Art with young children

by admin on September 2, 2014

Any time spent with a toddler developing visual aesthetic awareness is beneficial. For the very young, making marks in the sand, arranging objects by colour or shape, and simply looking at books and graphic images all stimulate spatial knowledge.

From the time a child can hold a drawing instrument and not put it in the mouth, he or she can be given easily-grasped tools: sticks for use in the sand, thick beeswax or graphite crayons and paper, or building tools like KEVA planks. Priority should be placed on activities that are not necessarily colour-dependent; choose those with a simple, graphic quality. The child can work on their own, the adult perhaps working alongside, but with little interference. At some point, tracing hands, feet and whole bodies is a fun discovery.

Beeswax sticks and blocks

KEVA planks

Later, when the attention span has developed, perhaps around the age of 4-6, supervised painting can begin. Wet-on-wet watercolour painting is the medium of choice, as it keeps the activity of painting “firmly” in the imagination without any pressure to make pictures that “look like something real”.

In this form, watercolour paper is placed on a flat board and thoroughly sponged wet on both sides, but with no standing puddles. Paint has been prepared ahead of time by moistening with enough water to make it flow freely, but not so much as to

noticeably dilute the colour. The individual colours are placed in sturdy jars, with a separate brush for each container. The paper should be wet enough that the paint, when applied, spreads of its own accord upon contact.

The adult should paint with the child, and model an attitude of exploration, especially with how the colours blend together. Proper brush use (holding the tool at an angle and not smashing the bristles)

is also communicated.

Wet-on-wet painting can be done until the child is 8 or 9, with defined subject matter only gradually being introduced. This can happen after story-time, when the imagination is stimulated, and if possible, the adult can work out a simple composition ahead of time to introduce. Strong geometric images like concentric circles and other shapes with rainbow colour-order (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet) are another theme that can be used.

Wet-on-wet painting

 

Preferably paint the “lesson” piece first, and then allow for a second painting at the liberty of the child. This helps to create an atmosphere of respect for the materials and make use acheter sildenafil 50 mg ranbaxy of a mind that is fresh for concentrated effort. It is okay for the child to experience making “mud”, or mixing all the colours together, at least once. This can be an opportunity to talk about the comparitive effects of mixing or leaving the colours pure.

In the next installment, I will talk about coloured pencil crayons and other drawing tools.—Timothy Dyck, MFA

Materials list:

Beeswax crayons

Graphite crayons

Paper

Watercolour painting paper (140 lb.)

Watercolour paints

Brushes

KEVA planks

To order any of the above, call 519-369-1283.

 

 

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