If you’re reading this article, you probably think teaching art to your home-educated kids sound great, but you aren’t really sure how to go about it. If you took art classes in high school or college, it was probably very basic unless your degree was in something art-related.
You may have never thought of yourself as an artistic type of person. If that sounds familiar to you, don’t fear. Non-artistic moms who weren’t trained in art can still teach art to their kids.
There are a ton of great resources out there to help you teach art. So even if you don’t have an artistic background, your kids can still learn. What’s even better is you can learn along with your kids. That way, all of you can learn new skills together. This also shows your kids that learning never stops no matter what age a person is.
Here are some recommended resources you can use to teach art to your kids. You can go through the materials on your own first and then teach it to your kids. Or, you and your kids can all watch together. In this list are free resources, low-cost resources, and a higher-cost resource. Choose the ones that work best for your budget and educational style.
Free Resources on Youtube:
Jordan Swain Visual Art – She posts good introductory videos on drawing with charcoal. These are great if your kids are just getting started and need to learn the basics.
Kristen Van Leuven – This channel is a great resource for learning to paint with watercolors.
Joni Young Art – She walks you through the process of how she creates paintings with acrylic paint. She has step-by-step videos for beginners and more advanced videos if your kids already have some experience with acrylics. These are also good if your kids need some inspiration for a painting.
Harriet Muller – She shows you how to draw specific things (i.e. a butterfly or a bird). Her videos are detailed and well-done, but they don’t give students a lot of basic knowledge to where they would then be able to go and draw things on their own. This is good for a reluctant art student or one who needs extra instruction while they build their confidence.
Lower-Cost Resources
Virtual Instructor – Reasonably priced art courses that cover a variety of art mediums, from pencils to oil pastels to acrylic paint. Most of the courses cost between $20 and $40. The website is thevirtualinstructor.com
“Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”, by Betty Edwards – This book includes tutorials and tips to help readers improve their drawing skills.
Higher-Cost Resource
Bestowing the Brush – Art courses available for beginners as well as those with more experience. The videos are very well-done. These courses are a larger investment. For example, the Beginner course costs $95. If you have a child who is extremely interested in art, you may want to invest in a resource like this.
Hopefully, these resources will help you gain confidence so you can include art in your home-education curriculum. Giving our kids an opportunity to learn different forms of art helps them develop new skills, become more observant, and learn to have a greater appreciation of beauty and creativity. If you want to give your kids a full, well-rounded education, it’s important to go beyond the basic core subjects. A subject like art is a great way to enhance your kids’ educational experience.