Their work began with preliminary drawings, then followed a process where students sketched with oil pastels. Finally, the children brushed watercolour paint over their drawings, endeavouring to cover their entire pages. The students really enjoyed mixing colours, and were excited to watch the watercolour paint be resisted by the oil in the pastels.
Children’s drawing skills progress through five developmental stages. Beginning with simple mark making, drawings gradually become more conceptual as children grow in their awareness of their surroundings, and become motivated to describe the world around them through art. By the third developmental stage, what children are attempting to represent in their art becomes visually evident. In stage four, children begin to show their understanding of spatial relationships and the order of objects within it. Although many of our students are in stages three and four, children develop as artists at their own rates and it is not at all alarming for them to presently occupy an earlier stage. We were very impressed by the effort and perseverance shown by everyone!