Recommendations for 'how to draw' books?

[Niamh]

My SIL, who is not homeschooling, has a daughter who is fascinated with drawing. She draws all of the time but has recently asked for books on 'how to draw'.

I thought you ladies might have some good recommendations. TIA!

[caefi]

Drawing With Children. by Mona Brookes.

[craft_media_hero]

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is not specifically a children's book, but it's a really great drawing book. An adult can look over the pages and adapt it for kids pretty easily. I do this with my dd sometimes.

Also, I've noticed that just looking at pretty much any art book (I just use ones I already have from college, we kinda skip thru the pics and talk a little) for a few minutes before a drawing session seems to help her loosen up and get more into her drawing mode.

I would say that with a young child, it's too easy for them to get hung up on everything looking photographic or else they think it's a failure---so de-emphasizing that and just emphasizing the process and observation are more important than the outcome. Looking at art books (especially modern art) helps kids see that there are many ways to interpret what they see and that photographic isn't always the best or only way to go.

[SpiderMum]

Mark Kistler's "Draw Squad". Awesome book! Makes drawing in 3D a lot of fun.

[Niamh]

Thank you so much!

[zinemama]

Ed Emberley has a whole series of Drawing Books that are great. From a review:

"If there is a better way to get youngsters interested in drawing than with Ed Emberley’s books, I don’t know what it is. His step by step instructions allow anyone who can draw simple lines and circles to create wonderful drawings. These books are ideal for ages 4-11, but don’t be surprised to find yourself on the floor drawing away with your kids. Mr. Emberley’s books are full of charming drawings of everything from monsters to fire trucks. Kids beam with pride and enthusiasm when they see what they’ve created with these books."

[sahmmie]

I Can Do All Things which comes with the MWF curriculum but can also be purchased separately. I'm hopelessly unartistic but I've learned a lot using this book with my children.

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by craft_media_hero

I would say that with a young child, it's too easy for them to get hung up on everything looking photographic or else they think it's a failure---so de-emphasizing that and just emphasizing the process and observation are more important than the outcome. Looking at art books (especially modern art) helps kids see that there are many ways to interpret what they see and that photographic isn't always the best or only way to go.

I think it's so important in the big picture to steer away from the possibility of getting sucked into the idea that the photographic look is necessarily the best. It's great to be able to access that skill when you want, but it's good to realize all along that it's only one of the tools for expressing your best creative art. I'd also take a look at Kids Play: Igniting Children's Creativity, by Michelle Casseau. She mostly teachers and writes for adults, but preserving the natural creativity of children is a huge passion of hers. Lillian

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by sahmmie

I'm hopelessly unartistic...

I've been in enough creativity workshops with people who started out feeling that way to know that it's just not so.

Take a look through some of the books and videos Michelle Casseau produces - as well as the kind of materials she suggests (here's a thread that goes on and on about that), and you might end up awfully surprised what you can do! Lillian

[amis2girls]

Draw Write Now: http://www.drawyourworld.com/

[ocelotmom]

Originally Posted by SpiderMum

Mark Kistler's "Draw Squad". Awesome book! Makes drawing in 3D a lot of fun.

I loved this show as a kid! I have the book, but am having a rather hard time getting DS into it. *sigh*

[tammyw]

I have to agree with Lillian's recommendation for the book Kids Play. I am reading it right now and it's FABULOUS (and I don't say that lightly). In fact, I am going to order her DVD for children's creativity. I like what she has to say and I like how she teaches (in the book) so I think the dvd will be worthwhile for us.

[tammyw]

I wanted to come back to this thread. I just finished Michele's book "Kid's Play". It was a really insightful and good read for me. One of the things she says is to get RID of the "how to" books. Of course I read this AFTER I ordered a couple of how to books for my DD from Amazon. One is an Ed Emberley book, and one is a how to draw fairies book.

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by tammyw

I wanted to come back to this thread. I just finished Michele's book "Kid's Play". It was a really insightful and good read for me. One of the things she says is to get RID of the "how to" books. Of course I read this AFTER I ordered a couple of how to books for my DD from Amazon. One is an Ed Emberley book, and one is a how to draw fairies book.

That's what I was thinking. Although, it can gently be made clear that those few "how to" books are only about how to draw certain things for fun in the manner of those particular authors, and that those are only a few of the infinite possibilities for drawing.

The thing you don't want is for a child to get the idea that there's some certain way to draw, or for things to look, rather than letting the process gently percolate from within. Michele's book, again, is Kids Play: Igniting Children's Creativity. I've been astonished at the things that show up in workshops led by her and also by her former co-author, Stewart Cubley - as well as Aviva Gold (who got started in her own creative painting process with their workshops). I've painted next to a couple of people who were convinced they could never paint their way out of a paper bag, but they ended up doing some fascinating things. It's a very different experience when it comes from within with a focus on the creative process rather than on a product.

And at some point, later, after becoming quite comfortable with one's own art process, it's satisfying to gradually develop various classic techniques that can add dimension and depth, shading, perspective, human figure proportions, etc., for more formal art experiences, which takes observation and practice - but there are marvelous art experiences that are possible long before any of that. Some of my most satisfying and fascinating painting experiences have been those that had nothing to do with working toward an outcome. This might sound like hocus pocus, but I've seen it time and again with all sorts of different people. Lillian

[Niamh]

Lillian, I'm going to look into that book for myself and my children. It sounds wonderful.

I'll recommend it to my SIL, but I doubt she'll use it. She's of the I-have-my-own-artwork-to-do-and-can't-be-bothered-by-my-kids mindset. Too bad, really, because as a wonderful artist herself, she has so much to offer.

[Kidzaplenty]