Artistic Pursuits Inc.

Our Books with Video Series uses both physical books and video available through DVDs or streaming. Simply choose a book at the child's age level. Schedule one lesson per week for young students, or one to two lessons per week for older students. Go through the book sequentially as concepts within a book build on previous concepts. In Kindergarten-3rd grade, it is suggested for a parent or caregiver to sit with the child, read the lesson and discussion questions, and help choose a subject to focus on to promote an interactive learning experience. Allow the child to create their work of art independently or join in the fun by making your own work of art. 4th to 12th graders can work independently because video and text lessons are directed to the student. Families with more than one student can work together in one book, providing students are within the age levels suggested.

Parents or caregivers do not need experience in art or ability to draw to give their children a great art education at home. Your involvement: We encourage parents to read a short 10 minute lesson to their children when using K-3rd grade materials. Parents of 4th-6th graders can do the same or the child can work independently, depending on their reading ability. At Middle School and High School levels the child usually prefers to work independently, with the video instruction as teacher and further assignments in the text. Videos are pre-recorded. Students of all ages work independently while they make art.

Parents or caregivers can support their older students by (1.) creating a schedule and making sure it is followed (2.) reading the short lesson and especially the assignment, which is clearly marked, to make sure their child is on track (3.) looking at the finished work asking the child how they fulfilled the assignment, which helps a child realize that each assignment has a specific purpose, which should be apparent in their artwork. Example: I used "texture" in these grass marks or I used 3 different "values" here, here, and here. Objectives at the back of the book will tell you the main objectives for each artwork. Using the Objectives page with the child is more important in regards to educating older children.

No prerequisites are needed to use the K-3rd grade books. For upper-elementary, middle school, and high school art, a child should be at a comfortable reading level in order to work independently through the lesson.

Yes, the self-guided instruction and choices of subject matter and how they put their ideas on paper make Artistic Pursuits an excellent choice for the ADHD learning profile.

Yes, Artistic Pursuits open-ended assignments are a good fit for children with an autism learning profile. Children with Autism see the world in ways that are unique to them. Artistic Pursuits is not asking them to create or copy the adult model. Instead it offers solid information on the visual arts and suggests opportunities for looking at the subjects the child is most interested in and encourages them to make art in the way they choose.

Yes, Artistic Pursuits is a good fit for the child experiencing dyslexia, providing they have support in reading the lesson. Our text and video instruction is written to the student. When a parent or caregiver reads the lessons and assignments to the child, the child with dyslexia can make art independently.

There may be several issues when using Artistic Pursuits with children with sensory overload. Parents should be aware that our videos have background music. Please view one of our many video lessons available on our site to see if this may be a concern. Another concern is using the many varied art materials, especially the sculpture materials, as some children do not like the feel of getting their hands wet or working with clay or pastels which might get on fingers. We suggest using books that use only pencils and paintbrushes.

Yes, Artistic Pursuits challenges students to use creativity to solve assignments showing personal expression and developing a personal style, while broadening their understanding of how the elements of art and composition are used in the art world. We have many testimonies of students using just the Artistic Pursuits program going into top level art colleges and courses with ease. Art teaches children to accept challenges, try new materials and techniques, and persevere until they achieve the results they want.

Yes, the self-guided instruction and choices of subject matter and how they put their ideas on paper make Artistic Pursuits an excellent choice for the ADHD learning profile.

Yes, Artistic Pursuits open-ended assignments are a good fit for children with an autism learning profile. Children with Autism see the world in ways that are unique to them. Artistic Pursuits is not asking them to create or copy the adult model. Instead it offers solid information on the visual arts and suggests opportunities for looking at the subjects the child is most interested in and encourages them to make art in the way they choose.

Yes, Artistic Pursuits is a good fit for the child experiencing dyslexia, providing they have support in reading the lesson. Our text and video instruction is written to the student. When a parent or caregiver reads the lessons and assignments to the child, the child with dyslexia can make art independently.

Yes, Artistic Pursuits is a good fit for the child with Dysgraphia experiencing difficulty in forming small letters by using the fingertips, usually does not have trouble making art on a 9 inch by 12 inch piece of paper because the movements are larger. Drawing largely involves the wrist and shoulder to guide the markmaking process. The size of paper can be increased if necessary.

For art class sizes should be no more than 20:1

Exchange and Return Policy

Artistic Pursuits Inc. will exchange or accept return of all physical product purchased directly from Artistic Pursuits Inc. (API) via email or phone request within 30 days of the date of purchase. The API exchange and return policy does NOT apply to products purchased from a third party retailer; you must contact that retailer directly and any exchange or return is governed by the retailer's policies and terms.

To initiate a product return or exchange, please contact alltheanswers@artisticpursuits.com and request the return. Upon approval, ship the package.

Online course(s) or access may not be returned or exchanged for another course after 10 days.

Refunds will be issued to the person who made the original purchase and the same account and method of payment as the original payment.

Shipping costs will not be refunded. You are responsible for any and all shipping costs; API does not provide pre-paid shipping labels for exchanges or returns.

API is not responsible for return packages not received or products damaged during return shipment. In order to prevent lost packages, we strongly recommend that you choose a delivery service with insurance and or tracking and delivery confirmation.

Please allow two weeks for your exchange or return to be processed once it is received.

Children who struggle with the concept of drawing from observation of real objects that they see in their world, and have relied on line-by-line copy-the-adult model instruction, may find that this resource does not offer enough steps to follow.

Our most recent updates are the two color theory books for middle school and high school, added in 2023. We added a course on acrylic painting, which many homeschoolers had asked for in Painting with Acrylics, Intermediate Level, Core 4. Video instruction on advanced watercolor techniques is found in Painting with Watercolors, Advanced Level, Core 6. Find them in our Books with Video Series.

When people say they purchased our product, but haven't used it yet, it comes down to two reasons. Either they never purchased art materials to use with the book, or they never put art class into their school schedule. Buy the art supplies, conveniently listed at the front of the book or buy one of our art supply packs for each child. Then simply decide what day you want to teach art. It could be at the end of any day or on a Friday, to break from the regular subject schedule. It only takes one class per week, usually one hour per week, so put art into your school schedule and be consistent so that your child can see their improvement and growth and make some beautiful art.

Art made with Artistic Pursuits becomes a record of your child's interests, experiences, and ideas. These will change throughout childhood. We encourage you to offer art to your child each year to capture the beauty of who they are, what they obsess over, and get some great family portraits at every age and stage!