I have to jump in here. I am very much an auditory learner. However, in another life I was a dance teacher and have chosen to concentrate solely on pursuing a career in visual arts. So what does that make me? Be careful how you answer!
I spent a semester teaching art in Middle School. Based entirely on my experience, the basics in art were lacking. I walked in with art history, drawing pencils, and dreams of inspiring future artists. I was greeted with tracing, and "that's too hard" and "we never had to do that before." I will leave out the fringe benefits of a teacher having his leg broken outside my classroom along with other assaults on teachers that did not require hospitalization - a gun, and a drug overdose in my room. I digress. The kids I taught were used to tracing cartoons from handouts. So when I came in preaching lessons from "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" along with studying the great masters, I was not well received. I can say that some kids learned how to draw that semester and were upset when I left, others organized a party.
There are really good art programs with strong funding out there (I know this because I've read about them
), but I have to agree with Lon about children learning the basics. I also agree that the merit of children's art should not be based on realism. Artists do not draw things and people, we draw our interpretation of things and people. I guess that's the backbone of Modern Art - interpretation. Personally, I agree with Nelson Shanks' reported view of modern art!
Renee Price