Another question about Waldorf form drawing.

[Tabrett]

It was recomended in my first post that I should get the Christopherus form drawing book.

 

Does the Christopherus book teach coloring with block crayons like this book?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Coloring-Crayons-Emphasizing-Primary-Colors/dp/B000YI6AKM

 

Or does the Christopherus only teach the forms?

 

I would really like my dc to learn how to make drawing like these-

 

http://www.youtube.com/alittlegardenflower#p/u/4/Zqnb39BxgWI

 

Do I need the Christopherus form book and the Coloring with Block Crayons book/DVD?

[shukriyya]

Block crayon drawing and form drawing are two entirely different things. If you'd like your child to explore crayon drawing like that on the video then the amazon book you linked is what you want. It's a great book and dvd.

 

The form drawing book is basically a series of forms grouped by grade level. The direction is minimal but it's a good beginning to this area of exploration.

[Tabrett]

Block crayon drawing and form drawing are two entirely different things. If you'd like your child to explore crayon drawing like that on the video then the amazon book you linked is what you want. It's a great book and dvd.

 

The form drawing book is basically a series of forms grouped by grade level. The direction is minimal but it's a good beginning to this area of exploration.

So the two methods arn't related to each other at all? My dc don't need to learn the forms to do the block crayon drawings? I'm a little confused. What is the purpose of the forms if not an into to drawing?

Edited May 26, 2010 by Tabrett

[dragons in the flower bed]

So the two methods arn't related to each other at all? My dc don't need to learn to forms to do the block crayon drawings? I'm a little confused. What is the purpose of the forms if not an intro to drawing?

 

They provide pre-handwriting and pre-math skills as well as an excellent eye training exercise. They're using in the learning of many subjects. Block crayon use is a parallel to this, another method of producing art, also used in the teaching of content areas.

 

I don't think a kid needs training in block crayon drawings. You just use them like regular crayons. The difference in the Waldorf methodology, IIAM, is that you don't outline an object then fill it in. Instead you start by making a dot, expand it wider, growing it out to the final object.

 

The color exercises in that book you linked to on Amazon are not Waldorf specific exercises. They'd be part of any basic art program.

[Tabrett]

They provide pre-handwriting and pre-math skills as well as an excellent eye training exercise. They're using in the learning of many subjects. Block crayon use is a parallel to this, another method of producing art, also used in the teaching of content areas.

 

I don't think a kid needs training in block crayon drawings. You just use them like regular crayons. The difference in the Waldorf methodology, IIAM, is that you don't outline an object then fill it in. Instead you start by making a dot, expand it wider, growing it out to the final object.

 

The color exercises in that book you linked to on Amazon are not Waldorf specific exercises. They'd be part of any basic art program.

Now I'm getting even more confused. The block coloring books/DVD are from A Little Garden Flower and Waldorf Essentials. The book is not based on Waldorf? It is part of their 1st grade curriculum package.

[dragons in the flower bed]

Now I'm getting even more confused. The block coloring books/DVD are from A Little Garden Flower and Waldorf Essentials. The book is not based on Waldorf? It is part of their 1st grade curriculum package.

 

The books seem to use Waldorf school techniques to teach traditional art content. I mentioned that because you seemed to be looking for something that would teach Waldorf art.

[Closeacademy]

As far as block coloring that book and the DVD are about it for what is out there. Here is a link to the page at Bob & Nancy for art instruction:

 

http://www.waldorfbooks.com/edu/curriculum/art.htm

 

I owned the Painting in Waldorf Education at one time and it was neat to look at but not very useful in instruction.

 

Form drawing in not art. It is something you do before learning to form letters. It also leads into the mapmaking and geometry lessons on later grades. It is meant to soothe the soul, center the child and help with concentration. This is Bob and Nancy's Form drawing page:

 

http://www.waldorfbooks.com/edu/curriculum/form_drawing_handwriting.htm

 

Form Drawing Grades 1-4 is a good one but so is the one from Christopherous house.

 

Hope this helps.:001_smile:

[Melissa B]

So the two methods arn't related to each other at all? My dc don't need to learn the forms to do the block crayon drawings? I'm a little confused. What is the purpose of the forms if not an into to drawing?

 

Form Drawing is its own class. I would equate it to handwriting. In the way that a child in the early years has a 'handwriting class' which later gets dropped as handwriting becomes something to be done in the process of studying other subjects; so waldorf schools have form drawing classes which focus on in/out breathing and developing a child's will. The classes later become a part of writing classes, geometry classes and art classes.

 

Block crayon drawings are a form of output. They are like the narration pages of the WTM system. You do narration pages on the history, science and literature you are studying. Waldorf students do block crayon drawings to demonstrate what they have learned about other subjects. In the early years, the students are actually copying the teacher not learning from a program. So, you would actually buy some block crayons and work on drawing with them yourself so you can then show the child how they work.

 

But there is a major difference in the purpose behind block crayon drawing. The output isn't so much about what was learned as a narration page would be. The drawings are just as much about what was discovered from within and the teacher would have the student start with an archetype shape - circle, triangle, etc and then form the picture from the archetype. In the same way, the first grade student would start with a letter or number and form the picture around it. It is a way of helping the student to see the primary or whole aspects of the world.

 

Children are encouraged to draw free forms with their crayons as well. All art isn't focused on educational subjects. You could just buy some block crayons and let the kids work with them. They are held from the top as opposed to wrapping the fingers around them, so there are no clear lines. They are fun to work with and kids pick up on the idea fairly easily.

 

I'm sorry, I have no information on the actual program you linked.

[In The Great White North]

Block crayon drawing and form drawing are two entirely different things.

 

:iagree:

 

 

 

The difference in the Waldorf methodology, IIAM, is that you don't outline an object then fill it in. Instead you start by making a dot, expand it wider, growing it out to the final object.

 

And use the side of the crayon, not the point (Dc were always told not to use the corners.)

 

First grade form drawing leads in to writing, but it rapidly becomes more complex than writing. I especially liked the Celtic knots (around 4th grade, with the Norse myths)

 

Dc continued form drawing classes through 8th grade. Somewhere around 5th or 6th, they started using straightedges and compasses, and made very intricate geometric forms.

[Tabrett]

Ok, block crayons are used as narriations. I like that idea. Even if I take dictation for their narriations and then have them "draw" a narriation over or beside the dictation.

 

I like the drawing narriation idea. Is there a Waldorf book that will teach me how to teach my child how to do this?

 

What books am I looking for?

 

So far, I like the idea of form and block crayon drawing!

Edited May 26, 2010 by Tabrett

[In The Great White North]

I'm not sure if there is a book, but this is how it worked in the three different Waldorf schools dc attended at one time or another.

 

In the early grades, the teacher would tell them a story. The next day, they would take about the story (basically a group narration) They might even act it out. The next day, the teacher would have a passage from/about the story on the board for them to copy and the teacher would draw a picture on the board (also for them to copy.) The copywork might take a couple of days, and was expected to be a work of art.

 

Around 6th grade, the students started writing their own summaries. The teacher would correct them and they would copy them into their main lesson books and draw a picture. They started this about every third story, and gradually increased til, in 8th grade, they were writing a new summary every day for whatever the teacher presented (no longer just stories - could also be math, chemistry, history, etc) and drawing their own illustrations to go with it.

 

Where it really deviated from WTM, is the lack of outlining. I don't remember hearing anything about outlining at all.

[Tabrett]

So, are there pre-made pictures the teacher would draw on the board or were the teachers natural artists and came up with their own drawings for the children to copy in their main lesson books?

[dragons in the flower bed]

So, are there pre-made pictures the teacher would draw on the board or were the teachers natural artists and came up with their own drawings for the children to copy in their main lesson books?

 

In materials for homeschoolers there are usually suggestions and sometimes pictures for teachers to copy. In Waldorf teacher colleges, they train you to come up with these pictures and stories. Learning to be a Waldorf teacher is very much learning to be an artist.