How to improve in Art in y8

[questionsneverstop]

Yesterday , we received the Interim monitoring report for my son in year 8.
It says "Securely meeting Age related expectations" in nearly all subjects but there are two "working towards age related expectations", in Art and in Music.
Now, while I think we can improve Music if he works harder, I am not sure how I can help my son in Art. He has inherited my exact incapacity to draw.
Are you able to suggest me a way to help him improve?

Art isn't just about drawing. Can your son try different techniques eg taking photos, tracing pictures to make prints. The aim is to show how you can develop an idea to create a piece of art but there are lots of ways of doing that.

25 years as an Art teacher. Drawing is a skill that can be taught. Some will be better than others, but everyone can be taught to draw.

Very very few schools teach it properly. He may have never been taught properly.

Does it matter? My DS is excelling in all the academic subjects but an utter duffer at art, music, DT etc. I tell him that as long as he puts the effort in, that’s fine. He doesn’t need to be great at everything, and will drop them for GCSE anyway.

Definitely, he has never been taught in primary school. And i think the fact that i do not draw, it has not made things easy. Is there still hope at the age of 12?

I learnt to draw (reasonably so things liked right, not artist standards) at 18 as part of University course... Technical drawing. It was the first time it all made actual sense. We learnt about angles, shapes, perspective etc.

Does he want to be better at art and music? Is he likely to want to carry on with those subjects for GCSE?

Unless you go to one of those very strict, traditional style schools, art is taught as some type of experiment that kids will just 'get'. No other subject is taught this way, it's crazy and makes so many kids feel like they're rubbish at it. If he wants to improve, get him a good how to draw book for adults, it really will make a difference if he works through it. Also, a nice sketching set. The correct pencil will make a big difference too.

Unless he cares, I'd just let it go.

Drawing is about practice. The more he draws, the better he will get, even if he never becomes the next Albrecht Durer.

My school is not a traditional type school.

Kids are taught colour theory, form, tone and space in yr7
Always always taught drawing from primary sources.

Those places that just say draw what you like aren’t teaching anything. It’s about building blocks, just like everything ekse

Agree with Soupy and Teen - is he that bothered? If not, I would let it go.

As long as he is behaving well and trying his best in lessons, I would focus on things he plans to take further.

Art GCSE IMHO is one that should be taken only by those with a real enthusiasm and passion and (probably) talent. I have no doubt it is possible to teach someone to draw, and if he wants to learn then great; but if not then it's not a deal-breaker if he is below average in year 9 and drops it.

Apologies btw to any art teachers - I am not denigrating your subject. I would say the same about many other subjects.

Look at some of the you tube films out there - tutorials etc that take a more relaxed look at how to get things on paper. I would agree that a certain level of drawing can be taught - the rest is actually practice and trial and error - some people have a better eye than others especially for colour but you can get to competence

@theemojiformerlyknownasprince That's awesome, but you must admit that your school is the exception not the norm. It's quite difficult to find a school that teaches art in this way. I'm not the biggest fan of those super traditional schools but I do think they get the creatives right by mastering the foundation.

I do agree though that unless he is bothered or wants to, I wouldn't bother.

My DD2 learned a lot in Art & Music & PE. Art in particular was well taught, learning different shading techniques etc etc. She always got good marks for attitude. By the time she gave them up she was still way below expected standards. (Has DCD).

Any 'extra' time she had for school went on core subjects.

My DD wasn’t particularly great at Art in Year 8. She was just below the meeting expectations level. To improve, she watched YouTube tutorials and practiced a lot. She did this off her own back though because she wanted to be good at art. She went on to take Art GCSE and is now doing Art A-level.

Does it really matter? I have almost finished writing y8 reports for Music. There are some exceptional students who perform really well and are skilled composers. Most can follow a template and enjoy their lessons. However, I know that in a good year, only around 20% of the class will continue to GCSE, so as long as they learn something, are better at the end of the year than the start and their behaviour is acceptable, what's the issue? My lessons are fun; even in a normal classroom using laptops, we can be creative and enjoy ourselves. Don't worry about it.

Everyone is allowed to be bad at something and if it’s a subject they don’t have to pursue at GCSE level then it’s really not something I’d worry about. I’d far rather my DD spent a lot of time on the work for subjects she is likely to do at GCSE than used that time watching YouTube videos or trying to develop her technique in something she didn’t have a natural interest in.

I think we do unconsciously pass on some of our own attitudes to subjects which might make our DC be a bit less bothered than they might be in certain subjects. I was awful at Sports, don’t give a monkeys about it and don’t mind in the slightest that both DDs are complete underachievers in it. While you have a better attitude than me and are looking to try and help DS here, do you think your DS might have picked up from you on some subconscious level that it might be a likely area of lack of strength/interest?

I would keep the focus in these subjects on fun and a good attitude in the classroom. Assuming your daughter is not planning on taking them for GCSE, let her enjoy them through Y8, regardless of her attainment levels.

My ds is good at art, it's one of his most favorite subject. He picks up a lot from watching you tube tutorials.
I love art too, so if I find some interesting video, I watch it with him.