Art for Children (A Homeschool Review Crew Post)

I have a confession. It's been a while since anybody in this house has been in Kindergarten. Or First Grade. Or Second and Third, for that matter. But I can't resist a good art curriculum and I've been reviewing for The Crew so long that I have quite a collection of books from ARTistic Pursuits, Inc. This one happens to be from the  ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-Ray series. It is Art for Children, Building a Visual Vocabulary and it is intended for (you guessed it) K-3.



For this review, I received a hardcover book and one blue-ray disc and one DVD. 

The art supplies needed for this curriculum are easily accessible. Among very familiar items, I needed watercolor crayons, paint brushes, oil pastels, watercolor paper and construction paper. 

I don't have to tell you that I had all of these things in my 'stash. A homeschooler can never have too many books, art supplies and tea bags. That's just the way I roll. 

There are some particular brands recommended, but I am the firm believer is "use what you have." 

This book is to be used first in the new series and then you may move on to whatever historical era you are studying or use in chronological order. 

This is a screenshot from one of the video lessons

There are 18 lessons. The video lessons allow the student to see how the materials are used. The book helps with discussion and hands-on application. I find that even to this day my 16-year-old learns best this way. The books is parent/teacher friendly and walks with you. 

Most days I need all the help I can get.

Not only do the videos supply excellent lessons about how to use the different mediums, but they give practical advice. 

"Now return all of the crayons to the box." 

Yes, please. Could we make a laundry themed lesson series?  

We did lots of art, but today I am going to share the results of just a few. I also want to walk you through a typical lesson...starting with Lesson 2. 

Josiah and I aren't strangers to the mediums we used with this course. My momma is an artist and has made it her life's work to supply her grandchildren with art supplies...and musical instruments, but that is another story (or subject). 

She also specializes in watercolor. 

Can I say that I am in love with the watercolor crayon? Not that I am personally offended by a nice palette of watercolors, but the watercolor crayon helps me imagine that I actually know what I'm doing. 

The watercolor crayon is a marvel and that is the very first medium we got to try. 

We first watched a video.

Our picture study was of The Courtyard of a House in Delft by De Hooch. (Courtyard with Arbor) We were asked to make some observations of the picture. I observed I would like to live there. With wifi and a refrigerator, of course. 

The "vocabulary" for this particular lessons was Compose. So we were asked to compose a picture of our own house. 

Now here is a little disclaimer. We more or less drew our house. We didn't add the big front porch, because we struggled with it...but we got the gist of it down. And added a few things...

For example, Josiah added a large alien aircraft directly above the house. He also pointedly decided to make the house explode from within. Who cares about the finer details when you are planning for an alien invasion? He was also concerned that his grass contained "movement." 

My house is, thankfully, alien free. 

The rest of the lessons are just as fun. And don't worry! If you aren't an artist or care to be this curriculum will hold your hand. 

At the back of the book are easily explained objectives for each lesson. .

And remember what I said about being an artist? 

The Art Gene isn't running freely through this girl's DNA. 

The last lesson in the book is an Artist Sees Portraits. The assignment is to create a Self-Portrait. 

I don't know where Josiah was for this one...probably saving the Earth from an alien attack. 

But he did pop in long enough to tell me that my self-portrait does not look like me.

Thanks, Bub. Though I pretty certain I nailed the freckles.

As usual, ARTistic Pursuits, Inc has produced a fantastic product! 

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