my son is 11 and spends hours drawing and sketching and thinking that he is really good at art. The fact is, he's not. He is absolutely useless. I have never discouraged him and always give him positive feedback. I am also happy that he's drawing rather than causing trouble on the street. But, he openly and confidently says that his work is good and that he wants to do something in art and design when he gets older.
How do I tell him he's cr@p with out knocking his confidence?
2007-11-13 04:07:13 · 38 answers · asked by mummymoomoo 4 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
everyone is answering like I have already shot him down when I haven't. I have been nothing but positive for the last 2 years
2007-11-13 09:55:35 · update #1
How can you judge your son this way?
Sorry but parents are supportive of their children. Period!
If he wants to get a job un art and design he willl need to pass a few GCSE's, and if he is as bad as you say then he wont. You then sympathise with him about how unfair the system is.
If as is more likely he keeps at it then by the time he is sitting exams he will probably be excellent at it and will go on to have a long and varied career in the design industry.
I hope he does!
2007-11-13 04:16:25 · answer #1 · answered by Telf 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
If you tell him that he's bad then he will never get better! There is no nice why to put it so just don't! Practise makes perfect and we all have to start somewhere!
But on the other hand just tell him not to boast about anything at school, you know just in case anything is said that makes him upset! If he wants to draw then let him keep going, its his way off letting his emotions and stress out! Its Good! Atleast he's inside where you can accualy see what he's doing!!!
He will get better and better you'll see! But if you want to say something then just tell him that no bodies perfect and some helpful critism wouldn't go a miss! But instead ogf telling him the things that are awful say things like.... 'I like this part but you could do this to improve it'! OK?
Good Luck and Im sure in years to come he'll be making some good money from his skills! You wait and see!
Hope I helped..
Sunshine
xxx
2007-11-13 04:16:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just look at Tracy Emin! If she can become famous by writing the names of all her lovers on a tent, and displaying an unmade bed, then you don't have to be good to become an artist. You just need to believe in yourself, and make other people believe that what you do is good.
I saw a program on TV once where they took a group of people who knew nothing about art, and were not in the least bit artistic. They gave them each a large blank canvas and told them to create something. They all spent an hour splashing paint around, and using bicycle wheels etc. to make marks on their canvases. The following week the organisers organised an exhibit by a "promising new artist", and invited all the experts and art critics to the opening. Most of the art critics said how fantastic the paintings were, and how they were dying to meet this new artist!
Don't tell your son anything. He could be famous one day!!!
Art! It's the emperor's new clothes!
2007-11-13 04:18:22 · answer #3 · answered by Copper 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's just horrible that you would say such a thing..my daughter is 2 and a half and her scribbles are just the greatest thing to me if he is proud of the work he does why ruin his self-esteem? that's great that he wants to be an art designer and with practice who knows he may get better he is still young nothing like crushing a poor boys dreams
edit: everyone is answering like you have already shot him down cuz you have..just not to his face don't you feel bad calling your child useless and "crap" behind his back your question is really how do i tell my son he sucks in a nice way why not just let him be why does his drawing bother you so much
2007-11-13 04:13:30 · answer #4 · answered by bellababi44 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't matter, just support it.
...
Hm, that was from The Sarah Silverman Program, wasn't it?
Well anyway, he's 11. Just drawing in general is going to make him better. You need to understand that art isn't about talent. It's about how you can get across the feel, emotion, story, and life all on a piece of paper. It can look like ****, yet be the most amazing piece of art in the world if it can come alive.
2007-11-13 17:18:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why on earth would you want to tell him that?!
Imagine if one day he turned round and said to you that you were a cr@p mum, how would you feel? Devastated probably.
You should encourage him to do something he loves so that he grows up to be a happy and content person and not someone who thinks of themselves as useless.
The more he draws the more likely his sketches are to get better too, why not buy him one of those books where they show you how to draw step by step things like insects, animals, cars etc.
Be a loving parent not someone he will despise in later life for crushing his dreams.
2007-11-13 04:19:27 · answer #6 · answered by Catwoman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
But, it's only crap in your eyes - in his it is brilliant and it may well be to others as well - art takes many forms and if a painting by a monkey can fetch thousands of pounds -then, who knows.
Perhaps insted of being so negative you should openly make 'suggestions' to improve his technique - make gentle ideas seem to come from him - not from you.
Suggest other things as well - Discovery Channel has loads of art programmes that show technique for painting and drawing - there are aslo some really good books around for a very little cost that show how to improve drawing - get him one of these for Xmas - technique is the key to art - improve that and the rest follows.
2007-11-13 04:12:16 · answer #7 · answered by jamand 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Why would you want to? He's only 11. He's finding something interesting isn't he? Isn't that a good thing? What are other 11 year old's doing? How would you know anyway? Are you an artist? He might just be too 'avant garde' for you. There's more to art than copying things accurately you know. Leave the boy alone.
2007-11-13 23:12:00 · answer #8 · answered by Boudicca 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, but who made you an art critic ??!!!!!
If that was my son, I would be as encouraging as I possible could.... in today age, when he finally gets to Uni, he will have the aid of Computer Aided Design packages to help him, and fine tune the skills he has. Instead of knocking him down, give him a push in the right direction, and let him make his own choices.
Just to let you know..... A friend of mine is a very very good car designer. He has worked for Ford, Mercedes, and currently works for Jaguar.... He told me that the majority of designers who have worked under him, were useless at free-hand drawing.... but they still made it as top class car designers. Why ? Because computers helped them !!
On the other hand... tell him he is crap, and then wait for the ASBO's to arrive !!
Your choice !!
2007-11-13 04:18:55 · answer #9 · answered by Sam G 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you should say anything to him about it. Everyone has different views on art. What you see as cr*p others might see as a masterpiece. If he really enjoys it then where is the harm? And, at 11 years old he will probably change his mind about what he wants to do with his life dozens of times.
2007-11-13 09:23:07 · answer #10 · answered by monkeyface 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋