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monart method

1K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  mommyofshmoo 
#1 ·
anyone used it?

http://www.monart.com/

we are unschoolers, and initially i was influenced by waldorf approach to art. so we started with one or two primary color, rounded edges, free access, no coloring books...and...ada was never interested in drawing or painting, so i left it at that.

about a year ago she discovered a coloring book, and ever since she became more and more interested in drawing and sometimes painting, and recently realised that she could "lean by watching mama, and try several times before succeeding"
which was a huge deal for her.

so she was actually interested to 'learn' (a new verb in her vocab) to draw a whale, and she watched me attempt it myself
, and yesterday came up with a new method, and taught me -- starting with the mouth and the eye, rather than with the body.

so i started thinking that she might be interested in the method, but i guess i am still conflicted about actually sitting down with her with something like 'lessons'
... and also thinking whether the drawing should come more naturally, with her just drawing...

right now she is drawing all day, mostly whales
: -- we have literally hundreds of cut out whale that she drew, colored, and cut out, and i finally learned to distinguish the humpbacks from the bowheads, and belugas from the spermwhales.
 
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#2 ·
I loved it honestly. My Dd asked me to check out a book for her on learning to draw a couple of years ago (I paint, draw, etc) so I grabbed the Monart book at the local library. It was great, down to earth and easy to understand. It's been my fave art instruction book so far.

Whales- how exciting! Animals are so lovely to draw. I think if she is wanting your help and involvement it's great to sit down together and give it a go.
 
#3 ·
We were prepared to do this at home, then a Monart school opened a few blocks away. DD1 has been to 4 lessons now and loves it. They are respectful, non-judgemental, and encouraging. It'll be a long time before she's drawing 3-D models, but I have read the books and like the methods used to teach the students to see how objects should look represented in 2-D.

Whether or not the child is creative artistically, their realistic drawing skills will strengthened.
 
#4 ·
I bought the book Drawing with Children which is lovely, but I just couldn't get it into our program at home. I adore art, just not the making of it. And my kids are young enough, sadly, that my lack of enthusiasm stalled things.

ETA: I know many people who did very well with the book. Might be worth checking out from the library.
 
#5 ·
We have a monart down the street and dd has taken a few classes there. She took one that was too old for her and didn't like it, but now she's in a younger class and loves it. The method is really good for learning to draw. No knowing how to draw at all myself, I think it's great dd is learning. (I have no sense of how to fill a page, or shapes, or perspective. I think I would have done well to have had some more formal art instruction.)

I am a beleiver in unschooling, but I think that when a child is interested, it's helpful to provide structured learning. Musical instruments, certain sports, etc, it can be helpful to get started with a formal "method."

There's a big distinction, for me, between school- where a child's whole life is turned into a formal learning experience, and they have no choice what to learn or when or how, and taking a class that interests them. I think "formal" instruction is great if a person or child chooses it, and if the instruction is limited to the topic at hand.
 
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