For every adult who thinks they cannot draw is a child who is crumpling up a piece of paper with an imperfect doodle of their favorite cartoon character telling themself “I can’t draw”. When we are raised in a culture with a fixed mindset, children may develop or be directly issued the thought pattern that they are “just not good” at math, sports, or artistic pursuits when everything in life takes practice. The practice of drawing can be found at any age and serve any purpose; relaxation, creation, observation, interpersonal connection, documentation….the list goes on.
The children’s picture book “I Can’t Draw” by Steven W. Martin, illustrated by Brian Biggs, is an excellent lesson for people of all ages who have come to recite this title as a personal mantra. While some people enjoy some activities more than others, everyone can draw. In this book, the protagonist has a friend who is renowned through the school as the ‘class artist’ and the main character feels his drawings will never compare. What this book distinguishes, though, is the boy’s cartooning DOES represent the vision in his head; he has his drawing style and reason for drawing that contrast with his friend’s realistic style and desire to draw realistically. “I Can’t Draw” teaches us that we all have different uses for the skills we pursue and ways of doing things, there is no right and wrong way.
Here is a list of children’s picture books, workbooks, and ‘everyone can draw’ messaging books that would inspire and assist someone of any age who wishes to draw. Of course, drawing and any art requires practice but, most of all, it requires a reason beyond just proving you can do it.
Books such as Marion Deuchars series, including “Draw This! Art Activities to Unlock the Imagination“, and Ivan Brunetti’s adaptation of his famous work “Cartooning, Philosophy and Practice” for children titled “Comics: Easy as A, B, C” are encouraging examples with exercises that challenge the doubtful draughtsperson.
Children’s Picture books such as “The Artivist” by Nikkolas Smith show reasons to communicate your life story with your art while “Everyone can Draw” by Fifi Kuo shows all of the media that can count as drawing! Yes the famous book “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” made an impact on reticent artists when it was published in 1979, but since then a lot of books geared towards children and parents have been released to give artists of all ages a fair shot, not to be THE Class artist, but a full class OF artists.
Check out these books if you need a colorful, instructional pep talk on how to express yourself on paper!
- Making Comics by Lynda Barry
- Drawing Outdoors by Jairo Buitrago, Rafael Yockteng (Illustrator), Elisa Amado (Translator)
- Draw This! Art Activities to Unlock the Imagination by Marion Deuchars
- Let’s Make Some Great Fingerprint Art by Marion Deuchars
- Make Every Day Creative by Marion Deuchars
- Everyone can Draw by Fifi Kuo
- Comics: easy as ABC! : the essential guide to comics for kids : for kids, parents, teachers and librarians! by Ivan Brunetti
- More than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean by Roz Maclean
- I Can’t Draw by Steven W. Martin and Brian Biggs
- Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son by John Parra
- Niko Draws a Feeling by Bob Raczka
- The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith