When I started this blog, I was not sure where it would go. I had just finished writing a book about painting with your kids and have always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with others.
I started this blog to share my knowledge of art and what I have learned from teaching painting to children. In the books I have written, you will find each painting step by step along with ideas for how to expand on what is taught in the tutorials.
We are going to be doing many one day events here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as well as some online stuff. We will be taking classes at the Art League of Texas and other places around the Metroplex area (Plano, Allen, Frisco, etc.), so keep an eye out for those posts!
I hope that you find this information useful in your own art projects whether you are working with children or adults! Have fun and enjoy!
Please feel free to share your projects here on the blog using
Western art is an interest in itself, but it can be a stepping stone to history, travel and science. Painting with your kids is a great way to create fond memories, but it will also improve their coordination and fine motor skills. I paint with my kids and have for years. We’ve used oils, watercolors, acrylics, tempera and plaster of Paris. It’s never too late to start and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t continue into old age. You’ll probably even find that your kids are willing to paint with you!
Tutorials include everything from how to mix paints to how to draw cartoons, from nudes to fantasy creatures. If you’re interested in learning more about the golden ratio, painting portraits or landscape painting then this is the place for you!
As an artist, I have a great appreciation for the art that has come before me. But I’m also a mother of four, and I know how hard it is to find the time to spend with your kids doing something so unproductive as painting.
Trying to create family art can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! In fact, you can make some beautiful pieces together with your kids and there is actually no better way to bond with your children than by creating art together.
Recently I’ve been sharing the fun we’ve had painting with our kids on my blog, Painting With Your Kids. It’s a place where you can find ideas and inspiration for painting too! We’ve been creating watercolor paintings every week and writing about our family’s adventures in art making. Come join us!
Painting with your kids is a great way to bond while they learn skills that could help them throughout their lives. You can paint together as a family, or individually with each of your children.
Here are some helpful tips and resources to get you started!
As you know, children love to paint, and this is a fun way to spend an afternoon. When you do a painting with your child, it allows them to be creative in their own right while they learn the techniques of painting. And it also gives you a chance to sit back and enjoy watching them create something that you can put on your wall at home or give as a gift to someone special.
What have you got to lose? You could have a lot of fun doing this, and get some great ideas for paintings for your family room, bedroom or kitchen.
You’ll find that most of all, the time spent with your child will create special memories between the two of you.*
Whether you’re painting on canvas, wood panels or walls, the process is essentially the same. It’s a great activity for all ages and abilities, from toddlers to grandparents.
The first thing to decide is what you want to paint. You may have a particular idea in mind or you may just want to experiment with different effects. The sky’s the limit!
I’ll be demonstrating with acrylic paints but watercolours, gouache and oil paints can all be used in a similar way. The key is to be brave and let your imagination run riot. I’ve seen some fantastic paintings created by very young children who were following their own instincts rather than copying a photo or an image from the internet.
Conversely, don’t feel that your efforts have to be perfect either. There’s something very liberating about knowing that you can make mistakes and just go for it anyway!
If you’re a beginning painter, it can help if you start with a simple design like dots or stripes. Here’s how:
1) Decide on your subject matter and get everything ready in advance . Choose the colours you are going to use from your palette (or tubes) and place them next to your board/canvas/wall. Collect up any other tools like paintbr
Art is all about making your own decisions. It’s about being confident enough to put down the paint brush and say “no” to your instructor. It’s about knowing and trusting your instincts. And it’s about knowing that making mistakes is a good thing, because those mistakes will lead to discoveries you couldn’t have anticipated.
Trial and error is part of the process of developing any skill, but it’s extra crucial in art because mistakes made while painting can lead to mistakes in composition, subject matter, color choice, etc. Learning to let go of the fear of failure is essential for learning art.