Any art specialists? Or good links for developing art skills?

[Adair]

Dd loves drawing and draws loads and in v good detail for her age but I am Drama/English teacher so no idea what I could be providing for her/ encouraging her to try next (purely as she enjoys it so much- she makes stuff and draws all day and clearly has a talent for it, at this age anyway)

-different materials? eg thick pens/thin pens?
-more detail?
-perspective?
-experimenting with colour?

She is enjoying drawing 'from observation' and really trying to look at what she is doing. And of course, I can only make suggestions as she often has a v clear idea of what she wants to do .

Ideas would be great though, thanks!

What age is she?

she's nearly 4 and yes, I know, just let her play!! (and I do of course - she has free rein of a huge making cupboard and sticking bits and bottle tops etc)
but in my defense (am not pushy mum promise) she is fab artist and I think she could be pushed encouraged. I think some of her old pictures are on my profile...

**NOT meant to be boast-y thread, honest.

Depends a bit on age really. Good ideas would be seeing what different marks and tones she can create and try and use these marks instead of drawing outlines.
Maybe throw some straws or pencils down and let her draw them, looking at their relationship in space to one another. Drawing a chair .. But doing this. By only drawing the gaps in the chair.

Try drawing without taking pencil off the paper.. There are lots of things she could do from a young age.

Just having access to different types of pencil.. Charcoal or chalk and different size paper is a great start.

Ahhhhhhhh though she was a bit older! You can encourage these skills though if she is in the mood.. But mostly play and get messy with her. She do just fine.

That;s why I kinda didn't want to say!!

The marks and tones sounds great and def spatial relationships stuff - she is very spatially aware, so interesting seeing what she can understand and what she can't yet. You're right she'll figure it out - now that I think about it, she is v aware of using chalks/crayons/felts or biro for different purposes - and all through experimenting. Lots of food for thought - thanks!

Yes, I'd go with offering different media.

One of the most irritating things you could come up against is the fact that very many primary schools (you will know this as a teacher) have non specialist teachers delivering and planning the art curriculum. As a result some very poor art education can take place in early education. My KS1 specialisms were Art and English and the quality of my own children's art ed is very poor thus far.

Simple things like encouraging her to be less literal are great - so obv. not discouraging purple trees and so on.

Drawing feelings is fun if she fancies going down the route of abstraction.

Remember art is expression as well as representation and that true artistic ability incorporates the skills of being able to faithfully recreate visual observations as well as re-interpret them.

Oh, now that's a great idea - drawing feelings/imaginative things-, thanks. She draws lots of mermaids at the moment and then puts them into envelopes for us... See, you say simple, I think 'how obvious but never thought of it' . And I would consider myself a good (secondary) teacher but no, not an Art specialist. Not sure what her school provision for Art is, think the Head said they have an Art specialist already so don't buy anyone in but hey, she hasn't even got there yet(at nursery at the moment). thinking they'll want to get her reading and writing first too (she is v motivated to write at the moment).

Agree re expression - I am/was a good illustrator/drawer but not an artist. Of course, dd's pictures are absolute works of art as far as I am concerned - as are ds's (19mths - circles and dots!)

My dd is in reception and her drawings continually amaze me and my dh! When she first started school the teacher pulled me in to show me her work and was quite gushing about it. Frustratingly it doesn't seem to be an area that school is keen to develop. However, like your little girl my dd just loves to draw. This even she did a cartoon type pic of daddy and now she can "write" she makes little books.
I sort of feel that it is a talent/gift, being able to draw and I wouldn't want to try and get her to do it any differently at this stage. I'm sure your dd will develop naturally and having had a look at her pics she has a real talent so will be just fine.
By the way, my dd is also into mermaids at the moment!

I couldn't agree more with TheArseniccupcake's advice to draw from observation- it's an often neglected activity, and one which will develop perception as well as fine-motor skills.

A good way to encourage further right-brain development is to draw without looking at what you're drawing. You can do this by feeling objects- either a variety of objects in bags which she can feel with one hand and draw with the other, or by closing her eyes and feeling her face and drawing it. You can also use a 'blinder' on the pencil when she is drawing from observation- good explanation here

Just have fun and try and impress upon her that art is as much about the process as the end result- move away from the idea of 'making pretty pictures' IYSWIM

You could also check out the home schooling websites.
Parents seem to be very creative with how they approach art for home schooled children.

try www.enchantedlearning.com
go to either art projects or arts and crafts
for relevent age group.
these could be interesting!

artisancam has videos of artists and might be good for ideas

For imagination get her to draw in abstract, so not necessarily something figurative. Be big and splashy. Use all of the paper and help her to see it doesn't matter if it's not perfect - encourage her to be a bit wild and to enjoy it not having to look like anything, then later talk about what it makes her feel like looking at it - so happy, sad, calm. Get her to find texture and depth by not just using brushes or pens - so maybe take a big piece of paper into the garden (if you have one), and print with paint on bits of grass, stones - sounds a bit cruel, but DS had ants walking through a pool of paint once and onto paper. They didn't seem to mind... Do the same in the house - the kitchen utensil drawer is a good one - paint through the grid of a fish slice, use a scrubbing brush ends, garlic press, etc - kids' paints are water based, so it's easy to clean after. Mixing colours is fun and easy too. Use anything to paint with - toy car wheels dipped in paint, sponges. But basically as the others have said just have fun and experiment.

kids.tate.org.uk/

The Tate's site is really good.

Thanks all, will print this thread for future reference...

We did happy and angry pictures today. Think I should do more alongside/with her as I often leave her be to mumsnet. Not least because it's fun and satisfies the creative urges in me .

Was going to upload the picture she drew of her dolly from observation (nostrils, curly ears) - she told me she drew the feet bigger (which she did) as they were nearer. Aw.

(PS Tethersend, wedding was on Sat. Wore the Navy dress with navy tights, hot pink shoes/bag/flower in hair. Looked fab - if I do say so myself )

Oh fantastic! Glad you looked great, was sure you would

Can I hijack for a minute and ask if you are teaching at the mo or SAHM? I'm hoping someone can tell me how the two compare

Am doing one day a week. Perfect. Teaching is the break, but I suspect that is because a) it is one day a week so work off adrenaline, b) am in a rather nice school at the moment and c) the kids get up so damn early.

Think part-time is ideal (though am reasonably strict that I don't do any work on days off). Still prefer pottering with the kids at home though - but is nice talking with adults and going to the loo on my own at work!

What are you planning? I did a bit of supply, loved it.

I'm doing three days a week at the moment, but beginning to think about being a SAHM full time. Really not sure, though...

Supply has all but dried up due to cover supervisors, but not sure I'm up for supply again... Although many moons ago, a stint of supply led to a lovely job in Walthamstow/Leyton, at George Mitchell school. You probably know it...

Gah. I can't decide. Will keep thinking.

Thanks

I have just moved here, so don't know the schools yet...

Tbh I found 2 days hard. One day is great (that's what I meant to write - 'one day is ideal' ). I love being SAHM, though you have to find groups/friends/activities to keep you sane.

V interesting thread. Does anyone have recommendations for good books for children about art (ie not about making things themselves, but about art, or Art, made by others)?

Adair - the pics on your profile are amazing for a 3 y-o. Coo. Am well impressed.