Did anyone made any progress in art who’s started up recently? I’m very much into drawing myself, and would like to know how and where you find inspiration and whether you combine styles and technique.
I haven’t made much progress, although I did buy a huge drawing pad. I got an easel for my kids, and they’ve painted a few times. (Need to let them do this more often.)
Jazz, that’s a start, in fact a good start.
For kids especially, simple paintings with watercolor or crayons normally lead to other mediums like modeling, sculpting and other crafts.
“My” kids (they aren’t all mine, biologically, I “just” work with them) enjoy painting and drawing best when we are all doing it together. We choose a common subject and everybody makes their own version. Children with less fantasy are invited to “copy” my idea and we sort of co-operate, making interventions on each other’s work. They do enjoy it a lot, it’s just pretty hard to come up with new and captivating subjects all the time, that would be accessible for all of them. That’s why I asked what you, folks are drawing/painting. Especially in winter, when the “great outdoors” is out of reach.
Jazzaloha: what did your children paint?
Aside: When I was in Kindergarten I was at an easel painting and I was imagining an immense lava field where I might have an adventure. I had covered most of the paper in red paint, with texturing that I thought made it look like lava. When the teacher came by and asked me what it was, I was self-conscious about letting her into my imagination, so I said, “It’s just red paint.” And that’s what she wrote on the back of it when it had dried.
I still have the painting ;)
@Night
For kids especially, simple paintings with watercolor or crayons normally lead to other mediums like modeling, sculpting and other crafts.
We’re using tempera paint right now. We just need to let them paint more often.
@Lenke
Jazzaloha: what did your children paint?
I haven’t taught them anything, and I don’t think I could. I just let them pain and play.
I think if I painted with them—or I just drew or painted—that would encourage them. That takes some effort as there’s probably other stuff I would prefer, but I really should make myself do this, because I would probably enjoy it once I got started.
I am a little concerned about my son copying what I draw/paint if I do it with him. I’ve drawn with him before, and he tends to copy what I draw. My feeling is that I want him to use his own imagination. By the way, are you an art instructor?
@HoL
What’s a Texas boy doing thinking of a lava field? That’s a pretty good imagination!
@Jazzaloha
No problem if children copy what you do. After all, they learn pretty much anything by copying someone. Once he feels confident with his new skills, he won’t copy any more. And even while copying: it’s a whole new vision they can put into it. Like House of Leaves could see lava in “just red paint”… or it might have been a magnified petal of a poppy flower or the granny’s apron and God only knows, what else… children are wonderful creatures. Their inner world is absolutely amazing.
And it’s pretty difficult to explain what I am really. Basically a volunteer (psycho-pedagogist, teacher… I’m working with children-teenagers with deficiencies, mostly – dyslexic, dysgraphic, dys-you-name-it -, but not exclusively.)
(My job that pays the bills is something else, though. That is not related to children/teenagers. And it has to do with other forms of art.)
I would urge you to start painting though. I can promise you that you would enjoy it…
Makes me think of the speech-therapist in the opening scene of Tarkovsky’s Zerkalo/Mirror. Could you see your own reflection there, Lenke? Even slightly? I thought I did, but I can’t be sure, as it’s only in my imagination.
@Lenke
And it’s pretty difficult to explain what I am really.
Well, it sounds like good work. (I wish more young people had the opportunity to learn and do all the fine arts.)
I would urge you to start painting though. I can promise you that you would enjoy it…
OK. I’m pretty sure you’re right. It’s just a matter of getting started.
Failed art in the 12th grade. Not good at manual art.
@Mathew
You must have had too little interest in it – or a lousy teacher. Every child is born with an infinite creativity… if only they would be encouraged to let it bloom.
@Pablo
That scene was a very interesting one… and yes, it reminded me of a few aspects of my work. The main difference is that our children think that they are mainly playing or learning languages or whatever – we avoid to make them aware of their “problems” (learning deficiencies and such) whenever we can. Some obstacles are easiest to get over if you walk around…
(In Romania doctors tell the very serious diagnosis to the family for example, not to the patient. The family decides if it’s best for the patient to know what is wrong – or it would take their hope and courage away. We could argue about it, but this is how it’s done, in most cases.)
I think my problem was that painting is sloppy no matter how precise you are. Was good at making collage-type things with Photoshop, probably because you can undo your mistakes. I plan on learning again, music too.
@Mathew
How about drawing? You can erase your mistakes and there is not much mess with it… ;-)
Drawing makes a lot more sense as a starting point for those reasons. A pencil tip is much more precise if you’re trying to learn the basics of perspective, shadow, etc. It wasn’t until long after I’d mastered these things that I even tried painting, and I’m still learning.
There’s a lot less to carry around with drawing as well, especially if you’re using pencils and not charcoal.
House of Leaves: any chance for me to see some of your work? Please?
Oh, it’s out there on Stop the Lists! somewhere, and I have a short story posted on the Share Your Dreams thread. I might be coerced into digging some of it up, but I’m at work right now ;)
Oh, I’ll “hunt” them down, now that I know where to look! Thanks!
I would start somewhere over a year ago ;) I know that’ vauge.
That would narrow it down considerably. Thanks. I started looking at three years ago… so I can skip a lot. :-)
(Actually, I’ll go backwards then. I will find them easier.)
Yes, I was better at drawing. Even when it’s not great it’s very satisfying. I used to draw things from books. I remember one from Céline’s Mort à crédit of a character chasing his hot air balloon.
So why on earth did you stop, Mathew???? You should restart it. :-)
(And maybe show me sometime what you do…)
DownByLaw
I remember taking several great classes as a kid where we would use all these different media. My mom was not an artist at all. She bought us crayons, tempera paint, and lots of newsprint. We made playdough. And that was about it at home. But we did to go to these classes where we made prints, and sculptures, and mobiles, and more wonderful stuff that my mom didn’t know about. So if you can find some good programs for your kids, they will be exposed to a lot more than you will ever show them yourself.