The following post is a collaboration between Heron Books and MommyMaestra. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Quick Overview
Program: Natasha's Sketchbook Series
Religious Perspective: Secular
Format: Book Series (Self-Paced)
Ages: Recommended for 15 and up (see description below)
Price: $29.95 per book/ $195 per set (or less with 40% discount shown below)
Art Curriculum for Teens
It was a delight to review a book from the Natasha’s Sketchbook series by Natasha Gray. The book titled, Line, published by Heron Books is the first in a full course devoted to helping the student master, “the essential elements of art: line, shape, value, color, texture & form.”
My teens are creative types who have enjoyed other simple art courses such as Bruce McIntyre’s Drawing Textbook with little supervision from me. And I am happy to say that any busy homeschooling mom like myself, will be pleased that the books from the Natasha’s Sketchbook course are formatted with a simplicity that will make them easy to incorporate into your homeschool but offer a unique approach to artistry worth exploring. After reading through the book myself, I handed it off to my teens and said, “Go for it!”
Can I get a "Yay!" for independent learning?
Home Art Instruction
Let me start off by applauding whoever decided to make the books in this course spiral-bound. A million times thank you! Homeschool mamas know that workbooks and art books have to lay flat to be useful! It is a small detail but my teens and I appreciate the thoughtfulness.
Secondly, the lessons are E-A-S-Y to follow. My two teens had no issues following the directions and the examples in the book are helpful. There is some discussion in the book about art appreciation, with a brief introduction to art, focus on artists Albercht Durer and Vincent van Gogh, and artwork sprinkled throughout. The information presented is concise and interesting. One book would not be enough for an entire high school credit, but I do think that the entire course of all the books plus the time practicing would be enough for a fine arts credit, in my humble opinion.
My Teens' Testimonials
But why take my word for it? Here is what my teens have to say…
Son, age 15.
“First off, I thought it was very informative with instructions on hand movements and gestures. I think this book has improved my drawing and sketching quite a bit. Even my scribbles look better and not as if a 2-year-old did them. My favorite exercise from the book is the one-line scribble.”
Daughter, 13.
“The book was easy and my favorite exercise was drawing the squiggly worms.”
I can attest to this because she has been drawing the “squiggly worms” since then and even showed me how to do them. LOL!
Bottom line: It held my teens’ attention and how many programs can say that? It’s an easy way to add in a little art without more work for mama. I recommend this series for middle school and up.
A Discount for MommyMaestra Readers
If YOU'D like to try out this excellent series and order the book Natasha's Sketchbook: Line, use the code MommyMaestra40 for a 40% discount!
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