Using Shadows in Art

Paintings from great artists such as Claude Monet, James Whistler and Francisco de Goya come to life in this series for introducing young children to the techniques used in art. The vocabulary is simple and any new or unfamiliar words are contained in the short glossary at the end of each volume. The concepts are repeated with the various paintings, using a variety of examples from each. This repetition makes even difficult techniques manageable. In addition to a solid explanation of artistic techniques, this book recommends a few follow-up activities, which are designed to enhance the lessons. These activities use everyday items and are simple for even the youngest children to understand. Additional resources within each volume include a glossary, an index and suggestions for websites. A suggestion for search terms to find other websites is also included in this section. One other feature that is especially useful is a section devoted to more information about each painting included within the text. This section gives a short statement about each painting as well as some interesting facts about each artist. The volumes are light on textual information, so they would probably be most useful as an addition to other materials instead of an individual purchase.