Teach a child to draw a barn

The top barn on this page was drawn by a 4 year old girl. The bottom one by a 47 year old man, her father (yours truly). I first divide the page in two with a line. She uses the top, I use the bottom. We have a full color photo of the barn to look at. I ask questions, draw a line, and have her draw the same line on her barn. So the method is the same as the other web page Teach a child to Draw, the Socratic method. I made this page so that you would have an idea where to start in a case like this. For me, using the side of the barn with the door (a) is an easier place to start. Reason being, that you have an imaginary vertical center line (b) to work your measurements from. Next, figure about what the angle of the lower roof will be (c). I do this by laying a pencil on the drawing, and asking the child if this looks about right. Of course, it's good to make it exagerated in the wrong place, so that they can be the one to set it right. Once you've established where line (c) is supposed to be, draw it in in both sketches. then talk to the child about the word parallel. With an understanding of that idea, darw in the higher roof line (d). Of course, I mean draw in both lower and both upper roof lines on this end of the barn. Then you can draw in the rest of the barn, drawing side (e) would be a good next move. Returning to the idea of parallel, and using a long pencil as a visual guide, draw in the remaining roof lines. Remember to keep line (f) parallel to the roof lines at the (a) end of the barn. You can see that I've omitted the idea of drawing in perspective. It seemed like too much info at the time. She was liking it as it was. I helped her select colored pencils to color it in. My admonitions to stay carefully within the lines weren't followed really well, but so what. It's a great kid's drawing.