Things to keep in mind while teaching art to kids

Art can be a career option, a serious passion or just a mere hobby. It is one of the most popular extracurricular activities for kids. Art teachers often say that the trick to engage youngsters in a work of art is to introduce them to a wide range of subjects and works of great artists while teaching them age-appropriate techniques. There are certain things in terms of technique that parents need to keep in mind if they want their children to pursue art. Here’s a low-down on them.  

Don’t let kids overuse pencils and erasers 
Make your child understand that not pencils are suitable for drawing. There are specific drawing pencils available in the market. Also, ban the overuse of erasers. Instead, allow kids to make random mistakes which can be turned into something worthwhile. Having ready access to erasers tend to curb the creative flow and in turn results in second-guessing. Moreover, when kids are a bit older, encouraging them to use colours and brushes will enable them to improve their creative skill.   

Don’t allow mixing oil paints with water colours 
Mixing medium may be fun for kids. But blending oil paints with water colours isn’t ideal because the resultant output isn’t going to be as desired. This is because, oil and water never mix. So, make sure your kids use water and oil paints separately and one at a time.  

Ask them to mix paints on paper and not on palettes 
As weird as this may seem, asking children to mix paints on palettes not only consumes a lot of time but also produces unwanted results at times. Instead, if they directly mix the colours on paper, using the double-loading technique (hybrid act of putting more than a single colour on the brush itself), it not only produces better after effects but also makes the clean-up process much easier.  

Emphasize on using outlines 
Teaching kids the art of outlining from day 0 is the key towards turning them into good artists. Outlining gives that finishing touch to drawings and makes them look complete and whole. Helping kids learn the art of adding contrasts to the background is also a good idea. Using waterproof markers to do the outlines often gives water-coloured drawings a much-needed structure.  

Allow them breaks 
Make sure that kids get sufficient breaks in between their art classes. This allows them room for imagination while helping them reflect on their past work. A break also gives your budding artist a chance to immerse back into the activity, recharged and fresh. This enhances their imaginative capacity.