7 year old dd wants to be an artist... how to best encourage her

[kdownie]

My dd just turned 7 and is in first grade. She has loved art ever since she could scribble and has aspirations to be an artist when she grows up. She often asks me how she can sell her paintings now and things like that. We have friends who are involved in the art field who have told us that she does show definite talent, for her age, though nothing prodigy-like. You know, just like having a good eye and a creativeness with abstract things.

 

So, how do I go about encouraging her, especially considering she has asked me about selling works, which I just don't know how to go about doing at this point. She would do art all day every day, but we do, currently, put our priorities on math, reading, writing etc.

 

Should I just do school like usual, teaching her all the necessary core subjects and let her have fun on days that we do art? What do I say when she asks about selling things? I could always do something on Etsy, but that is such a huge marketplace, and I would hate for her to be discouraged if things didn't sell.

[Barb_]

Buy her the best supplies you can afford and teach her to care for them. Carve out time each day for her to create art and treat that time as a sacred part of the school day. I would discourage any inquiries about selling art. Tell her it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice (so that's her early 20's even if she draws 1-2 hours a day for the next 15 years) to approach mastery and that we must put in our practice before we can expect it to pay off. Then again that may just encourage her to ditch math for colored pencils :)

[sewingmama]

My DD is the same. I encourage her by having art supplies available and making sure that Art lessons are not "gravy" ie. we do them every week. We also do drawing as a seperate subject as well as Art Appreciation.

 

As for selling - I tell my DD that everybody likes different kinds of art and just because they don't want to buy yours doesn't make it "not good". I also remind her that a lot of the great artists were poor and didn't sell their art till after they were dead I encourage her to give her art away for free "to get it out there and noticed ;) " by sending it to people who will appreciate it (grandma and uncles and aunties). I also remind her that real artists produce their art because they love it and not because of the money it brings in. If it turns out that other peole love your art and want to buy it then great - but that isn't the main aim for being an "artist". I also tell her "gently" that unless you are one of the lucky people to be a true art podigy at a young age she will have to go the regular route of most artists such as art lessons and studying and practice before she should try selling her art.

 

We have an "art gallery" wall at home where DD(and the boys) hang up their work. DD often stands in front of it telling me how proud she is of her work in her gallery. :wub:

 

If your DD wants to start going public look around for childrens art shows and competitions. Our library does them often. It should satisy her need to "be seen" for now.

[Hen]

my kids have a natural art bent, and so did I. The two best ways that I have encouraged and developed their art talent is by first, having really good art supplies out and available- this means pencils and paints beyond the crayola type and better paper then printing paper. The second thing I've done- is pay for art lessons with an art teacher and when there was a time when we couldn't, I found group art activities done by community groups for the kids to participate in. We can only afford the art classes for about 5 months out of the school year. I have a bit of natural bent but never had art lessons and I think I would have benefited from them.

 

my middle dd is applying to a performing arts highschool for 11th and 12th grade. All my kids are encouraged to enter art work in at the fair, and in our homeschool I have always given the option to respond to a reading assignment with art. okay, shameless mom-gushing, here is a link to some of my dd's art

homeiswhereyoustartfrom.com-open windows

[Nscribe]

A few thoughts...

 

-Her interest in being a young business woman could stand to be encouraged just as much as the art. Garage sale, lemonade stand .... she can also do the advertising graphics and thus incorporate both interests

 

-Let her design the family holiday cards. We receive a card or two each year which features a child's art and enjoy receiving them. I have even laminated a couple and use them as bookmarks.

 

-Dd loves to draw (especially with Charcoals and Graphite) and is often recognize for her portrait sketches. I concur with those who suggested keeping quality tools and products around. One in particular that Dd has appreciated over the years is side bound art journals that fit in a handbag and host quality paper. I also picked up how to books over the years and left them here and there around the house.

 

-Be prepared for interesting moments. When Dd was about 8, we found every bar of soap in the house carved into various human and animal figures.....

[lllll]

..

[Lolly]

1. The number one thing is to keep those good art supplies handy. REally cheap materials are just frustrating. Encourage her to explore different media. Have an area where she can really get messy without having to worry.

 

2. TAke her to art museums. Let her observe good art.

 

3. Know that it is normal for her to spend 12 continuous hours day after day drawing eyes (or another body part) or a flower petal. (I got worried on that one!) Hyper focusing on learning one element is an okay thing.

 

4. If she has a piece she is particularly proud of, have it professionally framed and display it in your home. (Not just in her bedroom!) Use them as gifts for family members too.

 

 

5. REalize that she will likely HATE art lessons. Very few truly artistic kids I have met have liked art lessons. Arts and crafts types of things, fine. But, actual art lessons, no. They seem to learn by exploration and observation.

 

6. Just let her have fun.

[kdownie]

Thanks everyone! From the time she was about 5, we stopped buying her Crayola and started buying art supplies intended for older individuals. I have skimped on the paper sometimes because she goes through it so fast, but I will start trying to build a stock of higher quality paper. She had some group art classes that she thoroughly enjoyed. I need to look for another one for her.

 

We don't have any craft fairs here that I can find, unfortunately. Thank you for all the advice!

[Dory]

This is what I was told to do with my artsy 7 year old.

Teach her to pay attention to things around her and see the world from different angles. Take her to museums but don't encourage her to copy the art so much as examine it and think about how she views it. Teach her good business skills. After that, simply keep good supplies on hand and encourage her to play with them and experiment.

We buy paper buy the roll and every once in awhile she actually gets a canvas with her own money. She has started asking for a larger variety of brushes and tools and playing with sticks and odd things that I wouldn't have thought normal to use to paint, but I encourage her to use her imagination with it. Who knows, the relative who offered that information is making an ok living with her art, so I guess she would know better than I do.

 

Oh, she also said to make sure my daughter spends LOTS of time outside as there is nothing that stimulates creativity as much as exploring the outdoors and seeing the textures and color in nature.

[LifeLovePassion]

Also get her a sketchbook or a couple in different sizes so she can take them with her places.

[UrbanSue]

1. The number one thing is to keep those good art supplies handy. REally cheap materials are just frustrating. Encourage her to explore different media. Have an area where she can really get messy without having to worry.

 

2. TAke her to art museums. Let her observe good art.

 

3. Know that it is normal for her to spend 12 continuous hours day after day drawing eyes (or another body part) or a flower petal. (I got worried on that one!) Hyper focusing on learning one element is an okay thing.

 

4. If she has a piece she is particularly proud of, have it professionally framed and display it in your home. (Not just in her bedroom!) Use them as gifts for family members too.

 

 

5. REalize that she will likely HATE art lessons. Very few truly artistic kids I have met have liked art lessons. Arts and crafts types of things, fine. But, actual art lessons, no. They seem to learn by exploration and observation.

 

6. Just let her have fun.

 

I'm reading this thread with interest because I have a ds8 who sounds similar--he spent almost a month drawing legs of horses when he was about six. His horses now are amazing. It was good to see that mentioned above here. And I also think he would hate lessons so it is good to hear that that is "normal." This kid is smart but doesn't like school and he's in a wheelchair (for life, barring some kind of miraculous medical advancement). About 50% of the time he wants to be an artist when he grows up and since it's a profession he can do (unlike, you know, being a fireman) we want to encourage it. I think, like the OP, he is talented but not a prodigy or anything.

 

Lots of good advice here, some of which we've done/are doing. I buy sketchbooks by the dozen from Dick Blick. Ds likes the spiral-bound books because they lie flat and I like that we don't have paper all over the house. Can I ask a few follow-up questions . . .

 

1. Can I get some specific brand recommendations for supplies? I'm not artistic but even I can't stand Crayola. The kids tease me for constantly shopping for colored pencils. Our budget is tight but I'd love to get ds quality things. His favorite "medium" (is that the right word?) is just paper and black pens at this point. But he often expresses interest in nicer pens. He has a round about way of asking for stuff but often asks me detailed questions about fountain pens, feather pens, etc. I know those aren't necessarily artists's supplies. But specific recommendations in the pen/pencil category would be welcome.

 

2. He's been asking about oil painting. We have a small house and small children and ds is unable to retrieve his own supplies from high storage. We hope he'll have his own room soon. But . . . how does one begin with oil paints? Does it help to work seriously with other (cheaper and less messy) paints first? Should I start with good watercolors?

 

Thanks--this has been a helpful thread.

[LifeLovePassion]

I love prismacolor pencils and watercolor pencils.

 

I'd start with better acrylic paints rather than oil paints. Acrylic clean up with water. They sell tubes at JoAnn and Michaels. Liquatex is a common brand or you can try the store brand.

[lamppost]

I have skimped on the paper sometimes because she goes through it so fast, but I will start trying to build a stock of higher quality paper.

 

 

There's nothing wrong with using cheap paper for building drawing skill. A university-level drawing course would require a large-size pad of newsprint (just about the cheapest paper you can get) for doing planning, quick sketches and studies, gesture figure drawing, etc. Higher-quality paper can be reserved for a final piece.

 

 

Other people had good suggestions (particularly the hours of daily practice) but I'd add that someone who wants to be a career artist should have a foundation in traditional figure drawing, drawing what you see, etc. regardless of whether they'll eventually turn toward something quite different like sculpting or non-representational painting. Studying and copying the old masters is also a good idea.

[fairfarmhand]

As for exhibiting her art, search out your county fair. Ours has lots of categories that youngsters can enter. This will also encourage your dd to stretch herself in trying different styles and media.

[Lolly]

I'm reading this thread with interest because I have a ds8 who sounds similar--he spent almost a month drawing legs of horses when he was about six. His horses now are amazing. It was good to see that mentioned above here. And I also think he would hate lessons so it is good to hear that that is "normal." This kid is smart but doesn't like school and he's in a wheelchair (for life, barring some kind of miraculous medical advancement). About 50% of the time he wants to be an artist when he grows up and since it's a profession he can do (unlike, you know, being a fireman) we want to encourage it. I think, like the OP, he is talented but not a prodigy or anything.

 

Lots of good advice here, some of which we've done/are doing. I buy sketchbooks by the dozen from Dick Blick. Ds likes the spiral-bound books because they lie flat and I like that we don't have paper all over the house. Can I ask a few follow-up questions . . .

 

1. Can I get some specific brand recommendations for supplies? I'm not artistic but even I can't stand Crayola. The kids tease me for constantly shopping for colored pencils. Our budget is tight but I'd love to get ds quality things. His favorite "medium" (is that the right word?) is just paper and black pens at this point. But he often expresses interest in nicer pens. He has a round about way of asking for stuff but often asks me detailed questions about fountain pens, feather pens, etc. I know those aren't necessarily artists's supplies. But specific recommendations in the pen/pencil category would be welcome.

 

2. He's been asking about oil painting. We have a small house and small children and ds is unable to retrieve his own supplies from high storage. We hope he'll have his own room soon. But . . . how does one begin with oil paints? Does it help to work seriously with other (cheaper and less messy) paints first? Should I start with good watercolors?

 

Thanks--this has been a helpful thread.

 

1. Just go to an art supply store (Hobby Lobby is fine.) and get decent supplies. Office Max has some nicer black pens. Ours has samples out where you can try them on paper and see how you like them. People tend to be quirky about what they like in a pen (at least in my family!). Just let him see which ones he prefers. I personally like Prismacolor for colored pencils.

 

2. Little kids around, I would keep oil paints put up out of reach and just get them for him when he wants them. I would start oils with a how to dvd or some YouTube. Honestly, I would try to hold off on them for a little bit until he is older (just me) because of the potential mess. I don't think there is a lot of carryover from watercolors to oils. EAch paint type has its own way of being used.

 

I'm no artist though. Just raising one by trial and error! I hardly have an artistic bone in my body. Dd has taught herself. Raising her has been so different than my other kids. A totally unique experience!

 

Adding in: One thing I left out of my first post is to encourage him to view the world from different angles. Do a lot of creative thinking activities like find objects hidden in patterns in nature.(ex: What do you see in wood grains?) Discuss the emotions different artwork show.

[LivingHope]

You may want her watching a master artist work. You could have her enjoy watching an artist work at art events, from library DVD's (we have enjoyed Drawing on the Right side of the Brain), and maybe from these nicely done lessons: http://www.creatingamasterpiece.com/index.php

[MomatHWTK]

We have used Creativity Express, Meet the Masters and are currently using the Mark Kistler live classes for DD. Allowing her to see any and all artists at work- regardless of style has been very beneficial. DD takes what she sees and makes it her own. Some methods she likes better than others so I try to expose her to as many techniques and base skills as possible and then let her take it from there.

 

As others have mentioned, DD dislikes actual art lessons that are geared toward kids. The ones we have found usually are intended to show a child how to reproduces someone else's work by following the correct steps. Not a good match for DD. Mark's classes do ask the kids to draw certain things each week, but he teaches them the techniques for all drawing as they do so. So they may be drawing a sheep today, but it's a sheep with foreshortening, and all kinds of other stuff I don't remember but DD does. LOL! She's also thrilled to "see" someone who draws as much as she does and makes a living at it. The sense of community she gets from the class is probably as important as the instruction.

 

 

DD likes to draw with mechanical pencils so she doesn't have to stop to sharpen. She loves her "stumpie" blending stick and uses tons of Sharpie pens for ink drawing. To get more weighty paints without having to go to oils you can try acrylics first. It is not too difficult to put several colors on a palette and work with them- even for the younger set.

 

I use cardstock purchased in bulk at Sam's Club for DD's day to day work. She will use heavy weight copy paper as well. There is no way I could afford for her to do all her work on art level paper. But the card stock does hold up better for storage than copy paper. And, the card stock will hold up to the Shapies. If you intend to provide sketchbooks, look for sales and coupons!

[thebacabunch]

I'm reading this thread with interest because I have a ds8 who sounds similar--he spent almost a month drawing legs of horses when he was about six. His horses now are amazing. It was good to see that mentioned above here. And I also think he would hate lessons so it is good to hear that that is "normal." This kid is smart but doesn't like school and he's in a wheelchair (for life, barring some kind of miraculous medical advancement). About 50% of the time he wants to be an artist when he grows up and since it's a profession he can do (unlike, you know, being a fireman) we want to encourage it. I think, like the OP, he is talented but not a prodigy or anything.

 

Lots of good advice here, some of which we've done/are doing. I buy sketchbooks by the dozen from Dick Blick. Ds likes the spiral-bound books because they lie flat and I like that we don't have paper all over the house. Can I ask a few follow-up questions . . .

 

1. Can I get some specific brand recommendations for supplies? I'm not artistic but even I can't stand Crayola. The kids tease me for constantly shopping for colored pencils. Our budget is tight but I'd love to get ds quality things. His favorite "medium" (is that the right word?) is just paper and black pens at this point. But he often expresses interest in nicer pens. He has a round about way of asking for stuff but often asks me detailed questions about fountain pens, feather pens, etc. I know those aren't necessarily artists's supplies. But specific recommendations in the pen/pencil category would be welcome.

 

2. He's been asking about oil painting. We have a small house and small children and ds is unable to retrieve his own supplies from high storage. We hope he'll have his own room soon. But . . . how does one begin with oil paints? Does it help to work seriously with other (cheaper and less messy) paints first? Should I start with good watercolors?

 

Thanks--this has been a helpful thread.

 

 

Dickblick.com has great prices on just about any art supply you can imagine. Also, for oil painting get yourself a big bottle of gesso. You can prepare just about anything, including old cardboard, to be used as a canvas. You also need it for canvas to give it tooth. Has your ds tried using acrylics? They aren't the same as oil paints but a little easier to clean when there are other little ones around.