How Feedback in Art Lessons Really Works (and Why It Doesn't Have to Be Scary!)

I flunked my A level art exam.

Not because I was rubbish. I believe it was because my art didn't fit the examiner's idea of what I should be creating.

It stopped me drawing for quite a while. I found other ways to be creative without putting pencil to paper.

I share this story with my art groups early on, because people open up when we start to talk about it. And if you've ever wondered how feedback in art lessons works, and whether you'd cope with it, this post is for you.

Why Feedback in Art Lessons Feels So Scary

Every adult I've met in my art groups has, at one time or another, tried to hide their work and not wanted to share it. Every single one.

We often start with school. For lots of us, school is where we first learned what it feels like to have our work looked at and marked. Many people tell me they had an experience similar to mine, and it has stayed with them.

So when you picture someone looking at your drawing, you're not picturing a kind teacher in a friendly room. You're picturing an examiner. No wonder your stomach drops!

Here's one small thing that helps. It's always better when another person asks to see your work, rather than me, as the teacher, asking. It takes the pressure off. Nobody is put on the spot, and you decide when you're ready.

Why Good Feedback Starts With What Works

If the only thing you ever hear is what's wrong, you can't tell which parts to keep. And you can't repeat something you can't see.

That's why I always begin with what's working. It's not about being nice for the sake of it. It tells you what to do again.

The Education Endowment Foundation looks at the evidence on what works in teaching. Their research is about school pupils, but it matches what I see with adults. They say effective feedback tends to focus on the task rather than the person, and that it should give clear, specific information on how to improve.

In plain words, that means talking about the drawing, not about you. And it means one clear next step, not a long list.

What Kind Feedback in Art Lessons Actually Sounds Like

Here's what I do, every time:

• I find something they've done well. Even if it isn't what they imagined. I look for tiny skills, like a colour they've mixed well or a line with real confidence in it.

• I don't compare their work with the photo or the object they're drawing from. Not once. Instead I say what my groups will tell you I say all the time: "Remember, it's your interpretation of this photo."

• Then I give a next step. Something like, "You could improve it here by…" That's all. I never pull a drawing apart.

  
  

It's not ours to say what the artist was trying to do. They may have been aiming for exactly what's on the page.

One of my regulars often asks for my opinion. Now he says, "I knew you'd say that." Because he knows I'll always find something good, and I'll always expect him to experiment.

We are not learning to be photo-realistic here!

What I Never Say

I never openly criticise. As I said, who am I to do that, when someone may have been trying to achieve exactly what's in front of them?

I want everyone to leave feeling more confident than when they arrived. That's the whole aim.

My teacher training has a lot to do with how I give feedback, and it has been invaluable in this new direction. It taught me that taking your work seriously and picking it apart are two very different things.

How to Ask for Feedback in Art Lessons (or From Anyone)

You won't always be in a room with me, so here's how to get useful feedback wherever you are:

• Ask someone you trust to give you an honest answer. A kind friend counts. So does a teacher you feel safe with.

• Ask for one thing you did fairly well and one thing you could improve. It keeps the feedback simple and your next steps achievable.

• Leave with a next step you can actually manage. Good feedback pushes you forward a little at a time. It doesn't hand you a mountain to climb!

  
  

And here's something that might surprise you. Everybody has a next step, every time they draw or paint. I do too. So having one is nothing to be ashamed of. It simply means you're still learning, which is the point.

I've written before about why you learn more from a bad drawing than a good one. Feedback works the same way. The bits that need work are where the next skill is hiding.

How Feedback Works Inside Create

Create is my online membership, and I built it so nobody feels put on the spot. Sharing is optional, but it's encouraged. You can share in a live session, on the discussion page, or by email to me.

Nobody is expected to share. Nobody has to keep their camera on.

I once had a lady who spent many hours on replays and courses, but never joined a live session, because she still felt inadequate. If she'd tried, she'd have seen that this isn't how I built Create to be. She'd have been surrounded by others just like her and grown her confidence by seeing that their work was like hers.

If you're not inside Create right now, that's absolutely fine. Whenever you're ready, you can find out more about it here, and there's no pressure at all.

Your Next Step

If you'd like to start somewhere with no pressure to share anything, KickstART is my free five-day course. It's open all year, and it's a gentle way to begin.

Want to start KickstART? → sign up here

This week's Beginner's Practice email has a tiny exercise on giving your own work kind feedback. If you're on my list, keep an eye out for it.

Now tell me. What's the kindest thing anyone has ever said about your drawing? Pop it in the comments. I'd love to read it.

Debbie x