If you're looking for alternatives to screentime for your kids, nothing beats going "old school" with a pencil and paper! It's amazing how much fun can be had with such simple supplies. What you'll need All you need is a pencil, some paper, a flat surface to draw on, and my free download, "5 FUN Art Activities Kids Can Do with a Pencil & Paper". An eraser can also be … [Read more...]
The Surprising Truth About Teaching Drawing to Kids
Why teach drawing to kids? When you teach drawing to kids, you're giving them a skill that pays big dividends in today’s world. Drawing is the foundation for many forms of art. But you certainly don’t need to be an “artist” or work in an art-related career to benefit from drawing. Anyone can use drawing to explore an idea, solve a problem, give visual form to a mental … [Read more...]
Break an Art World Record
You can be part of an exciting World Record event, right from your own home! Make art and break a record - all while helping people affected by COVID-19. British author and illustrator Rob Biddulph (together with Art World Records) is attempting to break the record for the World's Largest Online Art Lesson on Thursday, May 21st, 2020 (4pm BST, 11am EDT, 8am PDT). But this … [Read more...]
What Your Handwriting Can Tell You About Yourself and Others
January 23rd is National Handwriting Day! Did you know your handwriting can show evidence of more than 5,000 different personality traits, and even be used to detect lies and possible health issues? Graphology (or handwriting analysis) can help you learn more about yourself and others. Check out the fun infographic below from National Pen. Would you like your … [Read more...]
Mix ‘n Match Faces
Each month brings a new challenge with the Children’s Museum of the Arts (CMA) CIVIC KIDS campaign! Their theme for November is “Equity”…. perfect for election month, don’t you think?! equity noun 1 the equity of society: fairness, justness, impartiality, egalitarianism; objectivity, balance, open-mindedness." The challenge is open to kids everywhere… you don’t need to … [Read more...]
Book Review: Drawing Cartoons Letter By Letter by Christopher Hart
Drawing Cartoons Letter by Letter is the latest in a series of learn-to-draw books by Christopher Hart. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review, so here it is! The concept of using a letter or number as the framework for beginning a drawing is not new. In fact, I already had a similarly themed book in my collection. But several things set this book … [Read more...]
My New Favorite Pencil Sharpener
Usually, I sharpen pencils as needed, a few at a time, and don't think much about it. But this morning I sat staring at 9 dozen brand new pencils I needed for a workshop I'm teaching. I found myself procrastinating this simple task all week, just due to the sheer number of them. But once I got going, I was completely surprised by how quick and easy it actually was, so I had to … [Read more...]
Illustrations with Surrealism
What better way to celebrate April Fool’s Day than with an image of Salvadore Dali caught in the act of pulling a prank??! Surrealism is a cultural, artistic, and literary movement which began in the early 1920’s. Founded by French writer and poet Andre Breton as a ‘revolutionary movement’, Surrealism is probably best known as a style of art featuring photorealistic images of … [Read more...]
How to Hold a Pencil 101
In drawing, as in writing, how you hold your pencil makes a difference! Over the years, I’ve seen some really unusual ways of holding a pencil. Many students arrive in Kindergarten with habits already formed that look awkward at best, if not painfully uncomfortable. No wonder some kids have trouble with writing and drawing! These early habits can be hard to change, but it’s … [Read more...]
Art with Math – How to Draw a Soccer Ball
What do you get when you combine geometry, art, and soccer?? A winning art lesson, that’s what! The excitement of the World Cup inspired me to come up with a creative way to teach kids how to draw a soccer ball. I was determined to develop a method that would be easy to teach and easy to learn, and would give kids a result they could be proud of. I ended up creating two … [Read more...]
