Teaching Kids Custom Figures

I was in teacher mode for the second time in a month. This time, I was in Orange County to a room of 30 or so kids ranging from 6 to middle school. Why not show them that custom figures can be art? From the first time out teaching, I learned that there’ll be one who can’t get a start. How do you overcome this? I asked her some question and get negative answers. “No, I can’t do that, no I don’t like that.” My trick was to get her holding a pen. I told her to start by writing her name on the bottom and coloring the base of the figure a solid color. Next thing I knew, she was off to the races. Of course at the end, I said, “good job, it came out fine.” And she said, “no, it’s not.” But I came back with, “I think so” and split out before she could reply negatively. The styles ranged from coloring clean to abstract assembly – most of the works was in a style that I couldn’t fathom. Somehow this project was green lit and disguised as part of a “career day.” Yes, someone or a few among this bunch will go on and do art and maybe they’ll remember custom figures too.

I think the figure below has the cutest cat face ever. Who taught this kid how to do the eyes like this? …and green nose? Love it. I could go on about the goodnesses of each piece. There’s something in all of them that I like. Well, most of them, even from the one who couldn’t get a start.

Thanks Kizuna, DKE, OCBC and JANM.

Tons of kids, each with a custom figure.

See how tiny the girl in orange with the pink glasses is? She’s 6 and did a great job with her figure.