Color & Composition

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Anyone who knows us knows that my daughter is the art queen of the family. Naturally, she loves getting art-related materials to review. As someone who crafts daily, she's always looking for new skills, supplies, and ideas.

The books from Artistic Pursuits Inc. are some of her favorites and have been well-used over the years. We've learned about artists, art characteristics and styles during various time periods, and techniques. This time, she's been focusing on the creative process of art with ARTistic Pursuits, Middle School 6-8, Book 2 Color and Composition.

Artistic Pursuits was developed by Daniel an Brenda Ellis in 1999. What began as a single drawing book for high schoolers has evolved into full curricula from preschool all the way through high school. Their goal is to "develop experiences in the visual arts that allow children to create original works of art." Their program is designed to help students understand art concepts and enjoy the process of putting their own ideas and visual images on paper.

Color and Composition is the second book in the Middle School series. The books in the program can be used both by students with no prior art instruction and by those who are looking to advance their skills. They are designed to be used independently without parental instruction with instruction that is conversational and suited perfectly for a middle school student. The books have comb binding with clear, plastic covers.

The first book teaches students topics such as line, shape, value, symmetry, perspective, and proportion and focuses on one element of art per unit while exploring it in four unique ways. The second book  introduces the color wheel while strengthening observation skills. It covers techniques including blending, hatching, frottage, and working on colored paper all using either hard pastels or oil pastels.

Color and Composition provides lessons for 68 pastel drawings that are original to the student. As the student works through the book, his color skills advance as he learns about different hues, which ones compliment, how to balance and apply them, adding depth, creating a viewpoint, and more. Each unit features a famous artist of the past with a short biography, a brief cultural lesson teaching how the techniques were used around the world over the years, explanations, definitions, examples, an applicable challenge, and an engaging project.

My girl has been working through the book on her own. Many times a week, I'll find her at the kitchen table surrounded by papers and pastels. It might not be the intended way to approach the book, but I allow her to choose projects at will instead of working through it systematically. I never want art to feel like work that she must complete; I want her to follow her interests and desires and let her creativity be her guide. I have found that her interest is sparked more with this approach.

She has been practicing smooth and rough textures, drawing on a dark background, blending, combining color and texture, using frottage, and more. She learned that she can spray her works with hairspray to set the colors and used a chamois for the first time on a project.

Here are some of her thoughts on the book:

"I really like the sections on the artists and cultures and learning about the history. 

I liked learning about frottage, too. I had never done that before, and it's fun."

ARTistic Pursuits, Middle School 6-8, Book 2 Color and Composition is a great way for 6th-8th grade students to increase their art skills. Students learn a series of actions or steps to achieve their drawing goal as they learn the process of art based on elements. Instead of teaching step-by-step projects and giving specific ideas, the book teaches techniques and leaves the art subjects up to the student's own choosing.

Art is personal. Artistic Pursuits Inc. strives to bring out the artist in everyone.

You can connect with Artistic Pursuits on the following social media sites:

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Twitter

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You can view more budding artists' works and read more reviews of this book and some of the others that were reviewed by my Crewmates by heading to the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Beyond the Stick Figure

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Most of my kids enjoy art to some degree, but my daughter is the true artist of our home. She is always looking to improve her skills and widen her abilities, so I'm excited when we get an art-related review for her. While she can knit and sew and embroider and cross stitch and create with clay and spark her creativity in a dozen other ways, she has been focusing specifically on her drawing  and painting skills.

She was eager to get pen to paper--or rather, brush to paper--with Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses, a brand new set of classes from Beyond the Stick Figure Art School.

Beyond the Stick Figure is taught by Sally, a trained artist from England. After pursuing her dream of a career in art, she moved to the States, got married and had kids, and started homeschooling. It was while teaching her own children that she realized that the ability to create art wasn't given only to those with a gift, but could be taught to anyone. Just like learning to read or to play an instrument, art techniques should also be taught incrementally. Piece by piece, skill upon skill. Anyone can be an artist! 

She started these classes as a way to share her passion and help budding enthusiasts learn the skills they need to succeed.

There are 4 types of courses included:

• Drawing
• Pen & Ink and Watercolor
• Acrylic
• 3D Design

The drawing course is divided into 3 units with multiple steps broken into days. Remember, Sally's goal is to train artists by teaching them skills incrementally. She begins the course with encouraging the students to find shapes in the world around them: circles, dots, and various lines. Drawing takes place on day 6 when the students begin practicing the shapes they've found. On day 12, the shapes are combined to draw a flower. The remaining 3 days of the unit cover primary and secondary colors and learning to overlap shapes.

The second part eases the students into learning to draw things that look realistic. Each day, the student focuses on a small shape in a box. For instance, the first one looks something like a triangle coming out of the side of the square. The student practices that shape in each box on a 4x4 grid. The 33 lessons in part 2 are similar in style. 

The third and final part of the drawing course is 5 days and teaches how to combine those random shapes into a flower. It reminds me of those grid pictures that you find in activity books, where the child copies the picture by drawing each portion in the corresponding boxes. It is neat to see how all the pieces come together.

 

As I mentioned, my 12-year-old loves art and is already fairly skilled. I had a difficult time getting her to work through the drawing lessons. She was bored and could not be motivated. Because of Sally's philosophy of teaching step by step, you cannot move to further lessons or mediums without completing them in order. We ended up doing what many homeschoolers do and adapted the lessons to fit our needs. We sat down one day and clicked through all the lessons in all the courses. Once my girl saw the acrylic videos, her excitement rekindled. 

The acrylic course, like all the others, is divided into 3 parts and walks through 3 projects step-by-step over the course of many days. My daughter loved creating these artworks! She learned how to blend her colors to create an ombré sky, how to finger-dab realistic wispy clouds, how to use a toothpick to make a grassy meadow, how to use color to create perspective, and more useful skills. She even took a simple cloud painting and made it her own by adding a hot air balloon. I love watching her abilities blossom.

Sally's videos are calm, slow-paced, and filled with instruction. Each one is short (I don't think I've seen one that's longer than 10 minutes) so it's easy to find time to add art into your day. One complaint that my daughter has is that she can't make the videos full screen. Sometimes she would like to have a bigger visual instead of the small image on the computer. Also, Sally is soft spoken and has a bit of an English accent. Even with the volume all the way up, it can be difficult to hear and understand in a busy household. It can be tricky to keep 4 boys quiet while their sister is trying to create a masterpiece! Otherwise, the videos are easy to understand and it's fun to see how she pronounces some things differently than we do. 

There are downloadable pages of drawing guides included with a few lessons along with a checkup at the end of each unit to evaluate your students' work and help keep them accountable. 

A purchase of Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses will give you lifetime access to all of the classes for everyone in your family. There are over 180 lessons that are good for anyone ages 5-95. If you can draw a stick figure, you can learn to draw your own realistic masterpieces.

Beyond the Stick Figure Art School can help you learn the skills needed to become a true artist.

You can connect with Beyond the Stick Figure on the following social media sites:

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

YouTube

You can see more art projects by reading the reviews on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Creating a Masterpiece

If I had to describe my daughter in two words, I'd choose reader and artist. We often receive review products to satiate her book obsession (or at least attempt to keep up with it, ha), but lately we've been using a program that appeals to her crafty side.

She told me recently that she wanted to get better at drawing. She's used some books and a couple drawing videos for kids, but she's reached a point where she is ready for lessons that are more complex. I was happy that she received a one year subscription to an online Drawing Program from Creating a Masterpiece.

Creating a Masterpiece was established by master artist Sharon Hofer. Her mission is to help students of all ages to produce "beautiful, masterpiece quality artwork." Her step-by-step teaching videos have helped thousands of students gain confidence as they learn the skills to succeed in creating fine art.

With over 20 years of teaching in the classroom, Sharon has much experience, not just in creating her own artwork, but in conveying those skills to others, as well. Her courses cover a wide variety of  mediums including acrylic, balsa carving, copper tooling, faux metal working, glass mosaic, oil pastel, silk painting, wood burning, and more. Along with the core program, students can choose to learn about artists and recreate their work through the art history course. For those who would like to learn visually through text instead of video, there is also a collection of step-by-step art books covering both a range of history and specific projects and techniques.

The drawing program that my daughter is using is divided into 4 sections:

• Beginning, 8 projects
• Level 1, 7 projects
• Level 2, 6 projects
• Level 3, 8 projects

A subscription to the course allows access to all projects in every level for your entire family. Each lesson shows a picture, the type of medium used, and the name of the piece.

Students will learn how to plan, develop, and enhance their projects through Sharon's guidance. As they progress through the levels, they will be able to apply their techniques more intricately as they hone their skills. They will learn things such as incorporating value, both two- and three-point perspective, showing movement, blending, highlighting, and more. Sharon teaches not only how to preform the technique, but why to do it, as well.

Clicking on a project will take you to a new page that lists a description that may include interesting facts, a supply list, and the number of lessons. The lessons link at the bottom will produce another page with even more information including the teaching videos, suggested color swatches, supplies, helpful tips, and simple sketches of the highlights of the lesson.

I have been so impressed watching my daughter draw with this program! The lessons are self-paced, so she's been working through them as the desire strikes. The realistic drawings are so beautiful that I plan to have her make one specifically to hang in our house. Sharon does a fantastic job teaching. She's calm, encouraging, and pleasant.

My husband also enjoys sketching (that's where our girl got her talent) and sometimes watches videos of drawing to relax. I admit, I never really saw the appeal until I watched a few of Sharon's videos myself. It's almost therapeutic. She claims that drawing is a skill that anyone can learn. Watching her do it makes me a believer.

One thing that pleases me is that my daughter has started to recreate her drawings, not by re-watching the videos, but from looking at her completed projects or simply from memory. I love that she's truly learning the techniques.

Something that she learned from the Moonstruck cat project was to "work small" to keep it simpler. She's been putting that into practice the last few days, trying to control her lines better in a smaller space. I love watching her advance her skills as she continues to practice.

Here's what my girl had to say:

The lessons are easy-to-follow and fun. I like that the projects aren't just pencil.

My daughter is enjoying learning techniques using pencil, colored pencil, and charcoal with this Drawing Program. I'm excited to watch her skills improve as she continues with this course.

You can connect with Creating a Masterpiece on their website and Facebook.

You can see other homeschoolers' drawings by reading the reviews on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Art of the Ancients

My daughter loves whenever we get to review anything art-related. She is the crafting queen and has built her repertoire of skills throughout her 10 years of age. Whether she's knitting or embroidering, drawing or painting, designing capes and masks for her brothers and even twisting balloon animals, you can daily find her sparking her creativity in one art form or another.

One medium she did not have much experience with though was clay. Oh, sure, she's made her fair share of play dough creations, but she wanted the satisfaction of working with a firmer substance and having the opportunity to preserve her achievements. When I saw that we could chose a book from ARTistic Pursuits Inc. art curriculum, I immediately looked through the K-3 Grade Level, Volumes 1-8 to find one heavy in clay creations. 

ARTistic Pursuits was developed by Daniel and Brenda Ellis in 1999. What began as a single drawing book for high schoolers has evolved into full curricula from preschool all the way through high school. Their goal is to "develop experiences in the visual arts that allow children to create original works of art." Their program is designed to help students understand art concepts and enjoy the process of putting their own ideas and visual images on paper.

The Art of the Ancients, K-3 Volume 2 is the second book in the kindergarten to third grade art program. This curriculum currently contains eight volumes. It is a four-year elementary course with one book for each semester and one lesson per week. Once your child finishes the first book, Art for Children, he can either work through the others chronologically or choose to study the various time periods of art in any order.

The books are hard cover and include both a Blu-ray and DVD with additional lessons. They are filled with many illustrations, from photographs of original art to recreations to examples from young children.

This specific book includes 18 projects. They are broken into 12 text lessons and 6 video lessons. The study focuses on cultures that developed around the Mediterranean Sea and its tributaries. Students will learn about European cave drawings, Egyptians murals, Mesopotamian relief carvings, Greek pillars and pottery, and more. Children are encouraged to see the world in new ways and express their ideas.

One thing that I love is that each text lesson begins with a history of the particular project. These sections are bursting with information, not only the art aspects such as materials, types, purposes, and importance, but also facts about pyramids, people, nature, clothing, transportation, ways of living, and more that can be gleaned from studying the ancient art. The student is encouraged to examine the ancient art examples and strengthen his observation skills as he answers a few questions designed to get him to see more within the picture.

After this brief history lesson, the student will recreate his own version of the project by practicing the art form. Detailed step-by-step direction are given, clearly numbered with accompanying pictures. Each lesson also includes a supply list and prep notes when needed.

The video lessons are given in both DVD and Blu-Ray versions. There is a single page in the book for each of these lessons. It shows the name, a picture of the project, a list of supplies, and a simple description.

The videos themselves begin with a brief introduction before moving on to the instructional portion. Then, the student can watch Brenda as she creates the projects in real time. The steps are easy-to-follow with audible directions. The video is zoomed in to show the hands close up, so the student can see exactly how each step is preformed.

The end of each video is a re-cap of the project. A portion of each step is shown with text instructions on the screen.

While my daughter is the one with the art obsession, her younger brothers enjoy crafting from time to time, as well. As she's been working through the book, the boys join in on the crafts they find interesting. Even the 4-year-old is enjoying these lessons so much that he made a project on his own. I've been letting the kids choose which projects to complete as they wish. They have drawn watercolor portraits, crafted a clay statue, formed multiple pinch pots and other formations, designed mosaic pictures, and created relief art.

We were able to use some supplies like watercolor crayons and watercolor paper from when we studied the Art of the Middle Ages with ARTistic Pursuits last year, but they were all excited when we bought a 5-lb container of clay to add to our materials. They couldn't wait to break off a chunk and start molding.

I thought for sure that the little ones would only want to play with the clay and make whatever they wished, but I was surprised at how engaged they were in following the directions, both in the book and the videos. (Of course, there was much free play, too!) The kids watch the videos on the computer so they can create their projects while they watch and pause the instruction, as needed.

Not only are my kids learning new skills and bits of history, but they're having fun while doing it! The curriculum is easy to use, too. In fact, the kids can make the projects completely on their own by following the instructions in both the text and the videos. It's geared toward the K-3 grade range, but even my 5th grade, craft-loving girl is excited to make the projects and is interested in the historical facts and art instruction.

Studying the Art of the Ancients with ARTistic Pursuits Inc. has been greatly enjoyed in our home.

You can connect with ARTistic Pursuits Inc. on the following social media sites:
Facebook
Twitter
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You can read more reviews of this volume along with the other books in the ARTistic Pursuits series on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

The Starry Night

* This post may contain affiliate links. 

My kiddos love creating art, whether they're drawing a picture, knitting a scarf, or molding a dish. We're all excited anytime we get a review that is art-related. They enjoy the process of creating masterpieces, while I appreciate the skills they are learning.  Sometimes the projects are open-ended and allow the child to freely create. This time though, Kidzaw.com sent us one of their Master Kitz to follow.

These kits are based on pieces of art from famous painters. They contain everything your child (or even you!) needs to recreate the painting. Though the kits make it simple to make a duplicate of the original, there are many opportunities to add a personal touch. In fact, I now own two versions of the 

Master Kitz The Starry Night that are even better than van Gogh's.

Kidzaw.com is an art company that is committed to teaching and training kids in art. Along with a focus on master painters, the materials concentrate on art history and techniques. Add in hands-on learning and messy fun, and you have an engaging tool for a strong art foundation for kids.

The Starry Night kit includes the following materials:

• A sturdy, re-usable art tool box with magnetic closures
• 3 acrylic paints (child friendly)
• 5 oil pastels (child friendly)
• 1 van Gogh roller specially designed to replicate van Gogh’s active stroke
• 1 re-usable Starry Night cyprus stencil
• 1 standard paint roller
• 2 pieces deluxe art paper
• 1 low tack “mesmerizing stars” sticker sheet
• Fun, easy-to-understand van Gogh learning materials
• Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions

The instructions, or inspiration sheet, are easy-to-follow. Each step is numbered and includes a picture with a brief set of directions. The 12 steps cover everything from covering the workspace with newspaper to adding the final colored details.

Because all of the materials arrive in a small box, the papers and stencil are rolled to fit. You need to roll them in the opposite direction to flatten then out before starting your creation. After that, you're ready to add the star stickers and two colors of paint. Next, you remove the stickers, add the stencil,  and apply another coat of paint. Once you remove the stencil, you take a little break to allow the paint to dry. Finally, you use the oil pastels to color in the stars and add details to the rest of the painting. Feel free to admire your masterpiece and show it off to your friends! 

My 3-year-old begged for days to use the painting kit. The first free moment we had, we covered the kitchen table and got to work. As you can see from the pictures above, he did the majority of the project on his own, receiving a little assistance from his older sister for things like taping the paper and squirting the paint. I think those smiles are a good testimony to his feeling about the the kit!

My 10-year-old is the artsiest one in the family. You can find her daily working on one of her many crafts. After helping her little brother paint his picture, she got right to work creating her own Starry Night. To say that she loved it is an understatement. Before she had even completed her work, she told me she wanted to do it again. Within the next few days, she told me at least a dozen times that she wanted another one of the Master Kitz and even chose her favorite from the list.

The mini booklet that is included opens up completely to display the instructions while the other pages are filled with art history. The cover shows a self-portrait of van Gogh and gives a short biography of his life. The inside pages portray a timeline of his paintings, explaining how his style changed over the years and different situations that influenced his work.

My girl and I were in the thrift store a few days after the kids used this kit. As we were browsing through the frames and mirror section, she pointed and said, "Hey, that's van Gogh's Sunflowers." I looked up and sure enough, hanging on the wall was a giant replica of the famous painting. She was able to recognize it from our study. This kit is more than just painting your own version of The Starry Night; it is a thorough overview of Vincent van Gogh and his life's work.

Our family loved the Master Kitz The Starry Night! The materials were easy enough for my little one to use and detailed enough to interest my older one. We have repackaged the remaining supplies into the box to make more masterpieces with the other kids. The kit is a great way to learn about a master artist, art techniques, and art history while putting those skills to practice in your own painting.

We can't wait to see what we'll learn in our next Master Kitz from Kidzaw.com.

You can connect with Kidzaw.com on the following social media sites:

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

You can check out more art projects by homeschoolers by reading the reviews of this kit on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

* Some of the links in the content above are affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I may receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I recommend products or services that I have used personally and all the text and opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 225.

Art of the Middle Ages

My daughter was thrilled to review another book from ARTistic Pursuits, Inc.. She has enjoyed making crafts since she was little, but as she's gotten older, that every-now-and-then pastime has evolved into an infatuation. Now, she crafts daily. Whether she's sewing or knitting, drawing or paper quilling, folding origami or weaving on her loom, you can often find her sparking her creativity in one art form or another. 

I knew my girl would be excited to study the Art of the Middle Ages with the ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Book with DVD and Blu-Ray Not only does she (and the rest of the family) enjoy studying that time period, but she also thrives on learning new skills. The projects in this book combine old favorites with some new techniques.

ARTistic Pursuits was developed by Daniel and Brenda Ellis in 1999. What began as a single drawing book for high schoolers has evolved into full curricula from preschool all the way through high school. Their goal is to "develop experiences in the visual arts that allow children to create original works of art." Their program is designed to help students understand art concepts and enjoy the process of putting their own ideas and visual images on paper.

The Art of the Middle Ages book is the third volume in the kindergarten to third grade art program. This curriculum currently contains six volumes with another two projected for this summer. It is a four-year elementary course with one book for each semester and one lesson per week. Once your child finishes the first book, Art for Children, he can either work through the others chronologically or choose to study the various time periods of art in any order.

This specific book includes 18 projects. They are broken into 12 Master Works text lessons and 6 art material instruction video lessons.

One thing that I love is that each text lesson begins with a history of the particular project. These sections are bursting with information, not only the art aspects such as materials, types, purposes, and importance, but also facts about wars, church, people, animals, transportation, life, and more. The student is encouraged to examine the art works from the masters of the period and strengthen his observation skills as he answers a few questions designed to get him to see more within the picture.

After this brief history lesson, the student will recreate his own version of the project by practicing the art form. Detailed step-by-step direction are given, clearly numbered with accompanying pictures. Each lesson also includes a supply list and prep notes when needed.

The video lessons are given in both DVD and Blu-Ray versions. There is a single page in the book for each of these lessons. It shows the name, a picture of the project, a list of supplies, and a simple description.

The videos themselves begin with a brief introduction before moving on to the instructional portion. Then, the student can watch Brenda as she creates the projects in real time. The steps are easy-to-follow with audible directions. The video is zoomed in to show the hands close up, so the student can see exactly how each step is preformed.

The end of each video is a re-cap of the project. A portion of each step is shown with text instructions on the screen. 

  

My daughter is the craft queen in our home, but a couple of the boys enjoy creating projects, as well. As she's been working through the book, the boys join in on the crafts they find interesting. I've been letting the kids choose which projects to complete as they wish. They have stitched art into burlap, woven creations on a straw loom, made raised pictures with glue, assembled paper stained glass windows, and bound books with yarn. They worked with some supplies for the first time, such as gesso, watercolor crayons, and burlap. They watch the videos on the computer so they can create their projects while they watch and pause the instruction, as needed.

Not only are my kids learning new skills and bits of history, but they're having fun while doing it! The curriculum is easy to use. In fact, the older kids can make the projects completely on their own by following the instructions in both the text and the videos. Even my kindergartner is enjoying recreating the art.

It's difficult to find my kitchen table during the day as I often find it covered in tissue paper, glue, scissors, string, watercolors, and bits of odds and ends. Projects are covering my walls and windows. My kids hands are busy and their faces smiling. It's a beautiful thing.

Studying the Art of the Middle Ages with ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Book with DVD and Blu-Ray has been greatly enjoyed in our home.

You can connect with ARTistic Pursuits, Inc. on the following social media sites:

Facebook
Twitter

You can read more reviews of several of the curriculum books from ARTistic Pursuits on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.