Actual drawing after a Drawing With Children lesson...child age 6
The book Drawing with Children has helped me learn how to teach my children how to draw and made it simple. There are some tricks to learning how to use this book and to understanding her ideas about why they work.
Mona Brookes breaks the drawing process down into its basic elements. Any object your child wants to draw can be broken down into those basic elements. You train your child to see those general shapes and then they are free to put in details any way they wish.
Do *not* attempt to guide your child through this book without first reading the "Before You Draw" section at the beginning of the book. I also suggest doing the drawings suggested in this section yourself before you start sharing this book with your children.
This invaluable section of the book shows the myths about drawing that you, as the parent/ teacher, need to overcome. She explains that you will feel discomfort in response to trying to teach art and drawing. I know that discomfort and after working through this book several times with my children, I can say that I finally am feeling confident about offering drawing in our homeschool. It takes time to gain that confidence. It takes effort and persistence too. Don't give up.
Here is a quote from page 10 of Drawing with Children that I want to share with you.
"We don't expect children to play the piano, study dance, or learn a sport without showing them the basic components of these subjects. Why do we expect them to understand the complexities of drawing on their own? Imagine expecting chldren to write creative stories without teaching them the alphabet and the structure of language. Learning the language of drawing and painting is likewise essential for anyone wanting to pursue those arts creatively."
If you own this book and have put off using it with your children, I suggest taking it out and reading over the "Before You Draw" section and see what it inspires in you.
Hope to hear from those that give it a try, please leave a comment and let me know when you do!
Barb Harmony Art Mom
Another drawing after a Drawing With Children lesson...child age 5
4 comments:
Do you have any suggestions of how to dove tail God and the History of Art with Tapestry of Grace Year 3?
Thanks
Do you have any suggestions on how to blend God and the History of Art with Tapestry of Grace Year 3? Or how to add art to the Year 3?
Thanks
CoMom,
Have you taken a look at my Harmony Fine Arts plans for third or seventh grades? They are approximately the same time period as TOG year 3.
It depends on your child's age but you can look at samples and the book lists on my website:
http://www.harmonyfinearts.com
Let me know if you have any specific questions.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
Hello! After reading your and some other's recommendations for the book, I have bought Drawing With Children and just read through it in anticipation of using it this coming school year. I VERY much appreciate your taking the time to write out what you've learned and your lessons and thoughts. Your posts, and the squidoo site and links have been a big help in giving me some concrete ideas on how to use the book. Thank you again for your time and work and mentoring!
JoyH
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