Teaching Philosophy

Although many may believe art to be an innate skill, at CREATOR’Stouch we believe that anyone who has the interest can learn to draw and create.  It is true that some individuals obtain certain skills more naturally but we have witnessed students who appeared to have little innate skill rise to become great artists through good instruction and continued practice and dedication.  We also see the priceless value of the sense of achievement on students’ faces when they realize they created something they thought they would never have the skill to do.  A very important ingredient to all classes is encouragement, compliments, and instilling a great sense of accomplishment in each student we teach.

“I wish I had artistic ability but I wasn’t born with the creative gene.”

Due to very small class sizes, we are able to give students individual attention.  Teachers work with each student on the level he/she is at.  If a student is struggling with a concept, he is not left behind, nor are others in the class kept from advancing.  The teacher works with the student until he grasps what is important to learn and then advances him to the next step.

We want the art created at our facilities to be completed almost entirely by the student so it is a true representation of the student’s abilities.  Some art teachers in other schools do so much demonstration on a student’s work that the work becomes less and less the student’s, and more and more the teacher’s.  This often causes an unhealthy reliance on the teacher.  We want the students to learn to exercise the skills on their own.  Although we demonstrate on the student’s work at times to help them understand, we keep that as minimal as possible.  Demonstrations are preferably done outside of the student’s work, such as on a sample paper.  By watching the student work, the teacher is able to assess the student’s understanding of the skills.  This method ensures the final product is something the student can show as his own masterpiece.