Anyone Can Be Taught to Do Art

Art is so much more than drawing/painting!
There's sculpting, pottery and kinetic art (mobiles, etc),.
There's stained glass work (lamps, sun catchers, etc).
There's basket weaving.
Music and poetry are also artistic - and even if she doesn't play an instrument - she might want to sing.
I think, rather than doing something because her brother does it - she should explore till she finds an interest that she can make all her own.

I look back at shows like Downton Abbey and Victoria and notice how they all played piano, all drew, all did needlework, and those were the things they were educated in.

Some played well and other's just plonked along. I think anyone can do arts and crafts. An artist creates a beautiful work. That's what the difference is.

I can tole paint and make adorable crafts. I can shade and blend and do all sorts of things.

But I have no desire to sit and do those things for days and days until a painting is finished. An artist would want to focus on little else.

Tell your friend to encourage her girl to focus on her own skills and talents. Otherwise she's going to be in for great disappointment in life and never reach her own potential.

Yeah. Your friend needs let her son be wonderful at art and let her daughter be wonderful at whatever she is strong at.
Competitiveness among siblings is the worst. Some people just CAN'T draw!! I am one of them. Mom needs to reassure her that it's not the end of the world and build her up with the things that she is good at.

Check out books on Zentangle. People can make a very simple flower, fish or even a square look fancy with zentangle techniques.

Also, I had an art teacher who taught me to look at things as if in a grid. As a result I can draw whatever I can see. Find an art teacher and take a few lessons to get her on the right track.

Btw...I thought I lacked raw talent so I did not pursue a degree in art. I am now working as an artist although other than a HS art class I am purely self taught. My work is in a gallery and I have won awards in local art shows. I have 2 pieces hanging in a local hospital now. Art has brought more joy into my life than I ever could have imagined.

If she is competitive, maybe she should double down and focus on her *strengths*!! She can be the high-earning sister to her starving artist brother!

You tube has a lot of videos. My niece (she's in her twenties) watched the Bob Ross series on YouTube and taught herself how to paint. That's the guy with the big hair.

I taught high school art for several years.

Drawing On The Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards!!

You can usually find a copy at a Half Priced or used book store. Don't matter if it is the original or updated copy (although the updated one is a bit better).

It doesn't matter if you can draw a straight line or not this book will teach you how to draw.

I always asked my students who would say I can't draw and you can't teach that either you can or you cant....I asked, when you got to school did you already know how to read? Oh you didn't...someone taught you to read? Well, I am going to teach you to draw. And I did...they were always floored from the beginning of the class to the end how much they learned and by the end they were drawing. I used that book as my teaching guide.

You CAN learn to draw!!!

I would encourage my friend to encourage her daughter to play to her natural strengths and stop trying to compete with her brother. It's terrible for siblings to be in unhealthy competition. It's not particularly healthy to compete as an amateur against a professional or a person with no natural talent against someone with natural talent. Wouldn't she be better served playing to her strengths and her brother better served cheering his sister on in her talent as opposed to competing against each other?

This situation is very odd to me. My parents wouldn't have stood for any of this behavior. We were taught to encourage each other.

Does this girl have any particular interests, such as video gaming, or Disney movies, or animals, etc?

If she has a particular area of interest, go onto Amazon and type "learn to draw books" (without the quotation marks) in the search bar. There you will see tons of books. Some are generalized, but many of them are specific, such as "how to draw your favorite Pixar movie characters" or "how to draw kittens", etc.

I honestly think there is some sort of a natural gift, kind of like singing. Sure you can take lessons and practice, but to sing like Mariah Carey is not something that can be taught.

She can learn and become better.

There are many fun painting classes popping up around the country. Some are 'Sip and paint' so not tween friendly, and there are others geared towards kids. Summer is around the corner and I am sure you can find a camp that is fun for her.

are there any similar beginner art classes in your area? or any avalable online or possibly something offered thru the library or local craft store? 2 local craft stores near me offer classes for kids and teens and adults, ya gotta go into the store to talk to them about when and how much they are i would start there you can also contact a local art supply shop or an art gallery to see if they know who you could talk to about taking a beginner class