Artistic Pursuits~Review

My boys love to draw and create.  They are always creating something either by drawing, using play dough or paint. We have done some limited art in our school studies but I have never used an art curriculum until now. 

I was given an opportunity to review Artistic Pursuits. I chose grade K-3 book one. This level is an introduction to the visual arts. It is available for $42.95.

There are 32 lessons with projects in this level. The book is broken down into the following three sections.

• What Artists Do
• What Artists See
• Where We Find Art

The lessons are laid out so that you cover one lesson per week.   In each lesson there is an exercise, some form  of art to study ( a painting, pottery, and more)  and a project to complete.

You will need to purchase the following art supplies if you do not already have them:

• Ebony pencil
• Vinyl or Pink Pearl eraser
• Small set of soft pastels
• Small set of oil pastels
• Sketch or drawing paper pad
• Set of 10-15 Watercolor Crayons
• #8 round watercolor brush that comes to a point
• Watercolor paper pad
• heavy weight construction paper, assorted colors
• package of tissue paper assorted colors
• scissors
• 4-5 lb gray self hardening clay

Be sure to go and look at the sample lessons.

This was a lesson in drawing something with an Ebony pencil.

  Their completed project.

Justin drew a scene with marbles, our cat Jupiter and a self portrait of himself dressed as Abraham Lincoln.

Kaden drew scene with a house, people a tiger with the sun shining down.

The  second lesson the boys did required using watercolor paper and watercolor crayons and a brush and water. They were amazed that they could change the feel and texture of their artwork.

This is a picture of the earth with the moon rising and behind it the rest of the solar system.

This is a beach scene. Can you see the water with the surround beach?

What we thought: This is a fantastic art curriculum! The book is laid out very well and the lessons are fun and very easy to follow. The boys love using our new art supplies and getting to try different mediums.  I love being able to incorporate art appreciation with a project. The lessons are laid out that you can do one lesson per week and then continue to practice that particular lesson throughout the week if you choose.

I will say that buying the art supplies is a bit pricey. I spent close to $50 on our supplies. However having good art supplies is a must and you can definitely tell a huge difference between lesser quality art supplies and the better ones.  Justin commented on how much nicer the paint brush was than the ones we typically use.  A way around spending so much at once is to buy just a few items at a time and if you shop at one of the craft stores you can use a 40%-50% off coupon and watch the sales to help you out.  Also once you buy your supplies you will be set for a while.

I would highly recommend Artistic Pursuits.  This is a wonderful curriculum and a fun way to introduce art to your students.

Be sure to visit my crewmates to see what they are saying about Artistic Pursuits.

Disclosure: This product was provided to me free as a member of the The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew 2009-2010. All reviews and opinions expressed on this blog are my own