Expression with Pencil or Brush
Let the child early be given charcoal or colored chalks, and later the three pigments—red, blue and yellow—wherewith to express his ideas. Allow him some choice in the medium he uses—as pencil, charcoal or brush—as one may be best suited to his purpose one time, and another one at another time.
Encourage the child to tell a story by painting or drawing. The earliest graphic method by which man conveyed messages to one at a distance was through picture-writing.
LEARNING TO OBSERVE
Painting From the Real Object (Paints, chalk or charcoal)
Place before the child an apple, banana or flower of simple form and let him copy directly from the object without previous drawing. Encourage his efforts, however crude the results at first. It is more educative to draw from the real object than from a copy. Give him at first three colors only, in paints, till he learns how to get other colors by mixing these. For this purpose point out beautiful sunsets and cloud effects in Nature.
Life Stages of Seedling (Paper, paints, seedling)
Place before the child a bean or pea. Give him an oblong of paper 3 × 8 inches. Fold it into four parts. In the first let him draw or paint the seed as he sees it. Then let him plant the seed. In a day or so let him paint a picture of the seedling, after having grown so as to show the development of the seed leaves. Draw two other pictures to show later stages of growth. This gives a picture history of the little plant and while so occupied the child is learning to observe and note that which he sees.
ACQUIRING SKILL
Calendars (Water-colors, brush, paper, calendar pad)