Teaching children to draw

[Lon Haverly]

This subject probably deserves a separate topic, a subject that I am very passionate about, but a subject that I am sure is somewhat controversial. I respect the opinions of those here, and that is why I wish to put forth these thoughts.

It is one thing to talk about what is good or bad drawing when speaking in terms of advanced work. It is entirely different when talking about beginners. The advanced artist has already developed his eye, his technique, and his taste and preferences in art. A beginner has no clue, and needs a model to formulate these things.

It seems that everyone has a different view of what is "primary". It is my view that beginners need to start with the basic drawing skills, which, to mention a few, may involve eye training, line technique, blocking in, shading, and how these topics apply to a variety of subjects. As the student progresses, he will understand that he has an ability to express with his hand and eye the world around him, and also the world in his imagination. Most art schools that I have observed focus on copying before they proceed into the areas of creativity and original composition.

I have found that even if a person starts out in the disciplines of classical technique, they will follow their own preferences, whether that be in abstract impressionism or realist work.

But for the beginner, the child, isn't it imperative to give them a structure, and not just say anything goes, everything is good?

I compare it to reading and writing. What if we held that philosophy there. What if, for instance, we said that they could make the letters any way they wanted, no pattern needed. Or what if we ignored the rules of grammar? I believe there should be some primary things taught in drawing, so that the child or adult beginner can discover their innate ability present in all of us. Without a structure, an "alphabet", that cannot be accomplished.

What are your views?

[Carrie Virusso]

I couldn't agree with you more. Wasn't there a book once where the author said that everything he knows now, he once learned in kindergarten?

Like you, and the question you posed, that author is talking about "basics".

I have to admit, that despite going through umpteen art classes in order to get my degree, most of the discipline, and a good portion of my painting technique, I garnered from my 8th grade teacher. I can still hear her now everytime I sit down with a brush. It was her philosophy that if a poet doesn't know English, how can he write with meaning and passion? So she told us to leave our figurative, trite, impressionistic, or stylized drawings at the door and if we were going to be serious artists, we had to learn to draw exactly what we SEE and not what we "think or feel" an object should look like. We, as novices, had to learn the true structure, color, line, texture and substance of a subject and most importantly how it reacts within its environment. She promised, that with time and experience, we could later take take what we learned and use that knowledge to stretch what we SEE in order to device our own techniques.

The art that 8th grade class produced at the end of one year won awards throughout the state.

Now, I don't presume that all artists need that kind of background, but it certainly made a very strong and long-lasting impression on me.

Basics. You gotta love 'em.