Drawing builds focus and concentration
Drawing makes mental images last longer
Drawing develops observational skill and attention to detail
Drawing improves hand-eye coordination
Drawing builds problem solving skills
Drawing facilitates better learning
Drawing is the creation of something new; something that didn’t exist before

I have never not been drawing, so it has been hard to know what to put on this page. I know drawing has given me courage, that if I solve the what and the how of putting something on that blank sheet of paper, I’ll have the courage for cooking, or sewing, or the math required for quarterly tax returns or coding for this site. Even with years of experience, I often don’t know how to do things, I just have the courage to try.

DRAWTogether with Wendy Mac

Wendy was always a highlight of our Covid Grandma School - a simple online art instruction that starts with a greeting and silly pencil mustache. When Wendy asked to hold up your drawing so she could see, the kids believed she could, they believed she was talking directly to them. Wendy announced her first class on Instagram when schools closed - she expected 100 kids to show up, maybe. Instead, 12,000 tuned in, all eager to draw a dog. And it’s stuff I don’t know, like how do you make a race car look fast?

Believing in art making connections (what we want too, right, Grandparents?!), this award-winning NYT illustrator has plenty of free short classes online, and has since introduced subscription classes for adults, The Grownups Table and the 30 Day Drawing Habit. The has options for those that can’t afford the subscription, so don’t let that stop you. An online class has so many possibilities for any age, any time, and location - you can set up a zoom call and DrawTogether. Believe in the trying, believe in the connection. There’s even a podcast, but I want to see her inspirations more than listen.

PAPER CAMP WITH DEBRA FRASiER

The beloved author and illustrator of On The Day You Were Born, Debra creates with cut paper, and has done hundreds of classes with schoolchildren, parents, and teachers. Sometimes scissors are less intimidating than pen and pencil! And then there is the endless wonder of color and texture. You’ll find plenty of inspiration in her Paper Camp - try her heart folding from February 2023. Here’s a great article from Bookology about how her paper cuttings become a book. Jack has come to love paper folding more than cutting - I save origami instructions from Instagram that he never tires of.

Kids deserve good scissors so as not to be frustrated. Grace became an expert cutter at age four by being obsessed with this Cut Color Create Dinosaur Diorama Book. It was a lot of practice - she barely stopped for lunch. There is a Horse version as well - we did both!

LUNch doodles with mo Willems

We also enjoyed Mo Willems, author and illustrator of Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus and the Elephant and Piggie books. He shows you drawings from his magical studio drawers along with each simple drawing lesson in his Lunch Doodles. The older kids might be interested in his start with Sesame Street.

EMILY LEX STUDIOS

Grace’s first experience with Emily’s watercolor workbooks is what inspired me to get this page started. I’ve know from early on that Grace has the “eye.” I had a hunch that right now, at the ripe old age of seven, she wants some guidance, but also wants to do some discovery on her own. And that she would enjoy some use of professional materials. Ikea has these fab kids’ easels for $20, brushes, and a paint set that includes some with sparkles.

When she wanted to start with the red cardinal, I did have my watercolor paint tubes to add to the palette. These watercolor workbooks are designed for any age. I played zero part in the outcome, except complying with her request for “concentrating music,” as I was working with Jack on some cut paper. At the end, when she was thinking she was done, I asked if she noticed the shadows in the original that suggested the wings and the tail, and she said, “Oh yeah! I can do that!” and she worked a little longer and added some snow. I already know we’ll order the Animal Watercolor Workbook next. There is probably one for you too!

@Andrea.nelson.art on instagram

Andrea has a website with lots of options, but we enjoy her quickies on Instagram. She is quick and colorful, and the kids head right for the art supplies after watching because it always seems like something they can do. I save kid-related goodies in their own file from my Instagram page, enjoying the playback with heads on each shoulder. It always spreads the enthusiasm if we all try the project. Andrea is using Posca Markers to draw on the glass in this dog portrait video - something we have on hand for painting rocks. They are pricey, even at Michaels, so watch for sales and coupons, and make sure the caps are put on tight. They work great for rock painting or other hard surfaces, like details on a bird house. I like the 5M & 7M bullet tips for the kids. They are water-soluble and quick drying.

Paint my pet

There are classes all around you if you start looking. I am linking Paint My Pet at our local Humane Society. Check nearby art supply stores, museums, and community education listings for more class offerings. I took adult education art classes as an eighth grader - there are no rules against that. My Grands LOVE the creative classes at www.kidcreate.com on days off from school, and there are locations across the country. We have crafty ideas on our Grandycamp Pinterest pages by subject, but I also love the ones on our Crafty Gifts page.

BOOK INspiration

A few practice books we’ve given as gifts

365 Days of Drawing by Lisa Herzog
Sketchbook Challenge; 100 prompts for everyday drawing by Susan Yeates
One Drawing a Day by Lisa Congdon
Draw with Grandma by Bushel and Peck Books. There are quite a few versions of these on Amazon, where you are drawing on one page and the child on the opposite page, like both sides of a butterfly. Makes for great conversation!

Toddler times

PLEASE, never buy cheap crayons, no matter what (more wax than color), and invest in an electric pencil sharpener, white and later, kneaded erasers, and lots of paper, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes - googly eyes are fun on everything. Check out our Toddler Times page for Melissa and Doug’s Water Wow books that can be done from the high chair with no paint, and the fab Crayola Twistable Slick Stix Crayons for getting them started making a mark. Remember, this will make them good at math someday! Or you; maybe we are getting you started! It’s never too late!

Art Smart