ARTistic Pursuits Elements of Composition Grades 4-6

One thing my girls ask to do every day during school is art. They love to draw, create, and craft just about anything. I had heard some very good things about ARTistic Pursuits so when the Crew had the opportunity to review their art curriculum I knew we wanted to try it.

We received ARTistic Pursuits for grade 4-6 Book One The Elements of Art and Composition. This 88 page book by Brenda Ellis is $42.95 and is divided into 16 Units.

1. Space
2. Line and Shape
3. Texture
4. Value
5. Form
6. Form using Value
7. Local Value
8. Contrast
9. The Shapes of Natural Forms
10. Edges
11. Balance
12. Rhythm
13. Overlap
14. Depth
15. Proportion, the Face
16. Movement

This curriculum can last a year by doing 2 one hour classes a week. Each unit contains 4 sections Building a Visual Vocabulary, American Art Appreciation and History, Techniques, and Application. This book wants the student to observe the things around them & to focus on one element of art at a time.

We love this book, I used this curriculum with all three of my girls ages 6, 9, and 10. We spent more time on art during this review than suggested so that we could get farther into the book. This book is non-consumable and there is an art supply list in the front of the book. I read the lesson to them and then they spent time drawing. My 6 year old daughter's pictures didn't turn out as nice as her sisters but she didn't have any trouble following the directions or getting the concept that was taught and I will have her repeat the book in a few years. The girls loved looking around the house or outside to find the objects suggested in the lesson. It is so nice to have Art Appreciation included in the book. Brenda Ellis does a great job explaining the concept we just learned in paintings or drawings by other artists. She also includes information about each artist. This book is written so the child can read and complete the lessons on their own and my older girls will probably finish the book this way.

The book also includes work done by former students. I really like this because it gives my children the opportunity to see how other kids draw instead of always seeing artwork from a professional. If you give your children number or letter grades there is an Evaluation Sheet in the back of the book to help.

I decorate birthday and wedding cakes from my home and I pipe or draw pictures on a lot of my cakes I do this by using a sharpened wooden dowel or an icing bag. I use the very same concepts taught in this book with my icing and I have picked up some great pointers from this book to make my decorating even better. It also showed my girls that the elements of art can be used with any medium.

Sample Pages

As you can tell from the sample pages the student is taught the proper way to draw, how to sit, hold the pencil, and erase. Paying attention to details are very important.

ARTistic Pursuits was created by Brenda Ellis and they offer curriculum and art packs for preschool through 12th grade. Brenda has a very unique way of homeschooling her children.

The TOS Crew members reviewed different books from ARTistic Pursuits to give you a glimpse of a wide range of their products. Sail over to the Crew Blog to read the other members thought about ARTistic Pursuits.

As a member of the TOS Crew I received Grade 4-6 Book One The Elements of Art and Compostition free of charge from ARTistic Pursuits to use in our homeschool in exchange for my review.