Drawing with Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too

by Mona Brookes

Book Overview

The definitive guide to encouraging drawing and creativity, for parents and teachers alike Mona Brookes's clear and practical approach to drawing has yielded astounding results with children of all ages and beginning adults. Her unique drawing program has created a revolution in the field of education and a sense of delight and pride among the thousands of students who have learned to draw through her "Monart Method." This revised and expanded edition...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0874778271
• ISBN13: 9780874778274
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Tarcherperigee
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.4" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

I'm learning to draw myself!

This is a wonderful guide for any age to learn to be comfortable with making art. A truly useful tool.

back cover readers

This is just one example of the extraordinary accomplishments of Mona Brookes's students. Donna Alberson, age seven, looked in the mirror and drew the stick-figure type self-portrait on the left. On the same day, she received information from Mona contained in this book and saw herself with new eyes. She was able to draw the self-portrait on the right in the more realistic and detailed style. Mona will teach you to: Create a supportive climate, choose the right supplies, select the starting level, draw in a wide variety of styles, choose future projects. Mona Brooke's practical, field-tested method assumes no prior knowledge of art of special talent.

Love it! Love it! Love it!

I am 33 years old and have absolutely no artistic ability - or so I thought. I've always been interested in learning how to draw, but no matter what books I consulted, I still couldn't get it. The techniques presented there assumed you already knew some basics, but I didn't. My mother even told me that drawing is inherited, and since there is nobody in my family who draws, I felt I had no chance.Then I found this book. The first thing you are supposed to do before any instruction is to draw a scene a house, person, tree, bushes, etc. My picture looked like a 4 year old drew it. Now less than one week into the book, I am on lesson 3 with 2 more to go, and I am astounded at my progress. It's simply night and day. I get so engrossed in my drawings now that 3 hours will go by in a flash. My husband is now starting the lessons because he's amazed at my drawings. Today I even started sketching my husband's face as he was eating. It took all of 5 minutes and it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself. Plus, I hadn't yet started the lesson on drawing humans. I sketch everything in sight and just can't seem to get enough.You may not need this book if if you already know how to draw and need more detailed instruction on technique, but definitely get this book if you need the basics of beginning drawing. You will not be disappointed. Drawing is not inherited, but developed. I am proof of that.

A great book BUT YOUR CHILD MAY NOT BE READY FOR THIS!

The book is great; HOWEVER, my intelligent six year old was not mature enough for the lessons in this book. I meticulously read the directions (and followed same), but my daughter (who loves to create and draw) did not like the lessons because she has yet to perfect her fine motor skills (she likes to create stories but does not like the physical act of writing). I would suggest using this book for an older child (eight years old?), especially if your child does not have his/her fine motor skills fully tuned or does not like to sit still for very long. I admit that I was a little disappointed when the child illustrator on the front cover drew such a wonderful picture (age 5), but every child is different. Incidentally, my art skills (formerly limited to simplistic ball and stick drawings) have improved quite a bit since using the book!

It's Back!

Woo-hoo! "Drawing With Children" is back!As an elementary art instructor, I used Mona Brookes' "Drawing With Children" with great success. My students' drawings entered a new dimension when I began to use this mimetic method of art instruction to help them identify, and then draw, what we called "drawing Legos:" the little pieces that can be combined to make a whole object. While this method may be viewed as limiting creativity, I believe that it offers an important, foundational tool for anyone who is learning to see things as an artist sees them. Just as a pianist must learn the scales before he can play Beethoven, I believe that it is only with such an artistic foundation in place that students are able to truly express what they are trying to communicate through their art.As a university instructor training future art teachers, I am glad to be able to pass on this gem of a book to my students, who will train a new generation of children to see as the artist sees.

Wonderful for teachers & homeschoolers

I decided to teach my children art (ages 5 & 7) during their X-mas break. This book served as the curriculum. It was excellent. I xeroxed the exercises (as instructed in the book), my kids were focused during the lessons. After a total of 6 hours of instruction... they are very good drawers. They have developed their spatial awareness, which was my aim. "Drawing with Children" and its 8 basic shapes methodology is excellent for anyone who wants to teach or learn art in a school or home environment. Especially if the teacher is not a practicing artist.