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Gifted and talented

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Original poster

G&T with art?

17 replies

zephyrcat · 22/02/2007 10:17

DD has been able to draw well beyond her age since she was about 2. Her classroom is pastered with her drawings, and her teachers often talk about her drawings and describe them as 'exceptional', 'rare' etc and said that they all get excited when they see dd sit down to draw!

From a biased Mummy POV, I love her drawings, and yes, she can draw well but I never thought anything more of it.

Is there a way to assess her drawings? Are there things I should be doing with her or just let her get on with it?

OP posts:
Original poster
zephyrcat · 22/02/2007 10:18

She is 5 btw and started reception last sept.

OP posts:
clerkKent · 22/02/2007 13:01

Just provide endless amounts of paper, pens, paint, brushes, glue, scissors etc. and let her get on with it. A magazine like Art Attack if possible.

southeastastra · 22/02/2007 13:05

i wouldn't get her assessed, some children are really gifted artists at a young age. just continue to encourage her

belgo · 22/02/2007 13:11

My dd is three and loves drawing, in fact it's the only time she'll sit down and concentrate. She's been drawing since the age of 18 months and I never gave it a second thought until a family member pointed out that there are many artists on dh's side of the family - so maybe she has inherited some sort of talent!

I have no idea how she compares to her contemporaries (sp)

At her age, it's something that should be enjoyed.

I will however keep her early drawings just in case she grows up to be a famous artist

TinyGang · 22/02/2007 13:15

Ahh lovely...my dd is also very talented at art and I'm really proud of her. I was always very keen too and it's a favourite subject of mine.

Have a look to see if there's an art group for children that she could join in your area. My dd joined one that was on just for the holidays last summer and it was run by a lovely lady who was really keen and interesting about art (She and I have become quite good friends actually)

I also let her watch any art programmes that I think might interest her on the tv - even if they're grown up ones. There's always galleries and exhibitions too.

I think it's important to encourage and to let them know that art isn't just something that children do.

figroll · 22/02/2007 16:08

My dd is 14 and very talented in art. At age 4 she was able to draw of a fashion, but was limited by her dexterity. However, her pictures were always in proportion - so a head was in proportion to a body, etc. She also noticed that the sky came right down to the ground and wasn't just a blue strip! Also the sun was a yellow glow not a circle with rays coming from it. Just a few things I noticed at the time - I thought nothing of it at the time, although teachers said she was very artistic - I thought they were just being nice. I would say that by about 10 she really was starting to produce good pictures and at 14 we have them framed and on the wall!

figroll · 22/02/2007 16:10

I would add, that we did nothing to encourage her in art at all - she encouraged herself. She would draw at every available opportunity - even in preference to watching tv, etc. It really is her passion and it continues to be. Pity that art is so undervalued as a skill, because I know it is something that I could never do.

brimfull · 22/02/2007 16:25

how lovely,what a great talent to have.My dc's have never had an interest in art much to my disappointment.
Could you post us a picture,I'd love to see some,anyone else's childrens pics aswell!

fizzbuzz · 22/02/2007 16:40

Weeeeeeeeeell am an Art teacher, but teach secondary, and we have a lot of G&T.

I would:

Let her play and make as much creative mess as possible. Also let her play with 3d stuff, and textiley stuff like sewing and wool.

Let her get on with it, but you could guide her by, talking a little bit about proportion (obviously in little girl talk!).

Look through a window with her, and ask her what happens to shapes and colours as they go further away.

Look at an object with her, and see if she can see where dark bits and light bits are. Get her to draw it and try and show this.

Enroll her in any childrens art classes and take her to lots of galleries.

Go out for a walk with her, and talk about different shapes and textures. Look at how some things overlap each other, eg leaves.

Uuum uum uum am struggling now, this may or may not be of help, beacuse as I said I teach secondary, and it may be a bit highbrow. Can think of other stuff but don't want to overface you or her. Eg layer up lots of different colours of tissue paper, and see how the colours change.

HTH

fizzbuzz · 22/02/2007 16:46

Also what all the girls I teach love is this.

Make flowers or shapes out of wire. Cover wire in coloured tissue paper, stretching paper across gaps to make a "petal" Cover in pva glue to make it shiney and hard, when it is dry you can decorate it or leave it. They look lovely hanging up every where.

belgo · 22/02/2007 18:23

that's really interesting fizzbuzz

fizzbuzz · 22/02/2007 18:36

You should see what the 6th formers do. Lots of things with masaccared (sp?) Barbies in dishwashers, and giant shoes. I could go on and on.....

Also modroc is good fun

fizzbuzz · 22/02/2007 18:42

Also one more thing, which when we tell our Y7's this, they gasp in amazement.

Nothing has an outline round it, the form of a shape is made from shade, tone, background etc.

This is one of the best bits of teaching, when it is like lightbulbs going on.

Maybe a bit advanced for 5 though!!!

Original poster
zephyrcat · 22/02/2007 18:48

Thanks for all the replies! I think maybe when I wrote 'assess' the wrd is a bit strong for what I mean. I just wonder if she is as far ahead with her drawing as everyone seems to tell me.

I asked a friend who is an art/design co-ordinator for years 3-6 but she had to rush off.. she did say that it's not how well/what they can draw it's how they draw that defines it.

She spends her whole life drawing! We go through so many reams of paper and the drawings are unbelievably detailed and she can draw things in perspective. The other day she was upstairs and when she came down she had drawn a detailed picture of the whole front room!!

OP posts:
fizzbuzz · 22/02/2007 18:49

Wow! perspective. We teach that in Y9, and some of them struggle with it!

If she can do perspective now she is very very talented.

fizzbuzz · 22/02/2007 18:49

Wow! perspective. We teach that in Y9, and some of them struggle with it!

If she can do perspective now she is very very talented.

fizzbuzz · 22/02/2007 18:49

Wow! perspective. We teach that in Y9, and some of them struggle with it!

If she can do perspective now she is very very talented.

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