Homeschool Review Crew - ARTistic Pursuits Inc. Building a Visual Vocabulary Art for Children

If I could find a way to turn every school subject into art, my art-loving daughter would be head over heels, so needless to say, I was thrilled to get a chance to review Art for Children, Building a Visual Vocabulary which is part of the ARTistic Pursuits Art Instruction Books with DVD and Blu-ray from ARTistic Pursuits Inc.

Other members of the crew got to review these titles:

Art of the Ancients
Art of the Middle Ages
Artists that Shaped the Italian Renaissance

So, be sure to click the link at the bottom of the review to check out what they thought as well.

What is the ARTistic pursuits Grades K-3 Volume 1 Art for Children Building Visual Vocabulary?

I received a hardcover book and DVD, as well as a Blu-ray disc. This book and DVD is intended for children in Grades K through 3. It also comes with a Blu-ray. The 64-page hardcover book is written by Brenda Ellis and includes 18 lessons (12 text lessons and 6 DVD lessons) which covers one full semester of work with 82 pictures to accentuate the lessons. The lessons introduce students to what it means to be an artist as well as art history. They also learn art vocabulary as they work to create their own still life, portrait, figure, animals, and landscapes as they use watercolor crayons, oil pastels, and colored paper with scissors.

All you need is the book and DVD (or Blu-ray disc) and a few art supplies:

Watercolor crayons set
oil pastel set
two ebony pencils
vinyl eraser
watercolor brush, #8 round
watercolor paper pad
drawing paper pad
construction paper of assorted colors
scissors
glue, liquid and stick
paper towels
water and container for water
handheld sharpener

The book is set up to spur on creativity in children. It provides both a visual presentation on the DVD as well as thought-provoking discussion in the book. Each lesson is intended to only take about 10 minutes.

While the book/DVD package along with the art materials is all you need to provide art instruction, the program is set up with the intention of a parent or teacher to be involved in the process of learning. The DVD video lessons each accompany specific lessons in the book, while the lessons that are in the book only are set up with Prep notes, some contain a special section on outside the home environment and complete instruction with questions and a student gallery that shows examples of the project to be completed.

Lesson 1 is in the book and accompanied by the video - Watercolor crayons
Lesson 2 is in the book only - Artists Compose and discusses The Courtyard of a House in Delft by DeHooch
Lesson 3 is in the book - Artists Imagine and discusses The Birthday by Chagall
Lesson 4 is accompanied by DVD video #2 - Identify and mix colors.
Lesson 5 is in the book only - Artists Observe, and discusses In Flander's Field by Vonnoh
Lesson 6 is in the book only - Artists Communicate, and discusses The Christening Feast by Steen
Lesson 7 is accompanied by DVD video #3 - Construction Paper: Cut
Lesson 8 is in the book only - Artists See Shapes and discusses Flower Day by Rivera
Lesson 9 is accompanied by DVD video #4 - Construction Paper: Fold
Lesson 10 is in the book only - Artists See Form and discusses Boy with Bagpipes and Young Bear (artist unknown)
Lesson 11 is accompanied by DVD video #5 - Oil Pastels
Lesson 12 is in the book only - Artists See Texture and discusses The Sunflower by Klimt
Lesson 13 is in the book only - Artists See Landscapes and discusses Monte Sainte - Victoire by Cezanne
Lesson 14 is in the book only - Artists See Still Lifes - and discusses Still Life with Coffeepot by Van Gogh
Lesson 15 is accompanied by DVD video #6 - Draw Shapes
Lesson 16 is in the book only - Artists See Animals and discusses Sentinel of the Plains by Dunton
Lesson 17 is in the book only - Artists See Figures and discusses Blue Dancers by Degas
Lesson 18 is in the book only - Artists See Portraits and discusses Henry VIII by Holbein the Younger

The final pages of the book contain objectives and shape templates.

How Did We Use It?

Please ignore the mess. This child is a hands-on everything style of learner, so the room shows little bits and pieces of all of her projects.

Still Life

Shapes and Paper Cutting (We chose to do it on white paper)

  

I tried my hand at the self portrait. I actually wasn't unimpressed at how it turned out either.

I sat down with my art-loving daughter as she loves doing art with me. I was asked to use the book and DVD to complete one lesson per week, but we got carried away and did more than that in one sitting.

What Did We Think?

This was really fun, and both my daughter and I felt as though it provided solid instruction, both on the DVD and in the book lessons. I really like how they provided some lessons with  more indepth discussion in the book and others with demonstration on how to use particular art materials on the DVD. I also like how they provide a Blu-ray as well. It really provides a parent or other teacher with all of the information we need to present the lessons.

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Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below: