Invitation to Draw – Fabulous Drawing Prompts for Kids
My lovely friend Jean Van’t Hul has done it again! The creator of The Artful Parent, as created a brand new resource to get kids drawing! To celebrate the launch of her new book, she not only shares what Invitation to Draw is all about, but also provides you with a free set of Drawing Prompts to have a go at with your kids. If you like what you see.. why not grab a copy of the book today too?
This book is designed to encourage ALL to draw MORE. Whether you are little hestitant to put that pen to paper or already love drawing all day long.. this is a DIFFERENT way to explore your creativity.
99 Drawing Prompts
This book has a collection of 99 drawing prompts – what is a drawing prompt? To put it simply – a picture that has been “started for you”. It may be the stem of a flower (or is it REALLY a stem.. could it be something else?). An open window (are you looking INTO the house, or out? What kind of house is it? A doll’s house? An office? You choose…).
Book is printed on perforated paper – so you can easily remove the page you are working on – and it allows you to draw together – i.e. take out several pages in one go for friends and family to have a go at. You can also turn your drawing into a collage this way – maybe add some tissue paper? Some buttons? What else can you find…
Think and Draw Differently
Here is a little bit from Jean herself, about the “clever” bit of using drawing prompts – and how it inspires you to work creatively, in a different way.
Through the act of drawing and observing the drawing unfold, the brain continues to think and problem solve, opening up all kinds of creative possibilities around that specific idea.
Jean Van’t Hul
“Drawing prompts inspire and encourage kids to think and draw differently, and sometimes more creatively, than they might when faced with a blank page. By offering constraints such as a pair of eyes or an empty car and asking a question, children begin thinking about the possibilities and answering the question in their heads even before they put pen (or marker or crayon!) to paper. And through the act of drawing and observing the drawing unfold, the brain continues to think and problem solve, opening up all kinds of creative possibilities around that specific idea.“
Inspiration and prompts to help get that pen on paper
What I love about this book, is that it is great for ALL ages, as well as for ALL levels of experience! I can imagine a very young child just learning to draw adding to these pages (back to the example of the flower stems.. who doesn’t love add pretty flowers? And maybe some clouds in the sky and a buzzy bee).. but also adults enjoying this book – I have a print out from the book (see below) to my student intern.. and she had a lovely half hour of zen time, just drawing a beautiful landscape!
It is a real opportunity to just put that pen to paper and have a go.
Why not use it as a “summer challenge” and complete a drawing every day?
What did we think of the book here at Red Ted Art?
Here is what my intern thought:
It can be a challenge, at times, to get kids involved in art. They feel discouraged when they don’t have ideas for what to draw and end up leaving feeling as though they aren’t capable of something that they most definitely are.
Invitation To Draw prevents that discouragement and gives kids a kickstart in their art adventures.
I even had a go myself at her ‘look through a window’ prompt and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
It really got me to put my creative hat on and consider all of the possible views one might see through a window. I ended up drawing a mountainous sunset skyline, but with a single prompt I was flooded with so many possible ideas that I would have never initially have thought of.
I can definitely see this book being an encouragement to kids who are maybe less confident in their drawing and need a bit of a push to get started and I most certainly found it provided that for me. So whether you’re old or young, don’t be afraid to get stuck in and use these prompts to get drawing!
Time to have a go at some drawing prompts yourself
As mentioned.. you can get THREE free sample pages to work on today! Just click here for your printable! Will you start off with the flower drawing prompt? The abstract prompt? Or the window prompt? Print and enjoy!
Congratulations to Jean on her fabulous new book! Available in all good bookstores for more info visit here.