Why would any grown adult want to draw like a child?
Of course, it is ridiculous to think anyone could learn from a child’s drawing… Is that so?
You can’t learn from looking at a child’s painting.
Isn’t that foolishness? Are you sure?
If your answer is ‘Yes’ … then there is no way this posting can help you.
If the answer is ‘No’, you’ll be asking me if I found any important lessons from children’s drawing and painting…
“Yes, I have learned plenty from children’s artwork”
I remember when my son brought his first paintings home from school. They were like most infants pictures. They showed big ideas, painted with fantastic simplicity and speed. Naturally, they were short on technical drawing and painting skill but long on story and meaning.
What I found fascinating was that the full meanings of the pictures were lost to me. As a parent, I found that my first impressions were usually wrong. Daddy wasn’t necessarily the largest figure drawn. It could be mother or grandmother, father or grandfather.
The likelihood is that you cannot read a child’s picture without asking the child who painted it…
Always, you will be surprised by the story that is contained. Even the simplest of drawings will be described with great excitement…
- It could be a day at school
- It could be about a birthday party
- It could be a holiday
Children’s artwork is incredible and always worthwhile. They are bright, lively and colorful.
Even the most basic pictures have clean drawn lines.
What is most fascinating is the directness of line and brush stroke that allows a child to produce their striking drawings. They may be basic but cannot be bettered by any adult… here’s where even Picasso failed (if he really was trying to paint like a child)
Also, children often use enviable technique in their artwork. Children don’t understand how they get the effect but they instinctively use pencil, crayon and paint.
Indeed, I remember some of the first pictures my son painted before he went to school. He would have been around 4 years old, using cheap paints and brushes. Yet, with just a single brushstroke, there was huge ENERGY. It didn’t matter what the pictures were supposed to represent. With that brush mark, he had combined 2 or even 3 colors that kept their individuality (difficult with a single brushstroke). At the same time, the colors combined to give secondary colors that take an artist years to discover.
I found that my son could equally surprise when he used pencils to draw. It was the same with felt tip pens or crayons… amazing pictures were made.
No doubt your children are the same… showing remarkable imagination and drawing skills.
The key learning children can give is that they don’t worry about their drawing and painting skills…
You won’t see a young child worrying about whether or not they can draw or paint… They just get on with it.
That’s right! A child isn’t restricted in any way… there’s no doubting what they can do. Without the limitations of doubt, they can do anything they want…
“Just like you can!”
A professional artist’s advantage is in the knowledge of their skill… their confident technique. You maybe aren’t sure about your drawing skills. If that is so, remember…
“Technique is learned”
Your own skills and technique are learned. With practice, your skills and technique will improve.
It doesn’t matter how experienced you are. When you use your skills to the maximum, along with confidence gained from practice…
“You will draw with style”
Crucially, it’s your imagination makes the real difference… There’s no substitute for imagination. Imagination is what turns a drawing into a work of art. It is your imagination, combined with skill, that makes the difference between your drawing and a mechanical computer produced image.
“Draw with imagination”
Always remember, you had imagination as a child and you still have imagination now. Use your imagination in your drawing and they will come alive. Your drawings will have story and meaning. Your drawings will have value.
Combine drawing skills with your imagination and you will achieve artistic miracles.
See you soon
Michael
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