Waldorf chalk-drawing (photo) tutorial

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I was finishing up my plans today, for a storytelling video I'm working on for the BEarth Institute. It occurred to me that I should probably have a relevant chalk drawing behind me in the background while filming... but of course I didn't think of this 3 days ago when I had all the time in the world to draw it.

Needing something "easy" that my brain already has a template for, I opted to recreate a drawing I did when my former class was in the 6th grade. The original version of this particular drawing has been floating around out there in the internet for a few years now, and I often get questions about how it came together on the board. At the time, I didn't think to take pictures of the original work in progress, but I grabbed my camera today. My hope is that having a visual record of this process will be useful to you! Here we go.....

Humble beginnings....a simple wash with orange and then some dark blue layered over the top section. Not thinking too much here....just spreading the colour around.

Starting with the background....clouds. Trying to bring in the colors of the night sky, along with some shadows & depth, aided by black chalk. Love black chalk! The story I'm pairing this drawing with comes from the very beginning of Roman History... it is here in the curriculum that the stories we tell begin to transition from stories to "real", recorded history. We leave behind the mystery, and start looking towards the concrete.

Full moon, partially obscured by the clouds. Tucking the moon behind another part of the background layer helps continue adding depth and interest. More black chalk used.

Beginning to think about the middle ground now. Added a couple of islands sinking into the ocean at the horizon line to add more visual interest. Used white chalk to show moon light/highlights on the sides where it would naturally be brightest (ask yourself - where is the light in my drawing coming from?) And of course, more black chalk ;)

Light blue wash. Layer it right over the orange...it's nighttime, it's dark, and water hardly ever looks blue in real life anyway.

Moving to the foreground. More white for highlights, and black to emphasize where things overlap + shadows.

At this point I stepped back and realized I was neglecting the right side of my drawing. I'm saving room in the middle of the ocean for the boat, but when I stood back I could see that there was room for a couple of middle ground rocks. I intentionally drew the blue one so that it crosses over the horizon line. Again, visual interest....it helps to break up that line a bit.

Speaking of boats....

(Notice that the ship also crosses the horizon line....)

....yes, this isn't a completely accurate representation of a Roman ship. During our second Roman History block, later in the year, we got into vivid stories involving the newly formed Roman navy & their spectacular ships. However, I figured this was safe for the first block. (For the second block, I did a chalk drawing of Hannibal crossing the Alps). 

Look back at the last image, and then at this one. In the previous image, the boat sort of looks like it's in the water....but in this drawing, it really looks like it's IN the water, yes? Using white chalk to highlight the tops of the waves as well as the water right around the boat itself helps to "ground" the boat. This same principle is true when drawing trees, or anything resting on the ground, really. Adding some small plant or grass details around the base of a tree, really helps to solidify its' place in the drawing.

All done! As an afterthought, I added a bit of the moon's reflection in the water, behind the boat.

I hope this is helpful!

We offer a variety of other (video) tutorials. Take a look at the options, here!

beautiful feedback...

Is your family using our Story Starters kit? Will you share your experiences with us?

It is such a treat to hear from families who have started incorporating our Story Starters into their days. Some have found their way easily into daily rhythms, some are helping to ease the tension that can build during the afternoon bewitching time, and still others are finding themselves useful in inspiring creative writing. Grandparents, aunties, uncles, parents, siblings and therapists. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, each and every one of you :)

shifting...

Images from our Story Starters deck. We have a few left! Grab yours here.

Shifting. Subtly. Can you feel it?

You would never know it if you were looking only at daytime temperatures....it's still oh-so-hot here. Surely we're still in the middle of summer, yes?

And yet...in the mornings, it's cooler. Just a bit. But noticeable. The air smells different. The early morning sky is again dotted with hot air balloons.

My children are noticing it too....pants. (pants!) Long-sleeve shirts. Of course, they come off by 10am, but still....it's in the air.

The farmers know too. Our farmers market is bursting (!) with their harvest. There is SO much work for them to do at this time of year.

My garden knows. Drooping sunflowers. Drying echinacea. Chilies turning red.

The creatures know. Baby birds have long since left their nests. Many creatures around our house seem to be waiting. As if they know .... not quite yet ... but soon.

I noticed myself moving things around on our little nature table yesterday. Pulling off some summery bits & pieces (but not all! No, I'm not quite ready to completely let go yet). This morning I was looking through our Story Starters deck for autumny images to replace them with. 

What are you noticing? What's shifting where you are?

xo - Robyn

music is magic. why & how to make it so.

The Ever-Musical Wanzer Cabin. Tour Coming Soon.

The Reasons haven't changed, and we all know these things at the heart level.  And still. Somehow it stopped being obvious…

That song enchants children, stops them in their tracks, and makes them smile. And that is worth absolutely everything. 

That belting out a song makes us feel alive. And when we do that with family and friends, life becomes sublime, for just a little bit.

That percussion and cadence create an intuitive understanding of math and an appreciation for pace. Which translates as rhythm <~ which reads as presence and charisma, regardless of one's quirks and personality. And let's face it. We all want to make our children's ride a little smoother.

That music builds language and develops speech by engaging both hemispheres and the frontal lobes of the brain (Brewer & Campbell, 1991). It's speech therapy and capacity expanding for all of us. 

Music builds literacy skills thru rhyme, syllable recognition, phoneme substitution, word recognition, listening, fluency, & intonation. {As a speaker, I'm going to assert that we all can benefit from a little more help in articulation. We're all beginners. It only helps! And more than that. Music really makes us better. More connected and able to say what we mean in a way that honors those before us.}


It's just magic. I want for our own children a lifetime of music-making. I want them to learn that:

*everything takes a learning curve. And so nearly anything is possible.

*commitment creates that which we imagine.

*silence is delicious. Spirit shows up here. 

*you are collaborative. And included. you are piece and part of something larger, and it's okay + worth it to play a small part.

*you are a leader & soloist.

*you are skilled & confident.

*you need very little to entertain yourself.

*you can conquer your own fears.

*you are responsible for yourself & self-disciplined.

*there's always room for improvement

*You have a personal best, & it makes a difference for others. 

*practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent. 

*hard work pays off.

*mistakes happen, and you keep moving, even if you're feeling…well, moved. 

*you can always feel "the edge," and push past it.

*You can challenge yourself and experience personal accomplishment without outside recognition. From mom, teachers, friends or anyone.

*you can create your own traditions + joy {there is no good time like company with live music}

And the truth is…

I knew nothing about music. I did get an A+ in Music Appreciation once in junior college. But that was about it. D did his graduate work in Music Industry at USC. But that didn't teach him how to make music with the kids, in a way that fed them or kept their interest.

Then Robyn got an email from Dan and Michelle Prindle. And in two hours I went from nothing to reading music. To understanding global scales. And to making the kind of music that enchants my children, stops them in their tracks, and makes them smile. And that is worth absolutely everything. 

We begged them to offer their work at a discount to all of you. And they are pretty rad. So...

Here you go. Love!!!

Maya, (David, Robyn, Brian & the Waldorfish Crew)

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