Art Skills


Art Skills

There are some basic skills that children need to gain to be successful in art. What is fantastic is that building skills will help the children with all sorts of other educational and domestic tasks. Exploring each of these skills through art will expand a child's ability to express themselves and learn in other fields.

So what can we do? Each of the skills has simple tasks that can help a child build skills for school and life readiness.

Cutting

This is a skill that requires both eye hand coordination, planning, and small motor skills. Give it some time to develop and start off with tasks that do not have to be beautiful: shredding the junk mail or old bills, cutting straws to make beads. Focus first on controlling the open and closing the blades. Then master straight lines before you move on to curved and zig zag lines. Here is a tutorial on getting scissors ready .

Using Glue

Pasting or gluing: I do not like glue sticks because typically the glue is low quaility and difficult to apply. It also runs out quickly and the packaging is wasteful. For most projects, children should learn how to use glue. The youngest children should master using a glue pot and a paintbrush or a Glue sponges. With a brush glue can be directed to exact places without the risk of puddles and pouring. Glue sponges allow students to press paper onto the sponge to get a light coat of glue. When they have mastered the idea of using a little bit of glue they should focus on using little dots like the diagram. If they practice squeezing lightly, they will make better quailty projects that stay together.

Holding a pencil

If a child leans to hold one incorrectly it can be helped but it always best to start with the correct grip. For right handers a traditional tripod grip will help students from being fatigued and pained. Pay attention to having a firm but relaxed grip to ensure they can sustain writing and drawing over time. Drawing with small pieces of broken crayon will strengthen the finger muscles that are needed to hold a pencil. Here are more pointers on teaching grip.

Building hand strength, Dexterity and Fine Motor Skills

Tracing around objects and squeezing and squishing dough, clay, or silly putty all build hand strength and stamina. Stringing beads or cutting paper working puzzles, cutting paper, building with blocks, and playing hand games are all things that can make hands strong and able.


Mark Making

Experimenting with new media and playing with new techniques is an important part of making art. When you get a new art material see how many ways you can use it to make different marks on your paper. For example with a crayon: color with the pointed end and the flat one. Peel the paper and use the side. Can you use it with paint or markers? What happens if you do? Color with one color, then color another color on top of it. color using a lot of pressure and then light pressure. Each of these techniques will change the mark it makes. How many different ways can use each medium?

Following Directions

Following directions is very important to being a successful learner. To be a good direction follower: listen to the speaker, and look at the speaker, ask questions to make sure you understand. Repeat directions back to check for understanding. Do not be afraid to ask for directions to be repeated, written down or explained. If there are a lot of directions, making a checklist and crossing them off when each part is finished will help you complete all of the parts.

Learn what kind of directions will help you them most and let others know so they can provide you with the best instructions.

art by reineke on deviantart

StoryTelling

Thinking about what your art is about is just as important as making art. Pictures can help us remember and explain, enhance or replace words, examine ideas, and expand on them. What story are you telling yourself as you make art? Why did you make the decisions about your subject ? What do you want others to think about when they see your art? These are all questions that when answered allow artists to develop, learn, and grow.