SOMETHING HARD FROM SOMETHING SOFT/ HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS

A few weeks ago, I asked the kids in my art class to make something soft into something hard. I gave them pictures of snowflakes, clouds, feathers, and flowers along with some rocks for reference. We discussed what makes something hard vs. soft. We talked about line- soft vs. hard and light vs. dark. I think it was harder than the kids thought it would be. I decided to draw along side them. This is what I came up with:

I also asked the kids to give something not human, human characteristics. We discussed the Disney movies, such as Cars, Airplanes, and Beauty and the Beast. I gave them pictures of trees and rocks but they could also pull from any of my other picture references. Again, I chose to draw along side them. Here's mine:

A few days later, I decided to add another character to the drawing. I used pen and ink on the girl. The tree is done with a nib. I'm sure you can see the difference.

I sure enjoy my little art class for kids. I like drawing right along side them. It helps me to remember all of the things I have been taught. I'm looking through books that I haven't looked through for some time now. It's great for me to review and to research the things I have learned over the years.

ART CLASS FOR KIDS

A friend of mine approached me last year and asked if I would consider giving her son art lessons. I know how serious he is about art and his desire to learn so I decided to give it a try. After thinking about it for awhile, I decided to include other children. I thought he would have more fun if there were others his same age attending.

Each month, I am focusing on a different aspect of art. This month, I am having the kids focus on imagination. Imagination is a major key element in drawing. Artists don't just draw what they see. They add and/or subtract from their subject matter. Imagination is also one of the first characteristics children lose as they transition into adulthood. If an artist can utilize the imagination they had as a child, their art will benefit, greatly.

I held my second class this evening and would like to show you a little bit of what we did.

First, I allowed the kids to pick an animal from my stack of pictures. Since I had recently attended the zoo, I chose some zoo animals for them to use.

I asked them to study the animal they chose. "What makes an ostrich an ostrich, or a giraffe a giraffe?" I asked. Then I asked them to draw their animal based off of their observation.

Next, I asked them to pick a tool from the options I had placed on the table.

I asked them to study the tool they had chosen (What makes a hammer a hammer, etc.?), and then for them to draw that tool.

I then asked them to make a creature by combining the two (animal + tool). This child made an ostri-hammer! I LOVE it!

And then, going off of the picture of the creature they had just created, I asked them to make their creature in clay.

Isn't this sculpture AMAZING?! This kid did such a great job! I think he had a lot of fun tonight! I sure had fun watching him!