Learning how to teach children art

DireWolf

I'm wondering if anyone know a good resource on this topic? The idea of teaching kids have crossed my mind many times in the past but I never consider it seriously. Now, this makes me feel old but my sister's son is almost 3 and it makes me think seriously about this.

There are some nice tips and tricks I could find on google such as this but I'm curious if there's some sort of comprehensive online class that's right on topic of teaching arts for young kids?

Thank you in advance

Blond

Make them read shojos and shonen, that's how mmost kids get interested in drawing, no joke.

Chimp

Introduce it as play rather than learning and work with characters an IP that they're familiar with and love. Do they watch Pokemon? Draw some pokemon with them.

Try not to be too teacherly to begin with, it will scare them off or frustrate them, initially you just want to encourage as much drawing as possible, later you can come in with the technique.

Ideally, they will look up to you so what you need to do is celebrate their successes and lead them into self-critiquing (why doesn't mine look as good as yours - and then have them answer it themselves).

I taught primary school kids for a while, and most of the time i sat on my hands and let them discuss amongst themselves why theirs doesn't match up to the art they're trying to emulate.

It was about getting them to suspend ego, make it less of a competition with others and more of a competition with themselves. Once that happens they stop being proud of it and start trying to improve it.

It's easy to try to barge in with theory and lessons but really at that age it's impossible and a vastly better way is to simply encourage lots of drawing and encourage proper observation, analysis and critique on their own, rather than you telling them how it should be.

Once you give them that, you give them an EYE for art and it develops itself mostly.

Marshkin

What age group are you looking to tackle? I think that will really impact your approach.

baalnazzar

Be sure if you can work with kids. I had some practice in school and hell no. I'm definately not good kids teacher. Or teacher at all. And age group matters. From my little experience it was best to teach really young ones like 7-9 years old. Less noisy, easier to get some attention and excitement from them, which is really nice But still, looks like I'm not enough social person to work with with group of kids.

Steve Schulze

I don't think I'd try to influence a child's art at all until they get to the age where they start developing self doubt. Until then, show them an art implement, how to use it if it's not entirely obvious, and then say "go!"

No critique, no direction. Just praise for whatever they come up with.