DRAW! by Karen Smullen

Artists begin with the basic shapes they see in their subject, then refine the drawing until they are satisfied with the style and level of detail. 

In DRAW! geometric shapes provide easily understood basic information that allows the artist's personality to reveal itself. 

The meaning is clear the rest becomes art.

This book is a beginning for the visual learner in all of us.

DRAW! is filled with over 200 simple reproducible lessons based on simple geometric shapes that result in beautiful drawings filled with personality. (see COOL CATS below) 

DRAW! supports many areas of curriculum 
as well as creative visualization. Copy a whole unit such as "The Pilgrims" or Plant life cycle then create a packet to support your students' writing activities with ARTiculate illustrations. Teachers will learn drawing for the Smart board...
Perfect for visual learners and creative thinkers.

GO FORTH AND DRAW!

COOL CATS COLLECTION

SOME CREATIVE CATS... more on the way

To my students and family... 
Thanks for your creative effort... these pieces will be posted in a new gallery on beginnerswork.com

To SUBMIT your cats go to  COOL CAT DRAW IN or send a jpg file to Karen@beginnerswork.com

  

             

       

Been inspired? go to COOL CAT DRAW IN for how to enter your wonderful cat painting or drawing, etc.

See the collection so far...@ beginnerswork.com 

BEGINNERs CATS

little lessons from DRAW!

Everyone (including 4-5's and adults) thinks they know how to draw a cat until they try... artists begin by seeing the basic shapes in their subject.

little lessons help you see the basic geometric shapes - you do the rest.

Add what you see or what you imagine. 

The wonderful thing about using this basic visual information

 is the creative variety of the resulting images...

the lesson is simply a CATylist for your creativity!

PODCATS

PODCATS

 I have been waiting for excellent and charming cats 

to come my way. Yesterday

 I  listened to the, always excellent, Leanord Lopate Show on WNYC.

Click

One of the segements was an interview with Dr.Nancy Davidson. 

She wrote this book which is available on Amazon. 

I have linked the picture to the podcats, oops, podcast

 I think you will enjoy it. 
Dr. Davidson has a wonderful voice...

COOL CAT DRAW IN

I love to see variations on one simple visual idea... Here is a class of snowmen. 
No two are alike and they each have great personality.

 So, I am calling for entries into the...

The first annual (drum roll)  

COOL CAT DRAW IN

I hope everyone (yes, even teens and grownups) will download this lesson and draw a cat in marker or paint or sand etc. Any way you like... 

Please take a few pics of your effort and send them to me at greywacket@gmail.com.

 Be sure to include the name of the artist. I will be posting all of them.

Teachers... have your whole class do it. 

Homeschoolers... a family activity.

Parents... next rainy day.

I can't wait to see the beautiful ( or funny or scary ) results!

POST your pictures to this blog OR my Facebook page... beginnerswork.com 

1

POM POMS...SOFT SOFT

Sometimes more is more... 

This collage made from card board, pom poms and feathers...is a simple and very luxurious project. Click pic for more...

HOW TO DRAW A FACE

Mommy's face or Daddy's face is the first symbol a child learns to recognize.

So it will be the first image they will learn to draw... a circle for the head then the nose anchors the other features. You can help your beginner by putting a dot in the middle for them. Ears are in line with the nose. I recommend lots of practice with crayons...
-from DRAW!@beginnersworkbooks

IF YOU LEARN TO DRAW A CIRCLE

beginners draw - 4 and beyond 

Every drawing begins with basic shapes, for experienced artists as well as for beginners.

A circle is the easiest shape to learn and the most versatile. Begin by drawing round scribbles.

This practice will help your beginner's arm become comfortable with the curve of a circular line.



 

Next draw a few circles to practice.

It takes years of practice to make a perfect circle, we are not seeking perfection.

A circle is: round, not oval, no corners and closed.

When I teach, I call a circle with corners a squircle, as in "Oh look, this must be a squircle... circles don't have corners." Very young beginners, who are just learning shapes, think this is hysterical!

Once she can draw a circle, the addition of a few more lines will make many different drawings.

A beginner can learn simple ways to draw familiar things.

With a few basic shapes and some extra lines, she will be able to record and communicate.

Beginnerswork  little lessons books give young learners a head start with fine motor control

and clear visual expression.

The simple lessons in  DRAW! provide essential visual information for any beginner.

If they begin with basic shapes, children will, inevitably, put their own personality into their drawings, like the variations of a cat pictured above.

Each artist was taught to draw a cat in the same way and yet, each cat is highly individual, full of personality.

The basic information expresses cat, the rest is art.



These simple pictures are the key to a greater level of expression and the beginning of reading and writing.



Create a picture or compose a story.  Pictures in a folded book become a story.

 

If you put drawings a linear form that is read from left to right; she is on her way to writing stories.

Now, her story has the element of time and she can discover the important concepts of beginning, middle and end. Your beginner can also share her story with others using her book as notes (much like a Powerpoint presentation) and filling her story with simple or complex oral language. 



And if your beginner learns to draw a square...just imagine....