How to draw – a game for kids

by Michael on May 26, 2012

Why should children have all fun?

Imagine it is a hot summer day. The children are out of school and complaining of being bored with nothing to do… or they have come in from playing, hot and tired.

You are a busy parent with plenty to do today. Apart from trying to keep the house clean are just 5 more things you must do…

  1. You have dinner to get ready
  2. There’s the laundry to do – it is hot and sunny – great for drying clothes
  3. You have calls to make
  4. The car needs cleaning
  5. You want to get some fresh flowers in from the garden

And there’s plenty more to do… there is always more! You need a break… both you and the kids need to take time out before you end up screaming, with the kids crying.

What do you do?

  • Isn’t there something you could do together that lightens the mood?
  • Isn’t there a way of sharing something you will all enjoy?

 Apart from getting a little peace and quiet, perhaps you always fancied yourself as a bit of an artist. Maybe, after leaving school, life took over and you forgot that you had the signs of artistic talent. Well, there could be a cure for your kids boredom that might give you some time to recapture your youth.

What I saw was a way of breaking a difficult problem. Instead of wildlife drawing being something that only a talented few ever achieved there is something that brings it all down to the fundamentals. If it is a way young children can learn then it is sure to be easy for an adult. The only problem here is that most adults would find the idea somewhat, you’ve guessed it… Childish.

  • There is something here that deserves a second look but you are one of the few adults who can see both sides – if it is good for your kids then it is doubly good for you.
  • Rather than have fighting children and being some kind of boxing referee, you could be sitting with them playing together a game of “What do you think it is?“. You could play the game in the same number of stages as it takes to draw the animal to guess. You could also change the sequence to make it more difficult.

Better still, when you know how it works, “How To Draw For Kids” could be showing you that you have what it takes to be an artist. This way there will be no excuse to find time to see if it works for you.

Finally… “This would be great for a rainy day too”

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Make your art your Art your own

by Michael on May 22, 2012

Please note that this post isn’t intended to upset or offend anyone. It is meant to open your eyes to what ‘You’ are able to do in the future should you wish to take your own challenges seriously. Read on and it will soon be clear what it means to you…

Never forget this as soon as you are comfortable with the basic painting and drawing techniques…

“As an artist you are unique”

Your ideas and expectations are yours. What you decide to do with the knowledge you gain from magazines and books is 100%  your choice. It is also up to you what you take from the lessons and lectures given by teachers, tutors and lectures.

Take ownership of your art as soon as you feel confident in your artwork no matter what others may say. Even when you find yourself in the position of being a commercial artist there is something to be said for this…

“Don’t forget why you are called an artist”

So, when you are a beginner try to remember why you are reading articles, journals, art books. It is to learn and get ideas of what you can do with the art materials. The art classes you go to are a great place to get help with drawing and painting techniques but never be in doubt that there is only one person who can develop the artist within you…

“You are the Artist”

It will be your hard work that creates your art. Nobody else can lay claim to that. Yes, at times you doubt yourself and feel the need to seek reassurance. There shall be times when you do need help to overcome certain technical difficulties but it is… 

    1. Your independent thought
    2. Your life experience and knowledge
    3. Your artistic ability
    4. Your effort, toil and hard work

So, whatever stage you feel as an artist it is your responsibility alone to… 

“Make your Art your own”

This article was inspired by Rod Moore from Australia…

Here is a man who restores belief in the power of learning to paint and draw. He has taken a well known painting system and made it his own. You may like what he paints or loath it but you can’t deny that he has taken everything he has learned in 4 years with confidence. He clearly enjoys what he does and, as a teacher, he is happiest seeing smiles on his lucky students.

And, whether or not he knows or cares, he could become a far greater artist than he is now. The way he is working who knows where his hard work will take him.

If you are a beginner interested in learning oils or acrylics and you want to know more you will have to take a short voyage of discovery by reading the following articles…

How To Learn To Be An Artist

How To Get Started As An Artist

(It is your choice… If you want to learn more about Rod all you have to do is follow the available links – they will lead you to him)

 
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How to learn to be an artist…

May 17, 2012

1. Forget about everything you hear about fast ways to draw and paint – There’s so much to learn and part of the excitement is in discovering the unexpected surprises. 2. Learn the basics first – Many of the discoveries you will make are as much about what you are capable of as learning to [...]

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How to get started as an artist

May 16, 2012

When you sit there wondering if you might have a chance of becoming an artist there comes the time to ask the question… “Where do I start?” And the answer is simple… “You start at the very beginning” Yes, it sounds pretty obvious but how many times have you heard someone you know say “I [...]

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How To Paint Landscapes In Oils – A Review

May 12, 2012

It was a surprise a few days ago to discover an email from an art teacher from Australia in my mailbox. This was great timing because it arrived just as I had finished writing “The Simple And Easy Way To Paint Watercolor“, which must be just about the best way of overcoming the fear of [...]

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Do you ever get confused by the many offers for art training courses?

May 11, 2012

Let’s repeat the question… “Do you ever get confused by the many offers for art training courses?” Worse still, when you pick up the painting and drawing course notes you have spent your hard earned money on… “Do you find that it is impossible to get the results you are led to expect?” Sadly, from [...]

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How to defend your art against criticism

April 30, 2012

In the last post I talked about how to respond to criticism of your artwork.  It was quite painful to write. From personal experience I can tell you how destructive it can be to receive advice that wasn’t asked for. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had listen to remarks that have been [...]

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How do you respond to criticism of your Art?

April 24, 2012

As you will know at times it can be pretty hard to listen to someone giving you unexpected and what you might consider unwelcome advice. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do unpleasant and at times nasty comments can be hurtful. As an artist you will become familiar very soon with hearing [...]

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Here’s some good news!

April 22, 2012

Here is a little bit of good news. Today is a special day for www-paint-and-draw.com… This is the first article posted after a long break. Two boxes arrived today containing a special delivery that will help show how to mix colors in a simple and easy to understand way A lady freind has discovered her hidden [...]

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“Perfection… Here’s a thought for you as an Artist”

November 16, 2011

You will get plenty of advice from experts wanting to help you improve your drawing (Yes, even here). You’ll also find masses of recommendations in Art books and journals that are intended to help you paint better. Do you know what to do with most of it? Surprisingly, the answer is “It is quite often [...]

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