Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Any art teachers about?

77 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 26/06/2015 16:23

I'm just after some opinions about whether or not my Yr 9 dd has any talent. Her art teacher says she's very good and would get a B at gcse. I see stuff she draws and paints and I'm not so convinced. I've looked online at gcse portfolio stuff and it seems so much better.....but guess that might be 18 months further on.

I'll attach a painting she's done here....I know it's only one painting but Id welcome any opinions. Her art teacher has a reputation for gushing about how brilliant kids are even when they're perhaps not so good according to other parents.

Dd also reckons the art teacher doesn't give them any actual teaching on technique. Are there any good text books which might be beneficial?

Any art teachers about?
OP posts:
Lancelottie · 29/06/2015 17:02

Some of the A* stuff on that site is terrifyingly good (I've recently done art A-level myself and still couldn't draw like that!) but I think you less often get to see the decent middlish level of work.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 29/06/2015 17:16

She certainly has lots of ideas. She's quite into manga and loves Yoshitomo Nara after we saw an exhibition of his a few years ago and I think with some of her sketches kind of tries to kind of copy his style.

OP posts:
pinkyredrose · 29/06/2015 19:20

Love how OP is determined to ignore my posts!

Lancelottie · 29/06/2015 21:12

Pinky, Viva's daughter has already decided not to do GCSE art. And her teacher is currently saying, not that she's the next Turner, but that she could produce B-grade artwork. Seems reasonable.

StaircaseAtTheUniversity · 29/06/2015 21:17

Just want to put it out there that I was never good at drawing or painting from life but was very good at art! Got an A* at GCSE and a B at A2- was taught how to draw but I was very good at sculpture in particular. I think being "artistic" is about far more than just being able to accurately draw or paint something.

BestIsWest · 29/06/2015 21:36

Spot on staircase, it's not all about how well you can draw technically.

Etsyqueen · 29/06/2015 21:41

Pinky What is wrong with you? this is not an AIBU, its a parent genuinely asking for peoples help and constructive opinions about her DD's work. You seem to just want to point, laugh and ridicule her. Please buzz off and find somewhere else to play.

Bunbaker · 29/06/2015 21:59

I agree. Pinky's posts are just nasty and hurtful.

pinkyredrose · 30/06/2015 09:23

Don't see how my posts are nasty? That certainly wasn't my intention, just trying to be honest.

Lancelottie · 30/06/2015 09:41

Yup, 'talentless as a blind baboon' was a calmly helpful comment all right, Pinky!

Need a bigger shovel over there, or would you rather stop digging?

Viva, a quick google shows loads of sites encouraging 'a drawing a day' or 'a painting a day'. Some are good, some mediocre, some start out dire and improve, but I defy anyone to draw daily without at least learning to look at things. And looking is the key -- it'll help with photography as well.

Dare you offer us an example of her graphics work to savage offer helpful and honest feedback on?

nipersvest · 30/06/2015 09:58

pinky - dh was told he was talentless when we were at secondary school. fortunately for him, the national portrait gallery didn't share that opinion when they commissioned him to paint this

art isn't always about what comes from the end of the paintbrush. a big part of following art into further education is about lateral thinking, formulating ideas, adaptability, and these days you also need to be a very shrewd business person with a huge knowledge about marketing.

Etsyqueen · 30/06/2015 10:18

Yes Pinky, your posts were entirely helpful and constructive, after which when OP kept a dignified silence, you decided to goad her further with
Love how OP is determined to ignore my posts!,

You may post, OP is however not obliged to reply your posts! You've been warned about this type of behaviour on MN before but you clearly enjoy hurting other people and making fun of them. I don't know wether you're just naturally nasty or just a complete juvenile or perhaps both. Skip on!

nipersvest · 30/06/2015 10:23

pinky, i am amazed you don't see your posts as nasty, you comments are pretty brutal.

viva, it sounds to me if your dd is into manga (has she seen any of the studio ghibli movies?), she might prefer going down the graphics/animation/lens based media route.

ifonly4 · 30/06/2015 10:48

I'm not an art teacher. What I would say is use your time at the exhibition to compare work, although, don't forget there are many forms of art appreciated by different people. There should be a teacher available, so make sure you have a word. Ask them what they feel about your DD's work on display, ie is it really good or is there something unusual about her style that gets it noticed. Also, whats involved in the curriculum and what they are able to teach and advise on. If you can't speak to anyone, phone up the school, get the teachers school email address and ask.

Pinky - the OP has directed her question to art teachers. Are you an art teacher? If you are then your opinion maybe a bit blunt, but would give OP a true opinion on what's she's asking. Most of us replying probably aren't art teachers, just trying to give general opinions and support which I'm sure the OP appreciates.

jn367502 · 30/06/2015 11:10

as long as she enjoys the subject it doesn't matter how well she does in it. The poor child needs encouragement not being told you don't think it's not good enough. I'm appalled at your post.

pinkyredrose · 30/06/2015 11:13

etsy I think you're mistaking me for someone else? Ok I was out of order reading my comments back. Many apologies OP.

PinkPearlClutcher · 30/06/2015 11:22

No offence but it kind of looks like something a 10 year old would do. However, GCSE/A-Level art isn't all about talent, it's also writing about your work, having good ideas, presenting well, being original, using other artists as inspiration.

If she lacks talent she could probably still do the other stuff and get a B/C grade.

I was an average artist but got an A* at GCSE. Some of my peers work was 100% more skilled but they lacked the writing skills and ponciness to say you took inspiration from XYZ.

HmmAnOxfordComma · 30/06/2015 18:36

Vipersnest - your dh's work is bloody outstanding.

HmmAnOxfordComma · 30/06/2015 18:37

Grrr...nipersvest!

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 30/06/2015 18:48

Thanks for all the comments. It's intersting to realise that art portfolios aren't all about the actual drawing and looking at some of the websites with portfolios on I can see how dds art teacher is saying that dd is good at art.

Some stuff ive seen dd do in the past is very detailed with ideas and descriptions and writing round the mood board type thing.

I do appreciate all the comments though I admit I wondered if Pinkyredrose was trying to get a rise out of me with the baboon comment so decided not to respond. But I accept that you weren't. Smile

One comment Id like to respond to is jn36702, I'm sorry you're appalled at my post. However ive never told dd that I don't think her art isn't good enough. Ive always been very encouraging and told her how much I love her pictures.

I thought I made it quite clear that I wanted a true idea of her ability so if necessary I can steer her in the direction of some text books or even weekend classes to help her. That I don't want her to have a crashing disappointment of not getting good enough grades to be able to do architecture or graphic design at uni of that's still what she wants to do at 18. Id be failing her as a parent if I suspected she wasn't very good and did nothing to double check and then help her and then she goes to interviews with her portfolio and gets turned down.

I haven't got any more pictures to post as her art book and graphics book are at school. If I can take any pictures tomorrow I will do.

Thanks everyone.

OP posts:
Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 30/06/2015 18:49

Nipersvest, your Dh's painting is amazing! Dd does like Studio Ghibli stuff and I can see her doing graphics/animation more than straight art.

OP posts:
Orangeanddemons · 30/06/2015 18:59

I'm an Art teacher. I'm afraid that looks like y7 level to me. And a middle to low y7 I'm afraid.

However, it looks like she hasn't ever been taught properly, e.g perspective, scale, landscape, objective drawing etc. I would never expect a Y9 to produce something like that, as the concept is too high level

Orangeanddemons · 30/06/2015 20:00

That website was quite interesting. I wouldn't have given any of the A on that website an A. There was only one that I thought hit all the criteria for a

  • . They looked more like A grades to me
Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 30/06/2015 20:14

I'm not bothered if dd isn't arty.

I'm worried she's dropped art as it clashed with graphics. But she needs a good portfolio for the degree courses she's interested in. I'm bothered that her art teacher reckons she can pick art back up for a-level.

If she was amazing at art I could understand that she could maybe do a-level without doing gcse if she could demonstrate talent, etc. but if dd doesn't have that talent I'm worried she's been given shit advice by people who should know better.

I don't know whether to be pleased she's not doing gcse if she's not that good at art. Or panic that if she's not that good at it and wants to do graphics or architecture that she ought to do art and work hard and try and get an ok grade.

I'm unsure if graphics and photography would be enough at a level to do architecture or graphics without doing art at either gcse or a level. Uni prospectus emphasise portfolios, but would a portfolio with very limited art be enough?

OP posts:
WankerDeAsalWipe · 30/06/2015 20:28

We had a bit of a similar dilemma but we are not in England so the subjects are slightly different. DS1 has been interested in doing architecture/graphic design/product design/computing or engineering. He is good at art, mainly in the "making things look like they are supposed to" way rather than really arty farty creative. He also like Manga and draws that a lot.

Anyway, because of clashes h ended up having to drop graphic communications and kept up with Art instead, the teacher seemed to think that it was easier to pick up Graphics at a higher level without having done the lower qualification than it would be for the other subjects he wanted to do. He has ended up with Maths, English, Physics, Engineering Science, Computing Science, Art and Design......and Geography which he didn't want to take. Graph Comm would have fitted very nicely into his group of subjects but the columns just didn't fall well unfortunately. The teacher was disappointed for him as apparently he can draw the faintest of lines - this seems to be a prized skill :) but they are keen for him to pick it up next year.

Swipe left for the next trending thread