Don Conroy, the artist well known for helping teach tens of thousands of Irish children how to draw, says he has 'gotten his act together' and started a YouTube channel.
The ‘Draw With Don’ segment on RTÉ’s The Den children’s show ran for many years, with Don famously offering easy to follow tips on how to draw and paint - most famously for drawing animals such as barn owls.
However, the artist and conservationist has now joined YouTube in a bid to bring his popular drawing guides to a whole new generation of Irish children, as well as the existing fans who have been eager to catch up with Don again.
The launch of the channel also comes amid the coronavirus restrictions, where most people are being asked to stay at home and are in need of fun activities to keep them busy.
Don spoke to The Pat Kenny Show this morning about his new channel and the motivation behind it.
Coming up on @PatKennyNT, the legend @donconroy is teaching the nation how to draw once again. Listen live here: https://t.co/zIKwjMnVy0 pic.twitter.com/KlKwUWC7ym
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) April 3, 2020
He explained: “I’d planned to do something over the years regarding this, because a lot of people who watched the Den when they were seven, and are now 30-something and have children.
“They were saying they’d love if I did something for their children as well, so I was mulling over the idea of actually doing something.
“This all came about thanks to my daughter Justine who was very determined that I got my act together.”
Don said the channel will be for “children of all ages” - but there’ll be content to help older audiences get back into painting and drawing as well.
He explained: “Initially I’m putting some fun cartoons for the children to draw - or anybody for that matter - and I will develop and do some drawing and painting for adults as well. Also I’m going to do some storytelling for the children.
“At the end of the day, drawing enables one - especially artists anyway - to translate ideas into form.
"That’s the beautiful thing of drawing: you might have an idea in your head, and you can start working up something.”
He said drawing is an opportunity for “people to be reflective” and to learn more value for people and the places where they live.
He explained: “I’ve been drawing since I was four, and it was only when I went to school that I realised that not everybody drew - I just assumed everybody did.
“I was even saved by being beaten by the school bully once by drawing him a picture of Tarzan when I was about nine.”
You can find Don's YouTube channel here.
