painting & drawing skills

Our classical instruction program is based on the time-tested “master and apprentice” system of the Renaissance, where a great master artist would work together with his student, more or less taking turns on an important artwork. At first the apprentice would just watch the master paint, and learn. Over time, he would receive less and less help from the master, until eventually, over several years, the student would paint independently, finally becoming a master himself.

Our unique “Touch and Draw” technique becomes a powerful multi-sensory experience, simplifying an image into small, easy-to-see sections, challenging newer artists to “see” shapes, details, and the direction of lines, with ever increasing accuracy. With their left or “other” hand, students trace directly on the image they are copying, while repeating that exact same movement with another tool (marker or colored pencil) on top of their finished drawing. Teachers must observe that each student independently and spontaneously finds and corrects small differences between the two images, before that student may be moved to the next level of instruction within our curriculum. In this way they are learning to “see” like an artist, checking and double checking lines for accuracy. Rather than correct a student’s artwork for them, we love to see the “ah ha!” moment when a student independently notices something new, and makes a correction on his or her own artwork, joyfully, and with enthusiasm!

For elementary aged students, an hour to an hour and a half of art class once a week tends to be the perfect amount of time to lay down a solid artistic foundation. Our program is customized for this amount of time. Coming late on a regular basis, or attending class an average of less than once a week, however, will result in lack of progress, so do be sure to attend class regularly. In addition to classes, elementary students should look at something very simple and copy it once a week.

Starting at age nine, students need to practice rendering skills at home on a regular basis. Have your child do one simple sketch from life per day.

Teens who wish to create a competitive college portfolio are advised to attend class twice a week if they can, and/or plan to devote roughly five hours per week to working independently on projects at home. Talk to your student’s teacher about the best plan of action for your teen’s unique artistic needs.

Much like learning to cook, dance, or play a musical instrument, fine art is an experience-based, hands-on activity. Students learn best when they can see, hear, feel and practice each technique. With a subject that is purely visual, demos in front of a class can become ineffective if the teacher momentarily loses the attention of young or distracted students; the simple moment of the eyes flitting to another spot in the room can mean a lesson is lost. Short, repeated demos on a student’s own artwork capture that student’s interest, over and over, as instruction is personal, meaningful, and customized to that student’s own unique artistic level. We have found this to be the most effective method of ensuring that students absorb and instantly practice visual concepts. Our program is designed to produce independence over time. Oil painters draw their images with virtually 100% independence.

This is a form of hands-on learning. We have found that the best way to teach a visual subject is by providing a visual example, and this even extends to the very end of a painting. Without it, students form the artistically harmful habit of seeing their finished artwork partially done, so that’s what they learn. When a student sees what “pops” a classical picture (one last review for neatness, final deep darks and a strategically placed bright highlight), on their own personal artwork, over and over, he or she grows to expect to bring home a fully finished piece. Over time, more and more “finished”, “popped”, “WOW!” artwork comes from students’ own hands. We love it when a student exclaims, “It still needs the highlight! I’ll do it! I know how it’s done!”

Developmentally, the majority of young children have a psychological need to engage in “symbolic drawing” which involves self-expressive symbols for objects. It is important for their mental health as well as their future creativity that they be encouraged in this activity. The natural desire to render something accurately and independently typically does not form until between 9 and 11 years old. At this point, through middle school, art students desire to flex their art muscles, demonstrating ever-higher rendering skills for all to see. Exhibition of skill can become more important to the artist than subject matter. Students who have had previous instruction in rendering up to this point will begin to utilize independently, and relish the advantages of the wealth of tools they possess. Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain one when he grows up.” As fine artists ourselves, we at Art Steps know that we became skillful, expressive artists through encouragement when we were young, coupled with a tangible sense that our skills were growing throughout childhood/early adolescence. We love passing that true artistic empowerment to our students every day.

In our program, students in A, B, C or D books are aiming to be able to render in pencil, independently with little or no teacher instruction by the end of the D books. Still using Art Steps’s four-step breakdowns, they begin realism, and begin a process of breaking down imagery into shapes for themselves. By the time students become full-fledged oil painters, at the end of book RIIIC, they can draw, paint, and start classical or photo realistic copies accurately and independently.

Art is a focused activity. Speaking and listening are not associated with the same part of the mind that sees shapes, tone and color. Most art students require a meditative, relaxing environment, free of disruptions, in order to relax enough to concentrate on instruction.

Disruptive students are spoken with by their head teacher, who will attentively follow a step-by-step method to be sure that student understands that respectful cooperation is expected, and how he or she may take advantage of opportunities to get back on track. Parents are consulted if behavior does not improve. Once teachers, management, parents and students have done all they can, students who cannot or will not improve behavior may be asked by our Director to take a break until such time that the student is able to focus quietly on art-making in class. For students with special needs, private lessons or other accommodations can be made.