The Master and His Apprentices and Studio Art are designed for parents to easily and effectively teach high school-level art history and studio art classes at home.

(Please scroll further down for info on the Studio Art course.)

Homeschool ART HISTORY Curriculum

The Master and His Apprentices is a FULL CREDIT elective written from a Christian perspective. Even with 600+ images, there is NO nudity.

This homeschool art history class systematically highlights art from the first day of Creation. Yes, it features GOD as the first and preeminent artist. Moreover, it covers all of the major artists and periods found in a college-level course. Nevertheless, it contains a reader-friendly layout that makes the information accessible and memorable.

Homeschool Art History Curriculum from a Christian Perspective. Available in both hardcover and digital editions.

The Master and His Apprentices helps students to SEE HISTORY! As a result, they discover (and remember) fascinating connections between art, history, the Bible, and other classes like never before!


The textbook begins with Creation and God as THE Master Artist before delving into the following periods:

  • Ancient Cultures: Ancient Near East, Egyptian, and Aegean
  • Classical Antiquity: Early Greek, Etruscan, and Roman
  • Middle Ages: Medieval & Islamic, Early Christian & Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic
  • Renaissance: Proto-Renaissance, Early and High Italian Renaissance, and Northern Renaissance
  • Baroque and Beyond: Baroque, Rococo to Today (modern art summary) and Global Highlights (non-Western art summary)
Example of a 2-page spread in the hardcover art history textbook for homeschoolers.

This homeschool art history curriculum is designed for self-study or teacher-led co-op classes. For the full-credit course with assignments and exams, a Textbook may be combined with a Teacher Guide.


The companion Teacher Guide provides everything needed to facilitate and assess a student’s progress, including:

  • Weekly Worksheets (self-study) / Discussion Questions (class settings)
  • (4) Exams
  • Instructions for (4) Papers
  • Grading Chart
  • Answer Key for Exams and Worksheets (including discussion questions)
  • A syllabus and More!
Image of The Master and His Apprentices Teacher Guide showing additional architectural layouts.

NO previous art experience is required. The Teacher Guide contains instructions for all aspects of the course in an easy-to-follow, week-by-week layout. Many parents and co-op teachers love reading the textbook along with students. However, this isn’t required, as answers are provided for the weekly worksheets (self-learning) or discussion questions (group classes) and exams. Simply grade worksheets (or monitor class discussions), papers, and exams in this turnkey homeschool art history curriculum!


The Master and His Apprentices contains over 600 images, so there is literally something to catch everyone’s eye. Even students who don’t generally care for art often find art history fun and informative.  Plus, art history courses look great on a high school transcript!


AND … this is a Budget-Friendly Homeschool Art History Curriculum

The Master and His Apprentices Christian homeschool art history digital curriculum shown on an iPad.

The Master and His Apprentices is designed with limited homeschool and co-op budgets in mind. For instance, the digital textbook is only $34.99 for the full-credit course!

Moreover, “Print Rights” are available for the Teacher Guide for only $2/student. This way, you can legally print worksheets and exams for your entire family or classroom (please click here for more information).

Moreover, bulk discounts are available for co-ops and other group classes. Please message us for details on placing a group order. Quantity purchases of 10+ copies receive an additional 20% off (and you can mix and match digital and hardcover editions).

All around, The Master and His Apprentices is the premier homeschool art history curriculum of choice based on content, ease of use, and affordability.

Ready to begin discovering art history from a Christian perspective?

Art History Textbook

The Master and His Apprentices Hardcover Textbook
Hardcover
Retail: $149.99
The Master and His Apprentices Digital Textbook
Digital
Retail: $34.99

Art History Teacher Guide

Homeschool Art History Curriculum Teacher Guide
Softcover
Retail: $24.99
Homeschool Digital Teacher Guide
Digital
Retail: $19.99

Homeschool STUDIO ART Curriculum

NOT a paint-by-number homeschool art course

10 Foundational Art Principles

The foundational principles first provide students with the understanding and skills needed to create any great work of art. These include Drawing What You See, Value, Lighting, Texture, Composition, Perspective, Proportions & Grids, Transferring, Color, and Sculpture. Each is presented with well-illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions. Nevertheless, “college-level” concepts like linear perspective, compositional techniques, and color theory are thoroughly covered.

30 Art Projects

The projects then further introduce students to a wide variety of mediums, styles, and approaches. Each is placed in its historical context so students learn from the Masters while simultaneously developing their own unique pieces. Examples of a few projects include drawing a Celtic High Cross inspired by Celtic knot patterns going back to the Medieval period, carving a body part, like an eye or an ear, based on Michelangelo’s Renaissance sculptures, painting a salvaged vase or plastic container with a sea-inspired theme after ancient Aegean pottery or arranging and photographing a re-created work of modern or contemporary art.

Designed for Multiple Skill Levels

Whether a student has no art background or is already an accomplished artist, there is lots to learn and experiment with. The wide range of styles, mediums, and subject matter provide something to catch everyone’s interest, whether that is landscape painting, architectural drawing, still life sculpting, nature photography, portrait sketching, or less-frequently covered areas like mosaics, printmaking, digital art, comic creations, Asian-inspired calligraphy, and (faux) stained glass.

Studio Art: Inspired by Art History for homeschool students.
Examples of some art projects.
Examples of some projects based on Medieval Celtic High Crosses, Ancient Egyptian Wall Paintings, High Italian Renaissance Carvings, Pop Art Comic Panels, Early Greek Columns, and Ancient Near East Cylinder Seals.
Several more art project examples.

Extremely Flexible

Plus, this course has LOTS of FLEXIBILITY. Most projects can be customized based on a student’s personal skills and interests. This includes choice of medium, style, subject matter, and/or creative approach. Instructions and pointers are provided for parents to encourage the creative process, critique work, and grade projects.

Students can earn .25 to 1.0 high school elective credit. While geared towards high schoolers, the course can also be used with younger students. We recommend 12+ for primarily self-guided study. However, younger students can complete the foundational principles and create their own projects when parents or older siblings are available to assist with the instructions and provide pointers.

See just how flexible this homeschool art curriculum really is…

While all students must first complete the 10 Foundational Principles, they can then complete any number of Projects in any order they like.  For instance, a homeschool mom or co-op can grant credit to students who each finish the Foundational Principles and then focus on the following Projects they are most interested in…

  • Sarah completes the “loose,” “artsy” projects like the Leonardo-inspired Renaissance Portrait Sketches, the Lorrain-inspired Baroque Landscape Paintings, and the Asian-inspired Calligraphy.
  • David selects the “precise,” “math-minded” projects like the Islamic Geometric Panels, the Celtic Knot-inspired High Crosses, and the Romanesque and Gothic Architectural Drawings.
  • Cora focuses on the “historical,” “period-specific” projects like the Ancient Near Eastern Cylinder Seals, the Early Greek Pottery Fragments, and the Gothic-inspired Faux Stained Glass.
  • Nathaniel chooses the “literary,” “story-telling” projects like the Ancient Egyptian Wall Scenes, the Limbourg Brothers Manuscript Pages, and the Pop Art-inspired Comic Panels.

 

Moreover…

Of course, students can complete all of the projects too! A “Time Log” is available for tracking hours worked, with 120+ hours equaling a full elective credit.

Even if a family sets out to earn 1/4 to 1/2 credit, they may find they keep returning for more fun projects and end up completing the whole course. 🙂 

This book is literally packed full of flexible, easy-to-follow projects that encourage students to relax and have fun as they research new styles and boldly experiment to refine their artistic skills and enhance their creative approaches.

Three more art project examples.
Examples of some projects based on Early Greek Pottery, Renaissance Portrait Sketches, and Aegean Sea-Inspired Vases.

Plus, this homeschool art course is easy to facilitate…

Moms — even without prior art experience, you can oversee this art course! Your main job is to encourage your child in their artistic experiments and to grade projects (more straightforward than you think; instructions provided.) For teachers in a co-op setting, you can have everyone work on the same art project simultaneously, but you don’t have to follow this approach. When students each have their own copy of Studio Art, they can read and reference the foundational principles, as needed, and pick and choose projects based on personal interests and skill levels. This leaves time for teachers to provide encouraging feedback, moderate critiques (optional; instructions provided), and grade completed projects (instructions are provided right in the book so students and teachers/parents are clear on expectations).

And, this homeschool art course is affordable…

The digital course is only $29.99 for the FULL Credit – for your whole family! Plus, the author worked hard to design projects that can be created on a budget! Over half of the projects can be completed with just a “Drawing Kit,” assembled from items you probably already own! Most others have inexpensive or even free options, like using a bar of soap, a cell phone (for photography), or Canva’s free online drag-and-drop visual art program. This literally makes it the most flexible, full-credit, budget-friendly, multi-level high-school art course for homeschoolers available!

Moreover, bulk discounts are available for co-ops and other group classes. Please message us for details on placing a group order. Quantity purchases of 10+ copies receive 20% off homeschool Studio Art books.

Overall, Studio Art: Inspired by Art History is an excellent way to help cultivate deep-rooted creativity in the next generation!

Ready to begin creating some great works of art?

Studio Art Curriculum

Studio Art includes 10 Foundational Art Principles and 30 Art Projects for a wealth of artistic exploration!

Softcover edition of Studio Art: Inspired by Art History
Paperback
Retail: $49.99
Digital edition of Studio Art: Inspired by Art History
Digital
Retail: $29.99

Interested in Combining Art History and Studio Art?

Working through both courses provides a deeper appreciation for art history, and the hands-on studio art projects further cement information AND develop creativity and technical skills. As such, we sincerely hope homeschool families will extensively utilize both art curricula. The Studio Art book contains instructions for using the two curricula together, and page numbers indicate where the textbook can be used to enhance the studio art projects.

Physical books ship FREE via Media Mail to all 50 US States, or you can choose Priority Mail for a flat $8. International buyers may purchase physical books through Christianbook.com or RainbowResource.com, as we cannot process international shipping at this time. Nevertheless, digital products are available for everyone worldwide!

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