Here is an artist's trick. Before you draw something, look at it and ask: what shapes do I see? A clock is a circle. A slice of pizza is a triangle. A door is a rectangle.
Key idea
Find the shapes first. Then draw the shapes.
Why it works
A whole car looks hard to draw. But a car is only rectangles and circles. When you see the shapes, a hard drawing turns into a few easy ones.
Worked example: Let's look
What shapes would you use for a snowman?
- A snowman is three round snowballs.
- Round shapes are circles.
- Big at the bottom, smaller in the middle, smallest on top.
Answer: Three circles.
Common mistake
Some children draw the idea of a thing, like a "car" they remember, instead of the shapes in front of them. Name the shapes out loud first: "a long rectangle, a short rectangle, two circles." Then draw them.
For the grown-up. Play "What shapes?" at the table: a plate (circle), a napkin (square), a sandwich cut in half (two triangles). Let your child trace each shape in the air before drawing it.