Review~ Simply Draw

I have been, or can be if you click on a link and make a purchase, compensated via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value for writing this post. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Anyone that spends time around the boys learns how much they enjoy doodling.  Flip Notes on the DSi is a favorite activity for P. Occasionally, he lets R try his hand on that program as well.  Yet, as much time as they spend drawing, there are still plenty of things they want to draw with the skill to do so lacking.
Excited is one word to describe how they acted when we were initially asked to review Simply Draw with Bob Parsons as part of the Timberdoodle Blogger Review program.  Any chance to lose themselves with joyful abandon in art is greeted with cheers.  This was no exception.

Simply Draw’s goal is just that ~ to help people learn how to do basic drawing.  Unlike some programs that talk about lines, shading and other techniques and then encourage the student to dive right in, this one methodically takes the student through the steps.

The entire book is printed on cardstock with pages for reading and pages for trying your hand on the techniques.  An enclosed DVD (for use ONLY on a computer) offers all the consumable pages in a pdf file so you can preserve the original copy and provide all the students in your household with their own copy of those pages.

Also on the DVD are video files that offer visual reinforcement of the techniques in action that totals near 3 hours instruction.

While we are far from finished with the program (after only a few weeks, I would be shocked to finish it completely), P is making progress and already attempting to merge his newly learned skills with free drawing.  His only complaint so far has been that our printer has printed some pages too lightly for him to see well.

There are plans for subsequent volumes of Simply Draw.  I suspect that P will be on the lookout for them as the cartoonish approach of the author sits well with him.   Knowing that the author is here in the Anchorage area might even have P asking to do instructor-led classes from him.

You can purchase Simply Draw from Timberdoodle for $37.50 plus shipping.  Also at Timberdoodle, you’ll find homeschool art supplies to go along with this and other curriculum.
Disclaimer ~ Our family was provided with a copy of the Simply Draw program in exchange for an honest review as part of the Timberdoodle Blogger program.  No other compensation was provided and all opinions are my own.