Tips and Hints for Creating Art

Need a little help getting started on your art project?

Drawing Hints

Do you doodle????

*Doodling is an easy way to relax and let your mind wander as you draw, without any real pressure to make a finished drawing/picture.

*You can doodle anywhere and on almost anything. Doodle at the kitchen table or at your coffee table as you watch T.V. Doodle on a scrap piece of paper or in your sketchbook with a pencil or pen.

*Let your pencil take control as you draw: shapes, swirls, hearts, flowers, houses, lines, cars, dots, and animals.

*If you draw something interesting you can use it for your next painting or practice drawing it over and over in your sketchbook.

* Doodling is a good exercise to do before you start on a drawing.

Getting Started Drawing

*Hold your pencil lightly like this:

Hold pencil lightly and loosely as you begin sketching

*Begin drawing. Make sure you don't press down hard as you draw. If you press really hard while making a line it will be harder to erase if you make a mistake. By sketching lightly you can make sure you have the right line drawn.

*Focus your eye on what you are drawing. Try not to look down at your paper as much as you are drawing. When you look down at your drawing your eye can loose focus on what you are drawing, causing your picture to look less realistic.

*Shade your picture. Where is the light hitting the object you are drawing? Are there dark areas and light areas? If so add darker heavier lines to part of your drawing and keep some parts lighter. This will make your picture look more 3- dimersional.

What shading a picture looks like

Basic Art Tips

Tip # 1: Find a spot in your home to make art. Make sure you find a space that has a table that is big enough for all of your art supplies and is in a quiet place where you can work. Cover your table with newspaper before you start so that it is protected from any spills you might have and to keep you out of trouble with mom and dad :)

Tip #2: Gather Materials. Some basic materials to have are: drawing paper, drawing pencils, construction paper, colored pencils, crayons, markers, watercolor paints, scissors, glue, ruler, erasers, and a sketchbook.

Tip #3: Collect Examples. Look through old magazines, photographs, and art hanging on your walls at home for inspiration. Pick out art pieces or pictures that you like and try to copy those examples by drawing or painting them, or turn your examples into one big collage.

Tip #4: Go to museums. If you have a free weekend ask mom and dad if they can take you to an art museum. Art museums are a great place to go and look for drawing and painting inspiration. There are three big art museums in Cincinnati: The Cincinnati Art Museum, The Contemporary Arts Center, and The Taft Museum of Art. The Children's Museum and the Underground Freedom Center are also places where you can find art from the past. Below are some links to these museums.

Tip #5: Read books about art. Go to your local library and you will find lots of book that teach you about art that give you tips on everything from painting, to cartooning, to working with clay. Ask a librarian to help you find some of these books.

Links to Museums around CIncinnati

Taft Museum of Art

Contemporary Arts Center

Cincinnati Art Museum