29 Aug Charlotte Mason Brush Drawing: Why Mallam’s Classic Belongs in Your Homeschool

One of our most exciting moments in homeschooling is starting a new handicraft series. Yes, that’s how much we love handicrafts! I know many homeschool moms are not big fans of arts and crafts, but we’re weird that way. In our world, handicrafts are a great source of joy, peace, and pleasure. We’ve recently been covering Brush Work, where we worked at developing the skills of creating brush forms to paint natural forms and objects. Brush work was intended to be a foundation for Brush Drawing, with the ultimate goal of learning the skill of watercolor painting. So today we will be starting with Charlotte Mason Brush Drawing.

What Is Brush Drawing?

Unlike drawing with a pencil, brush drawing uses a watercolor brush to create every line and shape. Because there is no erasing, each stroke is made thoughtfully and deliberately. This approach tends to come naturally to children. Children, who have typically already learned to observe long before picking up a paint brush, quickly develop confidence, while at the same time creating something beautiful.

This method encourages simplicity rather than perfection. Instead of repeatedly correcting mistakes, students practice giving their full attention to each mark they make. Over time, they naturally develop steadier hands and greater accuracy.

May Mallam’s Brush Drawing Book

For this handicraft series, Charlotte Mason Brush Drawing, we will be using the book, Brush Drawing as Applied to Natural Forms and Common Objects by May Mallam. This book was originally published in 1905 around the time of Charlotte Mason. Although there is no evidence that Charlotte Mason herself assigned May Mallam’s books in her published programs, we do see evidence that Mallam’s work was well known during Mason’s lifetime. A 1920 article published in The Parents’ Review recommended May Mallam’s Work with the Brush as an excellent resource for teaching brush drawing, demonstrating that her methods were respected within the broader PNEU community.

Today, May Mallam’s Brush Drawing as Applied to Natural Forms and Common Objects is a reliable resource for homeschool families. The lessons progress naturally from simple leaves and flowers to more detailed natural forms, allowing children to build skill gradually without becoming overwhelmed. The book reflects many principles Charlotte Mason parents appreciate: careful observation, steady progression, and learning directly from nature.

Why Brush Drawing in a Charlotte Mason Education?

Like all of the other handicrafts we have covered, it quickly becomes apparent that brush drawing is more than just another art lesson. Besides the joy that it brings, it also focuses on:

• Mastery of the brush
• The use of the brush to draw with
• Teaching the expression of solid form by means of light and shade, and simple colouring
• Teaching bold, simple work
• General effect rather than detail

Charlotte Mason believed that education should cultivate the habits of attention, observation, and careful work. Brush drawing beautifully supports all three.

When children paint directly from a leaf, flower, feather, or seashell, they must slow down and first, truly study what they see. They notice the curve of a stem, the symmetry of a leaf, or the delicate veins in a flower. This careful observation strengthens both artistic ability and scientific curiosity, making brush drawing a perfect companion to nature study.

Brush drawing also teaches patience. Since each line is painted with intention, children learn to work slowly and thoughtfully instead of rushing to finish.

Brush drawing also blends perfectly with nature study, another staple of a Charlotte Mason education. After a nature walk, children can select one object to study closely and paint in their nature journals. The goal isn’t to produce a perfect illustration but to notice details that might otherwise go unseen. Over time, these paintings become a treasured record of both artistic growth and time spent outdoors.

Materials Needed

• The book, Brush Drawing as Applied to Natural Forms amd Commom Objects by May Mallam
• A quality watercolor brush, size 6 round
• Watercolor paints, pick 2 or 3 to start (the book suggests getting started with indigo or sepia), or get the set
• Watercolor paper – for practice, however, we like to use manila graph paper. It is cheaper than watercolor paper, but absorbent enough to use with watercolor paints.
• A small container of water
• A small plate or palette for mixing
• A sloping surface for the paper (to be transparent, we do not have a sloping surface)
• Napkins to blot paint, and to clean fingers and dry brushes
• Nature specimens such as leaves, flowers, feathers, pinecones, or shells
• A white screen or cardboard with a hinged stand that can hold specimens

Happy Handicrafts Video: Brush Drawing, A Charlotte Mason Homeschool Series, Plate 1

Plate 1

After our homeschool handicraft series on brushwork, we were more than ready to start brush drawing. As we worked through this first plate, practicing brushwork and brush control, we realized more than ever what a great foundation we set for ourselves with brushwork! Because of all of our previous practice, this lesson felt like a breeze!

We started with vertical lines, following the instructions for how to hold the brush and how to move the fingers, wrist, and arm. We made thick lines, thin lines, and a little bit of both. Then we moved on to horizontal lines, working at brush control. Once that felt comfortable, we began making patterns, incorporating in oblique lines.

These are a few of our practice papers. The goal of Plate 1 is to establish good technique holding and moving the brush. In my humble opinion, it’s also very important to enjoy the process, so take the time to develop patterns and work them out on paper. There is no right or wrong when practicing in this way.

Why Brush Drawing Still Matters Today

In a world filled with screens and constant distractions, brush drawing offers something refreshingly different. It invites children to slow down, focus deeply, and enjoy the quiet satisfaction of creating something with their own hands.

Perhaps that’s why this forgotten art continues to attract Charlotte Mason homeschoolers more than a century after it was first taught. It isn’t simply about learning to paint. It’s about cultivating attention, appreciation for beauty, and the habit of careful observation – all qualities that serve children throughout their education and well into adulthood.

Come follow us on YouTube, at Happy Handicrafts, where we share videos of all of our homeschool handicrafts! We would love to have you join us!