Mark Kistler facts for kids
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Mark Kistler is a super inspiring American artist! He creates fun drawing lessons for kids, teens, and even their parents. His goal is to show everyone how much joy and freedom you can find in drawing.
Contents
Mark Kistler's Creative Journey
How Mark Kistler Started Teaching Art
When Mark Kistler was just 15, he read a book called "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. This book really inspired him! He decided he wanted to follow his dream: teaching children how to draw.
He set a big goal for himself: to teach one million kids to draw by the time he was 18. He didn't quite reach a million by then, but he had already taught 400,000! So, he kept going, teaching hundreds of students in schools.
Bringing Drawing to Television
In 1983, Mark noticed there weren't many videos that taught drawing. He wanted to make drawing easy for everyone. He started talking to TV companies about creating a drawing program.
One company was planning a painting show for kids. Mark convinced them that a drawing show would be even better! He explained that there weren't many shows focused on drawing techniques. This led to a fantastic show called The Secret City, which first aired in 1985 on Maryland Public Television.
Commander Mark: Teaching 3D Drawing
On The Secret City, Mark Kistler became "Commander Mark." He was a super energetic spaceman who taught drawing skills to kids watching at home. He also taught his on-screen friends like Zebtron, Metaman, and Cindy the Dragon.
The show was a huge hit! It reached 11 million viewers on PBS every week. This was much more than his original goal of teaching one million students. Commander Mark's drawing style was a fun, cartoon 3D look. He taught important drawing basics like making things look closer or farther away (foreshortening), adding shadows (shading), and showing how objects overlap.
His first book, "Draw Squad," came out in 1988. Then, in 1990, Mark returned to public television with a new show: "Mark Kistler's Imagination Station." This program continued to teach viewers how to "Draw-In-3D" and have a blast while doing it!
The Amazing Mural on The Secret City
In The Secret City, Commander Mark taught drawing skills in a fictional space world. A special part of each episode was when Mark added to a huge 12-foot mural. He used the drawing techniques taught in that episode to make the mural grow.
This mural idea came from his own childhood! His mom let him and his brother draw a mural in their bedroom when they were young. The show's mural was so big that after the series finished, it had to be shipped in a large crate! It is currently displayed in his mother's classroom in Carlsbad, California.
Inspiring Young Artists Today
In 2010, Mark Kistler received an Emmy Award! This award recognized his amazing work in teaching kids 3D drawing. It also celebrated how he shared messages about believing in yourself, loving books, science, classic art, and protecting our planet.
Today, Mark still teaches drawing. He works with students in classrooms and has created many drawing books and DVDs. He also hosts live and online drawing lessons for members on his website. He uses fun phrases like "Draw, draw, draw!" and "Dream it, draw it, do it!" These catchy sayings have inspired many other artists, including Jerzy Drozd, Lee Cherolis, and Mike Krahulik.
Mark Kistler's Television Shows
Mark Kistler has hosted several popular television series where he taught drawing:
- The Secret City
- Mark Kistler's Imagination Station
- Imagination Station: The New Generation
