To think you are either good at art or your not?

[Vagaceratops]

You cant really teach yourself to be good at art?

DS has been put on report in Art class because he is achieving a level well below his expected level (He got a 3B and he is targetted a 5B which is never going to happen).

I have had email contact with his form tutor who is also head of art. She has assured me its nothing to do with his behaviour, but just the level he is assessed at.

I am sure he gets his art skills from me. I cant draw for toffee and neither can he sadly.

AIBU?

I don't see the point in putting him on report. How is he meant to respond to being on report? I agree with other posters that a lot of art can be taught, so the right explanations and demonstrations should help him, but this has nothing to do with being on report.

I remember realising in year 9 that I needed to draw what I actually saw, rather than my ideas of what I thought I was seeing. My drawing turned a corner and I did GCSE, though I specialised in sculpture which I had a bit of a feel for. So I think anyone can be taught to draw passably, but there is probably a talent issue for progressing beyond GCSE level.

Most of the art in our school had a certain look to it which makes me think that the house style was definitely taught.

You're not going to be any good at anything without practice, the more practice the better you get. Anybody would be crap at a subject they put no effort into, that's a matter of interest (or lack of), not natural born talentlessness.

My issue with art was always the exam. We were "taught" perspective, did lino printing, ceramics, I always got ok-ish marks in those (50-60%). I knew I was never going to "need" art (love maths ), but enjoyed all the industrial themed projects (school in a Victorian area) and still enjoy looking at architecture. The exam, however, was "use a b/hb/h pencil and draw this piece of dried up orange/pepper/flower". I think my marks were 18%, 16%, 22%. I just can't draw!! Can your DS ask to explore other mediums - clay, plaster of paris, pastels etc?

Exactly what drjohnsonscat said. We were never taught perspective or dimension or looking for the shapes that are in objects or anything like that.

IMHO schools are shit at 'teaching' art and it only gets better when you reach University level because (generalising a little (read, massively)) you drop the people who want to teach for teaching's sake and are obsessed with grading everything and gain the people who actually practice art for a living

But unfortunately by that time a lot of peoples artistic ambition has been stamped out dwindled

Speaking as a Fine Art & Anthropology graduate who got fucking shit grades for Art at school and is now doing a PhD

YANBU, you can make an effort with the history/vocab/ theory. But you can't make your self not suck at it

Some people are naturally better at some things but with art there are techniques that can be taught such as representing perspective, airial perspective, shading etc etc.

I think you need to look at what the teacher is asking of your ds and then see if he is producing it.