Have you ever used the “How to Draw…” books?

Last week at the library my children and I were in the art section and found, How to Draw Cartoon Vehicles by Curt Visca.  We decided to check it out and give our artistic side a try.

Today we cracked out the drawing paper, sharpened our pencils and began to draw.  This step in itself was a success.  The fact that my son was willing to sit down and give drawing a try was progress.  He could sit all day with a stack of books and be content.  However you throw a pencil in the mix and a bad attitude and angry eyebrows surface almost immediately.  Writing, spelling, and drawing are on the top of his, “Least Favorite Things To Do in a Day” list.  However for the next 25 minutes we all drew our best cartoon vehicles with no whining or quitting.

Idea of the Day:

Give the, How to Draw Books a try.

- Go to your local library and check out a couple learning how to draw books.  You can find anything from cartoons to animals to basic shapes.

- Even though you child is drawing instead of writing words, it is still great fine motor practice.

- For younger artists, let them trace the pictures.  Photocopy one of the pictures and tape it to a door or window (with a good deal of light).  Next tape a blank piece of paper on top for them to trace the picture.

This is great fine motor work and helps to build hand and wrist muscles as they draw on a vertical surface.