Summary
A gentle, follow-along art lesson for the youngest artists: Rob and one of his kids draw a manatee step by step, starting from a few simple shapes and adding details slowly so little hands can keep up. Pause and rewind as much as you need. Free on the official Art for Kids Hub YouTube channel -- a friendly art-time pairing with a ocean animals unit.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Talk about the artist's choices before, during, or after you draw.
- What simple shapes did the lesson start with to build the manatee?
- Which details tell you this is a manatee and not another sea animal?
- How did the kind of line you used -- thick or thin, curved or straight -- change your drawing?
- A manatee lives in warm, shallow rivers and bays. What could you add to your picture to show its home?
Quick work-a-long
Art words: shape, outline, proportion, detail, texture.
Try it: 1) Follow along and draw your own manatee, pausing the video at each step. 2) Add a background that shows where a manatee lives (warm, shallow rivers and bays), then label one part of the animal (fin, tail, eye, or body).