We've set aside one evening a week as our dedicated family craft night. That doesn't preclude us from doing craft projects at other times, of course, but rather ensures that my son gets at least a regular minimal exposure.
The craft sessions tend to be short, based upon the project and my son's attention span (he's almost 5).
When we're doing art projects (drawing, painting, gluing, etc.), how much guidance or instruction should we be giving to my son?
I want him to create the things he wants to create, instead of what we think he might want to create, and he's certainly welcome to color outside the lines as much as he'd like (both literally and metaphorically), but at the same time, I want to encourage him to start building up better skills and techniques.
Part of this stems from my recent venture into painting for recreation. I have essentially no training, and haven't painted anything since I was a kid using watercolors and fingerpaints. I'm "learning by doing", and, by doing so, I'm finding how much technique and practice can be involved in being able to express oneself artistically.
So, should I be teaching my son anything at this point, or just letting him have fun?
If I just let him have fun with it, when should artistic skills be actively taught?
If I teach him now, what types of things should I be teaching him? Things like "if you're painting something, make sure you haven't missed spots where you wanted color" and the basic concepts of color mixing? Or should I include things like brush techniques, layering, or other, more "advanced" tricks?
How do I ensure that these craft projects remain fun while building his skills?