I get asked often, “What art the two most important art supplies?” Easy!
Paper and pencil are hands down the two most important art supplies. Without a question!
Why?
- Sketching is the foundation to all art.
- Sketching and drawing is the simplest form of art.
- They are the cheapest art supplies you’ll ever buy.
- Nothing speaks more to the imagination than a white sheet of paper.
Two Art Supply Rules You Should Never Break
- Always keep plain white paper and pencils stocked in your home (don’t forget the pencil sharpener).
- Always keep plain white paper and pencils within reach of your kids.
In our house there is no such thing as wasting white paper or pencils. I will also never ever chastise my kids for using too much. I want them to use it. I want them to use it as often as they want. And I never want them to feel like they have to ask before using. The more they use it, the happier I get 🙂
I also know how easy it is to forget about these two supplies. It’s easy to get lost in your local art store, pacing the isles, looking for some new exciting medium that will keep your kids interested. That’s ok, but don’t….please don’t…forget about plain white paper and a simple pencil. As cool as the other art supplies can be, the absolute best place to start learning art is with a blank sheet of paper and a pencil.
If you’re kids ever seem bored with drawing, they most likely just need a little extra direction. Give them a challenge!
Three Paper And Pencil Art Activities
- Draw from memory. See if you kids can draw a character from their favorite video game, book, TV show, or even their favorite animal.
- Draw from real life. Find one of your kid’s favorite toys, and place it in front of them. Then challenge them to draw it as best as they can.
- Draw a dream. One of my favorite activities is dream drawing. Ask your kid to draw the last dream they had, or their favorite dream. It’s fun listening to them explain their dreams through drawing.
These are just a few ideas, I’m sure you could think of twenty more. Just be sure to keep your kids age in mind. The last thing you want, is for them to get discourage because it’s too hard.
So the moral of this long story, if you don’t have white paper and sharpened pencils on hand (within reach) go to the store today! Get stocked!
And encourage your kids to draw more!