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schematic - artwork may appear rigid and stereotyped.
This may begin at about age five after a year or so of picture making.
Drawings often include a base line across the bottom.
Figures are often made of simple geometric shapes or stick figures at this stage.
Why
art?
to Express and
Communicate, &
to Create Order.
Artwork comes from:
- Memories
- Imagination
- Observations
These activities help build creative minds
*see Essay below |
Motivation
continue with
"I" and "My" topics
"I help rake
leaves"
"I feed my pet . .
."
"My truck goes
fast"
"Making my cat out
of
clay?
Use lots of questions
to
make Passive Knowledge Active (review experiences)
"Can you remember
what
it feels like?"
(for texture)
"How many fingers would you like
on the hand?"
(for math)
"I wonder who could
be
in this place?"
(for creativity)
"Who do you play with when you . . . ?"
(for imagination)
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Materials
For growth, materials
Should have good
line contrast.
Maximize use of
Dark and Bright
on white
Examples are:
Markers,
Crayons
Thick Paints
firm bristle
brushes
Clay and similar
modeling,
wet chalk on dark paper
Wet Sand.
Blocks natural wood
and
colored.
Sorting sets of
Color,
Texture, Shape.
Puzzles
to> schematic picture
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To TEACH drawing
see below*
Begin some direct
observation
modeling and drawing
Teacher uses finger
trace
along edge of objects, models, etc.
Child practices air
drawing
to build confidence.
continue to
Ask detailed
accretion
questions during observation and during experiences.
"Which are the
biggest
branches?" "Where are the smallest branches on this tree?"
*see Teaching Oberservation Drawing to Young Children (below)
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Teaching Observation Drawing to Young Children*
by Marvin Bartel, Ed. D. ©
I find that most children benefit by early instruction and practice in observational drawing and modeling, but it is important to remember their age. Children who do not know that drawing skill is based on practiced observation may be very frustrated when they reach the next developmental stage. They will wish they could draw more realistically. As they get older, they mistakenly believe that they lack talent while others are gifted in drawing. They give up because they see others who can do better. Art educators refer to this as the "crisis of confidence".
Regular observation drawing and painting practice is common in the kindergarten and lower grades in Japan. How many children would learn reading, writing, and math if it were left up to the option of the children to figure out how to learn it on their own?
At this age a child is less inclined to follow verbal instructions and restrictions. It has to be their choice to do so. Art learning is best kept in the self-initiated fun category. I can offer to teach, but I cannot demand it. I do not teach in the typical way, but I make it more like a game. Children this age learn an immense amount during their free time activities. I would fail them if I took the pleasure out of drawing.
WHEN TO TEACH OBSERVATIONAL DRAWING
In many ways it is easier to teach observational drawing before children reach the stage of self-criticism and frustration. At a younger age they are less apt to compare their drawings to others. They are less self-critical and more tolerant of their own work. Young children at age 5 (and many adults) are totally unaware that artists learn to draw by making many practiced observations.
The brain is stimulated to grow in the areas that learn how to observe and draw. There is a common myth that drawing is a native talent. It may be that some children are born with brains and instincts that predispose them to spend more time drawing, but these habits can be nurtured and developed by the settings in which they grow up. Children who love to practice drawing on their own often discover how to make observations and drawings that seem advanced for their age. If left to chance, this only happens in a few cases. By age 8 or 10 most children are convinced that certain other children are gifted and they are not. Both adults and children mistakenly believe that drawing skill emerges as an ability without practice.
WHAT TO AVOID see next page ---> page: 2 3 4 5
(to the previous version of this page)
Sources: Many authors and researchers in art education have written about the stages of artistic development.
Viktor Lowenfeld made many observations and described the stages in his book, Creative and Mental Growth. The 4th edition of Creative and Mental Growth by Viktor Lowenfeld and W. Lambert Brittain. 1964 © includes a summary with charts describing the development stages in Chapter 13. pages 395 to 402. Some of information at the top of this page is based on Lowenfeld's charts.
*Lowenfeld thought that some children where less capable of
observational drawing.
He never spoke of a "crisis of confidence" resulting from the
lack of
ability, lack of teaching, or from a lack of practice. He felt that
some
children were more visual (like spectators) and others he classified as
more
haptic (more intimately and emotionally involved). He felt that
the
more haptic children would feel successful and fulfilled if they were encouraged to
do
more expressive and emotional artwork. He would not expect all children to learn to make
realistically
representative artwork.
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Of course, in the art world, there are many styles of art, and
realistic
rendition is not the only criteria on which art is evaluated.
Some
very strong artists express
themselves very well in other ways.
It takes a fairly mature connoisseur to appreciate the true value of
abstract
work. Children in the middle grades need to learn this, but one
of the best ways to keep them involved is for them to see that they
have or can learn drawing ability. The things that give us self-esteem
are the things we master and love to do.
Therefore, this author feels that all children should have learning
opportunities
and experiences that help them learn to create both realistic and
emotionally
abstract artwork regardless of their individual dispositions,
preferences,
and natural abilities. The first because it is a legitimate skill
and
an important visual mental processing ability even though simple
representational
drawing is not art. The second because expressiveness and imagination
are
important for both art and for personal satisfaction and success.
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All
rights reserved. This page © Dr. Marvin Bartel, Ed.D. Link to Bartelart.com
For permission
to make
copies or handouts, contact
the author
2002 © This page updated: February 2010 Author Bio
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