ARTistic Pursuits Review

Art is sometimes one of those subjects that gets pushed to the back burner.  I have to make a real effort to include it into our weekly schedule.  ARTistic Pursuits makes that so much easier with their art curriculum! 

Their art program not only teaches children how to draw, paint, and sculpt, but it includes art history and appreciation into it's lessons.  We received ARTistic Pursuits, Elementary 4-5 Book 2 to review. 

Elementary 4-5 Book 2 is for ages 9 and up and is perfect for fourth and fifth graders.  Each book in the series follows a similar format.  For instance, each unit in our book includes:

Lesson 1: Vocab and Creative Exercise
Lesson 2: Art Appreciation & History
Lesson 3: Techniques
Lesson 4: Application

Book 1 in the Elementary series focuses on the Elements of Art and Composition whereas Book 2's focus is Color and Composition.  

Before the lessons begin, there are a couple of pages that go into detail about the color wheel, variations of color, and definitions.  I thought these were very helpful.

Each lesson then starts with the vocabulary and creative exercise.  I think Funny Bunny enjoyed the creative exercises the most.  In Lesson 1 of Unit 3, she was asked to choose a description of a dramatic or interesting scene from a book she is reading.  She was finishing up The Black Stallion and below was her picture.

There is a small list of supplies required, and one of the items we didn't have, so we purchased our first watercolor pencil set.  Lesson 3 of Unit 1 gives detail on how to use watercolor pencils and both Funny Bunny and I were eager to try them out!!  They were a little tricky at first but after a couple paintings, she got the hang of it...and now I think she prefers them over watercolor paints.  Below is a sample of her first watercolor pencil painting of a cupcake.

After some more practicing she was able to blend a little better.  Below you can see her Hobbit Hole.

I also took a stab at it, and if you ignore the shape of my fruit, you can see I was practicing hard and soft edges.  She is really not wanting to press hard with the pencil so it is something she will continue to work on.

ARTistic Pursuits is available for preschool through high school. 

* Preschool:  Art assignments designed for preschool exploration

* Grades K-3:  Children are introduced to the visual arts and view art through history

* Grades 4-6, 7-8, 9-12:  Students learn technical skills while creating original works of art. Book One at each level provides an overview of drawing, covering the elements of art and composition. Book Two at each level provides an overview of color theory and composition.

Thoughts of a 9-Year Old:  I like ARTistic Pursuits and enjoy it because it didn't tell me how to paint.  This may sound strange, but it teaches you what you need to know, shows you an example, and then you do it.  No step-by-step instructions, and I like that because I don't like being told how to paint and how not to.  Anyway, I like it a lot better than some other art programs we've tried.  Overall, this is a really great thing! 

Find Out More:  You can find out more about ARTistic Pursuits online.  There are ten books in all and each level sells for $47.95.  Here you can see a few samples.  You can also purchase Art Supply Packs to go along with the books.

Artistic Pursuits can also be used in the classroom.  You can find more information, as well as a Scope and Sequence, here.

My Crewmates are also reviewing ARTistic Pursuits, so you can check out what they think HERE.

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