As part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I received ARTistic Pursuits Inc. High School Book One The Elements of Art and Composition homeschool art curriculum to review.
High School Book One The Elements of Art and Composition, $47, is for ages 14 and up. This course is designed to be a full year course earning the student 1 credit. There are instructions in the back of the book for using it as a one semester course, earning 1/2 credit. The book is not consumable, so you can use it for more than one student.
Topics covered in High School Book One The Elements of Art and Composition include space, line, texture, shape form, value, contrast & unity, composition, balance, rhythm, atmospheric perspective, proportion – of the face & figure, clothing the figure, and more.
The art supplies needed for High School Book One are easy to obtain.
Art supplies for the first semester are:
drawing pencil set – 2H – 4B
vinyl eraser
metal handheld sharpener
drawing pad
Art supplies for the second semester are:
vine charcoal sticks
jumbo nice charcoal stick
compressed charcoal
charcoal paper pad
paper blending stump
kneaded eraser
natural chamois leather, 4×4 inches
Additional supplies that you may already have on hand: drawing board, hairspray, cotton ball or cloth, ruler, x-acto knife or other cutting tool, 12″x 12″ cardboard box.
You can view the full Table of Contents, as well as sample pages from the book, on the website linked above. This video shows all of the ARTistic Pursuits curriculum available, including this high school book.
ARTistic Pursuits High School Homeschool Art Review
My 15 year old, 9th grade son, Zach, used this homeschool art curriculum. He hasn’t done any drawing since being a teenager. He didn’t think he had any interest in drawing. Since starting this course, he has discovered that he likes drawing.
Zach’s been using it for a few weeks now, a couple of lessons a week. He has been doing well with this course. He looks forward to it. He usually reaches for it first, before everything else. Zach said that some of the lessons have been easy, while others have been harder. He also said that he can draw better now than he could before starting this course. I can see that he is improving, and I like that he feels he is, too.
I like the way ARTistic Pursuits includes art appreciation in the lessons. As the student learns a technique, they also learn to see how that same element was used by some of the greatest artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Durer, Raphael, Tintoretto, and more. The students learn a technique, pick something from their own surroundings to draw, and learn how to apply what they have learned to their own drawings.
As a non-artistic parent, who can barely draw a straight line, I love that the course is designed for the student to work independently.
He wouldn’t let me share all of his drawings. He said they were personal. I did get permission to share these three.
I wish I had found this homeschool art curriculum earlier, so my older kids could have used it. ARTistic Pursuits Inc. High School Book One The Elements of Art and Composition is a great addition to our homeschool.
The Schoolhouse Review Crew reviewed other ARTistic Pursuits homeschool art curriculum as well. Click the graphic below to check out more reviews.
