Drawing curriculum appropriate for 10 year old?

[Mandylubug]

We have a handwriting curricula so I am not sure Draw Write Now would work but I am willing to consider it if I hear great reviews. My son will be 10 in August and I am wanting to get him high quality pencils. He saw someone using watercolor pencils and he REALLY wants those. I don't know how much they cost but considering it. He has no real experience with drawing. He has gotten some drawing books from the library and really likes to draw Manga and does well at it.

 

I am looking for something that teaches basic drawing techniques including shading, etc. that is fun and not boring

[Hunter]

I don't use the handwriting in Draw Write Now, but sometimes we use the sentences. DWN doesn't focus on shading. All I can say is now that I have it, I don't know how I ever lived without it.

 

For maps and more complicated pictures, I scan, crop, enlarge and print the finished model, so the student can see exactly what they are supposed to make their 8x11 paper look like.

 

DWN gave me the tools to incorporate drawing into many subject areas. We often just READ textbooks now, and then draw. It started with drawings from DWN and reading R&S 4th grade geography and now it's just spreading, where my students expect to be read aloud to, and then to draw and copy some sentences for every lesson. Which is a very Waldorf way to do things.

 

Shading is important, but...I focus more on proportion and color theory and emotions to start, and comfort and confidence to put SOMETHING on paper.

 

We do some shading with Drawing Textbook, and there is a bit of shading in the Augsburg crayon "paintings", but shading is not a priority here.

 

We use the 123 series, and Ed Emberly's Funprint Book (for the "feelings"), as our main supplements to DWN.

 

Using Color in Your Art is our main color theory text. Most of the lessons can be done with crayons instead of paint.

 

Stockmar and Faber-Castell beeswax, and Prang soy crayons are my preferred media to teach with.

Edited June 3, 2012 by Hunter

[mo2]

:bigear: Mine likes to draw but doesn't like the drawing books that teach you step by step how draw *certain things* (like the 1-2-3 Draw books). I would like to find something more general, that would help her to be able to draw anything she wanted, rather than just specific animals, etc.

[KristenR]

You could try out a few of the free online lessons of Mark Kistler and if your kids like it you can pick up a cheap year subscription through HomeSchool Buyer's Co-Op.

[Pen]

We have a handwriting curricula so I am not sure Draw Write Now would work but I am willing to consider it if I hear great reviews. My son will be 10 in August and I am wanting to get him high quality pencils. He saw someone using watercolor pencils and he REALLY wants those. I don't know how much they cost but considering it. He has no real experience with drawing. He has gotten some drawing books from the library and really likes to draw Manga and does well at it.

 

I am looking for something that teaches basic drawing techniques including shading, etc. that is fun and not boring

 

My son does a lot of drawing. He has tended to like adult drawing books, not ones for kids, and I had thought DWN which I had bought would be a total waste, but then he got into books by Rick Riordan with Egyptian myths and used the DWN models relevant to Egypt, so maybe it is not a waste after all. It does show some shading. We tried Mark Kistler, but he only tolerated one lesson of that.

 

My son has sets of regular graphite pencils, charcoal pencils, and colored pencils. The colored ones are not extremely high quality, but are a combo of Sargent Art erasable color pencils (good because they are erasable), and Sargent Art Watercolor pencils. He has actually only used (and likes) the former, so I cannot comment on the latter. The watercolor ones give a more intense color, which would be nice. The erasable ones are somewhat pale--but he likes being able to correct mistakes. ETA They are both of reasonable enough quality for a beginner, and were not outrageously expensive--less than high quality beeswax crayons (which we do use), or Prismacolor pencils (which I expect he will graduate to when he is ready to give them the care they deserve and when erasable is not so much an issue). I got them from Rainbow Resource.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Pen

[Cosmos]

Someone mentioned Mark Kistler above. I'm not familiar with the online lessons, but Draw Squad is a great self-teaching course and very affordable.

[Hunter]

My son does a lot of drawing. He has tended to like adult drawing books, not ones for kids, and I had thought DWN which I had bought would be a total waste, but then he got into books by Rick Riordan with Egyptian myths and used the DWN models relevant to Egypt, so maybe it is not a waste after all. It does show some shading. We tried Mark Kistler, but he only tolerated one lesson of that.

 

My son has sets of regular graphite pencils, charcoal pencils, and colored pencils. The colored ones are not extremely high quality, but are a combo of Sargent Art erasable color pencils (good because they are erasable), and Sargent Art Watercolor pencils. He has actually only used (and likes) the former, so I cannot comment on the latter. The watercolor ones give a more intense color, which would be nice. The erasable ones are somewhat pale--but he likes being able to correct mistakes. ETA They are both of reasonable enough quality for a beginner, and were not outrageously expensive--less than high quality beeswax crayons (which we do use), or Prismacolor pencils (which I expect he will graduate to when he is ready to give them the care they deserve and when erasable is not so much an issue). I got them from Rainbow Resource.

 

Do you mean Draw and Write Through History? I don't have these, but need to add them to my wishlist.

 

Yup, my students cannot tolerate Mark Kistler either and I can't figure out why. Drawing textbook is so similar and they will use that, but not Kistler unless they get stuck on something in the textbook and check out Kistler online, JUST long enough to get over the hump.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Hunter

[Pen]

Do you mean Draw and Write Through History? I don't have these, but need to add them to my wishlist.

Yes! Good catch! I meant Draw and Write Through History, which does have some shading. I got them mixed up.

 

 

Yup, my students cannot tolerate Mark Kistler either and I can't figure out why. Drawing textbook is so similar and they will use that, but not Kistler unless they get stuck on something in the textbook and check out Kistler online, JUST long enough to get over the hump.

 

Hmm. Interesting. My son usually likes DVD type learning, but interestingly, not for art. He likes pictures that show steps to follow to get there-- he doesn't really have patience to watch someone else doing it or to read text about doing it. Are your students tending to be hyper? I think that may be relevant.

[Hunter]

Hmm. Interesting. My son usually likes DVD type learning, but interestingly, not for art. He likes pictures that show steps to follow to get there-- he doesn't really have patience to watch someone else doing it or to read text about doing it. Are your students tending to be hyper? I think that may be relevant.

 

Nope they just don't like Kistler's modifications of Drawing Textbook. They think he ruined a classic. There are very expensive out of print VHS tapes for the Drawing textbook and they wish we had them, and so do I. We just don't like the Kistler touch. Ick! It's not KIstler's fault. He didn't aim his work at middle aged women, who are disabled, LD, ESL and homeless :-) His male middle school focus just doesn't cross over as well as other curricula do. I think they dislike Kistler more than anything else I have here. "Quick, turn it off now, I've got it!" with hand shielding eyes, is a frequent comment :lol:

[Hunter]

Last year one of my neighbors got ahold of my Mapping the World with Art and finished about half of it, before getting distracted. So, I don't think it's video instruction that is the problem.

 

I need to find this and take a fresh look at it.

[formy3kids]

We just bought a subscritption for Mark Kistler thru the coop. My 3 kids love it! They are begging to do it multiple times a day.

[Hunter]

We just bought a subscritption for Mark Kistler thru the coop. My 3 kids love it! They are begging to do it multiple times a day.

 

I know some kids love it. But here, even the nieces and nephews, of the aunties who are my students, hate it. And they do other art here. Coming to auntie's friend's house is a treat, and they think it's a hoot that the grownup here has "toys" and good ones. I take out all sorts of art and science for them, but never turn on Kistler anymore. Nope! They give me that, "is it because you are white, that you are so stupid" look.

[Pen]

Hmmm. Well, returning to the original question. Now that Hunter straightened me out about Draw Write Now cf. Draw and Write Through History, I'll reply that my son (similar in age to OPs) found the DWN (we had the Native Americans one) too ... something... young, I think. Maybe the sort of thing that very little kids and adults can appreciate, but that at a middle pre-teen age, it seems not right. In part he had already been doing shading and didn't want to go back to none, for example. Now that he discovered the Egypt part of the first DWTH book we have, I suspect he may also get interested in the Greek parts when he gets to Percy Jackson (he is going backward having started with the Kane chronicles first). That said, DWN somewhat resembles Waldorf drawing in final result, although the methods and intentions are very different. My son went to a Waldorf and we did home Waldorf to some degree so he may have been already exposed to enough of that sort of art and ready for something different. But if yours (OP) is already doing Manga style cartoons (did I remember that right? the orig. post no longer shows below as I write this), DWN may be too low a level for yours too.

[KarenNC]

The drawing course I want to eventually get for figure drawing is http://www.alienthink.com/. The first 19 lessons are online free so that you can try them out. I have very, very little native artistic ability and this was able to let me draw a reasonably proportionate recognizably human figure in the first 3 lessons ;). I've been urging my 11 yo daughter (who does have artistic ability) to give it a try.

 

We've bought a number of manga drawing instruction books, but my daughter says she feels she does better just trying to copy from the actual manga. She did a few lessons with Mark Kistler, but wasn't enthusiastic. I've also been told that Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is very good.

[FriedClams]

I would like to add a book to your list:

Art for Kids: Drawing: The Only Drawing Book You'll Ever Need to Be the Artist You've Always Wanted to Be (Hardcover)

Kathryn Temple

 

It is an amazing drawing book for kids. It's super we'll done with great content but not written "down" to kids. I would highly recommend it!

 

We've also used the Disney books and they are great!

 

Mark Kistler is a lot of fun but the book above gives more "why" and would be a great addition to MK.

[Hunter]

The drawing course I want to eventually get for figure drawing is http://www.alienthink.com/. The first 19 lessons are online free so that you can try them out. I have very, very little native artistic ability and this was able to let me draw a reasonably proportionate recognizably human figure in the first 3 lessons ;). I've been urging my 11 yo daughter (who does have artistic ability) to give it a try.

 

We've bought a number of manga drawing instruction books, but my daughter says she feels she does better just trying to copy from the actual manga. She did a few lessons with Mark Kistler, but wasn't enthusiastic. I've also been told that Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is very good.

 

I have this. It's good. It quickly gets too intense for me, but it's fascinating, and If I wanted to invest the time into it, I believe I could do it. I'm just not interested in investing the time. I think my version is older than the current one.

[Hunter]

DWN can be too babyish for some 10 year olds. I hadn't thought of that, because none of my students are prepared for anything more, yet, and we just use this so much, especially for geography.

[ChrissySC]

I use Drawing With Children and combine with RS Art and another resource or two. You are welcome to it. You can see it on my blog.

 

I use this particular plan from 3-5th grade, but we will be completing it in the fall of the sixth. I will move on to vintage resources for planning then with some of the RS Art sprinkled in there too. :)

 

You might consider some of the vintage texts. They have a wide range of topics and it is no cost except for your time to plan the lessons.

[godsaggie]

http://www.howgreatthouart.com/products/4.html

 

I just purchased this for my dd10 who loves to draw. They have a dvd set that you can purchase also...but I don't think you need them to teach it. I also purchased the "I Can Do All Things" book for my dd5 to start next year. Just flipping through the book, I am really impressed. But I don't have an artistic bone in my body.

[Mandylubug]

Hmmm. Well, returning to the original question. Now that Hunter straightened me out about Draw Write Now cf. Draw and Write Through History, I'll reply that my son (similar in age to OPs) found the DWN (we had the Native Americans one) too ... something... young, I think. Maybe the sort of thing that very little kids and adults can appreciate, but that at a middle pre-teen age, it seems not right. In part he had already been doing shading and didn't want to go back to none, for example. Now that he discovered the Egypt part of the first DWTH book we have, I suspect he may also get interested in the Greek parts when he gets to Percy Jackson (he is going backward having started with the Kane chronicles first). That said, DWN somewhat resembles Waldorf drawing in final result, although the methods and intentions are very different. My son went to a Waldorf and we did home Waldorf to some degree so he may have been already exposed to enough of that sort of art and ready for something different. But if yours (OP) is already doing Manga style cartoons (did I remember that right? the orig. post no longer shows below as I write this), DWN may be too low a level for yours too.

 

Thanks, he is drawing Manga style but not just a free draw quite yet. He will look at a picture, draw a bit, look again, draw a bit. He is drawing it but requires the example for comparison while creating it. He is able to recreate the example though and is proud of his finished product. I am hoping one day he can free hand a picture without an example. He played around with some water color pencils yesterday and fell in love! I look forward to researching all the suggested books, lessons, etc. for him!

[Five More Minutes]

You could try out a few of the free online lessons of Mark Kistler and if your kids like it you can pick up a cheap year subscription through HomeSchool Buyer's Co-Op.

:iagree:For a 10yo boy? This.

 

Mark Kistler's Draw Squad and/or Imagination Station are also good for that level. (My husband supplements with them in his ps art classes.)

 

I would think that Draw Write Now would be too young for your student, much as I love the series.

[Walking-Iris]

A lot of people really enjoy Mark Kistler and we tried one of his books and my ds hated it. And he's a very talented artist for his age. Art is like a passion for him. Drawing With Children has been a huge success for us. We just don't enjoy the "how to draw this" type books. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and it's workbook are really good. But it's geared more for the older student or adult. I've been able to tweak some of that as well as some principles from The Artist's Way and Responsive Drawing for my ds, but not entirely--those are more like teacher resources for me.

 

My plans for art for next year (for all three kiddos) are Drawing With Children, Artistic Pursuits (just got these books and I like the layout) and Harmony Fine Arts coupled with Using Child Sized Masterpieces. As well as just general crafts projects.

[Hunter]

Thanks, he is drawing Manga style but not just a free draw quite yet. He will look at a picture, draw a bit, look again, draw a bit. He is drawing it but requires the example for comparison while creating it. He is able to recreate the example though and is proud of his finished product. I am hoping one day he can free hand a picture without an example. He played around with some water color pencils yesterday and fell in love! I look forward to researching all the suggested books, lessons, etc. for him!

 

Yup, THIS is why I use oversimplified "baby" resources. My goal is for my students to confidently free draw, no matter how babyish it is. They are so art phobic, they like DWN, 123, and The Ed Emberley "Feelings". They even get stuck on DWN figure drawing and I have had to create examples on lined paper of exactly how many lines for each body part.

 

I actually got the idea from the alienthink videos linked above. Decide upon a simplified and precise model and then practice drawing it. It doesn't have to be real or accurate, it just needs to be consistent.

[Pen]

Thanks, he is drawing Manga style but not just a free draw quite yet. He will look at a picture, draw a bit, look again, draw a bit. He is drawing it but requires the example for comparison while creating it. He is able to recreate the example though and is proud of his finished product. I am hoping one day he can free hand a picture without an example. He played around with some water color pencils yesterday and fell in love! I look forward to researching all the suggested books, lessons, etc. for him!

 

My son has just recently started drawing from things he sees in the world, and occasionally things he imagines inside himself, but also mostly works on copying pictures (which is what the Draw Write Now and the Drawing Through History books also do, btw) or rendering photos into drawings. Do not dismiss this as insignificant, it is a major thing done by art students that they copy other works, especially, of course, works by the Masters, and learn from that.

 

My son's favorite art books have been by Lee Hammond, meant for adults, but they work for him better than the things meant for kids so far. Hammond has one on color pencil drawing you might look at.

[2_girls_mommy]

We have been using Drawing with Children for a couple of years now. We go slowly through it among other projects throughout the year. So my 10 yr old will be doing chp. 5 of it next year. There is nothing babyish about it, but it does require you to teach it. It is not a book for the student to just pick up and teach himself. But if you do it your art and his will improve, I am sure.

[Hunter]

I was doing some lessons from Augsburg today, and he repeatedly admonishes the art teacher to help the students stay focused on the general shape and to not get distracted by details. I needed this reminder.

 

I stuck to just block crayons today. Waldorf is really good about making young students do this before moving on to details. I think I might try some DWN without the outlines, just using block crayons.