by Marvin Bartel

DRAWING and CHILDREN

Children who know me sometimes ask me how to draw better.
Many children do not know that artists have learned to draw by doing observation-drawing practice. They often assume that you can draw or you can’t.

Of course this is true, but it is also true that nearly anybody can learn to draw at any age. Many children feel inferior about their own ability to draw. Too often no teacher or adult has ever helped them learn to make a proper observation. Most teachers have not been educated about teaching drawing. Some generalist teachers even say, “That’s okay, I can’t draw either.” This is the opposite of good motivation. They would never dare say, “That’s okay, I can’t read and write. I just don’t have the talent for it.”
I explain that drawing ability comes from practice. I call it “practice” so it isn’t as intimidating as final products. This essay explains some practice processes that lead to better drawing skills. Sometimes children want to develop their practice into more elaborate finished work. I encourage their desire to finish some works, but I also affirm the need to do lots of practice that does not have to be finished work. I explain it by using music analogies. We practice piano a long time to learn some pieces. We don’t worry two much about mistakes while we are learning, but eventually it is good to play a recital. Then I give them some proven ways to practice and encourage them to make a many choices as possible as they learn to draw.

I never draw to show a child how to draw do something.

If I would show a child how something is drawn, the child would get the idea that my drawing is the answer. The child would think that her job is to copy my drawing. Looking at my drawing is a very poor way to learn to see for yourself.

I go over to the thing being observed. I run my finger slowly along the edge of the thing. While doing this, I encourage the child to begin drawing in the air (by pointing a finger toward my finger) as preliminary practice following the edge contour slowly as my finger moves. After practice in the air, the child practices on paper with a slow deliberate contour while NOT looking at the paper.

I never draw on the child’s paper. Learning to see is done by studying the thing, animal, or person being drawn - not by getting the teacher to correct the work. The student should own the whole process and product.

I never ask a child to copy a picture made by me, by another artist, or by a camera. I have them practice from actual objects or models. When children do copy work for fun on their own, I do not condemn them for this, but I do withhold compliments for copied work, and I withhold all encouragement related to copy work. I encourage them to practice from actual objects - never working from pictures.

Eliciting a careful description from the student

We cannot draw what we do not notice. Before starting I take extra time to discuss some details of a small area where the student will start. This gives focus, familiarity, and confidence. Visual information is useless unless you notice it.

I give instruction in the form of open questions rather than directions. “How much of this edge is straight and how much is curved?” “How much longer is this side than the top edge?” “What are the different lengths you get when you extend your arm and measure by holding the pencil across it in the air?” “How do the lengths compare?” “Isn’t this a silly line? Can you see how it wiggles?” If I use questions, it implies that the teacher will not be needed in the future. Once the student knows the questions, the student can practice alone. If I give commands, the student might not feel empowered to work alone.

Simplify but never dumb it down

Sometimes we start with a small part of something that would otherwise seem much to too complex and overwhelming. Adding a bit at a time, I am often amazed at some of the elaborate drawings that a child can make. Think about the amazing thinking habits that are being fostered by this approach.

Mistakes are normal

I prepare them in advance for what to expect so that they can be pleased with what works rather than disappointed by what does not work. In blind contour line (drawing the outer edge of objects without looking at the paper) I let them know that I do not expect to get a better line, but I also expect that my line probably will not end up at the right place when it comes around to where it started. If it comes around and meets, it means that I just got lucky, or maybe I peeked at the paper (treat with humor). “Blind” contour drawing means drawing without looking at the paper, but only looking at the object.

Blinders as drawing helpers

I use a large blinder card on our pencil so we cannot see what is being drawn. I generally allow looking at the paper only when the pencil is stopped (when it is placed to start a new line). While the pencil moves, I do not allow looking down at the paper, but only looking at the edge of the object being observed and drawn. It is good to move the pencil very slowly and deliberately so that each little change of direction, notch, bump, zigzag, etc. can be included (as slow as and ant crawling). Not every drawing experience needs to be blind contour practice, but some regular practice using blind contour is a good way to discipline the mind to develop the skill of observation.

With young children I often encourage them to use a blinder helper while they practice all the lines of the edges without concern for making a picture. This practice session is their preparation prior to drawing a picture on another paper or elsewhere on the same paper. This part is simply a jumble of practice lines. After this rehearsal, when they draw the picture, all the lines are already familiar and easier.

Viewfinders as framing helpers

A viewfinder, which can be a simple 2×2 inch empty slide frame, is useful to view the scene. For drawing, the viewfinder can be a piece of 8×10 inch cardboard with a rectangle cut out as a window about 3×4 inches.

This student is using a viewfinder taped on a stick placed to frame some sunflowers. In the second view she is adding tomatoes seen from her position as she looks through the viewfinder window.

This can be held at arms length or closer to help the student decide what to include in the drawing. We use it the same way you would frame a picture with a camera viewfinder. It can zoom closer (bending the arm) to give a wide angle. It can zoom out to create a telephoto framing (holding it with an extended arm). The window in the viewfinder (also called isolator) makes it easier for the student decide on what to include, how to arrange things, how to fit the paper, which way to turn the paper, and how large to make things in a drawing. A more advanced viewfinder might have black thread taped across the window to form a grid through which to view the scene, still life, animal, or person that is being observed.

Mistakes

Most of us need to get more comfortable with mistakes. I do not point out mistakes because the effect is not helpful. It works better to emphasize the things that are working well. However, children often notice mistakes themselves. I believe it is helpful for children to learn that the mistakes they see in their drawing are useful for learning and for getting new ideas. I tell children it is okay to erase and fix major mistakes, but I make a point to explain that I like to learn new things from my mistakes. I tell them that I often leave my mistakes until I am nearly finished with the whole thing. I first add the corrections until I figure it out. Sometimes the mistakes add some interest and expressive qualities that are hard to appreciate at first.

Mistakes in drawing are often very perplexing. The child can see that something looks wrong, but does not know why. It would be easy for me to explain how I think it should be drawn. It would be easy for me to draw it for them. I must never do this. It is much more useful to use this as an opportunity to teach the child how to learn. When a child is puzzled is not the time to solve the puzzle for the child, it is the time to teach puzzle solving strategies. Learning how to build our own ability makes us much more capable than if we are handed answers.

To make it easier, artists often practice with small sketches when they are planning the arrangement for a major work. Once they have decided on the layout, artists often practice details by making sketches that are about the actual size needed. Preliminary practice makes the final drawing easier to do. To solve a drawing mistake, I might ask a child to practice a certain part of the drawing on another paper. Often it helps make a discovery if a blinder is used. If they will repeat the practice three times they will have choices. I can ask the student to look at the three results and pick the idea that looks best to them (not to me).

Good Mistakes

Often mistakes are lucky gifts leading to creative ideas that we would otherwise have missed. When we approach this like we approach playing a game, we can even learn to enjoy it. This principle works for drawing and it works for teaching about mistakes as well. Truth is often found by mistake when we are open and alert enough to consider new possibilities.

I did a web search for the word “serendipity”. You can find a long list of extremely useful discoveries and inventions that nobody would have thought of had they not made a mistake or had an accident. We have all benefited from antibiotics. Antibiotics were first discovered because Alexander Fleming saw something unexpected but true in a careless mistake. He was a careful observer. Few things teach observation as well as drawing. As a potter, a soft clay vase accidentally fell on the floor from a board as I was carrying it. I looked at it, and it led me to a new class of work made to hang on the wall. Many mistakes in drawing can actually help the drawings take on an expressive, mysterious, or spontaneous quality that can be very evocative.

How to respond to a child’s drawing

I look for some places where the lines or shapes work well. I enthusiastically affirm improvements and successes. I know that most children will stop drawing if I make any negative comments or tell them that they need to make corrections. Practice and learning only happens when there is a fair amount of satisfaction. I look for and point out improvement - not perfection. I use positive comments and questions that remind them of things to notice - not judgment. Instead of judging, I learn more about the thinking of children when I ask them to verbally elaborate about an area in their work. It helps me understand where they are in their perception of what they are observing. With observation questions I may be able to help them move to the next level. I can use this information in the next lesson because I can design a practice session that is more appropriate to their individual needs.

Fear of drawing makes things come out smaller. I accept whatever size they produce, but I will encourage them to see if they can draw small things extra big. A child’s shoe might be drawn large enough for a grown man. Sometimes I simply say, “How big do you need to draw it in order to fill the paper with this?” or “How big do you need it to fill the framed area with this?” When I see that something is too small, it lets me know how to plan the next practice session.

Original Article

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