Review of ArtAchieve Online Art Classes for Your Homeschool

I have a 12-year-old who lives and breathes art. He is forever sketching, drawing, painting, and sculpting. We have made it a priority for him to spend as much time learning about art as possible, and we were thrilled to have the chance to try the Entire Level III courses from ArtAchieve!


The courses don't assume that you have a lot of art technical knowledge, which is good. Since kids can have different backgrounds from learning, it's good to start with some basic techniques. My son's very first lesson introduced him to some great foundational skills. But it was also challenging. He really had to stretch and grow and be open to learning a better way to his art.

The teacher in the courses is very relatable. He is just an ordinary guy, with no commanding "teacher voice." He just seems to be speaking in a friendly way like he was right there in your living room, chatting with your kids while they work!



What will you need for these courses? Everything is laid out in advance of each lesson so that you know what you will need. For the first one we did, for example, at least 3 different types of media were required (markers, pastels, paint). For my son, who usually worked with one type at a time, this was especially exciting!


I really liked how each lesson was laid out. There were printables for you to use that helped the kids get a feel for the final product. There was adequate practice in the drawing portion, for example, by using the templates provided. I also very much appreciated that you could choose between streaming the video online, or using the slideshow feature. While watching the video is the best way to learn, in my opinion, printing out or referring to the slideshow helped when assembling materials, reviewing steps, and documenting what was done for later. I could also see the slideshow as a nice addition to the portfolio or records for each project, if you like to keep those.

Finally, there was always an exciting element of learning that went beyond art for each lessons. Animals was a focus for many of them, and the styles learned were varied and unique for my son. The first lesson rendered rounded frogs, flamingos were in another, and so on. Different art styles and subjects were unique to various parts of the world, giving my child exposure to other cultures as he worked.


These lessons are not just appropriate for kids, as I found them to be challenging enough for grownups who want to learn, too! Since the videos can be viewed again and again, it might be a good opportunity to learn and create alongside your child.

(Note: The lessons were so fun that I hadn't noticed my younger child "copying" his older brother's attempt at art. He had sat with a notebook and markers and mimicked what was being taught. It was adorable and it also told me that my other son was now ready for some lessons, too!


Since there are three levels of art available, I plan on starting him with the Level I courses very soon.)

You can get a bit of an idea of what the kids will learn at the website. I also encourage you to check them out on FacebookTwitterPinterestGoogle+Instagram

Comments