Back to the Drawing Board

[Timothy Gangwer]

"Drawing" is the word most likely to trigger anxiety in my art studio.  "I can't draw a straight line," is a common response from adults and older children begin to worry about drawing correctly.  

In our society we tend to think of drawing as a talent or gift.  It is something you either have or don't.  How is it then, that all young children can draw but as we get older we lose this skill and confidence?  

A big part of the transition has to do with practice.  As we mature in school and reading, writing and academics take over there are fewer and fewer opportunities for drawing and illustration.  Most people are just out of practice with drawing.  

Kids don't often see adults drawing; we move on to other interests and our drawing muscles weaken.  It is also a natural part of the developmental process to become more self critical and perfectionistic as we get older; older children can see clear images in their heads but struggle to get the idea on paper just right.  

They are likely to stop drawing and this lack of practice further inhibits their drawing skills. In our thinking we often limit drawing to artistic practice but in reality drawing is a part of professional practice for many many people from naturalists to designers, engineers, and architects.  

Sometimes thinking of these different uses and purposes for drawing can be a good way to encourage kids to try drawing in a new way.  

Draw like a naturalist and sketch favorite plants in bloom or animals and birds seen in your yard or on a nature walk. Draw like an architect and design a new building; follow this with drawing like an interior designer and choosing colors, shapes and themes for the space.  

Kids might enjoy drawing lego or block buildings - focus on drawing and recording another creation is a great way to get beyond the concern for creating a pretty picture while still building drawing muscles.  

Objects all around us from our homes to the computers we type on all started out as drawings by designers. Encourage kids to imagine improvements on favorite technology and draw the new components and how they might work.  

Drawing like writing is a great way to practice observation skills and really understand something you examine. By building visual literacy through drawing, you also build attention to detail, problem solving and thinking skills that can help in many different subjects.

• By Kathryn Horn Coneway