Art Teachers, I need your advice!

[SkylerLiz]

Hi all,

I am an artist and SAHM, and have started giving art lessons to a friend's children, ages 4, 8, and 10. We have had fun with our first few activities, and now I'm wondering how to teach them actual skills in drawing, painting, etc. How do I know what they are ready to learn? I don't want to go way over their heads with complex info, but do want them to learn some technical skills to help them in their activities. I gave them a demo on perspective drawing today, and they asked about drawing 3-D. Please let me know if you have ideas/suggestions about lesson plans, how to teach basic skills, and/or philosophies on teaching art to kids.
I'm realizing that just because I'm an artist doesn't mean that I know how to convey what I know!

Thanks,

Jill

[wemberly]

You might want to read through 'Drawing with Children' by Mona Brookes. My unschooled five year old seems to have a gift, and this book has really helped him with some of the frustration of motor skills that are subpar, and mommy skills that are REALLY subpar Honestly, Elliott's artistic renderings far outstrip my own, and he is so irritated by my artistic inabilities. One day we sat down to draw some animal, and he looked over at my effort and said, "can't you do any better than that?" He wasn't mean about, just sort of sad that his abilities had already eclipsed my own. Anyway, the exercises/steps in Drawing with Children really do seem to be helping us both. Enjoy!

[Mavournin]

Hi!
I asked a friend of mine who's an art teacher and she said she uses a magazine called 'School Arts' for some of her lessons. HTH!