HYPOTHESIS: By drawing with younger subjects, you can impart a variety of lessons about how to draw and help develop the right side of their brain.
PROCEDURE: Started to draw a superhero on my own as subjects were finishing breakfast to model creative behavior for them. When I asked older subject (Zephyr, age 7 and a half) what he wanted to draw, he said he wanted to draw the cartoon birds from mobile game Tiny Wings (a current obsession). Demonstrated to subject how the characters are designed on a basic circular model and showed him tips on drawing in that style. Subject retrieved iPad to base drawings on actual images.
Subject was especially dubious about method of drawing the nest ("It's not an oval shape! It looks like a U!") but came to see how one shape was actually in front of another. Subject colored in drawing with sharpies.
Younger subject (Lyric, age 4 and a half) did not want to draw superheroes and preferred to dress up as a superhero.
As Robin, natch.
When I suggested that maybe he might want to draw a bird like other subject was doing, younger subject suggested we dress the bird as Robin as well. I immediately praised the idea of the younger subject and got right on drawing a version of a Tiny Wings bird dressed as Robin.
Note: we ran out of time and didn't get to color it in (maybe some other time we will), but I like that I showed the kids they could think of an idea and just draw it out of thin air.
RESULTS: I feel like I got to impart a bunch of lessons and model a lot of good creative behavior for the subjects with a minimum of effort. Very pleased with the results.