To strew or not to strew?
[email protected]
I "see" things through my own history, my own experiences and my kids have
far different experiences and histories than I do, so sometimes I'm just not
sure about whether to share, to strew, to offer. Just because it would affect
me one way doesn't mean it would affect them that way.
Wyl (8 1/2) is a drawer of Pokemon-type, RPG-type monsters that he has
created in his own imagination. His family on his dad's side and my parents are
very artistic and can draw and paint *very* well (I'm absolutely NO talent in
this area, myself), but I haven't experience myself with what "age" or when,
developmentally, the details blossom-if there is even a "something" that can be
pinpointed for details. He was showing me some of his fabulous creations
today, complete with names and "skills" (he didn't use to include their skills
on paper, but would tell us-at this point, he is making them "roadsign"
mini-pictures and explaining what the mini-pictures mean). His drawings are still
mostly stick-figure, but bodies kind of fleshed out from the stick part,
IYKWIM, and I was wondering if I should bring a book about "how to draw" into the
house. If it were me at that age (heck, likely if it were me at *this* age),
I would likely take a book like that to mean that my drawing was being judged
and found lacking, so I don't want to induce this in my child(ren), but
who's to say their thoughts would even venture that way? (I know, I'm probably
WAY overanalyzing things, but....) Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts on
this? Thanks!
Peace,
De
************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
far different experiences and histories than I do, so sometimes I'm just not
sure about whether to share, to strew, to offer. Just because it would affect
me one way doesn't mean it would affect them that way.
Wyl (8 1/2) is a drawer of Pokemon-type, RPG-type monsters that he has
created in his own imagination. His family on his dad's side and my parents are
very artistic and can draw and paint *very* well (I'm absolutely NO talent in
this area, myself), but I haven't experience myself with what "age" or when,
developmentally, the details blossom-if there is even a "something" that can be
pinpointed for details. He was showing me some of his fabulous creations
today, complete with names and "skills" (he didn't use to include their skills
on paper, but would tell us-at this point, he is making them "roadsign"
mini-pictures and explaining what the mini-pictures mean). His drawings are still
mostly stick-figure, but bodies kind of fleshed out from the stick part,
IYKWIM, and I was wondering if I should bring a book about "how to draw" into the
house. If it were me at that age (heck, likely if it were me at *this* age),
I would likely take a book like that to mean that my drawing was being judged
and found lacking, so I don't want to induce this in my child(ren), but
who's to say their thoughts would even venture that way? (I know, I'm probably
WAY overanalyzing things, but....) Anyone have any suggestions or thoughts on
this? Thanks!
Peace,
De
************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Robyn L. Coburn
<<<< I was wondering if I should bring a book about "how to draw" into the
and process her life and things that she has seen.
One of our relatives sent her a "How to draw Disney Fairies" kit - a book,
some paper and some little pencils etc. This was of course well meant, and
with the intention of supporting Jayn's interest in both drawing and
fairies.
She was interested in looking at the book, which was a fairly classic
step-by-step to producing the finished character, and she particularly
enjoyed when I read the instructions out loud to her because they were
written in a didactic way that I could make sound funny and exaggerated. Eg:
"Are her lips pointed? No. Make them rounded and soft".
So anyway, Jayn did a couple of drawings following the instructions and then
decided herself that she preferred to just look at the characters and do her
own drawing. She felt that her results from her own techniques were better
and more in tune with her creative vision. And tbh I think her own drawings
have a lot more life in them than the structured ones from following the
instructions.
In this case she didn't take the book as a criticism, but I have noticed in
general that she prefers her own method to any kind of intructional thing,
even though she will often give the thing a try. For example she watched a
person doing fabric painting and making illustrated pillows on a craft show,
and then drew a couple of her own renditions on paper to try out the style.
But her purpose in watching such craft shows is to be inspired, not because
she or I or anyone else in her life see her as somehow lacking something.
Every now and then when we are at the bookstore I will come upon an art book
and show it to her. Also we get several magazines that are about her
interests - Art Doll Quarterly, Doll Crafter, Haute Doll etc - which
sometime feature how to's, plus the couple of artist magazines that I get
which have how to articles. She enjoys looking at the sometimes, but she
doesn't take them as being a comment on her own work.
I think that rather than bringing a drawing book home unasked, point out
books about pokemon artistry and the art of anime characters next time you
are at the store, or pick up some magazines about Pokemon and anime that are
not necessarily kids mags (ie not Nickelodeon magazine) and aren't how to
draw publications, but still support his interest and will foster his
ability to visualize the characters.
Also just keep supplying high quality tools and real art supplies. The
drawing tools make a big difference to Jayn's various styles - fine line
markers and mechanical pencils produce a much different result than starting
with crayons or colored pencils. She likes having the variety and choices of
all her materials.
Robyn L. Coburn
> house. >>>My dd is a huge artist, and uses her drawings to tell stories and to comment
and process her life and things that she has seen.
One of our relatives sent her a "How to draw Disney Fairies" kit - a book,
some paper and some little pencils etc. This was of course well meant, and
with the intention of supporting Jayn's interest in both drawing and
fairies.
She was interested in looking at the book, which was a fairly classic
step-by-step to producing the finished character, and she particularly
enjoyed when I read the instructions out loud to her because they were
written in a didactic way that I could make sound funny and exaggerated. Eg:
"Are her lips pointed? No. Make them rounded and soft".
So anyway, Jayn did a couple of drawings following the instructions and then
decided herself that she preferred to just look at the characters and do her
own drawing. She felt that her results from her own techniques were better
and more in tune with her creative vision. And tbh I think her own drawings
have a lot more life in them than the structured ones from following the
instructions.
In this case she didn't take the book as a criticism, but I have noticed in
general that she prefers her own method to any kind of intructional thing,
even though she will often give the thing a try. For example she watched a
person doing fabric painting and making illustrated pillows on a craft show,
and then drew a couple of her own renditions on paper to try out the style.
But her purpose in watching such craft shows is to be inspired, not because
she or I or anyone else in her life see her as somehow lacking something.
Every now and then when we are at the bookstore I will come upon an art book
and show it to her. Also we get several magazines that are about her
interests - Art Doll Quarterly, Doll Crafter, Haute Doll etc - which
sometime feature how to's, plus the couple of artist magazines that I get
which have how to articles. She enjoys looking at the sometimes, but she
doesn't take them as being a comment on her own work.
I think that rather than bringing a drawing book home unasked, point out
books about pokemon artistry and the art of anime characters next time you
are at the store, or pick up some magazines about Pokemon and anime that are
not necessarily kids mags (ie not Nickelodeon magazine) and aren't how to
draw publications, but still support his interest and will foster his
ability to visualize the characters.
Also just keep supplying high quality tools and real art supplies. The
drawing tools make a big difference to Jayn's various styles - fine line
markers and mechanical pencils produce a much different result than starting
with crayons or colored pencils. She likes having the variety and choices of
all her materials.
Robyn L. Coburn
Joyce Fetteroll
On Nov 8, 2007, at 8:24 PM, Sanguinegirl83@... wrote:
What she did like was the big posters of all the Pokemon (which at
the time could fit on a poster ;-)
I'd take him to the library or a book store and show him what's
available that has Pokemon in it. They also have Pokedex type books
with one Pokemon per page and all their stats. She loved those too.
His drawing might not be a need to reproduce what's in front of him,
as the books assume it is. It could very well be an exploration. Kat
has several 3" binders of creatures she's designed, literally thousands.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> I was wondering if I should bring a book about "how to draw" into theKat, who's now 16, never found the how to draw books very useful.
> house.
What she did like was the big posters of all the Pokemon (which at
the time could fit on a poster ;-)
I'd take him to the library or a book store and show him what's
available that has Pokemon in it. They also have Pokedex type books
with one Pokemon per page and all their stats. She loved those too.
His drawing might not be a need to reproduce what's in front of him,
as the books assume it is. It could very well be an exploration. Kat
has several 3" binders of creatures she's designed, literally thousands.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 11/9/2007 1:33:42 PM Eastern Standard Time,
jfetteroll@... writes:
His drawing might not be a need to reproduce what's in front of him,
as the books assume it is. It could very well be an exploration. Kat
has several 3" binders of creatures she's designed, literally thousands.
It isn't. He rarely draws "actual" Pokemon-it is 99% his own creations. Wyl
has at least 40 of the 70-page spiral notebooks, some of which are filled,
some are about half full and some just have a few. I love the creativity and
enjoyment he gets from sitting, sometimes for hours, putting the stuff in his
head onto paper. I thought maybe I could "do something" to enhance it, but now
I'm thinking the best thing I can *do* is to continue to provide supplies, be
available for viewing when he's ready to share and quit *trying so hard*.
:~)
Peace,
De
************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
jfetteroll@... writes:
His drawing might not be a need to reproduce what's in front of him,
as the books assume it is. It could very well be an exploration. Kat
has several 3" binders of creatures she's designed, literally thousands.
It isn't. He rarely draws "actual" Pokemon-it is 99% his own creations. Wyl
has at least 40 of the 70-page spiral notebooks, some of which are filled,
some are about half full and some just have a few. I love the creativity and
enjoyment he gets from sitting, sometimes for hours, putting the stuff in his
head onto paper. I thought maybe I could "do something" to enhance it, but now
I'm thinking the best thing I can *do* is to continue to provide supplies, be
available for viewing when he's ready to share and quit *trying so hard*.
:~)
Peace,
De
************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
harmony
> On Nov 8, 2007, at 8:24 PM, [LINK: mailto:Sanguinegirl83%40aol.com]My daughter is 8 and she loves how to draw books. She gets several of them each week when we go to the library. She will usually draw one picture a week from the books and about 20 of her own pictures. She is constantly drawing, but she always asks other people what to draw. She doesn't usually decide on her own.
> Sanguinegirl83@... wrote:
>
> > I was wondering if I should bring a book about "how to draw" into the
> > house.
>
> Kat, who's now 16, never found the how to draw books very useful.
> What she did like was the big posters of all the Pokemon (which at
> the time could fit on a poster ;-)
You could always point out where they are at the library and then she can decide if she wants them or not. I do this all the time when I find a new section at the library. I just ask the kids " Hey, did you know they have _____ books over there?" Sometimes they are interested, other times not.
Harmony
Sandra Dodd
-=> > I was wondering if I should bring a book about "how to draw"
into the
some people draw" or "Here's how this guy figured out he was
drawing," instead of "this is *HOW TO DRAW*.
Sandra
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into the
> > house.-=-Maybe the way you present it will help. Maybe if you say "Here's how
some people draw" or "Here's how this guy figured out he was
drawing," instead of "this is *HOW TO DRAW*.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]