I’ve taught little art lessons to many many kids over the decades. Not always in formal settings, though sometimes I get invited to a homeschool group or other childcare setting. But when I go to babysit for a friend, or even go to have dinner at their home – I always have a little bag with sketchbooks and crayons or pencils. The kids know to ask if we get to make art!

I try to do more than “only” turn them loose, unless they’re on a mission to create something they know they want to do. But I try to find something fun at their level, with subject matter that’ll appeal to them, and teach a little something. A bit of shading, how to draw a shape, just something small – but they get to learn a fancy art word and that makes them feel like an artist!

During February I worked on my “skies” phenology wheel, so found myself painting the sun quite often. And it kept gnawing at me that the sun is white – so why do we color it yellow!? (Yes when it’s very low on the horizon it *can* be red, orange, or yellow, but that’s rare.) 

Much of it is that there’s no white crayon to show up on white paper. So sure, we need a color, and I’m cool with anything yellow. But how can we use the fact that the sun IS white to help kids to figure out how to draw that?

Video: What if we taught this one art truth to kids?

Watch the video below and scroll to the end to leave comments or questions — or click HERE to watch it on YouTube and leave comments over there. I read both dutifully!

Negative drawing

Coloring a subject that’s white requires some unique thinking; rather than filling IN the shape, coloring AROUND it is what makes the subject look white. 

For my adult students, I find many who say they just can’t think that way. It’s too much opposite-thinking. But what if we helped kids learn what negative drawing is while they’re young? They accept new concepts MUCH easier than adults do!

Try showing littles in your life how to make a white sun. Add whatever landscape is suitable – trees, houses, or an ocean like this. It can help if you find a picture of a sun shining on that kind of scene so they can SEE the sun is white. Or go outside and look at the sun (carefully, no blinding yourselves!) and see how it shines on the ground. Is there a lake it’s reflecting onto?

Phenology wheel

I’ve now finished month 2! I’m pleased enough with how this worked out; it’s been challenging working so small right now, as I still can’t see particularly well; taping off the segments really helped me keep the paint corralled! March will be birds…they’ve been out and singing up a storm for the last week as it’s gotten much warmer than the first snowy half of February.

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It’s painted in gouache – an opaque watercolor. Text is in Copic Acrea pens as well as gel pen and sharpie.

Would this lesson have helped you as a kid?

I’m going to try it next time I’ve got kiddos at my disposal, and see if they even need to learn the “negative coloring” term. Just helping them see that coloring the background will make the circle white can be enough!