Product Review: Simply Draw

I recently joined the product review team for Timberdoodle, a homeschool supply house that we really like and have purchased from in the past. As part of that team we have been trying out a new drawing program as part of our homeschooling that we have really enjoyed. The program is called Simply Draw and is put together by Bob Parsons.

I will admit up front I am not a really artsy kind of guy. Writing is my creative outlet but I have never been any good at art or music, so I was a little concerned about the Simply Draw materials because a lot of this stuff is completely foreign to me. I have to say though that I liked it a lot for homeschooling even though I am not an artist myself.

The cons:

- I like the videos that come with the program but we couldn't play them on our TV and had to watch them on my computer. I have a huge 23" monitor so it wasn't terrible but it was a little awkawrd to cluster around the computer

- Also on the videos. They are not in chronological order on the DVD so figuring out which one to watch is a little challenging. It would be great if the video titles included the lesson numbers and the lesson titles.

The pros:

- Again the videos. While the lessons are mostly parent led, the videos give a brief demonstration that really helps to cement what the lesson taught plus it helps people like my wife and I who have little talent at drawing to see what it is supposed to look like.

- A focus on fundamentals. Rather than leaping into drawing, Bob starts off with basics like holding the pencils properly, paper positioning, even good posture. I will admit to having no experience with other art programs but the way Bob builds it from the ground up makes it very user friendly for parents. I think it can be intimidating for parents without art aptitude to try to teach their kids.

- Price. Simply draw is only $37.50 and that gets you a 200 page lesson book and a DVD that includes video lessons plus pdf files of the material to print up. For a family of eight kids like ours, that is a great price point.

The product has been very helpful already. My boys were a bit resistant at first but they are at least trying and I can see some improvement already. My girls, especially the two older ones, already draw a lot including using an electronic tablet so I think this will be great for them to make sure they get some of the basics established before trying anything more complicated. My 13 year old who draws a ton has found the program very challenging to her and as someone who draws a lot she is being asked to think about fundamentals before she starts a new drawing. The other one who really likes it is my six year old, she is younger than the recommended age but has jumped in to the program.

Art is one of those areas that is tough for homeschoolers because so few of us (at least the people I know) have an aptitude for it to the point of being able to teach it. Simply Draw is a great way to let an expert teach your kids the fundamentals of drawing and we have found that it is useful for a pretty wide variety of ages, aptitudes and interest levels.

One of the many, many advantages of homeschooling is that we are not constrained y the school year and the budget of a school district. While public schools are cutting art all around the country, homeschooling families have an opportunity for some great art education right at home and for a reasonable price. For more art supplies for homeschooling you can check out Timberdoodle's Art Supply selection here!

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Legal Disclosure:

As a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I received a free copy of Simply Draw in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.