertical" mean in this context?
2. Why was it important to follow the instructions in the correct sequence? How would your drawing have been different if you had drawn the horizon line (step 7) first?
3. Creative Writing: Imagine you are peacefully floating in the basket of the hot air balloon you just drew. Write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) describing what you see, hear, and feel.

Answer Key

Final Drawing Description

The completed drawing should be a picture of a hot air balloon. The large circle forms the balloon's envelope, and the small square is the basket. The lines connecting them are the ropes. The balloon is decorated with vertical segments and a horizontal band. The scene is set in a sky with clouds, floating above a horizon line with mountains in the distance.

Reading & Vocabulary Check Answers

1. "Vertical" means running up and down, or from top to bottom.
2. Following the instructions in sequence is important for properly placing and layering the objects in the drawing. If you had drawn the horizon line first, you might have placed the hot air balloon too low on the page, making it look like it was crashing or sitting on the ground instead of floating high in the sky. The sequence helps build the picture logically from the main subject outwards.
3. (Answers will vary). A good answer will use descriptive sensory language. For example: "The wind whispers softly as the balloon drifts high above the jagged mountains. Below, the world looks like a tiny map. A gentle warmth radiates from the burner above me, and a feeling of complete calm settles in as I watch the clouds float by at eye level."