To do my daughters GCSE course work?

the coursework project still has the same rules as the externally set task. If they find out you have done her research or drawing she will be disqualified. She also has to sign a declaration (if she’s AQA) stating anyone else that helped her.

If she fails her art gcse she will learn that life doesn’t end when you fail your art gcse.

if you pull her through this she will learn that she can’t do things by herself, that her achievements on paper don’t actually reflect her ability.

Butterflies need to make their own way out of the cocoon in order to emerge fully formed. Your dd will thrive and become independent if you allow her the space to do so. Be supportive and kind, but have your boundaries in the right place, as to what you should help with and what she needs to do for herself.

Blue tac the portrait to the window with the paper on top and get her to trace the outline then add the details once traces, that way she has a starting point and a bit more support so she can do it herself. Then see how she feels, I can understand your frustration but it may not be good for her self esteem knowing one of her pieces isn’t her own x

I haven't read the whole thread, but I paint portraits and here are two methods to copy one without tracing paper:

1. Use a grid. Mark out a grid of small squares on the original portrait and then exactly the same size grid on your paper. Then copy what's in each little box. You'll get the same drawing, then paint over it.

1. Download a photo merge app. The one I have is free and called ultimate photo mixer. Draw a very rough version on the piece of paper, doesn't matter if it's rubbish. Then take a photo of the original and set it as the background, take a photo of your sketch and set us as the foreground picture. Change the transparency so that you can see both images. Now alter the lines of your sketch to match the original. Do this multiple times until it's correct, taking new photos of the sketch. Then paint over.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

Also, write a load of arty waffle about the artistic struggle and whether getting a true likeness is really important. Find some stuff in art books or get chat gpt to do it for you. I got full marks in my art a level (pre AI) and I did a LOT of this.

it’s a bit strange to post AIBU and then try to justify what you’re doing every time someone explains why you are!

I get that your daughter has additional needs. But this level of over involvement in her work is not helping her. Maybe the right thing would have been to discuss with the school reducing the number of subjects earlier on. It’s not helpful to her to encourage her to lie (she will have to sign a document to state all work is her own) or for her to feel that if something is too difficult, someone else will do it for her.

it’s ok to not be good at everything. That’s an essential life lesson, learning that some things were good at and other things we find really tough and may never feel we’re able to grasp. Part of building resilience is trying our best at things but also recognising how to accept with good grace when we’ve reached our ceiling with a particular skill. I failed one of my subjects at her age. I didn’t like the fact id failed, particularly as I had the sort of profile where my grades in other subjects were high. But I think it was really really important that I learnt that it was ok, the world didn’t end and it was something I needed to accept. If my parents had cheated to enable me to pass that subject, the only thing it would have taught me is that cheating is ok, and it would probably have knocked my confidence in the longer term because despite outward appearances on my exam certificates, I would have known that it wasn’t my own achievement

If tracing is acceptable by the school have you tried using the window (ie blue tacking the image and the watercolour paper to the window and tracing through that)? I would have thought that would give enough light to get an initial outline

Your daughter only needs maths and English GCSE to progress in life. A low grade in art won't matter in the scheme of things.

If she has ADHD a traditional academic route might well not suit her so maybe something practical would be better than sixth form and putting her in social situations to help her social skills for autism.

I'd me more concerned that handing in your work would teach her that what she's done isn't good enough. I'd argue that a quick sketch done by her is much better than a more detailed one by you. If it's too large and too detailed try something like pen and ink. She could sketch the outline in biro in seconds then fill in shading with large brush strokes. Or, same with graphite.

Do the tracing thing.

The amount of cheating of coursework that goes on in schools... I wouldn't worry about it.

My daughter has dyspraxia so I totally understand the desire to help. She did her GCSE's last year too, so I'm still fresh to it all. However, please don't cheat for her. That really isn't the right way to help her. If you do some of it, the difficult bit, YOU are telling her she isn't good enough. YOU are telling her "Here, I've done it, because you aren't capable". So you are actaully reinforcing her belief that she will fail. Because if you do it for her, she HAS failed. Your desire to help is actually reinforcing her assumption that she can't do it herself. It took me a while to realise that, I thought I was supporting her to succeed, I was actually doing the opposite.

Don't ask her to concentrate for two hours, do it for 20 minutes. With a timer. Just draw the outline of the eyes. Now have a break. Now the ears. Now lunch. Yes sweetheart, YOU absolutely CAN do this, yes, you really can. Come on, I'll sit with you. See, the eyes are fine, it doesn't have to be perfect. See, YOU'VE done that, I KNEW you could! Come on now, the ears now... Not patronising just kind, firm, no nonsense, "I believe in you, even you don't just now."

Pick the ones out of the bin and iron them (cool iron on the back with carbon paper on the front so it doesn't mark the ironing board).

I have never taught art but I do know that for some pieces of coursework there are tick boxes and a mark can only be given if that item is in the course work.

It doesn't matter at this stage whether it is good, bad, indifferent or bloody awful.

Think of it like a marathon, the time you finish is the time you finish even if you crawled over the finishing line.

This is the exam, not coursework

I agree - good admirable intentions @LolaLouise
if she was going on to do an art based subject I’d say it was not so good, but as she isn’t and it’s one piece amongst a few and unlikely to affect her grade other than stop her from failing completely - I’d say it’s fine. I’d get her to put her stamp on it through colour today and then move on.

its very difficult managing a child who isn’t totally typical - and not worth causing either of you a lot of stress over one piece.

i think the help you’ve given her leading up to today, in both in structuring and presenting her other her course work may rub off and she may have learned a bit how to plan and prep for the future. My DD always says that the micromanaging she received at her private secondary school really helped her at her sixth form college and uni to plan, revise and prep.

Good luck to your DD in her exams - it’s a stressful time xx

@LolaLouise Learning that you aren’t great at something is still learning. My DDs had no help from me with any school exams or course work. It’s a case of learning to do what you can. No one is perfect. You should advise but not do anything. Where does it stop?

Exactly so she’s independently done most of it already as you’ve said in previous posts, abd done it quite well. I’m not sure why you’re getting so invested in this one? She’s shown time and time again her ability to get things done in her own way.

So let her use your drawing or she may be able to do it herself today. Get it done and out of way. GCSE exams start this week don’t waste anymore time on this drawing. You are a good mum trying to what you can to support your child. I would do the same esp as it seems like something pretty inconsequential
Have you tried tracing the drawing off an iPad on full brightness?

@LolaLouise you sound like a lovely mum who was just trying to help her child to get something done. It’s not life changing from what you’ve said and will have no real impact on her future academic plans other than getting this subject done and dusted.

Do whatever you need to do to make both of your lives easier and just get this done! That can then give your daughter the headspace to focus on the more important subjects.

Please don’t put more pressure on yourself if you have health issues, along with your daughter already stressing over it.

Just get this finished with her this morning and literally draw a line under it so she can focus on other exams.

Forget the negative posts on this thread and just keep being the lovely mum helping her child in best way possible right now for both of you.

Don’t overthink, and Good luck!

That isn’t the official deadline. That’s the teachers one. You’re better off stepping back and getting her to tell the teacher here’s everything bat final drawing which I’m going to start oin my lesson today because it went wrong. Get out sketches from bin and take with to school so she can show teachers. And you step out.

She needs to just include the attempted portrait she has been working on. If there are several versions, then even better. It doesn’t matter if they’re not perfect. The coursework marks aren’t based on how good individual pieces are, they’re based on the process and evidence that is shown in order to get to her final outcome. There will be a separate mark for her actual final outcome. The whole point in the planning and preparation is to experiment and have things go wrong and right so that it can be built on and refined. What would be even better is for to annotate the piece in question and say what she’s finding hard about it and what could be done to improve. Is it based on an actual artwork by another artist? If so, do a print out and include that too. There is no wrong/ right/ bad/good in art - it’s all individual and unique. As long as the process is shown and a final outcome for each project. I’m an ex art teacher by the way - taught gcse art for years.

I’m with @ocelot3on this.
But do try the graphite transfer - a way of tracing without tracing paper. My DD did art GCSE. I didn’t do any of hers for her but my goodness I remember the stress. She’s autistic. If she had let me help her I would have. This final piece is just a small part of her submission but she’s catastrophising. Good luck! I still feel relieved we’re through with art GCSE!

What you’re doing isn’t giving her support.

No, don’t do this. If she gets a decent grade, it will undermine the grade in her eyes which is a bit sad as she has done most of the work. She should have one more go and submit her drawing, whatever it is like.