Teaching your child how to draw can be your first step towards incorporating art into his life. Studies show that children who invest in producing artwork have an all-rounded brain development. Not only does it give children an outlet to express themselves, but it also helps with developing their hand-eye coordination and teaches them important concepts such as the colour wheel, proportion, perspective, balance, and much more.
Apart from building important physical traits, child psychologists over the years have recommended drawing and artwork to help develop your young one’s EQ or emotional quotient. This can play a significant role in the preservation and stable development of your child’s mental health. Art has proved to be a natural way of treating depression and anxiety in adults and children with artistic abilities are known to be less prone to these diseases.
Some child psychiatrists have found that art and drawing, in particular, could speed up the development of your child’s brain. Art is a well-known way of helping young children with autism and other diseases. It builds coping mechanisms in children to control their day to day activities. Drawing is also known to help children with learning difficulties like dyslexia or dysgraphia, overcome or manage these challenges. It is important to understand that art isn’t a treatment for these diseases. It is instead a useful tool to help with the overall treatment and works as a support system for these children on a regular basis. Parents should also remember not to get frustrated with the pace of artistic development in their kids. Each child has his own pace of growth and expression.
Learning how to draw should be a fun activity for your child and he shouldn’t feel that the skill or habit is forced upon him. Make sure you do not demand your child to draw when he’s not in the mood for it. Instead, make it a part of his routine and try to build it in an organic and fun way. Here is a guide that you can use when teaching your child how to draw to ensure he develops the skill of drawing without becoming either demotivated or pressured.
One of the most important things that you must keep in mind when teaching your child how to draw is to give them space and the tools for them to explore art and drawing. Young children tend to be curious and try to express themselves in unique ways that can be easily misunderstood as incapacity or lack of skill. The trick is to keep them engaged with the activity long enough for it to have a positive impact. You should tackle this based on the age of your child.
Teaching pre-schoolers how to draw might seem like a difficult task, but the aim here is to encourage the child to explore whatever it is that he wants to through the medium of art and drawing. A few tips that you can keep in mind are:
At this age, your child can now start drawing based on observation. Up until now, he will be drawing based on his own interpretation and previous knowledge. You can help with his observational skills based on the tips below.
Your child, at this stage, will be able to grasp more complex concepts. This includes spatial relationships, perspective, and tougher mediums.
Children look towards adults for validation of their work and behaviour and it is important that you do so. However, it is equally important that you give them the tools to understand and comprehend their sense of self as well. Be sure not to criticise anything that your child has drawn. In this stage of their lives, they need all the support and encouragement. Instead, point out certain aspects of the drawing that they have done particularly well. Your main critique should be focused on the growth of your child’s abilities rather than a commentary on the end product.
If your child does not feel support or encouragement, he might begin to lose interest in the activity. Be sure to follow the previous tip of displaying his drawings or to maintain a book filled with his work. A common sign of fear of drawing is if the drawing is too small. Ask him to fill an entire page of a single small object, like a shoe, and encourage his work. Give enough of your time to his hobby by asking questions and be genuinely interested in his process and progress.
There have been many studies done by educators and researchers over the years to establish the link between developmental benefits and drawing. This art form is beneficial to adults and children alike but has more to offer when started at a young age. Here is a list of benefits of drawing for kids.
Teaching your child how to draw should be a joyous and rewarding experience for your child. Understand your child’s opinion about drawing and never force them into getting into a new stage of drawing. Once they have developed a love for the practice, they will follow a path and pace that they find comfortable. You only have to give them a few nudges along the way to ensure that they pick up on all aspects of the art. Do take time to make drawing a fun activity that is beyond just a learning activity. When spending time with your child, add visits to museums and galleries. If your family likes to travel, be sure to visit galleries even on holidays. Take your child to gallery openings and discuss art with him like you would with anyone else.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that drawing should not be something that adds pressure or tension to your child’s life. Manage your expectations and teach your child how to manage his. Encourage his hobby no matter what the result is. Having hobbies that allow a creative outlet is more important than being perfect at it. Remember to consult a child psychologist for more information about how art can help your child specifically and the techniques and points you must keep in mind when teaching them to draw.