Home › Forums › The Learning Center › Teacher’s Toolbox › What do people want to learn from artists?
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June 6, 2020 at 11:56 am #1294246
Hi, just asking again in here cross posting from the drawing forum.
I was wondering what teenagers are interested in drawing. As in what subjects do they want to draw and what techniques too?
I’d also be intersted to know the same for younger kids and older adults.
Ive been asked about doing some online workshops or demos and was a bit stuck what to do so thought id ask if there are specific things, intereses, subjects that people want to master.
Thanks for any help
www.mundyart.co.ukhttp://www.mundyart.co.uk]www.mundyart.co.uk[/url][/b][/size]
I just love painting stuff!
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sign up for my Newsletter[/urJune 9, 2020 at 6:41 pm #1295971I taught an oil painting class at an adult, recreation center for about 9 years. Overall, about 41 classes.
What I learned regarding the desires of most (not all, but MOST) students is that they merely want to get a painting completed, and to have it be mildly recognizable. Very few of my students actually wished to “learn how to oil paint”–instead they just wanted to sling paint, without really understanding the process involved in accomplishing that activity in a proper manner. Their goal was merely to “just get a painting done.”
Those types of students were truly aiming on “getting a painting DONE”, without bothering to actually learn how to go about doing it.
I remember during the opening evening of one of my classes, I was explaining the difference between direct, and indirect painting, because WE were going to use the indirect painting method. One woman sitting right in front interrupted me with the question, “When can we start painting?”
I told her that she was perfectly welcome to begin applying paint any time that she wanted to, and that if she felt that my explanations were quite useless, to ignore what I was saying. She merely wanted to “paint”–she did not wish to “learn how to paint“. And, what’s really sad is for that goal, she could just as well have saved her money that she spent for the class, and stayed home, and applied paint to her canvas any way she wanted.
She did not show up for the next session, nor any of the remaining sessions.
There is a very fine dividing line between instructing students, using verbal facts, and allowing them to “sling paint”. What most students don’t realize is that about 80% of “learning to paint” involves the acquisition of simple KNOWLEDGE, brought about through verbal explanations, and instructor demonstrations, and the remaining 20% involves the practicing of such acquired knowledge.
As with a golf swing, if one merely “practices, practices, and practices” without first gaining the academic knowledge of precisely WHAT they should be practicing, one will experience almost immediate “fun”, but will never gain in their improvement of quality. Learning to paint is not much different than learning a proper golf swing, in my opinion. And, yes, I am one of those who literally “practiced” my golf swing most of my young, adult life, but who should have spend some time, and money learning what it was I should be “practicing”.
But, I always engineered my first session to have the students applying paint during the session. That pretty well kept them interested, and eager to do some “homework” on their own, applying more paint, as they enjoyed the operations of applying paint in a proper manner.
wfmartin. My Blog "Creative Realism"...
https://williamfmartin.blogspot.comJune 9, 2020 at 7:14 pm #1295983Personally, what I want to learn from an artist is their application techniques, and most importantly, what is going through their head while they are doing it.
The youtube videos that I enjoy the most are from those artists who explain why they are choosing to do what they do, in terms of color/value choices, as well as demonstrating their operations in applying the paint.
wfmartin. My Blog "Creative Realism"...
https://williamfmartin.blogspot.comMay 23, 2024 at 6:06 am #1548704Absolutely! For younger kids, interactive activities like drawing their favorite animals or simple characters can be very engaging. They love bright colors and easy-to-follow steps. For older adults, workshops focusing on watercolor techniques or drawing from life can be very rewarding. By the way, if you’re ever in need of IT-related projects or need developers for a project, check out this https://www.unbench.us/find-project They specialize in connecting IT companies with suitable projects and developers. Good luck with your workshops!
June 22, 2024 at 6:13 am #1554144What follows is just my own, personal, most humble and questionable *opinion*.
I agree. And disagree.
I remember the book “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”: At the end, Peter tries to teach students the underlying concepts of flying, and then gives up to just let them fly, realizing he started the same way and then proceeded to “Illumination” from there.
The thing is to try to remember when we were learning ourselves. We all were at the “GET IT DONE” stage one time.
Kids love color. Give them good colors and they’ll play. Let them play. Give them some idea from time to time. And listen to them.
Some will want to fill in pre-drawn shapes (just lay down color), some will like to draw something of their interest (just let them and observe), some will like to get lost in detail, and some in rough figures.
So, I would say that the best is to find something that gives brilliant colors easily (I hated most supplies in my childhood ‘cos they were so hard to get any colour off them or to maintain -due to low quality), and let them play the first classes, then observe what each likes and try to encourage them to go ahead.
From there, if they have fun, they will keep on coming back with “interesting” and often challenging questions, and with the mind open to learn the “basics” because they will have a real motivation.
Teens? That’s more difficult. It’s a stage when you realize your limits, become shameful, closed in on yourself, aware of others’ opinions, and have difficulties to open up, while willing to do anything to please.
If you try to exploit their willingness but they don’t like what they do, you will lose them. If you try to find out what they like, they will close up.
I would say, start from “neutral” subjects that are all too easy, but look wonderful, something they can show and be proud of. Talk and listen to them friendly but not pushing.
Hear them. What do they talk about? Look for easy projects related to that. Dispel bad habits: tracing a figure is not “cheating” and can get them good results. Yeah, they won’t “learn” the principles, but it is OK. Sooner or later they will get tired of tracing ‘preset’ pictures and will want to do something else, and will ask you how.
Listen to them. Let them explain and look for “shortcuts”. There is only so far one can go with shortcuts, but there is lots of fun to get. And when they had gone their way, they will come back for more.
Adults? More of the same. They want to “paint”, not to be masters of the Universe. So, let them paint. Good thing about adults is they usually have criterion, so when they do “paint” they will unavoidably get back to you and say “hey, I pay you to teach me, how can I fix this problem?”, and then you tell them that little bit and let them decide if it is enough or want more. If they enjoyed it, next day they will want more. They are envious too, and old enough to learn from each other. Exploit it: if each gets a different advice they’ll be jealous and talk to themselves, and learn from each other -indirectly from you.
OK, I realize I talk like a drug dealer. But that’s the goal: we all make from our hobbies a drug we return to for pleasure, to the point where we are so dependent on them that we want to be professionals to be able to enjoy it forever.
In the process, some will be satisfied with just doodling, tracing, sketching, whatever. And that is also OK, we are not all alike in the end. It is *their* life, so do not tell them *how* to live it or get around doing something. Just give them the tools they need as they need them.
*That* is what all of us -consciously or not- did actually. Just help them find their way.
Fun is the secret.
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