“What is symmetry?” is a question you might hear in biology class, art class, or math class. It’s a concept worth learning about that occurs in so many arenas. Symmetry, in layman’s terms, is the quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or arranged around an axis.
The elements of art are building blocks for learning to make, write, and talk about any kind of art. Whether you’re an art teacher, a classroom teacher, or a homeschool mama starting off the elements with a little color theory is an easy and fun place to start!
Whether you’re teaching your own kiddos at home as a homeschool mom (me) or you’re an art teacher trying to get the message across to a crowd (also me) the elements of art are a good place to start. They’re basics, building blocks for fun stuff to come.
The principles of design in art can be a little abstract which can make them tricky to introduce to kids. But once kids understand that these principles are just tools that artists use it all falls into place.
Children’s literature is my classic, go-to move for introducing new ideas to my kids; be it an art movement or a science concept. Cuddling on the couch, reading out loud, soaking in the amazing illustrations that are available make it easy to enjoy! Art books for kids are easy to find and some of the most fun to read!
Here’s the thing about the element of shape- kids draw shapes all the time. Young children naturally draw in two dimensions. There are some elements like form and space that can be little more daunting for a student of any age to really understand and illustrate. But, shapes? Exploring types of shapes in art can be enjoyed by even the youngest artist.
Until I got to college I can honestly say my knowledge of the element of form consisted of making little cubes and those clever bubble letters that looked vaguely three dimensional. I know for certain I could not have told what really qualified something to be a “form” as opposed to a shape.
For kids learning the formal elements of art is kind of like learning their ABC’s. The elements are simple little ideas, pieces that work together to make something bigger. Teaching the elements of art for kids doesn’t need to be intimidating.
The concept of value in art has many possible definitions. For most kids the element of value in art may bring to mind a valuable painting they saw in a museum or maybe even a good deal on a new set of paints.