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mamamoose
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HomeAgain

HomeAgain

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We use Artistic Pursuits this year.  There's a mix of technique instruction, exposure to mediums, and art study.  There's a supply list at the beginning of the books broken down into groups so you can choose to rearrange the lessons if you wish (like do all group A, then group B..) or have everything ready at the beginning of the year to get you through.

 

Last year we did Meet The Masters.  Because it was a pdf it was harder to get it done regularly, but I invested in art cards that are still used often here.  I also had an Evan Moore one (Teaching Art to K-3, I think?) that focused mostly on technique and projects.

 

For us, the more well rounded curriculum gets done.  If we don't feel like doing an accompanying project, we still get an artist study or painting study to curl up with and lead us down rabbit trails.  We can always go back to the projects later - and often do, especially with the AP book.  It's written in such a way that the first half covers basic art instruction/art study, and the second half covers art in history.  We bounce between the two parts, adding in projects as they line up with our studies and doing the first half the book on between weeks.

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Guest

Guest

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I outsource it and have since the beginning. It's too important to me that they are exposed and I would never do it justice. We have a homeschool group where teachers are paid directly by parents (so not a co-op because that wouldn't work for me) and our Art teacher has an MA in the subject and more importantly ADORES teaching it and is very enthusiastic. My oldest has learned so much. I will put my younger kids in around 2nd grade most likely.

 

Anyway, if you have an option like that around you might consider it. It's wonderful and stress less on my part.

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Hobbes

Hobbes

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For exposure to art in a simple way, I've found the Met Art calendar to be excellent (there are some pieces with nudity, ex: the David). We discuss the day's print over breakfast most days and if there's anything that catches our fancy, we google it. We've gotten a lot of exposure that way and the kids love discussing paintings.

 

Simply Charlotte Mason has some great resources for picture study as well.

 

Those two will help with exposure and awareness, not with art technique. For projects, we have enjoyed the projects from Usborne's Art Treasury (kid projects based on classic works of art). My 8yo has done well with Mark Lister's online drawing lessons.

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dafne

dafne

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We use artventure.com.au

We attend the "family days" at the local art galleries where the kids can do a free or low cost art activity.

I also look up which artists are having exhibitions in the art galleries we visit and read up on these in the month before we go. Mostly just the books available from the library and some youtube videos.

And I have the kids enter drawing competitions, these are set as "assignments".

Edited by dafne
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....

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We don't always do art, but we are this year.  Here's our art this year:

 

The 9 year-old absolutely hates art - as in, she cries when we do art sometimes.   :(   On Friday, we try to do an art project that's really easy and if she wants to do it, she can - if not, that's Ok.  I've been finding art projects from this blog:  http://plbrown.blogspot.com  This has to be the coolest lady ever.  I am so glad I found her blog.

 

My 11 year-old is using Artist Pursuits High School Book 1: The Elements of Art and Composition.  She will also do our Friday art project.  

 

Freshman and 8th grader are doing art history together.  They're using Gardner's Art Through the Ages (it's a textbook), Usborne Famous Paintings art cards (my 11 year-old really likes them-  They're sold on Rainbow Resource's website - they have a couple different sets.  They're good for younger kids.) and they're listening to different classical music pieces/doing composer studies.

Edited by Evanthe
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rutheart

rutheart

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I use a variety of projects from different blogs and books as vehicles to teach techniques. Once they have the basics down, I like to expose them to mixed media techniques, so they can see how to effectively combine supplies. I put my art schedule (with links to the various project websites) on my blog. So far I just have K, 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 posted. I won't have 3rd and 7th grade posted until sometime this summer.

Artistic Pursuits was okay, but not really worth the extra money for my family. Artpacs are awesome and less than half the cost, but they are consumable, so not cost-effective if you have more than 2 kids (assuming books can survive being passed down through all the kids).

Art history tends to be child-led around here, so I don't schedule it in. They seem to cover as much material anyway, and probably retain it better that way.

Ruth

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redsquirrel

redsquirrel

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Art is very important to my 11 year old  He really wants to draw well.It's something he spends a lot of time on. For the holidays we gave him a one year subscription to Virtual Instructor.  So far he loves it and we have seen improvement in just the first couple of classes.  It  isn't cute or super kid oriented, its fine for a middle schooler, just not silly or funny instruction, like some other online art lessons we have seen.  So, it might be something to keep in mind if one of your kids wants to take things to the next level with drawing or painting.

 

And there was a discount just before Christmas, so that made it easier, lol. Definitely wait for that!

 

There is also the book "How to teach art to children grades 1-6"  It's perfectly fine and has some great projects. I used it when the kids were younger

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Shifra

Shifra

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I think these may be out of print, but Scott Foresman has textbooks on art that are for grades kindergarten through eighth; you can probably find a copy second hand. These are as good or better than Artistic Pursuits, in my opinion, and are cheaper if bought second hand.

 

For high school, there's Art in Focus, which is both a studio art course and an art history course. You can probably find a used copy of Art in Focus as well. ETA: I found a copy of this book online at http://www.mrsbott.com/Mittler%20-%20Art%20in%20Focus%20%5Bcomprehensive%20textbook%20-%20theory,history%5D%20(Glencoe,%202006).pdf

Edited by Shifra
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  • 3 months later...
smartise

smartise

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I teach online art classes!  I utilize a live feed so students can interact with one another and get guidance and feedback as they work!  All projects are art history based and will teach a variety of different mediums, techniques, and vocabulary.  If you are interested, please visit www.blossomingartists.com.  I am currently registering for my summer session!  

 

 

I hope you find something that works for you!

 

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nixpix5

nixpix5

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We have been using Meet the Masters and I cannot say enough good things about it. My kids' art skills have sky rocketed and they get to learn about great artists and types of art on top of it. Easy to implement and really fun!

 

Once we finish with all of the tracks of Meet the Masters I will purchase a subscription for Creating a Masterpiece. I was able to see one of these videos and the art it produced and was blown away.

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EKT

EKT

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I recommend Creativebug on here all the time because we love, love, love it! (It's online subscription-based video art lessons for everything from knitting to cake decorating to painting and drawing.) We're super into art in our house and this is a resource we all use constantly. It's $4.95/month for super high-quality videos, all taught by professional artists and designers. Highly recommend!

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knitgrl

knitgrl

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I am planning on using Art Tango next year, thanks to Farrar's suggestion on another thread. My oldest has been through ps, and the projects look like the sort of projects he did. I love that it has everything laid out and is age appropriate.

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Serenade

Serenade

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We have been using Meet the Masters and I cannot say enough good things about it. My kids' art skills have sky rocketed and they get to learn about great artists and types of art on top of it. Easy to implement and really fun!

How much does this program cost? I'm annoyed because I went to look it up, and apparently you have to submit your contact info before they will give you pricing? What the heck? Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

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shinyhappypeople

shinyhappypeople

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In our family, we are pretty passionate about art.  We've used very little in the way of curriculum (we did do some projects from Home Art Studio, which is quite good).

 

For art appreciation, my current favorite thing is Concordia University's Art Lessons.  It's also free, which is a bonus. 

 

In term's of doing art, I suggest using no curriculum (at first).  To get your and your kid's feet wet, start with something silly and totally unintimidating like one of Ed Emberley's Fingerprint (or Thumbprint) Drawing Books.  Your library probably has at least one of his titles.  The purpose is to have fun and realize that art isn't scary.  

 

Look for books or online video tutorials: "How to draw.... [marvel characters / baby kittens / trains / whatever topic your kid is interested in]" There are free tutorials for just about everything. 

 

Art Hub on youtube (mentioned above) is really great.

 

Don't forget to mess around with photography, sculpture, digital art, comics, cake decorating, fashion design...  Just do an internet search (or go to youtube) and you'll be all set.  

 

Have fun with it.  Keep decent quality art supplies handy, but don't blow a lot of money on them yet. If you spend a ton of money on supplies, you might have the urge to ration.  Printer paper works fine for drawing.  If they get really into making art, you can upgrade the paper and supplies later.  

 

After you've had time to explore and poke around the art world, these two books are well worth considering: Drawing with Children: A Creative Method for Adult Beginners Too and Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (for older kids and adults)

 

You become good at creating art by creating art... over and over and over again.  Just jump in.  Formal curricula can come later if you want.  This is one area that is really best learned by experiencing it without filters.  

Edited by shinyhappypeople
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nixpix5

nixpix5

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How much does this program cost? I'm annoyed because I went to look it up, and apparently you have to submit your contact info before they will give you pricing? What the heck? Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

Best place to get it is rainbowresource. You can by one track of it for your child's age range for about $28 or $29 dollars. Also, every year a couple times a year on homeschool buyers coop they have a deal on it.

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fralala

fralala

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You become good at creating art by creating art... over and over and over again.  Just jump in.  Formal curricula can come later if you want.  This is one area that is really best learned by experiencing it without filters.  

 

I really liked everything you wrote, but I'm going to chop this piece out to emphasize how important it is.

 

I can't be the only one who received a false and inadequate impression of what art is as a child: that you either have artistic talent or don't, that drawing and painting aren't skills but gifts...and that I certainly didn't possess them because my first, tentative attempts to "Draw What You See" (the only instruction I remember receiving) didn't look anything like what I actually saw. The first time I picked up a book I'd gotten for my children-- one of the Usborne drawing books, which I highly recommend-- and followed the step-by-step instructions, I was amazed at what I made. And how much better it was the second time, and even better the third.

We've used Art Tango, and we've used Meet the Masters, and we've read every Mike Venezia artist book there is, and we have several Atelier DVDs that my kids love popping in and doing on a rainy afternoon, but the thing I like about getting books and supplies and letting loose is the flow of it-- I noticed we are less likely with a DVD to say, "Hey, let's do that again," or, "I want to sit here after the lesson ends and practice what I learned for another hour." With books, we can just sit quietly with our supplies and listen to music and work on the techniques or methods that we want.

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Susan in MO

Susan in MO

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Not formal, but here is a great little booklet that teaches about the elements and principles of design.   http://www.awesomeartists.com/ART/AWESOMEARTISTS_PDFs_ETC/ABCsOfART_BOOKLET_Color_ElementsAndPrinciplesOfDesign_2015.pdf   

 

BTW, It is easy to break down and create art lessons from the elements and principles of design using youtube and links found on the internet.

 

Here is how I use it.  

 

Example:  Element #1 Line

 

1. Learn about Line:  https://youtu.be/SFTkg3mpP3w

 

2. Recreate the line posters from the above booklet.  

 

3. Make a contour line drawing.  https://youtu.be/RpZ1TwGaugM  https://youtu.be/oPM9FBPf7OU

 

4. Make a continuous line drawing; https://youtu.be/2t_evhNwAjo

 

5.  Make a blind contour drawing.  https://youtu.be/KoGAXg6m4Gc

 

6. Make a drawing that emphasizes line quality.  https://youtu.be/MRL7gvbZudw

 

7. Draw with cross contour lines.  https://youtu.be/QiPT75pHL_8  https://youtu.be/YiMmYQ52QgE  

 

8.  View works of art that show line:  Link:  http://artcuratorforkids.com/artworks-that-show-line/

 

9. Make line drawing Doodles - Flowers https://youtu.be/hgdK3L7SMP0 Faces https://youtu.be/O5u1apUkYV0 Harry Potter https://youtu.be/f5VEu2SfhhY etc...

 

10. Make Zentangle line drawings - https://youtu.be/qBwHUKHUdD8 ​https://youtu.be/ycsONJVXcac

 

Honestly, a whole year could just be spent exploring line and drawing simple line drawings (doodles) in a sketchbook. : )

 

I also agree with shinyhappypeople.  Just jump in and do art.  Draw, paint, etc.. every day.  : )  It doesn't need to be difficult.  Just a sketchbook and a box of art supplies.  If you pick up mixed media sketchbooks they can also paint in their sketchbooks.   For art history, YouTube has loads of great videos.  I love the videos from Goodbye-Art Academy https://youtu.be/ibp_i7bekQU

 

BTW, when your children are older, here is one of the helpful sites I recommend.  It is a fully designed art curriculum for JH and HS:  http://juliannakunstler.com/class.php#.WRnJb2grKCg (scroll down for courses)  

 

HTH

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Guest

Guest

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I just wanted to revisit and add an update. Our homeschool group ended last week so I was looking for a multilevel program for all three kids for the summer as we go year round. I saw a blog review months ago on Art Achieve. I've downloaded the free lessons and so far have been very happy. It's got a range that keeps my oldest happy and develops her skill while also being engaging and not frustrating for my 4&5 year olds. If anyone has a huge ability and/or age span you might want to check it out as you can pick and choose your lessons instead of having to buy all of something.

 

https://artachieve.com

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Heather in OK

Heather in OK

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We did a couple years ago.  I put together a syllabus on my own (I'm not an art history person so if it's quite accurate...oh well...we had fun anyway).  Then I found art projects on Pinterest.  Some of the projects reflected the time period or artist for that week but it wasn't always easy to do that so if I couldn't find one, we just did a fun art project. 

I'm happy to share the syllabus I made.  I tried uploading it but it won't let me.

Edited by Heather in OK
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  • 4 weeks later...
ExcitedMama

ExcitedMama

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Artistic Pursuits has been great here. Just the other week DH saw one of DS' drawings and was surprised that he had done it. I would never have thought to do a still life study for a 7 and 4 year old but they loved it. I have no artistic knowledge or skill and it's been great. It's super easy to teach and the lesson only takes a few minutes to read out loud before they dive in. I'm sure I never would have thought to give either of them watercolor crayons or the other material recommended. Rainbow also sells kits that are cheaper than buying the items separately.

 

Memoria Press also sells art cards if you wanted to add in an artist study. MP has great Enrichment books for K-2 that you could look at for your youngest. Each lesson is book, artist, classical music piece, poem and usually a little science for the week. It follows a traditional school calendar from fall to summer with themes that coincide with holidays. Even if you only had your youngest doing the bulk of the lesson you could incorporate the art and music for the whole family. I am not the type who could be relied on to consistently add in art and classical music so having it scheduled is perfect for me. It's been amazing to hear DS' opinions on art and listen to him compare artwork. I usually put up about 4 of the art cards at a time so he can see the differences between the pieces.

Edited by ExcitedMama
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  • 4 weeks later...
realhappykid

realhappykid

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Hi mamamoose,

 

Take a look at my YouTube channel, play the videos in a classroom and have the kids draw along with the video.  The teacher can pause the video as needed to allow the kids to catch up.  They are easy to follow drawings for elementary and middle school.  Hope this helps!  :D

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/realhappykid

 

Have a great day!

 

Real Happy Kid

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