I’ve been showing children (and adults) how to draw my characters for some time now. Some times I wonder why, because it seems so obvious to me how to draw them and everyone does such lovely drawings, I often think we could have spent the time doing some thing else.

I’ve often been puzzled by comments made by teachers which are generally something like, “It’s amazing, these children are following the instructions.” I smile politely and feel confused. Isn’t that how it is done?

Well last week it all became clear at Whitchurch Primary school, where I’m working with the year five group at the moment. I’ve mentioned them before. They are unusual in that they only have four girls in the class. Their teacher, Mrs Stevens, said that my drawing instructions worked because I gave the instructions one at a time and waited until everyone was ready before I gave the next.

She says that often she will give a group of instructions like: “Put your water bottle back in the crate at the back of the class, get your book and sit down at your desk.”

She says she often ends up with a few boys sitting at their desks with their water bottles! It seems that boys who don’t multi-task need need simple one-step instructions to get it right. It is so obvious you would never think about it. And that is why all the children and adults when I do drawing lessons draw what I show them, pretty much without fail – even the most chaotic scrawls are decipherable.

I do remember being very frustrated at art college, that our lecturers would not teach us how to draw. “We do’t want to interfere with your natural style,” they would say. Long ago, art education was all about instruction. The fact is that not everyone is going to be an artist nor wants to be. But the skill of drawing is invaluable. If drawing is not taught because teachers don’t want to spoil natural talent, then no drawing gets done.

Most students become despondent and give up, whereas, with some formal training, they may not become great artists, but they may discover another language with which they can express ideas they may find difficult to express in words.

Drawing should not be seen as something strange the arty types do in the art room. It is amazing that we all can read the language of drawing fluently, almost from birth without any formal instruction – in fact the language of words itself is expressed by drawing marks on paper – and yet so few of us feel capable of picking up a pencil and joining in the conversation.

What is going on here? I think, as ever in the field of formal education, there is a mismatch between the talents of the left and right brains. The product of right brain work cannot be tick-boxed and yet, the sequencing work of the left-brain, which is what we teach in schools, is meaningless without the original input of the right brain.

For while I became a bit Right-brainist as right brained people do not get a good deal from school. But I’ve now come to realise that left-brained people do not get a good deal either. Skills for both sides of the brain should be taught and, more importantly, skills that marry up the two sides. An all round education should strengthen both sides of the brain.

Drawing before writing works for me. My sketchbooks are half and half, words and pictures, the ideas grow as words and pictures. The two feed off each other. I’m sure this approach would help many who find going straight to the words difficult.

I’ve already learned what I think is an really important lesson for me after only one session at the school. What more have I to learn? Exciting! And I’m suppose to be the one that’s imparting information.

I’ve spent a bit of time thinking about the project we are working on and realise I need to break it down into easy manageable bits with simple step-by-step instruction. It’ll be interesting to see If I can do it and if it works. Watch this space.