Young at Art



Expressive
Arts Beneficial
to
Education


In
1990 the Association for Childhood Education International stated
that music, drama, visual arts in early education:
*
Foster “learning from the inside out,” authentic learning
that changes behavior and encourages reflection.
*
Enhance the child’s ability to interpret symbols.
*
Are associated with growth in all areas of development, including
academics.
*
Regard the child as a meaning maker and constructor, a discoverer and
an embodiment of knowledge rather than a passive recipient of someone
else’s ready-made answers.

Right
On!!


 

Getting Started

You
and your child can gradually collect supplies for his/her use as
needed when inspiration flashes. A child will get into the habit of
keeping materials organized and in place if they know it is expected
of them from the beginning!


 

Supplies
for the Budding Artist 

 

Drawing
Utensils 


 

                                
___ Pencils
                                
___ Crayons

                                
___ Chalks

                                
___ Markers

                                
___ Colored pencils
                                
___
Pencil sharpener
                                
___ Ruler
                                
___ Erasers

Scissors




Adhesives,
etc.
  
                                
___
Tape
                                
___ Glue sticks
                                
___ Elmer’s glue
                                
___ Stapler
                                
___ Paper fasteners

Paints,
etc.

                                 
___ Water colors
                                 
___ Finger-paints
                                 
___ Poster paints
                                 
___ Brushes

Keep
Paper Supply Varied

Paper
plays a most important role in your child’s art experience. There are
numerous different kinds of paper out there, judged by weight,
texture, strength, color, thickness, and opaqueness. It may be made
of cloth rags , wood pulp, or recycled paper. Exposure to a wide
variety of paper provides lessons in texture, absorbency, permanency,
transparency, sturdiness, and attractiveness.

A
Few of the Basics:
  • Manilla
    paper is inexpensive. It is best used for drawing and painting, but
    becomes brittle with age.
  • White
    drawing paper is available in many qualities and weights (e.g., 60
    lb. is adequate for general use, 80 lb. is of excellent quality) It
    takes paint well, is good for cutting, crayoning, pasting, folding,
    and similar activities.
  •  Construction
    paper is excellent for general art work. It is smooth, colored,
    usually 80 lb. It comes in a wide array of colors and hues,
    including multicultural skin tones, but has a tendency to fade.
    There are fade-resistant brands of construction paper but the cost
    can be prohibitive
  • Butcher
    paper, or freezer paper is great for finger painting (buy coated
    finger paint paper only if it is of excellent quality: otherwise
    substitute), It also works for ironing onto the back of fabric to
    stabilize it (and protect furniture!) when painting or using fabric
    markers. It comes in rolls of various widths, and is available in
    grocery stores.
  • Brown
    wrapping paper also comes on a roll in varying widths, available in
    paper and office supply houses. It is good as background paper for
    murals, and for over-sized drawings and paintings. In addition, it
    emphasizes lighter colors that often get lost on white paper.
  • Newsprint
    is available as end rolls from newspaper companies, or from
    educational, stationery, and art supply stores. It’s great for use
    when you don’t want to use the good stuff!
Note:
Keep in mind that there are many sources of free or inexpensive
paper. Keep your eyes open, and use your imagination!
Did
you know???
Coloring
books stifle creativity. A child comes to believe that s/he cannot
draw independently. When a child says, “I can’t” or “I
don’t know how”, respond with, “Try! I’ll bet you surprise
yourself!!”

Setting
Limits

As you provide
opportunities for your child to experiment and discover his/her
creativity, it is essential to set guidelines. This is what is
expected of the children in this classroom:
  • Tools
    must be handled with care.
  • Materials
    must not be used for touching or hitting other people
  • Art
    materials are not to be wasted. They are used only for creating
    artwork.
  • Art
    materials must not be thrown, deliberately spilled, or destroyed.
  • Do
    not put paste, paint, glue, chalk, or any other materials in your
    mouth- they are not for eating, drinking or tasting.
  • Art
    materials are to be kept in the art area, and cleaned up when they
    are no longer in use.
  • Work
    only
    on
    your own project.
  • Work
    only on the paper you are given.
  • Clothing
    and children are not for painting or cutting or gluing.     
HINT:
Set limits early on. Make a space for the children to keep and use
their arts and crafts independently, with the expectation that they
clean up and put their things away each time they use them. If you
show them by your attitude that you sincerely trust them, they will
be careful. *

Artist
Tells All

Encourage
discovery and process by talking with your child about his/her
artwork. Avoid judgment. Ask open-ended questions:
  • Tell me about
    your painting.
  • How did you
    make such a big design?
  • What made you
    decide to paint the grass purple?
  • I see the
    painting is brown. What colors did you use? 

  • Did you know
    what it was going to be when you started, or did it surprise you?
  • You have dots
    and squiggles on that! What were you thinking about when you painted
    that?
  • Look how
    straight you made those lines!
  • The way you
    draw people is very different from when you were younger.
Let
your child know you are interested and marvel at your his/her view of
the world! 



Children
Experiment with Color


 

The
next time you are taking a drive in the country, notice with your
child, notice the many shades of green. Or yellow. Or brown… Ask
him what colors mixed together make green. Is the grass light or dark
green, the trees blue green or yellow green? Talk about the colors in
the sky, and how the weather and time of day affect the way it looks.
Watch a sunset, walk around the neighborhood and check out the
gardens, compare the colors of cars in a parking lot, or the houses
on your street. Become aware. Much
of the artwork that we do is with an emphasis on color, especially
through experimentation with paint and play-doh. You will see our
adventures in mixing paint, artwork that has several shades of one
color, and even some “color magic“.




A
Few Discoveries We have Made
  • When certain
    colors are put together they seem to bounce: Mix two of the primary
    colors (red, yellow and blue) and place that color with the third
    (e.g., orange on blue, yellow on purple, green on red).
  • It is very
    difficult to mix a pretty purple!
  •  We
    may have a “favorite” color, but it could change, or we
    might not be in the mood to use it sometimes!
  • Mixing
    different colors of play dough is a     blast!
    And it smells good too!
  • You can make
    your own paint!
  • Evergreen
    branches make great paintbrushes

**********

                     Cornstarch
Paint

Materials:
Teaspoon
Baby
food jar with lid
Vinegar
Cornstarch
Food
coloring
Paper

Paintbrush

Art
Process
1.
Mix one-teaspoon vinegar, one teaspoon cornstarch, and 20 drops of
food coloring in the baby food jar.
2.
Shake the ingredients to mix.
3.
Make several different colors in different jars.
4.
Dip a paintbrush into the cornstarch paint and paint on paper as
with tempera paint.

Variations
  •  Paint on hard boiled eggs.
  •  Paint on wood scraps.
  •  Experiment painting on other surfaces.

Hints
  • You may double or triple this recipe if you will need a large
    supply of this paint.
  • Substitute cream or paste food coloring found in cake decorating
    departments for a brighter paint that goes farther.
  • Food coloring can stain clothing, so have soapy water and towels
    ready. Cover children and table surfaces to prevent spills and
    stains.

from
Preschool
Art by
MaryAnn Kohl

**********



BOOKS!
  • Bjork,
    Christina.     Linnea
    in Monet’s Garden.
  • Brenner,
    Barbara.     The
    Boy Who Loved to Draw.
  • Carlson,
    Laurie.     Kids
    Create!: Art & Craft Experiences for 3-to 9-Year-Old
  • Carroll,
    Colleen.     
  • How
    Artists See Animals.
  • How
    Artists See People.
  • How
    Artists See Weather
  • dePaola,
    Tomie.
  • The
    Art Lesson.
  • The
    Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.
  • Dionetti,
    Michelle.
    Painting
    the Wind: A Story of Vincent van Gogh    .
  • Gibbons,
    Gail.     The
    Art Box.
  • Green,
    Donna.     My
    Little Artist.
  • Henry,
    Sandi.     Kids’
    Art Works.
  • Johnson,
    Crockett.     Harold
    and the Purple Crayon.
  • Kohl,
    MaryAnn.
  • Preschool
    Art.
  • Discovering
    Great Artists: Hands-on Art for Children in the Styles of the
    Great Masters.
  • Mayhew,
    James.     Katie
    Meets the Impressionists.
  • McPhail,
    David.     
    Drawing
    Lessons from a Bear.
  • Micklethwait,
    Lucy.     
    Discover
    Great Paintings.
     
  • Press,
    Judy.
  • Art
    Starts for Little Hands.
  • The
    Little Hands Art Book.
  • The
    Little Hands Big Fun Craft Book.
     
  • Walsh,
    Ellen Stoll    .
  • Mouse
    Magic.
  • Mouse
    Paint.
  • Wellington,
    Monica.
    Squeaking
    of Art: The Mice go to the Museum
  • Wolfe,
    Gillian.
    Oxford
    First Book of Art.





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