This was really our third drawing lesson. I didn’t write about our second as I felt it was unfinished and I can fill you in over here.

In the first lesson where we actually began our drawing lessons the kids got a basic overview of the elements of shape and did alot of experimenting with the shapes and copying them.

They were then ready for the real stuff, the actual drawing (so my charges will think they are doing “real art”)

As I may have shared in the past,this type of teaching drawing is kind of a leap of faith for me. I am a graduate from a very progressive graduate school that believes in children REALLY doing things on their own, and here I am giving exact step by step directions as to HOW to draw a bird.

But I really read through Mina Brook’s book and I like what she has to say and so I am just jumping in and going ahead.

Which is why I even set up art classes in the first place, I was not getting it going, I needed the push and the formality of real art classes to see if this worked.

I photocopied Mona’s instructions in how to make the bird as it was easier than reading from the book. I  explained to the kids that I was learning along with them,and they were so excited that they were actually making something real.

I started with the eye of the  bird and then continued up until the tail end.

All the instructions s are in the book Drawing with Children

Once they had made their pictures like some of the ones below which they were really amazed they were able to do.

It was time to add the rest of the stuff.

I actually finished one lesson with just making the birds to continue the finishing up the week later.

They were allowed to make the birds any size and could make more than one.

The mothers of these children told me that they were busy making birds all over the place after this lesson.

Starting off the next lesson, I hung up some beautiful photos of birds that I had gotten from a calendar company.

As an aside, I was looking for calendars forpictures for inspiration and I called one of the calendar companies to see what they do with their old calendars. When I told the woman that I was an art teacher and needed them for inspiration she sent me a whole box of old calendars, for free.

Anyway, I hung up a bunch of these pictures (which happened to work out that is was of birds)

I showed the children all the different backgrounds that they could add to make their pictures beautiful.

Two of the kids starting having  real hard time as they decided that they did not like the birds they had made the week before and wanted to redo them to look perfect like the ones I had hung up.

I was then able to discuss the fact that these artists were older men who had been practicing their craft for years and years and that art needs alot of patience.

One little girl wanted to make one of the birds, so I went over with her how the elements of shape were part of the bird she wanted to copy.

It took her a very long time but she finally completed her picture

I didn’t even realize until now that I posted it how close the two really were.

I am encouraging them to cover their whole papers with color and am trying to gather a whole slew of great, broad, appropriate colors markers. I just ordered some and will post the pictures of them when they come.

Another few bird pictures from the kids below.

The kids were really excited with their first attempt and we are starting to keep their pictures in plastic sleeves to create a portfolio.