Painting Or Drawing From Observation

[Guest]

hi

Our Reception children are busy painting easter cards at the moment and we're noticing that they are struggling to paint from observation - they don't seem to be able to position things on paper e.g. if painting flowers, they can't see that the heads are at the top of the stems - we're putting real objects in front of them and demonstrating etc.

I'm just having a bit of a think about the new framework and creativity - do you think teaching them to draw and paint from observation is stifling their creativity? Before i launch into a big teach on it all I just thought I'd seek other people's opinions? My gut feeling is they can only apply skills after they've been initially taught them - same with cutting etc?

Thanks!

[Jester]

Yes they need to have the skills first. When I did art with the year1/2s I started with basic skills such as using different types of pencils, pens, charcoal and making different lines and shapes and then applied this into a final piece.

 

Giving them the experience of the media how to draw basic lines and shapes aided them in being able to draw something from observation.

 

I think its important that children have experinece of drawing from life- it is not stifling their creativity in the slightest as every child will have a different perspective of the still life and will apply their own style to it- only when they have the nescessary skills and experience to do this.

 

I used a book about drawing for year1/2 to help me with this, I will find out the name for you tomorrow when I am in school, I think there may be one for reception.

 

Also I would not be expecting reception children to be drawing from observation.

Edited March 4, 2008 by Jester

[Beau]

Being able to draw a lifelike representation of an object is actually quite a tricky thing and a child would only be able to do so when they have reached this stage of development. Perhaps the children need to have more chance to draw freely and experiment with shape and form before they can begin to do this. I would have thought that this was quite common for this age group so perhaps you are expecting too much? I would like to know what others think though!

[Beau]

And I've merged your two topics so we don't end up with deja vu!

[Susan]

oops, I should read further, Ive deleted the duplicate post!

 

 

 

Janine, I think there is a place for teaching skills and for allowing the children to experiment.

 

I have seen nursery children paint beautifully from observation. I didnt know the children though so perhaps they were particularly artistic but I do think it is something that we should be enabling the children to do with the provision of opportunity.

[Guest]

I agree with you Susan. I come from an art background and believe children should know/be taught some basic skills to express themselves and their ideas fully.

[narnia]

hmmmm,have to say i have had many 3 and 4 year olds over the years who have drawn beautifully from observed items, so I think that much of it must be innate. I agree some children would benefit from a demonstration, but my gut instinct would be to let them continue to experiment and see what happens? Especially with such things as easter cards......as a parent I'd much rather have something my child has drawn completely by herself.An art lesson is a different matter,though.....

 

oh dear, I'm waffling, aren't I ?

[Rea]

Does it help do you think if te paper is on an easle rather than flat on the table? When its flat there is no top and bottom!

[Guest Wolfie]

We did a painting from observation adult focus activity once, just to see what came out of it really - whether the children enjoyed it, whether it was appropriate, etc. We had a huge bowl of fruit, lots of different colours and shapes, and had talked to the children all about the different fruits, who had tried them before and so on.

 

The children loved the activity and came to it willingly. The results obviously varied but we felt that it was a very worthwhile activity and repeated it regularly. We displayed the paintings and several of the children enjoyed talking about them and could point out the different fruits on their own some time later.

 

One funny thing....I watched the member of staff lead the activity the first time we did it and was so inspired that I asked to lead it the next time. I had a vase of flowers ready, paper and paints and said "We're going to have a go at painting this vase of flowers today, would you like to have a go?" - turned away to sort someone's apron out, turned back and two children were busily holding onto the vase and flowers and painting them as requested!!

Edited March 5, 2008 by Wolfie

[Beau]

Perhaps another time you could let the children choose something that they would like to paint? If it is something more familiar to them perhaps they'll find it easier?

[Inge]

The most powerful way to develop creativity in your students is to be a role model. Children develop creativity not when you tell them to, but when you show them.

Robert J. Sternberg in How to develop student creativity

just to add another perspective on this and children's creativity. at this age i fully believe that experimenting and learning from experience is important as all see things so differently, and allowing children to enjoy and produce something they are proud of.

Killing creativity in children

Maybe worth thinking about what you are hoping they will achieve, .

Inge

[Guest]

Oh, Wolfie, my husband and I had a good chuckle at your post, but that is small children for you. They take what you say literally.