Art - What's the point?

[weeun]

My mum doesn't like art.
She doesn't encourage me to draw.
She doesn't want me to practice.
My sister's always say I'm rubbish.
They say I'm not an artist, so I should stop trying to be.

I get upset all the time because of this. And maybe this is why I've been failing to draw anything for a while, even little doodles...

What's the point in art? If I get no encouragement, inspiration and I'm just plain no good, why should I bother?
What's the point?
I don't want people to love my art, they don't have to, but I'd like some encouragement sometimes.
I never get it.
And it makes me upset and I cry because of it.

My mum doesn't want me to do art. And she thinks I can gain nothing out of it.
My sister's getting a mini laptop, when she has a perfectly good normal laptop. Her mini laptop is £200, and she's going to use her birthday money to get it.
So when I brought up the idea of buying a tablet off of eBay (I had found one around the price of £200, running Windows XP, with a pen-touch screen, and in good quality, from a seller with 100% positive feedback. And it was buy it now too.) she refused, and said many things like:

*It could be a scam. (It isn't. With all that feedback, it's not)

*No optical drive. (You can get cheap USB ones.)

*I have no use for it. (Drawing, duh! And other things, too)

*I can't use it for art classes, if I ever get into them. (1. She would never let me go to art classes. 2. If you can draw good on a tablet laptop, you can draw good on paper. A tablet pc simply gives you less mess)

*You're 11! (The time-old parental excuse for when their children want something. I am 11. I love art. And I want to buy something to help me develop it.)

*You already have one of those drawing-tablet plug in ones. (Yes. I do. But, my reasons for wanting a tablet pc are: 1. My current laptop I would prefer to use for games. As it is better for games than for art. 2. It's hard for me to draw on it, and I would prefer to actually draw properly, not on a board which projects what I draw onto a screen.)

*If it's the same as drawing on paper, draw on paper! (My pencils are all ones that do not sharpen correctly, as she wouldn't buy me any proper pencils. They are gritty, they do not draw correctly, and they are just plain old horrible. Plus, I don't want to waste paper. I'm trying to be Eco-Friendly!)

*You're just too young. (She seems to think I'm like one of those stereotypical eleven-year olds who can't decipher up from down. I know more about computers than she ever would.)

*We don't know how old it is, whether or not it'll work or if it's damaged. (Hmmm...Funny, the eBay seller is actually a business, and all the other customers seem to have gotten their goods delivered, intact, and in working order. Surely the seller wouldn't have suddenly decided 'Hm. Let's sell a bunch of junk and laugh about it!')

*No! (Yes!)

*It costs too much! (She's buying my sister a mini laptop, at roughly £200. It has already been ordered. My sister used her own money. So shall I. And the mini-laptop is only for MSN...Like that will ever get her anywhere in life. I'm wanting a thing that I can use to help me practice art. If anything happened, when I'm older, like I ran out of money, and so did she, and there was no way I could get any from anywhere else, I could sell art, but only if I could practice. If not, well, I'm stuffed, really...)

You get the picture. I've looked at reviews, scoured the web to check, read a lot of the seller's feedback, etc. But she STILL won't buy me it. It's not like it costs that much. She never listens to me.

I'm not asking that you try and help.
But you can if you wish.
You can give me ways to convince her to buy me the tablet, not that she'll listen to me. She'll just shout at me when I open my mouth and tell me to go away.
But also, if you have anyway to help encourage me to do more art, I'd be really happy, because I'm getting no encouragment at home.

Thanks for reading...

[Selby]

I'm sorry that's a crap position to be in not a family member but a teacher in my case was the most damaging saying I couldn't draw so why not just photograph?!

Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers you find a way through soon and keep your spirits up

[Raybrite]

First of all, she IS your mum. Maybe you should just get good at it and then make a nice drawing for her and print it out. Wait until you get good.
Just get a pencl and some paper and draw.
You mentioned you already have a tablet. That should be good enough. You don't need the best if that one still works.
The people here on the forum are all for you learning to draw. It will let you ease the frustrations that you now have. Draw to get some relief from the negative feedback you have.
If you get lemons, make lemonade. You can be a great artist. Remember that great artists usually end up broke. That is just the way things seem to go. They are happy though.
Use art as a relief valve and do good at your studies in school. You will come out ahead there.
We want you to succeed. Hang in there and do what mum wants. You can do both. Don't be jealous of your sister's birthday. Wish her a Happy Birthday and make a nice gift for her. It is your gift to her. She is your sister.
Calm down and take it easy. You will do fine.

[weeun]

I am not jealous of her birthday. My birthday is 9 days after hers. But I am jealous she gets more than me all the time.

I would draw and practice, but I can't, something's stopping me, I try to and I just...can't. :(

[RobertSWade]

It's unfortunate that your Mum doesn't understand your passion or appreciate the fact that you have one. I know that you don't want to hear this but, you are 11 and it's your Mum's job to do the best that she knows how. She'll never be perfect and neither will you be when you're a Mum. But she's the Mum and she gets to make the rules.

Raybrite gives good advice ... use what you have at your disposal ... and be thankful that you have that. Use crappy pencils on ordinary paper if that's what it takes to advance your talent.

You do have talent and the more hurdles you have to overcome, the better an artist you'll eventually become.

Again, you're 11 and "This too shall pass."

Your Mum makes one point that can't be argued with: You can't use a tablet device in Art Class.

In the mean-time ... work with what you have and this community will support you. I promise.

Your story reminds me of a novel I read many years before you were born. "My Name Is Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok. From the maturity of the way you express yourself in writing, I think it would not be over your head.

Calm down my dear and concentrate on approaching this not from the point of view of "I want what I want and I want it now." but rather from the point of view of "I'll get what I deserve when I can show that I deserve it.".

It sounds like your Mum has done a fair job of giving you and your Sis much more than so many kids your age have. It's always easy for kids to ask for more ... it's not so easy for them to appreciate what they have. And I'll bet that as time goes on, you'll come to realize just what treasures you have in your Mum and your Sis.

Hugs to you,
Robert

[screenpainter]

get a sketchbook and just doodle and draw all the time. when you get good at it you show your mum and tell her how you feel about having her encourage your dreams. Hey that is a lot of money for a tablet! You can do much better. 200 pounds is a lot! Can't say I blame your mum for not wanting to spend that much. If you go to an academic sales site you can get one for much less and refurbished even cheaper... I got a tablet for $99.00 u.s. graphire wireless and it has been working perfect... but a tablet won't really make you draw. Just draw because you love it and it makes you happy and it doesn't matter what others think really.

[D Akey]

I think there are many things possible. Viewing from this great distance it could be anything. Among the possibilities are:

It's karma. And you have lessons coming up around all of this not least of which is learning persuasion, learning cooperation, learning creativity in all forms, learning communication in a smooth way. It's a great life lesson if you can master it before you're jettisoned into the world at large.

Mom could be using this as an opportunity to teach. Or she may be needing to learn it herself because she got the "NO!" word rammed down her throat when she was a kid and never worked it out. That's what happened with my mom. at 86 she's still sore about when she had dance lessons taken away from her. Dunno.

It's possibly where the family battle lines have been drawn where they want X and you want Y. It would be either there or wanting a new red dress or something off the wall just because it moves the energy. It's called transference. Wait till you get married if you think this is fun. It'll be about important things like tooth paste caps being left off, or the toilet roll being put in backwards, etc. And it just doesn't make a lot of sense the form it takes. It usually means there is something bigger going on.

It's maybe because mom believes that being anything less than a professional is a insecure and putting your energies into anything less than being in a position of security, financially, professionally, including being married to someone who is, will put you in a victim position in life. She sounds like my wife's family. They really did a number on her and her siblings to where they're blocked about doing creative things. Doctors and lawyers all. To them it was all part of staying alive.

Sometimes people from the working class have a class prejudice. And they think that pursuing a creative profession is putting on airs.

It's also possible that your Mom isn't so dead set against you doing Art, and that you are making it dramatic because that's what we do when we want to plead our case to the court of world opinion. Like you are with your sister's always getting better presents. That tells me you're 11. Hahah.

Listen, just do art as was said before, with whatever you have available to you. Pencil and paper as an example. Or get in with a school club that does what you want to do. Or get a book and start doing the exercises. AND BUILD A SUPPORT STRUCTURE IN ADDITION TO MOM AND SIS. It could mean you are growing and this is where growing up in order to take your place in the world a bit at a time. Be considerate and be cautious. And learn how to deal with situations where it's not a reaction to Mom etc. Start using your creativity now. Don't need a computer or even a pencil at all for this part.

I'm not worried about you relative to Art. You will be able to do Art if you are really interested. Just need to learn to take criticism well. It's a big lesson. You have healthy options. Leave the door open for when and if they make supportive comments. Don't want to get rigid and think people are going to be forever against you. That's melodrama, and of you really like that, you should be thinking about being a writer rather than an artist in that case. :-)

Hey, my mom thought my art was an embarrassment for a long time. . .publicly. It hurts and never stopped hurting, even when she got enlightened to the fact that I was at one point making triple what she and my step father were making combined. 'Course, that old tune about her own not being able to continue with dance lessons when she was a kid had been running her interaction with me all along and it wasn't till much later that it became clear that her negativity toward me being an artist was mostly about her. It was really screwy when she said she was pleased for me, but the resentment seethed just below the surface. She tried really hard to master it. I just learned to deal with her around things other than art. And all was right with the world.

Hope some of this gives you a little insight into how thick it can all get. Moms are dealing with a far far bigger picture than their daughter's painting or not. Maybe step above it a little from time to time and you may be surprised by what you find. :):):):):)

[Raybrite]

Something to think about. This is true.
I can look out my window every day and see boys and girls dressed in rags, who beg for money.
When I go to the donut shop there are several small girls and boys begging for money to have something to eat. They don't have any good clothes.
These are called street kids.
Look at what you have. A computer, good clothes, a clean house ( except for your room maybe), a meal on the table every day, medical care, a mum who cares enough to say no when she thinks best, heat in the winter and cool in the summer, a room to sleep in instead of a place on the street and much more.
There are many more if you think a bit.
Try to be glad with that you have and maybe thank mum and God that you were fortunate to be born into that life and not the life of a street kid here.
Your art will return and the worry about what you DON'T have will be replaced with the thankfulness for what you DO have.
Just a thought to help you through.

[Silentman]

Dear Ween, you are like our little sister, ever so bright and creative, what a shame it would be to waste the years of wisdom that has been offered to you in the recent posts.

Life as a parent is not the least bit easy, not only do we have our own personal hang ups to deal with, we have our childrens as well. Never ever mistake your mothers love Ween, i can assure you that she spends a lot of time thinking about your needs and requirements, it may just happen that they are not shared by you many many times.

The advice that has been offered to you here in this thread is rock solid, it is extremely generous, i wish that you receive this gift of wisdom with all your heart, that you will embrace it and make use of it. Art at it's very core is creativity, you can be creative making faces in a mirror (try it sometime, it will cheer you up, promise) if that's not enough go and draw those faces, scratch on a board, if that's all you available to you.

If you truly love Art, which i believe you do, then you will move on and find ways that are available to you. It is your stubbornness that blocks your creativity Ween, loosen up, relax, accept your life and all that it has with an open heart, then your drawing and painting will follow.

All i have is a computer, and Tablet that my Dad helped me to buy, i have to pay him back lol (this is embarrassing at my age, but i am a pensioner so...) maybe you could do extra choors, or something to encourage !Not Force! your Mum to help you buy Some !Good Books! not a new pc, you don't need it, re-evaluate what you need Ween, we are born with nothing and we leave with nothing, need for nothing and you will be at peace, being at peace is the most important goal in life, not accumulating goodies ;)

Ween we care, please reconsider and perhaps even apologize to your mother for being jealous of your sisters birthday present, i promise it will go a very very long way, if your mother can see that sort of maturity in you.

Take Care Ween :)

[weeun]

Thank you everybody. I apologised to my mum and said that I don't really need it, and it's up to her if she buys me it or not. If she does, yay, if not, I no longer mind. I'm still struggling with drawing, because I don't know what to draw, but I might get there in the end. :o

[Silentman]

I'm very very proud of you Weeun, i also apologize for not saying your name properly, it's Weeun not ween (note to self lol).

Remember what i said, relax, chill out little lady, when you do, you will indeed be able to draw. If you get a book for your birthday, you will have something to draw, a focus, becuase the books are usually structured in a way that the lessons involve you drawing along with the instructor :)

I'm am very impressed with you Weeun, indeed :):):):)

[RobertSWade]

I too am very proud of you Weeun. You did a very mature thing. Hang in there Kiddo. :)

[Raybrite]

A small suggestion. Go to WWW.ask.com (http://www.ask.com) and write in "free art instruction online" where it asks for a question. You will find a bunch of things some free and others that are actually free art lessons.
I clicked the top one that mentioned Free online courses and it took me to a site with a bunch of tutorials on different things for FREE.
If nothing else, draw some circles and color them and shade them. Then put a ball on top of a pyramid and shade it and paint it. By then, your mnd will be "in gear" again and you will be thinking of things you can try to do.
Good luck. Looking forward to your circles and pyramids on the Critique section.
You can do it!:)

[Fashmir]

Hi Weeun,

You have already received a good many replies containing very good advice about your computer/family situation, so I'll focus on encouragement. First the frustration you are feeling about not being able to draw is not uncommon. I'm guessing that it is not that you can't draw but that the blank page just keeps staring back at you as though taunting you and it willfully remains blank. Don't let the blank page win. Some of the most fun I've had breaking out of the artistic doldrums is looking for interesting shapes in things like wood grain, clouds, wall textures, cliff faces and so forth. A pebble tossed into a water puddle can yield some very interesting shapes for starting a picture. Sometimes I just start wiggling my pencil over the paper making shapes and doodles with no particular intent. Often I soon find myself caught up in an idea.

What kind of stories or movies might you like best? There are treasure mines of ideas that can be built upon from the huge piles of films and literature available. Let it spark your imagination and see if you can catch something by the tail and hang on.

Most of all, don't give up. You clearly have a passion for artistic endeavor so don't allow it to be snuffed out. You don't have to make any big announcements that you intend to be an artist and nothing else, but while your heart is calling you in the direction of art, let it be a large part of who you develop into. You are not alone on this path, in fact I believe you are in excellent company. :)

[D Akey]

XOXOXOX Darlin'.

Well done you!

:):):):):):):)

[Canvasian]

Weeun - I don't have much to add to the many gems of wisdom given by previous posters -- but consider this alternative to a tablet P.C.:

You said you were going to use your own money to buy the Tablet P.C. Why not invest that money into real media? Buy yourself some good pencils and drawing paper (dirt cheap, especially compared to a tablet P.C.!) or explore some of the more colorful mediums. Watercolors are also very cheap, and while they are not nearly as forgiving as digital media that you can erase on and return to lower layers, the real thing is quite a bit more vibrant than the digital (which is saying a lot, considering the amazing job Artrage does at simulating real paint). If you don't want to try watercolor, you could try another medium -- there are many, many wonderful mediums out there. You could try chalk pastels; I have a set of these myself, and they're wonderful! They're nothing but pigment and a "binder" chemical -- something to keep them in that stick-shape. Almost pure color -- it's amazing! And the texture they give is wonderful. Pastel painting (yes, it's chalk, but they still call it painting :o) is very quick and very fun, as you can use your fingers to very easily smear and blend colors or fill in large areas. If you like to paint in layers, you could try acrylics (I wouldn't recommend oils; they smell, they stain, they take forever to dry, they're expensive, etc.) Paint the base layer with acrylics, allow it to dry, and then paint the second layer over top of it. Experiment with different surfaces. Acrylics can be used on Canvas, but my grandpa paints on Masonite (the brown stuff some clipboards are made out of) too. There are some truly amazing mediums out there; and you don't even have to choose one! I've seen people mix chalk pastels with watercolor, colored pencil and watercolor, colored pencil and chalk pastels... all kinds of things. And there are likely books at your local library that you can learn just about any medium from, as well as some free tutorials on the internet. Learning completely by digital media can handicap you if you ever decide to try real media. If you learn by real media, you will learn to plan your paintings before you begin, and make less mistakes along the way. This is a definate advantage to erasing and re-doing as you go, or scrapping the whole thing and starting over. And if you ever plan on selling your art, real media sells for way more than digital. Give it a try :)

[Silentman]

I absolutely agree with Canvasion, don't betray yourself by not taking the opportunity to learn real media, especially while your young, as i said before, the two go hand in hand :)

[Raybrite]

If you decide to go with soft pastels, be careful. I used them for awhile and developed a bad cough from the dust. Use a mask or go outdoors with it. Hard pastels are better. They are more like crayons. No dust, but they react differently.
Go for it whatever you decide.

[Raybrite]

Check out this site. http://www.ndoylefineart.com/artinstruction.html
Note especially her part about what she believes about art. It may change your outlook and give you an idea.

[RobertSWade]

I've been a member of this forum for over two years and I've never seen anything like the way this community has come to your emotional rescue or rallied behind anyone like they have for you Weeun. I think that that's because the community senses not only your urge to create but also the impressive sensativity, maturity, and intelligence you have displayed.

[weeun]

My sister had a notebook drifting about in her room for a long time, and only now decided to throw it out. It has blank pages, and is of a good size. And there are many pages in it. I asked if I could have it, she said yes! I think I've found my sketchbook! :D

[D Akey]

My sister had a notebook drifting about in her room for a long time, and only now decided to throw it out. It has blank pages, and is of a good size. And there are many pages in it. I asked if I could have it, she said yes! I think I've found my sketchbook! :D

Woo Hoooo!!!!!!

That's a big step. I know you will enjoy it. You can take it anywhere and can flip it open and start drawing anytime.

By the way, even though I have a Wacom tablet for my computer, I find myself using the mouse a lot more than the tablet. I just got used to it before I even knew that tablets existed.

Tablets are great, but you can do a lot with a mouse. While a mouse may not allow you to make thick and thin lines in one stroke owing to pressure sensitivity that it doesn't have, you can still work with color and composition and lights and darks (called values) and stencils etc etc.

A lot of people swear by tablets. I'm not one of them. It's something to look forward to down the road perhaps. But there's a lot you can still do without it.

I don't know if you're using a touch pad, which is very difficult, but a normal mouse to plug into a laptop is very inexpensive.

[weeun]

Woo Hoooo!!!!!!

That's a big step. I know you will enjoy it. You can take it anywhere and can flip it open and start drawing anytime.

By the way, even though I have a Wacom tablet for my computer, I find myself using the mouse a lot more than the tablet. I just got used to it before I even knew that tablets existed.

Tablets are great, but you can do a lot with a mouse. While a mouse may not allow you to make thick and thin lines in one stroke owing to pressure sensitivity that it doesn't have, you can still work with color and composition and lights and darks (called values) and stencils etc etc.

A lot of people swear by tablets. I'm not one of them. It's something to look forward to down the road perhaps. But there's a lot you can still do without it.

I don't know if you're using a touch pad, which is very difficult, but a normal mouse to plug into a laptop is very inexpensive.

I have one to plug into my laptop, I hate the little touchpad. Especially for drawing. :o

[Bobbi]

Weeun, I just saw this thread a few moments ago. I certainly hope you realize there are a lot of folks here who do care about you. And isn't it exciting to know they are from all over the world?

D.Akey pointed out that using the mouse to work in ArtRage is certainly one way to go. Like him, I became very used to using the mouse and most of the time that is what I use to draw. I have a tablet but have yet to get comfortable with it. So, like the cave person who used a piece of charcoal to draw or the person who uses a stick to draw in the dust, any tool can be acceptable to express yourself. Remember, there are people who are artists who can only use a brush clamped in their teeth to draw but they go ahead and do it.

Just do it. :)

[chambersecrets]

you shouldnt worry.
im sorry your parents are like that. if i was you i would stop going to them for anything that has to do with art. Dont let them be involved in one inch of your work. try and get some friends that are into art and become part of any art groups you can find, on the net or in real life. There you will find tons of support. Your 11 so dont worry that your not the great atm. Just keep practicing and not going to them for help or encouragement and one day they will start to come to you and when they do theyll see how amazing your art has become and that you did it with out a drop of anything from them, they will been amazed, stunned, and love how great youve become and be totally surprised!! Trust me ive had kinda the same things happen in my life. you can cut anyone out, its your right not to have you feeling hurt and stomped on.

Now on another note. im not trying to sound mean but it seems your worried about "stuff" to much. you have the tablet,computer, and AR thats all you need. its tons more then i ever had a 11. you dont need anything else. having a million traditional art tools and all this fancy tablet/digital art tools will not make you any better. Also its not worth spending money on. your 11 years old. who know in a few months/years you might not ever draw again in your entire life. Things change so fast from 11-20. you want even remember what kind of person you where at this age. 6 years from now you probably will not even like anything you used to. You have at this very moment all the tools you will need to go from being a new artist to going pro. All this with out buying one new art item. you have everything you need. now just practice practice and youll be fine. Dont draw for anyone but yourself and youll be fine and dont let anyone ever tell you what role art should play in your life. Your parents and family arent artist so they can never understand how it feels to have something inside you that just has to come out. So no worries!:D
I quit drawing for months at a time because i thought i sucked and before long no matter if i sucked or not i just had to draw. So if you want to spend all that cash you should invest in every art book you can find and art class's. youll be amazed how quickly a good teacher can improve your art in just a short while. So dont be sad over these things, you just have to push through.:D

[Raybrite]

Weeuns, What size is your small tablet that plugs in to your computer. I have a cheap little tablet that I use with my computer.
If you cannot get used to using a mouse and cheap tablet, you will not be happy. Remember the lemonade.
:)

[weeun]

Weeuns, What size is your small tablet that plugs in to your computer. I have a cheap little tablet that I use with my computer.
If you cannot get used to using a mouse and cheap tablet, you will not be happy. Remember the lemonade.
:)

It's a bamboo fun medium. Without the border bit, it's A5.

[Raybrite]

That is a better tablet than I have. Maybe it is time you became thankful for all you have and started drawing. Many of us here are producing art with a lot less than you have.
I do have a problem though. I have a son maned Ray.That is where Raybrite comes from. He has been brought up so far with the idea that when he asks or something. Now he has progressed to the point where he always asks for things and if he does not get it, he becomes angry. How can I change this behaviour? I have started saying no to him more often now for things he doesn't need, because he has something else to do whatever he wants to do.
What would you do in my situation?:)

[RobertSWade]

Raybrite, children who learn that they can have everthing soon learn to appreciate nothing. It's actually an insidious form of child abuse. Saying no is one way of setting boundaries and a child without boundaries will come to resent the lack of them. Instill in Ray the knowledge that he can ask for anything but that sometimes the answer will be "No". He may not like it but your reply needs to be, "You don't have to like it.". The first few times he's denied I promise you he'll "raise the price of poker" and throw a fit. Stick to your guns.

[Raybrite]

He is not my first, just the only one left. The others all turned out okay for the most part. Managers of Restaurants and asst manager of Hospital. My older son helped start a shop where he works today.
We went too far before we figured out we had to turn back. It is easy here because of the poverty to give too much as it doesn't cost much.
We are telling him no and making him "earn" his money. He made a few pesos for the painting of the Dragon. This may encourage him to paint more.
We just have to wait and see sometimes.:)

[D Akey]

Raybrite: Please take this with a grain of salt because I am not there to see what your situation is like. But I am guessing about stuff that is common to all of us. Growing up is one of those things.

As to your specific situation, I am unaware. But I have been to Manila, and I appreciate the challenges when it comes to material possessions and the economy over there. It's hard. I applaud you for the good work at parenting you are doing and have been, having raised some fine children already.

If the Philippine economy is linked to ours in the USA which is not good, getting a job may be harder and harder to expect to come by without specific strategies. My gut feeling is that your last son is scared about his future but being a young man, weakness is not something about which he can speak freely and the big picture is that his frustration is probably what is surfacing.

If you can somehow help him build his self-image, he may not take to testing his family security level by seeing if he can have things bought for him as a way to see how secure your family is. Children inherently test their world in order to get answers to questions they need to know that aren't directly available. It's a sign of intelligence and being present in their world. They just may be awkward about it. And it may show up is anger and bad manners. Acting badly is not to be encouraged. But how to handle challenges well is something he can learn from you better than anyone.

And if he is picking up on any insecurity in the home, it is probably making him nervous even on a subconscious level.

That's only a guess.

It is clear that he is still dependent on you and is looking to his father for how he should view himself. Our children look at themselves as they are reflected in their parent's eyes.

You, being clever as a parent, by setting up situations for him that allow for encouraging his positive behavior and sense of accomplishment and power in the world, encouraging character, showing that you have confidence in him, I think those are the things he needs but doesn't have the awareness to ask for. I mean, who knows that kind of thing when they're in the middle of it?

Children have so many qualities potentially good and bad. And you can help him develop in the ones that will help him face the world. By encouraging his higher potential, you will see him grow favorably. His natural way is to be good I think. So you can help him through this hard time by responding to the good in him.

Love him visibly and guide him into manhood in subtle ways, dad. Let him participate in the direction so he knows how the world works and that he has power. Way more interesting than a new toy could ever be.

I'm a parent too.

God bless, my friend. You'll do great things for him. :):):):):)

[computerCynthia]

Jeepers. This is making me wax way poetic on top of my soap box here. But it's no easy thing to sit a person down and explain the place artistic vision has in the human world and history. The can of worms in "what's the point of art?" It's so much around you that people forget that sketching an idea is worth the thousand words it would take to describe something. Being able to draw what we see in a way which someone else can also interpret it as the same object is what sets us above elephants and gorillas making globby zoo art with their fists. It's result of some brain mutation. Right up there with understanding and speaking languages. Scientists say that the no longer vital point of art was survival. If you could scratch out a plan to go catch some deer, you got to eat that night. The guys who could also know the drawing meant something got to eat too. And once we let language prevail over drawing out our ideas the rest is, as they say, history. But humans have been art-ing up their living areas and places of worship for some less vital reason since the stone age.

Look around the house. Someone art-ful pulled the wallpaper and any wall art on the walls from their experience and artistic vision. And we as a people choose to put it in our homes. Calendars, carpets, printed bed sheets, clothing, plates and serving pieces? Affordable color printing has made it so that the covers of books and DVD's need a picture of what's inside to doll them up. Right down to a tube of tooth paste. It's got a design you'd never confuse with a competing brand. Why is it we've come to some point that our Western society needs that? Why are things in the home so art filled and colorful and shaped so fancifully? Heaven knows plastic utensils like the lovely spork can be stick straight and are cheap to make. Ask yourself why were all not using white sporks and you might find the point of art.

Now, we're so into visualizing stuff to cut down costs of making the stuff people want to sell to us. If someone who's making some thing can only scratch out the simplest thing on a napkin, it eventually gets to someone who can draw in realistic means to draw out that idea. It's modern survival. You win if you get it quickly to market for less than the other guy. We wouldn't have iPods if someone over at Apple didn't sketch a rectangle and a couple of circles and then a team of artists smoothed it out and smotched it out into nonthreatening gray and white plastic. (Of course then we're getting into aesthetics and that's usually part of book learning and studying history in school.) But for sure they had drawings, detailed and life-like in hand.

These days "art" is: movies, TV, animated films, cars, product design, product branding, logos, advertising, package design, web, housing, urban planning, textile design, housewares, clothing, toys. If you and mum can't dump the blinkers of the potential careers that could be yours simply by having the skill you've misnamed "art" then go back to bed. I'd say quit saying to mom "I'm doing art." and get with "I'm learning to draw real life around me." Once you can demonstrate skill in that, you can dumb down what you see into to cartoons like Charles Shults for the school paper or dial what you see at the corner electronics shop into super-real, perfectionism and take Photoshop around the park like Bert Monroy. (And that's turning the corner back into "art" that isn't profitable but is personally satisfying when completed. Artists get a thrill when what they see in the mind's eye is on the page. If you're not going to rinse and repeat until you get it "right" you're missing the compulsive part of needing to do art. The "greats" of art history didn't do multiple renderings of fields of wheat or ponds of lilies for fun, they didn't feel they got it right the last time they tried... And we didn't think of them as "great" until they died, a lot of times dirt poor... The point of pure art isn't money.) Do create art but also so something that turns art skills into something reasonable you get paid for. Not going bonkers during your day job is a plus, btw. But you have to be reasonable. You might be a clerk or office person to pay bills but spend your lunch breaks sketching the guy in the funny hat out front of the store...

And really, it should not be about the computer. Weeun, you already said 'it's for games.' Well, if you are gaming, you aren't drawing. And if the com-pu-tor is frustrating you and you think it's only good for games-- It's time to think that you really need the dollar store pad of recycled newsprint and a #2 pencil that's going to get you started. No electricity required. Draw. Scribble. Doodle. Draw fanciful copies of currency with your mom and sister's faces. Draw screen actions for the next blockbuster film from a book you just read. Draw your foot. Draw how you think Harry Potter should really look. Draw Pikachu. Cut stuff out of other stuff and do collage. Stick noodles on cardboard. Like a friend of mine said about story writing: "No one has to see these ever." They are yours. And sometimes that thought can be the cure to "writers block." If you're not ready to show the sketches, try to gracefully say you're not ready to share with the world. Until you have some that are. I'm hoping that even parents will start respecting that kind of privacy at age eleven. Facing people I percieved as critics to my ability was always hard for me. A thick skin helps as long as you're still artsy-mushy on the inside. ;) But know there's still a spectrum from: skeptics to honest appreciation to honeyed false sincerity... But don't let it stop you or scare you into quitting.

If there's things I'm wishing I didn't stop doing when I 'grew up and got a real job' it's drawing and doodling. My schools spent a lot of time giving me an art class each year and somehow we get all wound up with earning a living and stop smooging yellow suns and X-wing fighters onto paper with a five bristle plastic brush and a tray of six paints. Art teachers must be saints because nothing was "wrong" in works done in art class...

[screenpainter]

It kind of does strike me as a bit odd that in America an 11 year old has both a laptop and a drawing tablet and yet still is unhappy that they can't have a tablet pc. My daughter is 17 she doesn't have a laptop. The three daughters before her... none of them had laptops. They all would have loved them. My 20 year old daughter finally got a laptop when she turned 21. In terms of around the world... I would say you are pretty fortunate. Something to consider? Glad you found a sketchbook... that is a good start if you love to draw. I also agree with Cynthia... if you present to your mom that you want to go into the field of computer animation or interior design or graphic design or product design... might have a lot more clout than just saying you want to be an artist... which to many people sends up a red flag. They think"oh so you want to sit on your butt and not work huh?" Which is not the case with artists... they work very hard and sometimes 12 hours a day in design and art professions.

[Raybrite]

I meant my question about my 5 year old for Weeuns. I am confident I have this situation under control. We are very close and we spend a lot of time together talking. He asks me questions and I answer them.
I understand that Weeuns is in Scotland from her posts.
Just to get things straight again.:)

[screenpainter]

Oh my you are right. Scotland it is. All the more amazing to me.

[Alexandra]

Weeun, you seem so intelligent and you seem to have the desire to create. The best way is with simple tools. A lot of us here are older and did not have computers. I started out with a pencil and by the time I was nine the school asked me to paint a mural on the lunch room wall. My parents encouraged my sister in art but never me. I let it go and went with my natural wants and that was to draw and paint. I was never able to get into art but one year in junior high and just two quarters in high school. Art school was not a possibility because I was expected to get a job and leave home asap. Soooo- I poured over graphics in comics, tracing, copying, whatever I found to feed my love of drawing. I am still trying to better myself. Never give up- and read as much as you can in books-start with your hands and a pencil. Things are enjoyed so much more when you yourself are able to earn them. Never stop drawing.:)

[weeun]

Thank you very much for all the help. And I realise now I sound spoiled and cheeky, etc. I didn't mean it that way. And I now realise that I don't really need all that stuff to be a good artist.

I may've came across as an ungrateful person, but I am not. I didn't mean to be like that.

I am sorry.

And Ray, it may not be that helpful, but to get your son to understand he doesn't need everything, first of all, tell him no. Second of all, show him the things he does have, and try and get it through to him that he's lucky to have all that stuff, as some children don't even have enough food to eat! And thirdly, you could show him fun things he could do without all new stuff. Let him play on ArtRage, perhaps? Set some things down for him to play with or put some art supplies out and tell him to go wild! (As long as the wildness stays on the paper! :p)

If you try and show him how fun things can be without lots of stuff, then maybe he'll realise you don't need everything to have a good time!

But of course, if you have things worked out, ignore what I said. :o

[D Akey]

I meant my question about my 5 year old for Weeuns. I am confident I have this situation under control. We are very close and we spend a lot of time together talking. He asks me questions and I answer them.
I understand that Weeuns is in Scotland from her posts.
Just to get things straight again.:)

Then you can take what I said with more than a grain of salt. Take the whole salt shaker. Oh, and please pass me the pepper and catsup. Hahah. Glad to hear you have it all working so well. :D

[Bobbi]

You know, the more I read of this thread I can't help but be a little suspicious about you Weeuns. I wonder about an eleven-year old being as articulate. I guess I'm skeptical thinking this might all be a hoax. :confused:

[chambersecrets]

bobbi- (lol) ive thought the same thing from alot of other post by her. its funny you said something. Ive been thinking the same thing this whole time. but who knows maybe shes skipped a few grades or something lol.:D

[D Akey]

You know, the more I read of this thread I can't help but be a little suspicious about you Weeuns. I wonder about an eleven-year old being as articulate. I guess I'm skeptical thinking this might all be a hoax. :confused:

The thought had also occurred to me way back in this thread for the same reason you note. Heh. And in light of the latest rounds you're right. The articulateness and awareness of the world seems a bit of a reach. But I went with it. Never know for sure. But it wouldn't be the first time somebody presented themselves on the internet under false pretenses.

Possibly mom is the author and is spinning it all for her daughter's edification.

Could also be that Second Life thing. We had someone months back who admitted they were participating in that and role playing their character as an artist here.

Or it could be someone taking the info and re-writing it under their own name for cash and prizes. Had that happen to me long ago in the BBS days just before the internet took off.

I have had suspicions about people seeding the forums at various times.

Their karma sez I. And it'll eventually bite them in the ass.

Meanwhile I can't live my life worrying about it. The responses are real enough as is the good energy getting generated for the community here.

The way I see it, if I shut down over a suspicion, rightly or wrongly, I'm shut down. And that's not how I care to live my life.

[weeun]

...Yes. I am a 40 year old man.

No. I am not. I'm 11. I live in Scotland. I am smarter than all of my classmates, but not with Maths. I am in the class that every 11 year old should be in and I am going to High School in August.

Although I must admit, if I was in your position, I wouldn't believe that anyone of my age could be as articulate. Thing is, I've even amazed my teachers, with my writing, that is. For two reasons, number one? I have always spelt better than all the kids of my age. Two, my writing, and by writing, I mean my literature, has been good enough to get published. Always has been. I love reading, and I've always got my nose in a book. When I was around 1 or 2, before I could read properly, I used to sit with a proper dictionary, not a kid one, and just look at it, randomly flicking to pages. I must admit, I didn't really know what the words meant, but I knew most of them.

I shall give an example of what my classmates type like, 'wit u daein 2nite??!!' Yes. They use Scottish slang along with shortened words.
And in class? Well, there are two people that are really bad, one of them is working at a Primary 4 level, the other is just starting Primary 5 work. Considering that Primary 4 is for children of ages roughly of 7 to 8, and Primary 5 is 8 to 9...You get it, don't you? Well, one of them, always gets their 'D's and 'B's mixed up. So 'day' become 'bay', 'dog', becomes 'bog'.
I assure you, they have both been tested for dyslexia and other disorders. All the tests are negative. But I don't have anything against them, one of them is my best friend, so I don't mind.

You can continue to believe I am not who I say I am. But I am 11, soon to be 12, and if you don't believe me, well, I can't do anything about that, can I?

But I must say, this is not a hoax. After all, what would I gain from deceiving people?

[nimajneb]

Reading through this made me think a few things which I'll mention. First it doesn't really matter who you are, character or real person. The advice would still be useful to someone if not you, so asking is a service to someone out there. Second, don't discount those good old traditional mediums. Computers, AR and tablets are great, but there's things to be learned by getting your hands dirty and working bigger with your whole body, not peering through that cramped little window of a monitor. Third, as for encouragement, the only long term motivator that is going to carry you for the next 70+ years is your enjoyment in the activity. So long as you enjoy grappling with your art, you will be getting those endorphins and growing your ability. What people or even youself think about your status as an artist is irrelevant. So long as you're creating art, you're an artist. The rest is just noise. Share your stuff with those who show interest, take what you can from critique, but most important, just keep doing it and enjoying it. I think that's the key to being an artist, more than anything else.

[D Akey]

... No. I am not. I'm 11...

Good enough for me. I hope you use your considerable gifts well in your life. You have the makings of a formidable communicator in whatever profession you pursue. And if you have a good heart on top of that, you'll need to be nimble as well.

I kinda understand mom's point better, considering the range of things you could likely master. But whatever you do, enjoy art by all means.

[Tyro]

Oh. My. God.
Wow. I feel really sorry for you. I know how you feel, though. I'm 12, but still. I'm really lucky my family is supportive, but there are people at school who hate some things I create. It's fairly annoying.
Don't forget about it. You have the right to get one, no matter what. Me and my sister got one. We paid. It's just not right to be unsupportive. Have you told them you love art?

[weeun]

Oh. My. God.
Wow. I feel really sorry for you. I know how you feel, though. I'm 12, but still. I'm really lucky my family is supportive, but there are people at school who hate some things I create. It's fairly annoying.
Don't forget about it. You have the right to get one, no matter what. Me and my sister got one. We paid. It's just not right to be unsupportive. Have you told them you love art?

Yeah and my mum knows. So do my sisters. I talked with my mum, and she understands better.

She says that if I were to find a cheap tablet pc, with a good warranty of a year or two, from a shop, she'd get me it. She won't buy anything off of eBay.

But I'm gonna ask her for a few art things instead. But I'll keep searching for a tablet, just in case.

[Raybrite]

Can I have your old tablet? It is much better than mine.
The Dragon was by my 5 year old son.
Yes, I am 69 years old.
The windmill is drawn with the small Genius tablet I have. The Bamboo cost too much for me.
I am still waiting for your next drawing. Something.. Anything.. Please???:)

[weeun]

Can I have your old tablet? It is much better than mine.
The Dragon was by my 5 year old son.
Yes, I am 69 years old.
The windmill is drawn with the small Genius tablet I have. The Bamboo cost too much for me.
I am still waiting for your next drawing. Something.. Anything.. Please???:)

I admit, it's been a while since my last drawing. I'll get started on one now...If I can think of something. :p

[Raybrite]

That's a cop out. Draw a ball and a box and see what comes out of it.
You have the making to be great.:)

[Silentman]

I propose an online auction here at ArtRage if your passing along your tablet Weeun, there are many of us who would um really like that Medium Fun of yours hehehe

[weeun]

I propose an online auction here at ArtRage if your passing along your tablet Weeun, there are many of us who would um really like that Medium Fun of yours hehehe

I bet they would. I my dad bought me it when he was over in America, he's in the Royal Navy, so he had to go away for a year for training, in America, then Iraq.

Sometimes, when I'm bored I just use the little touch-ring to zoom in on web pages, it's quite funny sometimes. :o

[Tyro]

Oh my gosh! That is so messed up. For one, they should be supportive, even if they don't think it's useful. My family has issues like this, but we are at least somewhat supportive. Two, you shouldn't give up on the tablet. Maybe your relatives could help? I always ask my grandparents to convince my parents stuff. It works, too!
Anyways, have you told your family how much you like art? Maybe if you tried to explain it to them, they could be a little more helpful. I would die if my parents were like that with either drawing or writing. I know they say you're too young-I get that a lot, too-but even if they aren't supportive, you could still try to get a tablet. I mean, gosh, you draw on it! It's not like its a weapon or something!
And your drawing ideas running out? I get that almost every day. Try compying other people's work and then trying that style on your own ideas.
Hope this helps!

[Silentman]

You know i don't say anything of the sort too my children, i support them in Art or whatever it is that captivates them, i want them too have the best chance in life, and i am unbiased to what it is they would like to do.

But sometimes, there just isn't enough money to go around, sometimes there are lessons to be learnt by having less "not more" and as parents we MUST teach our children how to be satisfied with what we have and not we want we want.

Want for nothing, covet for nothing, and you will be content with what you have, then and only then will you find the peace that is required to allow your creativity to flow. Don't get caught up in the wants Ok!! there very very bad for the soul and as parents we must ensure that you have a healthy soul and mind :)

[SCP]

weeun I do feel your pain in some regards,but there is some wisdom in the replies you have been getting.
This might not help but I remember growing up and I was 10 when my father died from Cancer.My younger brother and I didn't have much as we were growing up,Art was the last thing on my mothers mind.
I was drawing with charcoal,biro's on Butcher paper what ever I could get my hands on.We didn't have any Pc's Macs tablets etc (didn't exsist then and no way my Mum would buy them if they did).
Then when I was old enough I got a part-time job and saved to buy things I needed and also my own Art supplies.I failed almost all subjects at school but got into Art college,lucky entrance went on my portfolio lol.
I then I had 20 years in the workforce not doing Art and now here I am reunited with the Art world.
Hmmm what was I getting at lol.O.k everyones journey is different,I remember wanting to work in comics,movies etc when I was 12-18.I just didn't know how to do it,being in Australia in those times sure didn't help either.So it never happened.
But now I'm doing Art again and who knows maybe I will get work doing Art.
Draw with what you have, when you can, as often as you can.I use to draw during lunch time at school in the library or Art room.All those early years drawing, doodling and learning sets up a foundation for later.
I hope I haven't bored you to tears ,I wish you all the best.

Kind Regards,
Scott.

[Alexandra]

Dearest Weeun,
Thank you for sharing- as Scott said-don't stop drawing. Drawing and creating-number one- it is exercise for your brain, and we are meant to be creative beings.
My daughter was so advanced as well, writing stories when she was six. Drawing incredible art work and illustrations. It was as if she was never really a young one. So I understand you.
She was advanced and misunderstood and learned differently-amazing retention, yet challenged in math like her old Mom here.
She is now nineteen and going to a local tech school to learn web design and other internet training classes.
Keep reading, writing, drawing-you sound as if you are full of common sense, and that is 99.9% of what it takes to make it.
All the best!