6 Vital Life Skills Kids Learn Doing Art
1. How to Observe
Kids are direct and often utilize a simple technique and approach when we first start teaching them to paint. For instance, what if I asked a young child to sketch a human for me? They will begin by sketching the head as a circle, followed by the body and hands as lines.
Stick figures are used by beginner artists before moving on to more complex shapes. As an artist develops, their work may occasionally delve further and examine the elements that truly identify the subject of their work. I encourage kids to examine their work more carefully because of this. Maybe a rectangle is a better representation of that person’s face because they have a prominent jawline. Alternatively, their arms could be longer than one would anticipate. Kids may be challenged by art to look at people more closely and identify nuances in appearance for the purpose of art.
2. The Art of Empathy
When children begin a piece of art, it’s enjoyable and interesting, but occasionally they have the chance to reflect about how best to bring that figure to life. Students can start to see all the possibilities they have for creating by being asked questions and being encouraged to participate in more discussions.
An art instructor can play the role of someone who pushes students to comprehend what it means to be that person beyond the scope of a simple sketch. Though some works of art are only the artist’s viewpoint, another method examines a person without putting preconceived views upon them and instead modifies the piece to fit the model’s personality. For instance, it’s crucial to pick the right supplies and application methods for the portrait if the subject has a really dynamic personality. Children are taught that in order to paint a portrait of a person, they must comprehend their perspective and learn to put themselves in that person’s shoes. This promotes the growth of students’ empathy and open-mindedness.
3. Storytelling
Art is more effective when viewers have a connection to the characters and ideas within it, just like in a story. Young children naturally tell stories, and using art gives them a way to do so without using words. It can be liberating and thrilling for a middle school student to feel like they have their own secret non-verbal language as they grow older and learn to use art as a tool to tell their own stories and establish their own lexicon that perhaps only they totally understand.
4. Problem Solving
Every student has a unique style of creating, therefore we employ a variety of methods when teaching art. However, as kids get into making art, they also learn which creative process suits them best. Before beginning a project, a student could start by making “thumbnail sketches.” This aids them in coming up with variants on a theme, planning the positioning of their compositions, investigating various color combinations and schemes, as well as exploring potential media and material options.
Students learn to view problems as challenges rather than obstacles as they hone their artistic abilities. In order for pupils to create art, they must learn to comprehend their own creative process. Art can be about the creative process. They must consider the supplies they will require and the order in which they should assemble their item.
In one method of instruction, we advise pupils that they should build the framework of a house before painting the walls. This is relevant to drawing since you must also plan, take into account, and establish the framework for a drawing. Drawings are “made,” not “born” in a miraculous way. For instance, in an observational drawing, you must first sketch the composition’s basic forms before moving on to “value,” which is the process of creating an object’s form by varying the lightness or darkness of a hue. Detailing is the last phase.
Children also learn how to select the methods that will yield the desired outcome. When to use a fan brush and when to use a flat brush is something they discover via trial and error. They learn that different colors elicit different feelings and that line density and pressure on the paper do matter. They gain a lot of practice selecting the precise methods and mediums that are most suited for the work they wish to produce as they gain more art-making expertise.
By assisting children in making links between artists, we are assisting them in understanding how art has changed. We believe this might inspire young artists to value their individuality and distinctive viewpoint.
5. See Connections
There are many artists in the realm of art, all with quite distinct viewpoints. When teaching children about art, we encourage them to consider the relationships between the artists and how those relationships reflect the time and place in which they lived. We discuss artistic movements, how they have changed over time as a result of culture, geography, and style, and how they continue to change today. For instance, we discuss all the reasons that influenced Picasso’s development of cubism and his influence on the art world.
By assisting children in making links between artists, we are assisting them in understanding how art has changed. We believe this might inspire young artists to value their individuality and distinctive viewpoint. What matters most is how something is expanding a student’s comprehension; just because something is different doesn’t indicate it’s better or worse.
6. Gain Self-Confidence
Researchers frequently discover a discrepancy between the proportion of young children who believe they are artists and the proportion of teens and adults who do. As children get older, they begin to think that they can only be artists if they can draw (or that drawing ability somehow indicates creativity.)
Students get better and more confident through practice, which also helps them believe in their own potential. They are not incapable of doing something; rather, they have not yet identified the strategy that best suits their needs. They gain confidence in their capacity to meet obstacles in numerous other aspects of their lives as a result of this.
Children Develop Through Art Classes
Children who have the opportunity to express their creativity and engage in artistic endeavors grow in self-assurance, empathy, and understanding of how to view the world from various angles. All of those abilities aid in preparing kids to face the world with creativity and passion.
