Education The Art of Coloring Book Coloring

An art masterpiece often begins with a child's first crayon stroke, their first opportunity to grasp a crayon, to make a line, or to blend colors. If you didn't think anything good would ever come of the hours your child spends sitting on the couch coloring pictures of their favorite animals, pirates, or animated characters, think again. This article will outline the skills that they are currently developing, and provide you with a few ideas to help nurture their talents. Choosing Colors Right from the beginning kids are confronted with artistic choices. It is only in the beginning that the choices are relatively easy to make. Later we worry about what people might think if we choose this color over that one. At a very young age, kids just don't care. The best thing you can do at this time is not care either. Just let them do their thing, and praise them for their accomplishments.

Developing Fill Techniques Most kids will pick up a crayon and fill the space in just about any way they can. Some take a more creative approach. They may create interesting patterns within the space, create textures with many colors, or make bold strokes as expression of their character. If they're techniques have any merit at all, let them go. For others it might be helpful to step in and guide things a bit. You might suggest side-to-side or up-and-down hand movement, coloring with the side of the crayon, or stippling (filling the space with tiny dots - ala George Seurat). Learning About Shading As your child grows in their coloring skills, you might suggest the addition of shading to the artwork. Take them around the house or the backyard and show them how light creates bright areas on one side of an object and shadows on the other. Then decide where the light is coming from in one of their coloring pages, and begin to add highlights and shadows. Developing Motor Skills Coloring provides fine and gross motor skill development that leads to improved art skills. Through this simple activity, grip, coordination, and strength are all enhanced. By observing your child as they spend time coloring, you will see another highy desired outcome – a readiness for handwriting. Growth areas that should be observe include extended attention span, grip on crayon, posture, and use of their second hand to steady the coloring page. Summary Kids are eager to express themselves through line and color. The best thing you can do is hand them their crayons and let them go. The freedom you give them to be creative will likely lead to a highly desired outcome. Interested in getting your child started on their creative path? Download free printable coloring pages and art projects for kids on MakingArtFun.com.