"What can we do at home to continuing practicing art?" Not only am I going to give you an easy answer, I'm going to tell you the #1 habit artists either have or wish they had!
I co-own a fine art studio and we get this question a lot. A piano teacher would tell you to practice the songs they are learning every day. A soccer coach would say to run, exercise, or practice dribbling the ball.
While you may be willing to park a piano in your living room and stock the garage with sporting equipment, you may not be ready to set up a painting studio in your house. I have great news for you: You don't have to!
When it comes to making art there is a standard hierarchy of skills you want to place importance on:
#1 - Drawing Accuracy
#2 - Tones/Values
#3 - Color
So what does that mean your artist can do at home? Draw! Practice drawing anything at all. Draw the fruit bowl on your counter(my #1 choice), a photo of the dog, the mailbox in the front yard, your next door neighbors playset, their best friend, a corner of the room, or pictures from a magazine. There will never be a point in their life where they can say they have drawn everything perfectly and there is nothing else to draw.
Ok, I know you've been waiting for this: What is the #1 habit artists have or wish they had? Keeping a sketchbook. You would think that this comes naturally with being an artist, but it does not. It takes discipline and time to learn the habit of keeping and carrying a sketchbook. I'm not saying it doesn't come naturally to some, but for most it is a learned habit, and one you want to encourage from as early on as possible.
So what do they need from you? Get them tools they love and are happy to use: their ideal sketchbook with their favorite pencil and eraser. Have them write their name in it and put the first marks in it.
By focusing on drawing alone your artist is going to improve their drawing accuracy, grow confidence in their drawing ability, and form great habits to make them a successful artist. And to top it off, you don't need a painting studio in your house!
Want to help out our community of parents? Post your artist's favorite drawing tools and sketchbook below!