1) No writing at all: that means no letter, numbers, int., if they must write tell them you have a notebook for that
2) No sign or symbols ie: peace signs, yin yangs, crosses, Jewish stars, flags, rainbows ( by adults, children okay), tags, use your own judgement
3) Not to BIG and don't circle your art: this is especially important when the art peace is first starting out and the cloth is empty. People what to get big so you have to remind them that a whole lot of other people are going to draw.
4) Don't cover some other artist art: its alright to add to someone elses art like if there is a mountain with no trees, go ahead and add the tree but don't put a loaf of bread over the mountain.
5) Parents must draw with their children: this is inportant because you want the family to bond on the art peace and its safer to have them close to the kids. Sometimes all they want to do is hold the pastels, at seeing this be firm and tell them to pick up a pastel and start drawing.
The first thing you want to do when someone wants to draw is to have them read the guidelines. After they have read the guidelines make sure they understand them and give them the pastels to start. When its the beginning of the art peace make sure that they understand not to get to big. If they are real artist they can get a bit bigger if they are willing to spend time on it and not just a few minutes.
Sometimes at certain events people don't want to draw. As the director you have to compel them to. If they say they can't draw then find them a place that they can color in. What I do is put a green line down one side of the art peace and call it my, "I can't draw vine." I get them to add a leaf or a berry to the vine, sometime the vine is the best thing on the whole art peace. Plus it give the art peace a nice boarder.
Remember you are the one that make the art peace go and with out you directing the art peace wouldn't turn out as good as it could. What makes an art peace great from just good is you making the people do that little bit more. This is where you get to use your imagination because you get to say add a little of this color here of there. Or let say they draw a cat, try to get them to draw a mouse or a dog next to it. You might even try to get them to draw the mouse in the cats mouth. Use your imagation to fill in spaces when the art peace starts to get filled. Get the artist to look at a space and draw into the space. What do I mean, try to get them to remember how they used to look at the clouds and image what it looked like, then do the same with the space.
When you are working with children always tell them that they are great artist. Make sure that you always get them to do a little more with their art. This is where your directorship is so important. If they do a flower and forget the ground get them to draw in the ground or put the flower in a pot. One thing about children is that they are going to draw at the bottom of the art peace and not up top. So if a good artist draws down on the bottom of the art peace let them know that they are subject to a scribblers art because that little artist couldn't draw any higher. Its awesome to get the scribbler on the art peaces. When they come up to draw make sure the parents get down with them and draw with them and not just hold the box of pastels. It helps to have an area where just scribbler can scribbler. Some of them will shock you with their art because they might put a lot of color together as only a child could. One thing about children is that to them you are the artist and they will listen to you and do what you want them to do. As you are watching the art peace grow keep sections of the art that people haven't colored in and give it some kid to do. They will love it and it makes the whole art peace better.
One thing you will learn with each art peace you do is that you get more and more confindent in your directing skills. Don't feel bad if someone won't listen to you and just do his own thing. Sometimes if they are jerks after they finish have someone cover up what they did. I usally do that when they get a bit big and won't finish what they started. Its all in the person attitute toward you that counts. At time its hard to be cheerful but them kids rely on you to lift their spirit with a kind word. Remember you are the one that the make that little artist grow to be a great artist, because you took the time to give them a place to draw.
How can you discribe what its like to do an art peace when each one is so different? Each place the art peace is drawn has its own uniqueness and that will show up it the art. Its your job to draw out the creativeness from the event as best as you can. You have to watch everything that going on and guide the art peace along. Think about it, you and God are the only one that see the whole art peace done!
The best way to learn how to do an art peace is to do one and enjoy it. When you set one up and see the excitement from all the people drawing and the art peace getting fuller and fuller you will understand why I'm hooked on doing them. It is such a joy to see people to be creative. And to know that you gave them that place makes your heart feel good. So the main thing is have fun setting up and doing COLLECTIVE ART.