Drawing Dragons

In our program, two siblings enjoyed drawing dragons. Anytime I observed them drawing, it was a dragon. The How to Train Your Dragon series inspired their work. The siblings also created original dragon illustrations.

I wanted to support the sibling's interest, but our library lacked dragon-themed books. I traveled to the library and looked for books in the children's section on how to draw dragons. I did not find books to support the sibling's current skill level. Next, I searched the central area of the library and found two books with elaborate, colorful dragon drawings. I thought these books would be perfect for a drawing invitation.

The next day I set up a table with paper, pencils, markers, and erasers. The children arrived after school. I told the siblings that some new books about dragons were on the table, and they might find them interesting. After playing outside and snacks, we started our work session. The siblings walked over to the table to investigate the dragon books. With surprise in their voice, they asked, "where did you get these?" "The library," I replied. "Cool!" they said and started to look through the pages.

The siblings explored the books and were most attracted to the elaborate drawings of colorful, detailed creatures on beautiful glossy paper. What happened next was a surprise. I thought the siblings would use the drawing books as inspiration and continue creating new original dragon drawings. Instead, the siblings said, "Do we have any tracing paper?" For a moment, I thought I had made a mistake and interfered with the children's creative journey. Then I came back to the present. "Yes, how much do you need?"

I handed the siblings tracing paper and told myself to trust the process. The siblings started to trace images from the dragon book. After outlining elaborate designs, they used colorful pencils to fill the page. Next, the siblings used fine point sharpies to cover the pencil lines on each page. They traced images from the drawing books for the next few days before switching to copy paper. Tracing images on copy paper allowed them to color each dragon with different mediums like makers and watercolors.

A few days later, other children started drawing dragons. Some created original images, while other children traced illustrations from the dragon books. The dragon drawing project continued for over a week, so I returned to the library and found new books to help support the children's interests. A few days later, I noticed the siblings sitting at a table drawing dragons without books. The siblings were drawing original images again and adding more detail to their original work. A technique they learned from the pictures they traced the week before. All my concerns about tracing vanished. I did not mention my observation to the siblings. I visited for a moment, then moved on to check in with other children.

What I learned from this experience may benefit your learning community.

Books are a fantastic way to support and supplement children's investigations. Creating a collection of books in a program can be expensive. The library is a tremendous resource for educators. The variety of books in the children's section of most libraries is comprehensive and constantly updated. Take advantage of this resource. It will enhance the work in your learning community.

As educators, we need to be present and trust the learning journey. I supported their interests by finding new books about dragons for the children. Looking back, I may have been trying to steer the work in one direction. In our work with children, we balance collaborating and leading the children's work. We don't need to stress about it. Only be aware and thoughtful of when to step in and step out of the children's learning journey.

Tracing has a place in the development of drawing skills. Tracing helps children get a feel for the movement. Tracing creates the muscle memory necessary for children to create original drawings in the future. Tracing is a gateway for children to develop the confidence to create authentic images.

Following children's ideas and supporting their interests creates opportunities for other children to join in. We create opportunities for exploration, collaboration, and enjoyment of the learning journey.