Spark creativity with your kids!

1. Intro: Hi friends, I Mulligan Vanitas, an illustrator and a mom of two. Drawing holds a special place for my family. Not only due to my profession, but also because we draw together very much. I think we have invented a cool family activity. It is not only fun, but it's fun, but also useful. My kids and me have a really good time together. Today I want to share our idea with you. The process consists of two parts, first, we draw freely. You can draw whatever comes to your mind or acidosis, draw with no thought, just letting your hand draw itself. We let our emotions flow, relieve the stress, experiment a lot, have fun and kid around, everything is allowed. The results are not important at all. This is really important, is to be here and now. There is no logical end. We can stop when we feel that it is enough. A little bit later, not just after that, it may be the next day, next week, or even later, we take this abstract drawings out. We look at them with a fresh eye and try to see scenes or characters in our free hand forms. This is an extra cool exercise for development of imagination and creativity. Not only for kids, but for adults too. The result is always surprising. I'm sure often the drawing can bring many happy moments to your family as it does to mine. So I'm inviting you to voice this class. I'll show you what we do with maximum honesty and tell you about materials and tricks, of which let us create a good creative environment, and show some techniques to encourage your kids to free drawings and experiments. Let's spark your creativity. 2. Stuff needed: First of all, you need large-sized paper. It may be separate sheets of paper or paper in reels. You can use craft paper, backside or if I need a wallpaper or a paper roll from Ikea. This size of your canvas shall place no limits on the span of motion and the artist fantasy. Another important thing is good gouache paint. Don't use dry gouache, the paint shall be fresh. Other materials may be any colored pencils, pencils, felt tip pens, markers, or even a box of crayons. Choose whatever you like. 3. Little artists: Now, let me introduce my little artist and my assistants for this course. This is Radim. He is three years old. He has been painting since the time he stopped to try to eat the pens. He is not yet drawing meaningful scenes by himself. Now he's interested most in cars. This is Ruzana. She's nine. She's an excellent artist. [inaudible] with verticals and gouache pains. She likes animals and always thinks of something new. She draws much herself and goes to the art class. Nevertheless, she likes taking part in our family drawings. In the next video, I will show you our family evening creative process. I have highlighted the moments that I believe are really important to make the magic happen. This is a live, not the stage video. Kids are in the cold clothes that can get messy and sometimes they got unpaired socks. But I hope you will treat it will understanding. Let's get started. 4. Step 1 Free hand drawing: Let's get started. First of all, we need a lot of large sized paper. Fresh paints. We can play a little. Building a tower of paints has become a custom for us. Let your kids draw whatever they want. Even careless scribbles. Draw together and only go with your kids. Choose big brushes. Don't distract your kids or interfere with the process unless they ask. Don't worry if kids choose dark colors. It is absolutely okay. Getting messy is also okay. You can provoke your kids with such phrases as, ''Look what I can do,'' or ''I'd like to try it this way.'' Sometimes, you can softly remind to use more water or more paint, but you shall not to be obtrusive as a dry brush can be part of the experiment remember it. For my elder daughter, such drawing is a chance to experiment, draw without a pencil sketch, draw silly things. She knows that the most important things at this time is the process. It doesn't matter what will be in the end. She can draw wrong in an uncommon way. For example, draw a freak and then wash with water or draw a skeleton from her memory, paint some [inaudible] and smash everything after that. Don't worry about cleanliness of hands, floor, paints. It's easy to wash. Don't worry about anything at all in the process of drawing. We have only one rule. No splashing paints on walls and furniture. Show the kids some interesting techniques. Also, to paint with two brushes at once or for example, show how to mix colors, wash them with water, or make hand paints. A good way to loosen up is to draw with your left hand or with your eyes closed. Don't forget that kids, especially toddlers, are fast to get tied and lose interest. It is okay. 5. Step 2 Make up characters: On some of the day, we sit down at the table, take our abstract drawings. Get pencils and draw with them over the bend and not just draw anything, but make characters out of abstract books. Can you see a turtle here? A flying dragon, with a thin long neck and yellow wings. To be honest, not all of us make up characters. The youngest just draws something yet. I show him easy examples but it is quite early for him so far. What do you see here? Rosana made up a duck. I also saw that but she and I don't always see the same characters. It is very important that you don't impose your ideas on your kids. Your kid and you may see absolutely different characters in the same blood. This is wonderful. You will visual press with your kid's imagination. For example, in this picture, I saw gold and rain but Rosana invented chickens. I am absolutely in love with your idea. I truly believe you will find numerous unexpected characters in your abstract drawings. The more often you practice, the better you will get. This is extremely good for train of your fantasy and imagination. 6. Summary and key points: Now let me remind you the key points of family drawing and the first part, it is really important to create good creative atmosphere, environment, and encourage your kids and yourself to free hands to get ready to drawing. How can you do that? Get a lot of large sized paper. Get fresh paints,gouache. Draw whatever you want. Draw together and on equal with your kids. Don't distract your kids or interfere with the process unless they ask. Don't worry for cleanliness of hands, floor, paints, It's easy to wash. Set the rules before starting to draw, such as; don't touch the sofa with dirty hands or don't splash paint on the walls. If you have an opportunity do draw outside, just try it. It is really fun. I'd decided not to show you this pictures in the beginning of the class, so that you would not be scared, but I think I can do it now. This is fun and freedom. Sometimes you need to push your kid to draw freely. Help him or her loosen up. Especially for kids who already have a broad experience of drawing for the result and not for the process itself and of course it's true for adults. Useful drawing techniques: Draw with your eyes closed. Draw with your left hand, or right, if you are left-handed. Draw blots of irregular forms. Mix colors, and test them right on the paper. Draw with two brushes at once. Wash the paints with water. Draw with prints of your brush, fingers, or other things. In the second part when we use our imagination to make up characters, the most important is to, be on equal with the kids, not to dominate. Discuss variants. It is great if your kid and you see different things in the same blot. Refrain from distracting unless you are asked to. Draw yourself too, kids, will certainly join. 7. What will be your class project: As a class project, I will offer you to present your characters you will come up with from your abstract forms. As the process takes time, so feel free to share it in steps, if it's okay for you, of course. For example, first, show a picture or even a video of your drawing, then abstract forms you've got, and then your final characters. It will be very interesting to observe you in the process. In the resources for this class, you can find abstract pictures painted by my kids, download them to your device, and try to unleash your fantasy in makeup characters right away. For example, in Procreate. 8. Few things before we finish: I think this is it. I felt very excited when I am working on this class because it's so personal for me. I can be so happy when my kids are being drawn together. It is a high-quality form of communication. I did my best to fit all my experience into this class. I know it works for my family, but I did it fully interested in how it would be for yours. Will you like it? What will your children say? I need your feedback as never before. Please share your drawing process. What abstract pictures you make? What characters your imagination creates. I'm looking forward for a class project. Of course, feel free to contact me here on Skillshare and in Instagram @olga_bonitas. Have a good time together, together with your family.