Last week I read the children a book called Willie's First Drawing Lessons: Simple Lines of Nature. I like how book titles were so self explanatory back in the day. It is a small book of approximately 40 pages. But despite it's length (or lack thereof), it is a great living book that teaches children some important basics for drawing.
This is what is stated in the beginning of the book:
This is what is stated in the beginning of the book:
This little book has been written chiefly with a view to interest a young child in Form by associating its instruction with familiar objects; but it has further been attempted to render the attainment of the first ideas of drawing more easy, by classifying all lines into two kinds only.
****Random fact**** I have to mention that the book is written by "A. Lady". How cute is that? ****End of random fact****
By the time we finished the book the children knew that basically drawing comes down to straight lines and curved lines. Willie points out these shapes in his everyday surroundings to his mom and dad. The book came out in 1857 so in Willie's day that meant nature, steamboats, Bricklayers, and Milk Maidens - to name a few.
The above illustration is used when Willie explains to his father the four types of straight lines. The children and I learned that some lines had different names 150 years ago. What we know as vertical lines today were called perpendicular back then. And diagonal lines used to be called oblique. Who knew?
Willie explains to his father that a curved line "is a line which does not go the shortest way between two points, but sweeps evenly out on one side or the other." Circles are touched on a bit as well.
By the time we finished the book the children knew that basically drawing comes down to straight lines and curved lines. Willie points out these shapes in his everyday surroundings to his mom and dad. The book came out in 1857 so in Willie's day that meant nature, steamboats, Bricklayers, and Milk Maidens - to name a few.
Straight Lines
Curved Lines
Angles
Even though angles are really just two straight lines that meet at a point, the book does dedicate a chapter to them. Acute, right, and obtuse angles are illustrated and explained in a way that isn't confusing to little ones.
Short and Sweet
The beautiful illustrations and the quaint story kept the children very interested. Also, I just read one chapter a day before Quiet Time in keeping with Charlotte Mason's belief that short, concise lessons are best to keep the children's attention.
Drawing Lessons
Willie's First Drawing Lessons and Teaching Children to Draw compliment each other. TCTD gives practical application to the concepts that Willie explains.
