Are Your Kids Interested in Digital Arts? 8 Ways to help them explore their Creativity
A woman drawing on a tablet. Image source: Ivan Samkov on Pexels
Art is about so much more than paper, canvasses, paints, and crayons. In today’s technologically advanced age, digital art is king. And even children can easily explore the wealth of creativity that digital art forms have to offer. The computing boom in the late 20th century has had considerable effects on the evolution of art. It’s assisted in kick-starting the progression of abstract art, altered photography, and more.
Modern artists had to paint something that realism and photography could not achieve; art that reflected inner emotions, relevant and topical truths, and a slew of other complex and abstract topics. Even in representational art, digital media has encouraged new methods of composure, artistry, and expression. The digital art world is largely dominated by highly skilled professional artists. But there is still room for novices and creative children alike. Digital art poses new skills, challenges, potential, and a seemingly endless pool of possibilities and ideas to explore as the artist and their computer become one.
Encouraging children and teens to start experimenting with this all-new art form can help to expand their esthetic horizons, hone computer skills, and perfect digital prowess. The internet is a vast and growing landscape. It offers plenty of tailor-made tools for kids to sharpen their digital finesse.
Here are 8 ways to help kids explore their creativity and then express themselves using digital arts.
8 Ways To Help Your Kids Explore their Creativity
1. Spend quality time outside
Spending time with your child outside gives them the opportunity to explore the environment and use their imagination. Not only does the outside world offer options for innovative thinking, but it also inspires them to try new things and see things differently.
Walking through a forest, playing on the beach, building sandcastles or mud pies, and simply running free provides ample learning opportunities. Each of these is a creative lesson on its own, and the more time spent outdoors, the better.
2. Let them get dirty
Kids playing together. Image source: Freepik
Kids learn through doing, and sometimes, this means letting them get dirty. Give them paints to play with, chalk to draw outside, and encourage them to bake or cook with you. If they’re afraid to get dirty, their creativity may get stifled, and they won’t feel confident trying new things. Give them the free time and the space to get muddy and play without worrying about making a mess. They’ll develop a healthy sense of self and be curious and eager to venture into something different.
4. Find their passions
Knowing what your child is passionate about helps you focus on building their artistic skills in the direction they enjoy. Chat to your child and see what they really love and what sparks interest. Sometimes they’ll have multiple passions, or just one or two, and these may change regularly. Knowing what they like helps you to work out how to encourage them in a healthy direction, rather than trying to force them into something they don’t enjoy.
Once you know where their interests lie, you can give them toys that stimulate their creativity and focus on the subject. Puzzles are a great idea, and you can opt for 3D puzzles or online puzzle games like Minecraft too. You can also find YouTube videos or TV shows that focus on what they enjoy and help them learn creative skills. There are some amazing YouTube channels like 5 Minute Crafts Play that teach kids different creative talents through various activities, so you can pick the most appropriate ones.
5. Introduce Them To Design Websites And Apps
The internet makes it easy to get kids started with coloring, drawing, designing, and eventually, creating their own apps. An age-appropriate, step-by-step approach is needed, and you can try the following:
i) 3D modeling
Introducing your kids to 3D modeling will really make them be more creative and expand their minds. There are a good number of 3D modeling software for kids available that you can introduce them to, but I recommend SelfCAD as it's easier for kids to master and even be able to create complex designs with ease. There are also interactive tutorials that can motivate them to learn 3D modeling as they are shown every step of designing models.
ii) Digital coloring:
There are dozens upon dozens of websites and apps that enable people of all ages to color in images digitally. These are ideally suited to young kids as well. They provide pleasing and satisfying results without art supplies and are easy to print out and display. Very young children may need some guidance as to how to get started. However, once they do, they may benefit from improved hand-eye coordination and better computer usage skills in the long run.
Over and above on-screen coloring, many websites allow kids to create their own personalized coloring-in sheets. They do this by combining designs, motifs, and backgrounds to their heart's content. Crayola.com and Haringkids.com both offer these features.
iii) Doodling and animation:
According to a study by Jackie Andrade, 'What does doodling do' (2009), doodling helps the brain stay alert for longer periods and encourages it to process more information. This engages young brains without them losing interest in what is being said or taught. Additionally, it assists the brain in filling the gaps in thinking and processing the information it receives.
Doodling has also proven to relieve stress, improve focus, enhance dexterity, and help children express their emotions in healthier ways. According to Dr. Robert Burns, the former director of the Institute for Human Development at the University of Seattle, even the simplest of doodles can carry messages from a child’s unconscious mind. This could allow you to address any issues that they are experiencing.
If your budding artists need some encouragement, a tool like Zefrank.com allows them to compose simple, everyday scribbles and doodles. Once created, they can watch them develop further. It’s highly entertaining to see what becomes of their doodles. It will also stimulate their creativity and encourage them to push beyond their comfort zones with digital art. Furthermore, doodling may have some interesting benefits for your children’s cognitive capabilities.
Kerpoof, operated by Disney, also supports young artists. The site has an abundance of online drawing tools, including the ability for kids to create their own animated movies and printable storybooks.
iv) Making GIFs:
Yes, even kids can create animated GIFs online! Animating is a truly thrilling and engaging process. There is no better way to get children involved than by encouraging them to develop their own GIFs. There are plenty of tools online to help, including the work of animation artist Jen Stark to inspire them. Use a step-by-step guide to make the process even simpler.
v) Interactive art and game creation:
For older kids, sites like Tate.org.uk enable them to design interactive artworks and participate in other creative games.
Tate offers tutorials with art history lessons added. Along with the ability for kids to layout their own galleries composed of their favorite artworks from the Tate collection, they even allow them to upload their art to share with other users. Artisan Cam features a host of different art and craft activities. The site allows kids to draft their own cartoon and pop art, design their own children’s books, and indulge in plenty of other engaging online activities.
vi) Creating art to share:
One of the best ways to foster craftsmanship in kids is to encourage them to share their works of art with the world. Websites like Agame.com offer simple ways to generate striking digital artworks, ‘frame’ them digitally, and post them to an online gallery to be shared with the world. Other young artists will offer your kids words of encouragement and ensure that they continue to develop their talents and skills.
If you’d rather they simply post their images online without interaction from others, a portfolio website is a perfect alternative. They can post their digital art for the world to see, and you don’t need to monitor comments. With a portfolio site, they can easily share their work with friends and family and load or remove images at any time they choose.
6. Buy them Drawing Tablets
The next step up from digital coloring is digital drawing and painting. Both of these allow kids to make visual arts and compositions. But it isn’t always easy to control the mouse in digital drawing, so buying a tablet can spur their creativity and make digital coloring easy. If your kids have a drawing tablet, creating digital art is much more accessible too. They can lie on the sofa, sit outside, or take it with them when you go out, and they’ll never get bored.
Drawing tablets are far more interactive than a computer, and your kids can use their fingers, a stylus, or ePen to create different artworks. Tablets are great for growth, too, as they are suited to just about all age groups. As your child progresses on their digital art journey, you can download increasingly sophisticated software and apps and provide them with more suave drawing tools.
A tablet besides a laptop. Image source: Danielle on Pexels
7. Buy a 2D and 3D printer
Kids love to see tangible results. By introducing them to software like Photoshop and Gimp, you’ll encourage them to create images from scratch or manipulate photos or other digital images. At the same time, they’ll learn how this software works while stimulating their creativity. Once they’ve developed a digital image, you can print it to see what their work looks like in the real world. This will motivate them to keep designing and improving their skills.
Investing in a 3D printer is an excellent idea as it takes the concept of printing inventions one step further. Older children can master digital design programs like SelfCAD and learn how to create 3D models and even 3D print them. Once their designs are complete, they can print them and make factual 3D representations of their ideas. Additionally, you can also buy them a laser module like Endurance lasers and attach them on the 3D printer and help them the explore the magic of laser cutting and laser engraving.
When students see how laser engraving and laser cutting works will really motivate them to explore their creativity. And when they grow up they will be interested in this technology and they can even be inspirde to innovate different things because of the good background they have had in laser engraving and laser cutting. There are a lot of projects that have been done using a laser module attached to your 3D printer and you can check them out in Endurance website to get ideas of the things that you can laser engrave and laser cut.
8. Get Kids To Design Something They Love
A car being designed in SelfCAD
Every child has a specific set of interests or sentiments that they love. Whether it’s superheroes, Minecraft, Paw Patrol, or unicorns, they all have that one thing they’re crazy about. Identify your child’s favorite topic and get them to design something that ties in using digital software.
Whether this involves inventing a new logo for their favorite show, a design that features all the superheroes they love, or a digital picture of a mythical beast, it connects with your children’s interests. Once they’ve finished their digital creation, print it out to motivate them and remind them what they can achieve using digital tools.
2D Drawing. Image source: Howard on Unsplash
Make Digital Art Accessible
Digital art is the latest and greatest platform for people of all ages to express themselves and explore their creativity. Use the tips and platforms above to give your young artists plenty of fun ways to tune their artistic skills and discover their talents for themselves. Encourage them to share their work at home and online. Just remember to emphasize that they should be enjoying creating art rather than worrying about the final product.
Enjoy powerful modeling, rendering, and 3D printing tools without the steep learning curve.
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