Finding a Quality Art Tutor

written by Houke de Kwant on May 29, 2018

The number of children being tutored privately is on the rise. As school curriculums get harder and parents have an ever-increasing desire for their children to find something they’re truly spectacular at, more parents are turning to private tutelage to try and inspire their children to master the school curriculum and explore subjects beyond it.

With more and more tutoring services such as Superprof helping the industry expand, many parents find themselves wondering what they should be looking for in a tutor. One subject which is trickier than most is how to find tutors skilled in the arts; it is a very creative subject which does not follow the traditional confines of education. Art is all about self-expression and creativity, not about formulas and equations.

Before you do go looking for a tutor who can offer home tuition, though, ensure that you understand your child’s strengths and weaknesses in art-related subjects. If you have demonstrated that they have a particular knack for drawing, find a tutor who specialises in graphic design, for example.

#1: What to Look for in Any Tutor

There are certain characteristics and qualifications you need to look for in any tutor, regardless of what subject they teach. Here are three key things you need to look at:

Patience
Every teacher and tutor must be patient; students learn at different rates and it is important that your tutor understands this. Tutors must be patient to ensure that they are properly teaching your child, and also that your child properly engages with the tutor. Patience can be difficult to suss out until you actually meet a tutor, so do as much digging as possible.

A Unique Perspective
The standard school curriculum is not exciting and does not inspire expansive learning. A tutor who teaches by the book and no further will help your child’s grades, yes, but your child will have no means to develop beyond the curriculum and truly find where their passions lie. Tutors who are more flexible with their teaching resources and approach will be much better for your child in the long-term.

A Tutor Who Learns About Your Child
Not all students are the same and, therefore, it is important that any tutor you pick takes some time to learn about your child in advance of their first session. A tutor who figures out the student’s position prior to teaching will be able to create a tailored learning plan and help your child’s development. Tutoring is not a one-size-fits-all type of job.

#2: Choosing a Suitable Art Tutor

Choosing an art tutor is not as simple as choosing a tutor for mathematics or English. As we have already mentioned, art is a highly individual and creative subject and all tutors will have their own unique styles, approach, and specialisms. The right art tutor largely depends on your child and what they are interested in.

Generally speaking, though, when narrowing down potential candidates, ask for copies of their portfolio so you can see real, visual examples of their work. When you have their portfolio, compare their work against your child’s work and see if you can find any similarities in style or approach. Ensure that you find the right type of tutor, too. If your child likes to paint, then a graphic design tutor or illustrator is probably not going to be the best fit!

An artist’s portfolio speaks louder than any qualifications or experience ever could. It is also a good idea to involve your child in picking out a tutor, too. Show your child the various different pieces of work and portfolios you have been provided with and let him or her pick what stands out. If your child likes the type of work a certain tutor produces, they are going to enjoy their sessions a lot more.

Using a site like Superprof to find the art tutor may be the best move, as all of the available tutors can be viewed on one screen and by comparing their bios next to each other, you can easily select your favourite options and then read their CVs to narrow it down. Superprof tutors teach all artistic subjects from painting to cartooning, sculpture to drawing.

#3: Helping Beyond Tutor Sessions

There is a lot you can do to help your child’s success beyond their tutoring sessions. If you are not an artsy person yourself, don’t fret! You can still help out with your child’s artistic development.

After a few sessions, sit down with your child and discuss their progress, find out what your child enjoyed, didn’t enjoy, what work they found interesting and what new skills they have learned. After this discussion, why not go out and see if you can find any supplementary resources for your child to learn from, such as art-related books or materials they can work with? This is a great way to consolidate their knowledge and help their skills develop.

Finding the right art tutor for a particularly creative child can be quite the challenge. Artists come in all sorts of styles and approaches to their work, but by looking and comparing certain tutors’ portfolios to your child’s work, you can easily find the perfect match.