Teaching Themselves How to Draw

My kids always prefer to do things on their own. They really don't like me to give them lessons on to do things. I have to do things in a little more round about way. I tried Drawing with Children last year and got through a few lessons but Sophie just fell apart each time because she didn't think she was doing it well enough. If I ever made any suggestions she would flip out and the lesson would quickly be over. I have more or less left her on her own for the last few months. We do have a few How to draw animals type books and she has been looking at those but I really thought she needed something that would help her learn to draw.

I recently got a copy of Mark Kistler's Draw Squad. It was recommended from a few different sources. And I thought we would give it a try. It is a more self directed drawing course. Sophie can go through the lessons herself without me doing anything except nodding and telling her she is making progress. I try really hard to not tell her it looks great unless it truly does. I usually try to tell her she is getting much better at something or that I can see she is moving in the right direction. I am trying to focus on drawing well as a process and not an event. It is something she will have to work at. After one lesson she isn't a master but she is practicing the technique.

I really am impressed with how much just a few hours with this book has improved her drawing. She is giving things depth and shading. I can tell she is reading the text that goes along with the lessons because she uses the drawing terminology when she comes and shows me her drawings in her sketchbook.

Ian decided that he too needs to learn to draw so he is having Sophie teach him as he goes through the first few lessons.  

They spent a good two hours just drawing in their books today. Ian has started taking his sketchbook with him everywhere. I just recently had to get him a new one. He finally filled up the old one I had given him.

The sketchbooks are working really well still. I don't have loose papers everywhere and my kids are learning to use all the blank spaces in their books. They love looking through all their old drawings to see their progress too.