The Arts: A Natural Progression

Ever try to force a cat to sit in your lap? It never works and the experience is usually not good for the lap or the cat.

 The same is true of kids and art. You can't force a child to develop artistically but you can encourage their natural interests by gently guiding then to the next level and allowing them to take the next step -- if that's what they want to do.

 In almost any medium of childhood play there are natural paths leading to one or more of the arts. Kids don't leap from play dough to museum quality pottery in a single bound -- but they can make the journey if you act as guide and mentor.

 Plunking away on the keyboard of a toy piano may lead to Carnegie Hall and a lifelong love of music -- if there is natural talent and interest. It could just as easily result in a kid who has the ability to make any piano -- baby grand or upright sound like a $3.98 toy piano.

Natural Progression

Your role in your child's natural artistic progression is that of teacher and mentor - but not art critique ;-) You can help your children progress to the next level by introducing new techniques and mediums for expression when you sense they are ready to take the next step. A few words of encouragement can work wonders. Introduce a new technique or medium by sitting down with them and showing a few tricks and techniques to get them started. If in doubt, seek the advice of local art teachers. They will be glad to offer suggestions.

In drawing or painting children typically progress from scribbling lines on paper with a crayon to simple stick figures to filling in the details, and finally to more lifelike drawings using perspective and shading.

For example: Lollypop trees (circles on sticks) are great for young kids but look a little silly when drawn by older children. Turning lollypops into "real" trees requires branches - and most kids don't draw branches because they don't know how. Show them. Forget the leaves and just draw trees with branches. THEN add the leaves. Whatever age of the artist, the resulting image will look more like a tree than a lollypop ;-)

Sample Progression Paths:

Three Dimensional Art
Play dough > Modeling Clay > Modeling Compounds > Real Clay Ceramics / Pottery > etc.

Two Dimensional Art:
Crayons > Finger paints > Poster Paints > Water Colors > Felt-tip markers > Pen and Ink > Oil Painting > etc.

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