Review: ArtAchieve Level 2 - Renaissance Mama

As you might know if you’ve read my blog for very long, I am not an artsy kind of gal – biology, genetics, and chemistry is much more my cup of tea! My kids love to do art, and I know I need outside help. lol. We reviewed ArtAchieve‘s Level 1 program last year, so when we were offered the opportunity to review their Entire Level 2, I went for it. I had a great idea of the quality to expect, and we were not disappointed. It’s generally recommended for ages 7 and up. My Sweetheart is 7 (drawing on the right in the top graphic) and Super D is 9 (drawing on the left). I love how hers became a unicorn (that’s not in the instructions lol)

I wanted a program that didn’t require a lot of supplies. Pen, paper, pencils, maybe some watercolors, and that was about it. I’m not ready to dive into something more in depth than that, and my kids aren’t either! We need basics! I also wanted a program that didn’t require much from me! (This is a theme in my homeschooling, have you noticed? 🙂 I’m a work-at-home, homeschooling mom, and when “extras” can happen without me, that’s a win!!)

This program accomplished both of those goals for me, and we all love it!! I also really like that I can jump in and do a lesson with the kids, no problem. It’s a fun outlet for me!

Level 2 includes 14 lessons, all on video. Each lesson took us about 45 minutes to complete, from start to finish. I’ve been eyeing the horse lesson since we tried out Level 1, so I was super excited that was Lesson 1!

The kids, especially Sweetheart, LOVE to draw horses. Since horses are particularly challenging to draw/paint, I like that they chose an easier version for them. Because it’s a Swedish horse, they also gained a little cultural exposure through this lesson. 🙂

Other lessons in Level II include the Japanese Goldfish, the Elephant from Ghana, the Ukrainian cat, the Korean wedding duck, and 11 more!

To begin each lesson, we gather supplies and print out a warmup drawing page, as well as a picture of what our completed image will look like. Then he leads us through a quick relaxing breathing exercise. I was impressed, it really does relax you! 🙂

The warm-up asks the kids to draw parts of the piece they will then do as a whole in the lesson. It’s a great way to introduce them to the lines and curves they’ll be making, broken down into easy steps.

The art lesson itself is explained really well, and is simple enough for the kids to follow! The instructions are clear and the zoom is close on the video so the kids can easily see what is happening. It’s helpful that the video can be paused and reversed. SweetHeart needed a little extra time occasionally.

One of the things I love about ArtAchieve is how encouraging the instructor is. He emphasizes that art isn’t going to be perfect, and that everyone draws things they don’t like sometimes. His admonitions were REALLY helpful for my kids who can be too hard on themselves!

We LOVE these art lessons and highly recommend this program! It’s been a fun hot-summer-day activity for us, and I’m sure we’ll continue to use it during the school year, just for fun.

ArtAchieve has several sample lessons that you can download and try for free. You can connect with ArtAchieve on social media via:

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Artachieve @ArtAchieve
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnahofland @johnahofland
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArtAchieve @ArtAchieve
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/artachieve artachieve
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+JohnHoflandartachieve ArtAchieve

Hashtags: #hsreviews #artachieve, #artlessonsforkids, #homeschool #artclassesforkids, #drawinglessonsforkids