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Who was it who said they used the Ream method for art?


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I just wanted to say (years later lol) that the method worked. We were more or less doing that already, since that fit with my own inclination and experience, but having a label for it allowed me to do it more deliberately. It was fantastic and I just wanted to say that my childrern are probably going to use it with their children, label and all.

 

Thank you so much,

Nan

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I think it may have been me...lol. Not sure if I coined the phrase, but....I know I have written about it here.

We have used the ream method forever and I have always called it that.

 

I now have 1 professional artist, one published amateur and we have used MANY reams! :-)

 

Glad to hear it works for you!

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I'd like to know more about this! Please?

 

Provide REAMS of paper, lots of pencils, drawing books and let the kids have at it whenever they want....do not criticize or correct....let the kids explain...or not explain. Artistic freedom....lots of practice...makes some awesome artists!

 

 

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I love this. Drawing is something my daughter does on her own everyday. Her drawings are everywhere....scattered throughout the house. We have Draw Write Now and various Usborne drawing books. Are there specific drawing books that you recommend?

 

I suppose this is something of a thread high-jack, but you have really gotten my interest!

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Provide REAMS of paper, lots of pencils, drawing books and let the kids have at it whenever they want....do not criticize or correct....let the kids explain...or not explain. Artistic freedom....lots of practice...makes some awesome artists!

 

 

I don't think it's enough for every kid.

 

We have always kept enough art supplies to sink a ship, but my ds would never, ever pick up any of them. "Whenever he wants" would be never. He never chose to draw or color as a preschooler.

 

He would, however, participate in structured art activities, either set up by me or in group settings. Right now he's actually having a ball doing a metal working class at a local art studio. But for us, just having the materials at home has never been enough to spark interest.

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Cosmos - Mine spent lots of time stuck places, like stuck on a boat or stuck in the gymnastics waiting room or stuck in the car. They used art to entertain themselves quite a lot. They also grew up in a family that drew and did art projects for fun. Mine aren't professional artists, but they grab a pencil and draw to explain something, they have a keen sense of asthetics, and they do the occasional art project. At the point when they started to become frustrated with their drawing ability (about 9 years old?), I took them through Draw Squad. When they were older (about 13), I took them through the Artistic Pursuits book that teaches drawing. When they were even older, they chose to take drawing as one of their first community college classes. We did Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered. Sometime after that, we all had a week of working with acrylics. Other than that, we left them alone with the materials, reams of paper, and lots of how-to books. I never critiqued or made them talk about what they had done. We never did any art appreciation or art history, except what showed up in their history books, because I felt like the time would be better spent learning to make their own art, but we did have some lovely art books lieing around. They mostly focused on the Egyptian or Greek or Roman or samorai section when we went to the art museum. The materials were right with the school books where they could grab them easily. We had a set of trays which they did projects on. It kept the baby from eating the legos and allowed them not to have to put away a project until it was done. They just slid the tray under the livingroom sofa or a chair (or put it someplace high out of baby reach). They did art projects on these trays, too. The house is covered with ongoing projects and artwork is taped to doors, displayed on the mantle piece, magneted to the fridge, even now that they are all over 18. Some of it is mine or my husband's. Maybe it is more than just reams of paper. Maybe there is something in the environment that encourages the doing of art?

 

Faithe - It probably was you. Thank you! And Cosmos's question made me curious. Do the adults in your family draw or do art projects? Do you have a tv?

 

Nan

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Nan,

We do have a tv, but we are a no electronics family until after dinner ( except me because I have to work while. They school many days. ).

 

The adults in our family do draw, sew, knit, sometimes do projects etc...especially now since 1/2 our kids are adults! I think it is like our book environment. We have books...but we all READ books. The youngers see us reading and enjoying, talking about and otherwise using our books, so they read, book-talk, and love their books. This, of course does not work with all kids....not even ALL of mine. Some are just not inherently interested in drawing...it is not their thing, so they can learn the basics in a course and call it done. I have 2 like that. No interest whatsoever in drawing, but...those kids, for some reason, are more athletic and math/science oriented.....hmmmmmm....never really put those things together before...lol.

 

My oldest dd is an artist/ graphic designer and she loves all kinds of projects...

She did have art lessons for 2 years...mostly to teach her how to use other media in her artwork. It was worth the time spent. My other children have enjoyed many " how to draw...." books, Draw Squad, etc. We have loads of coffee book sized art print books available. We also HAVE done art history...especially with my oldest....because it was her passion. We draw in many subjects...but especially in science ( nature study) where each child has a sketchbook and colored pencils in their packs. We have dabbled in watercolors, but the kids do not like the lack of control and therefore prefer acrylic.

 

The " ream method" did not negate all other art instruction....and if your child enjoys planned projects, by all means GO FOR IT! My kids are always drawing, doodling, folding, spindling, mutilating and otherwise using up paper. We cut, glue and then draw some more. If that wouldn't work for another family....that is ok too :-). I am a big supporter of doing what works....for us, tons of paper and pencils seemed to be the key.

 

Faithe

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Some are just not inherently interested in drawing...it is not their thing, so they can learn the basics in a course and call it done. I have 2 like that. No interest whatsoever in drawing, but...those kids, for some reason, are more athletic and math/science oriented.....hmmmmmm....never really put those things together before...lol.

 

 

Funny, my most artistically inclined so far is also the most mathy/sciency so far.

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We're an engineering-oriented family and I always associate engineering with a strong interest in design, visual representations of information, asthetics, and an ability to draw. Many of the engineers I know do some sort of art as a hobby, or music, and I don't know one who doesn't want a pencil in their hand when they have to think or explain something. Part of the reason I wanted to make sure mine could draw was because of an experiment my oldest ran when he was a toddler. He would go up to adults and say, "Draw me something." The engineers we knew all took the pencil and drew. They were unphased when my son wanted them to draw a cow and might say something like, "Well, I can't remember exactly what a cow looks like but I think they look something like this. How about that?" Almost every single non-engineer looked at my son sadly and said, "I can't draw." I think this experiment actually proves that engineers are better at defining the problem (how well does a 2-year old need that cow drawn) than that engineers can draw, but I don't think it would have worked if the engineers hadn't been pretty comfortable using the pencil in non-written ways.

 

My goal was for my children to be able to draw and read music, both of which I think of as handy skills like reading and writing and not necessarily any more akin to art than novel or poetry writing is to learning to write. I wanted the foundation there in case they needed it in the future, in the case of the music, and I think everyone should be able to draw. Since mine drew as toddlers, it was just a matter of encouraging them to keep drawing as they grew older. If we hadn't been focused on STEM things and foreign languages, if we'd been more focused on the humanities, I would have done much more art and much more art history, I think, (still don't think I would have done art appreciation lol - I seem to have an allergic reaction to that) and we would probably have done more formal art programs. It is one of the things I regret not having time for.

 

Cosmos - What I'm trying to say with all that is that my expectations are pretty low. The Ream method was perfect for accomplishing my goals within my time and energy limitations. It gave me the ability to get output out of my children while their writing skills developed, since both of mine were slow to put all the pieces of writing together. The middle one, especially, was slow to learn to writing papers and learned to organize writing using a book about writing a graphic novel and learned the steps of a research project by doing an illustration for LorR. If your son enjoys doing art in a more organized setting, then by all means, do that! I've been thinking about why the Ream method worked for us and I think I've figured out what it might be? Maybe? All of my family happens to have a high tolerance for doing things with less than great results so they are pretty happy mucking about on their own until they get the hang of things. Not everybody is. I can see why your son might rather do his learning under more organized circumstances, with more guaranteed results or with more guidance. Consider yourself lucky to have found something that works.

 

Nan

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Cosmos - What I'm trying to say with all that is that my expectations are pretty low. The Ream method was perfect for accomplishing my goals within my time and energy limitations.

 

I'm not criticizing your method. I think it's great to let kids just go with art, and when my ds was little that was my intention as well. We put out tons of materials and didn't pressure or criticize. Only . . . . nothing happened. If pressed to draw (not by me, but in Sunday school or something) he would scribble for ten seconds and say he was done. This went on for years. The only time he engaged in an art project was when it was set up and organized by somebody else. Then he would more or less go along with it. But he just never had any drive whatsoever to create art on his own.

 

When my ds was nine or ten, I had him go through Draw Squad. At that point he had drawn almost nothing, maybe a handful of drawings in his life. He went through about half of Draw Squad, very slowly, and was amazed at what he could draw. Then he stopped Draw Squad, and I don't think he's drawn anything since. Creating art is just not something he's interested in at this point.

 

My only point is that the statement "no pressure and lots of materials creates great artists" just may not be true for every student. A kid with a drive to create art will probably do great in that setting. But my kid in that setting would never do anything.

 

I think my goals are far lower than yours. I have decided that I want him to have tried several different kinds of art and to learn some basics of drawing. I don't think every kid has to be an artist. I'm fine with what we've settled on. The opportunity to do art is always here (we still have tons of materials), and I occasionally organize an art or craft project. He enjoys them, but doesn't do any art on his own. He is familiar with lots of different materials, though, so in the future he should be able to pick it up if he wants to.

 

This winter, we happened to be at an art studio when they had some projects for the public to try. My ds really enjoyed the metal working project, and so we signed him up for the kids metal working class they have there. He seems to be having a fun time. This is the first time I've ever seen him interested in something art-related.

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Yup. Not everyone wants to make art, or has found the particular kind they find intriguing. Lots of people would just plain rather be doing something else. Like my nephew, who in a family of artists and musicians steadfastly refuses to be anything but a book worm. Not for lack of trying on his families part, and not for lack of talent. He's very creative if you can get him to participate. He'd just rather be reading. : )

 

I didn't think you were criticizing. I thought you made a really good point.

 

Metal working sounds really cool. My oldest and least artsy took welding in college and has various ideas for putting that to use is less than practical ways.

 

Nan

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