Global Art Malaysia

I did check out on Global Art to understand their program for young children. They have very organized and systematic syllabus. The entry point is a foundation level, which consists of 4 books. All these 4 books focus on teaching coloring, toning, color blending. When completed this level, the children can tone using up to 6 colors. Only then the child can proceed to Level 1 and so on, which is teaching serious drawing. They start with drawing object like fruits cause basically drawing fruits is like drawing shapes, slowing amend and change to become the shape of the fruit. Then they proceed on drawing farm animals, etc. (sigh, old already. Cannot remember well now). But for sure, drawing human beings will be the last to teach. No doubt it’s a very good programme. Just that it’s a bit hard for me to accept that at such a young age, we input to the child: oh, this color, you must match with this color; and this is the set of colors to use for toning. Like when coloring a banana, use the dark yellow, medium yellow, then light yellow to do toning. I don’t feel comfortable inputing this idea to them. I personally feel, should let the child embrace the fun of putting the color, dare to express. It makes me feel like we are telling the child you need to color this way then only it’s consider beautiful. No, that is not what I want. I want them to be able to say, you see, this part of the banana I color a bit green cause it’s only half ? (Ying likes to say that), and this part got worm, so you can see black black things. On and off, I also keep on ?? whether all these programmes (including non art class), will it kill their creativity more. Everything they just have to try to recall and follow what is taught. I tried to think back my old school days and my experience during drawing class. I was ok with drawing the things out, just that I was not sure how to apply the color water to make the drawing looks what I wanted. That was the time when I wished I could attend Art class. Only at that time, but not when I was 5 or 6 years old. Then, my world was just play and play, and story books. But then, next time, will they feel inferior when they see all their friends color similarly, their friends all color using similar tones, and they might feel they are in different? Will they? …. will see…. until they tell me. Sigh…