Here are 150 activities that teach the styles, works, and techniques of the great masters - Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and more. To imitate Michelangelo’s Sistene Chapel, the young artist paints while reclined on his back with paper taped to the bottom of a table. To experience Van Gogh’s style, children mix paints into a thick substance called “impasto” and then paint with heavy, swirling brush strokes. Each activity contains a brief history of the artist, a project, and an example of that artist’s work.

Customer Review

 
Amy G. from TN wrote the following on 03/08/2007:
Discovering Great Artists is a treasure chest full of resources featuring more than seventy artists that has really made studying art a joy for everyone in our home! We have learned about many great masters of art who are well known and some who are not so well known. We have studied about different art techniques, including painting, sculpting, printing, cutting, drawing, and making collages. We have learned to make our own art supplies in ways similar to those early artists who paved the way for other great artists. For example, during a study on the Italian artist Giotto, we made our own paints from chalk dust and eggs, and the result was a lot nicer than we expected! My children and I have been using this book for two years and we keep getting new ideas and inspiration for our own artistic endeavors. It is very easy to use and is presented chronologically. The book begins with the artists of long ago (Renaissance and Post Renaissance), then goes on to Impressionists and Post Impressionists, followed by Expressionists, Abstract, Abstract-Expressionists, Cubists, Dadaists, and Surrealists, and finally Pop, Op, Folk, Modern, Cartoonists, Photojournalists, and Children’s Book Illustrators. This book even includes a chapter on games and activities that you can make and use with your students to learn about artists and famous works of art. There are matching games, ideas for making your own coloring book, puzzles, scrapbooking and notebook ideas, timeline and mapping activities, and even a section about making your own “Great Art Cookies.” The final chapter of the book is a resource guide including a glossary for great art words, materials guide, information about great art styles and techniques and the artists associated with them. Each lesson includes dates, pronunciation of the artist’s name, a short biography of the artist, and an activity in which the students complete their own works of art in the style of that particular artist. The lesson lists materials you will need, directions for completing the project, and sometimes variations for further exploration of the subject. There are also pictures at the top of each lesson which indicate experience level recommended and level of prep time and effort involved. My 7-year-old has learned about many artists, including Michelangelo, Degas, Van Gogh, and Monet. When studying Picasso and Cubism, she and her best friend drew a portrait of one another, then they cut up the portraits and arranged them on a new page, putting them back together in creative ways that Picasso might have appreciated. When studying Michelangelo, she painted lying down on her back onto a piece of butcher paper that was taped to the underside of a table top. This was a great learning experience—after only ten minutes of painting, the paintbrush began to feel so heavy. It really helped her to appreciate Michelangelo, who took four years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, lying on his back. This book is great for a person of any age who is interested in learning more about art. The lessons can easily be modified to meet the needs of different ages and abilities. It works well for all learning styles, especially those who like to do hands-on projects! Discovering Great Artists is a great value for the money and belongs on every art shelf