|
Why
Teach Art?
Many parents state that they are too busy with the regular
academics and therefore would like to know why they should
teach art to their children.
First of all, I believe that all children love art,
that God has given a joy for creating as a gift to each of
us, but it has to be encouraged and nurtured. Secondly, there has been much research which reveals that
students who receive an art education also do better with
the academics. Finally,
we all desire our students to be well rounded and enriched,
capable in a variety of areas.
Leonardo Da Vinci, the first “Renaissance man,”
was able to do many things in an excellent manner. |
"If you
study the great masters like Michelangelo, Monet, and
Frederick Remington, you will find that during the peak of
their success, they became extremely frusterated with what
they were doing."
- Barry Stebbing |
Can
I Teach Art?
One of the major concerns with homeschooling parents is that
they have absolutely no confidence in teaching their children art.
I would say that 99.9% of parents feel this way.
So, take comfort in that.
First, depend on the curriculum you select to teach your
children. Remember that
an art book is nothing more than an instruction manual of “how to’s:”
how to draw, how to paint, etc.
Therefore, look for a program that has simple, easy to follow
instructions. Also,
seeing that most of you are so vulnerable when it comes to
purchasing an art program, ask if it has a satisfaction guaranteed
policy. Likewise, make
sure you look for an art program that is suitable for your needs: do
you want to learn crafts, three-dimensional art, how to draw?
It is also imperative that you select a curriculum
appropriate for the right age level of your students.
For many, a godly art program is imperative, one that
instructs with godly values and purpose. Finally, don’t just hand the program over to your children
like a coloring book. You
need to be there to direct, encourage, and evaluate to make certain
each lesson is done correctly.
Learning
to Draw:
After teaching over 45,000 homeschoolers in three-day art
classes throughout North America, my wife and I firmly believe that
drawing and painting are learned disciplines. Most
students have this
misconception that someone is either born with talent or not.
This is not true. Remember,
God is an artist and we have all been created in His likeness with
that ability to create. At
How Great Thou Art
Publications
we believe that drawing should be instructed first by learning the
fundamentals. Fundamentals
are the building blocks: how to draw a circle, an ellipse, a
straight line, learning about light source, shading with line, one
and two point perspective, etc…
It is just like learning how to play the piano, all you need
to do is practice as much as possible.
What I look for in my students is not a great wealth of
ability, but a good attitude, a student with discipline and a
willingness to learn. You
learn how to draw!
Learning
to Paint:
The major concern with teaching painting in the home is the
mess. There are
basically two schools, or philosophies, when it comes to teaching
young students painting. One
is to simply give them a large sheet of paper, tubes of paint, and
let them do their own thing. The
other school is more structured, more educational, and far less
messy, being more of the traditional approach in which the student
learns the “academics”
of painting. We have
had a great deal of success teaching painting with structure,
discipline, and the academics.
One of the reasons for this is that we teach painting and
drawing separately. Most
students will falter immediately in simply trying to draw their
composition before beginning to paint it.
They may have problems with the composition, making the
drawing too small, putting in too much detail, or simply in drawing
the picture the way it should be.
Therefore, we have illustrated what is to be painted for them on “paint cards,” a paper which is thicker than ordinary paper, holds the paints well, and
will not bubble up. Paint
cards will allow them to concentrate on the basics of beginning
painting and the academics of color theory without having to worry
about their drawing skills. Secondly,
we have found that painting can be a great encouragement to those
students who do not have confidence in drawing.
Over and over again, the frustrated student (who may have a
sibling who is good with drawing) has become inspired and confident
in what can be accomplished in painting.
This should invite some students back into art.
Finally, knowing how much homeschooling students enjoy the
learning process, all seem to enjoy the “academics”
of painting, such as: learning how to mix all the colors, studying
the color wheel, how to keep a palette and hold a brush, along with
the other nuances of color theory and painting.
What
About Art History?
A major concern with many homeschooling families is how to go
about studying art history. Some
of the problems with studying art history are: many art history
books can be extremely wordy; the terminology can be too technical
or advanced; and most are written with a godless philosophy.
One thing I recommend is to go to the children’s section of
the library to find an art history book.
Art history books in this section are informative, easy to
read, and enjoyable. However,
as mentioned, most teach art history with a secular, or godless,
point of view (nudity, humanism, etc.).
Secondly, if you are a Christian family, you may want to go
to the table of contents and concentrate on periods like: the
Reformation, Byzantine, Gothic, Early Renaissance, and even the art
of the European monks of the 9th and 10th
centuries (“illuminated manuscripts”).
Frustration
in Art:
“What do you do with
a student who has become frustrated with their artwork?”
I remind my students that frustration is a part of the
learning process – we all become frustrated.
If you study the great masters like Michelangelo, Monet, and
Frederick Remington, you will find that during the peak of their
success, they became extremely frustrated with what they were doing.
Again, we all become frustrated.
I also remind students that many of them are perfectionists,
believing that their hands and pencil are going to do exactly what
they want them to do. Well,
they are not. It takes
patience, practice, and discipline to learn to draw and paint.
In
Summary:
Art is
to be a joy! However,
there should also be a learning process involved, learning the
fundamentals and the academics.
So, try to establish a program that is both enjoyable and
educational. In
planning, we recommend that you start with one art lesson a week.
For more ambitious students, give two or three lessons a
week. Play classical
music to inspire them and have high expectations. You will be amazed what a little enthusiasm and encouragement
can accomplish with your children.
And, remember, keep you pencils sharp, your brushes clean,
and pray for success!
Phillipians 4:13 say’s “ I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me.”
Return
to Articles Page | Return to
Main Page
|
