The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-02-23

1-z-- - -
has taken, which IS. childlike and due
as much to the idea Of enumeration
to Ignorance of perspective. Don't.
talk OF perspective to No. g. but ask
II II the pictures of Nos. Z, 8 and g
DO not look TO- natural. Perhaps
next time 1t will put them on thf
shelf in the same plane as the mug.
Freedom for Artistic Child.
The qualities of Nos. 7, 8 and :!
are worthy of praise, not for thu
praise of the child, but that the quail
ties praised may be emulated by tt.
rest.
1t were better to enlarge ON the good
points in these drawings than to find
fault with No. 6. No. 6 cannot help
1t that it cannot see as No. 8. 1t was
suggested that the child should not
pe bothered by considerations of per.
spect!ve, but if No. 8 should ask if
one could not see in the top Of the
mug, say: Yes, can you? And if it
should ask if it should not be drawn
So that n car see in it, say yes, if
you know how and wish to-. This is
advisable that no constraint of any
KIND be placed upon the child's x
preston. 1t is as unjust to hamper
It when it can draw and see as to ex
pect it to draw and see when it can
not. This does not mea that the
child can depart from the given theme
or by unnecessary accents of -charac-
ter attempt to improve it's work, but
that the child that can draw might
easily find the purely geometrica)
forms too mechanical for the freedom
and power of it's knowledge Of draw.
ing. Here the teacher must use hi:
discretion.
Learn by Imitation.
1T will be found that the good draw
ings of the class teach it far better
than the teacher. A few bright pupils
will raise the standard of excellence
OF the whole class where the best OF
teaching would make slow progress.
Where such excellence does not hap.
pen it depends upon the teacher to set
the best possible standard of excel
lence for the pupils to strive for.
1t has been found a good plan to
give the subject with it's symbols and
examples of application on the black
board at one lesson, then give the
child until the next lesson to think
out its story and draw it at its leisure.
Some children are slow at inventive
thought and others are shy, and the
work done in the schoolroom is never
as good as the work done at home OF
under less pressure.
Use Lead or Slate Pencils.
Now, a word as to mediums. 1t il
not so much what medium is used as
how it is used. Water colors and col
ored ehalks have been introduced in
the schoolroom with questionable sue.
cess for the majority of children, The
manipulation is too difficult in the
case of water colors. Not much more
oring has been accomplished with the
colored chalks or crayons. Pen and
ink is too difficult for all but a few
who have a prediction for drawing
with it. Crayon and charcoal work
Eave no advantage. over pencil in
SCHOOL work. The pencil is so much
easier handled and so capable of al
the expression Of line that is neces.
sary that it is here suggested as the
best medium, with a good second ir
the despised slate. Knowing that this
preference is open to much dispute, II
is added that outside all the fuss anG
bother of paints, water, ink. etc., there
is the objection that all these medi
ums, except lead pencil and slate pen
Gil. require a constant consideration
of the handling of the medium, and il
is not a part of this method to train
the child in technique, but to give II
freedom of expression in drawing. A!
to papers. any paper that one car
draw on that will. not smudge is al
right.
AS to Size.
Let the drawings be of fair size, no
under two inches in any dimension
About four by six inches should b.
the average size, the point being t.
avoid %littleness or the uselessness 0
too large a space for the medium.
The last illustration (group No. g.
gives the carrots and stewpan as
subject to follow the apples and mug
The forms are but a slight variation
from. these. and offer a chance to ap
ply the suggestions made on the frs
effort