The Queen paints gifts for her godparents

Drawing Skills

I have shared my plans for artist and composer studies, but what about the studio arts? Over the past year I have used Atelier Art Level 4 and part of level 5 with my kids and their cousins. We have completed all of the lessons I have, and I do not want to move on with Atelier because I think Level 5 is too advanced for my youngest at this time. Instead, I want to shift our focus this year to drawing skills. Since we will be studying botany and have 9 state park field trips planned for nature studies, it seems like a good time to hone our sketching abilities. I found Hooked on Drawing over the summer, and purchased it for the crocodile hunter. It is a very easy to teach step by step set of lessons on drawing. I don't know how often we will use it, I am guessing it will be a weekly assignment scheduled in one of his workboxes. I have created a checklist for the first section of this book which is focused on line drawing, and I like the way each is broken into very manageable exercises. It requires very few supplies (most lessons need paper, pencil or pen, and maybe a few household objects) and seems the perfect art instruction to incorporate into his workboxes. Here is a link to my breakdown for the first section of the book.

Art Resource

I recently picked up The Annotated Mona Lisa in a local bookstore because it was clearance priced and it looked interesting. I have since had the time to really look it over, and I have to say it is an invaluable resource for integrating art into history studies. Full of images of art and architecture, it is arranged chronologically and will walk even the most art illiterate through the basics of understanding art and its place in history.