Leonardo’s Art Workshop leads children on an interactive adventure through key art concepts by following the multidisciplinary approach of the Renaissance period polymath Leonardo da Vinci: experimenting, creating projects, and exploring how art intersects with science and nature. Photos of Leonardo’s own notebooks, paintings, and drawings provide visual inspiration.
More than 500 years ago, Leonardo knew that the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) are all connected. The insatiably curious Leonardo examined not just the outer appearance of his art subjects, but the science that explained them. He began his studies as a painter, but his curiosity, diligence, and genius made him also a master sculptor, architect, designer, scientist, engineer, and inventor. The Leonardo’s Workshop series shares this spirit of multidisciplinary inquiry with children through accessible, engaging explanations and hands-on learning.
Following Leonardo’s example, this fascinating book harnesses children’s innate curiosity to explore the foundational elements of art—color, shadow and light, lines and patterns, forms and structures, and optics and special effects—and the science behind them. After each concept is explained using science, history, and real-world examples, kids can experience the principles first-hand with step-by-step STEAM projects, including:
Create paints and dyes from food
Harness a rainbow with a prism
Build a camera obscura
Make your own sundial
Practice blind contour drawing
Create a one-point perspective drawing
Make an infinity scope
Insight from other great artists and scientists—such as Sir Isaac Newton, Sandro Botticelli, Paul Klee, and Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci—are woven into the lessons throughout.
Introduce vital STEAM skills through visually rich, hands-on learning with Leonardo’s Art Workshop.
Leonardo's Art Workshop is a companion book to Leonardo's Science Workshop (reviewed by me here). I've been touting STE(A)M education for decades. Most of the time, getting young people fired up over technology and art is as simple as exposing them to the concepts and getting out of their way. Released 20th Nov 2018 on Quarto's Quarry imprint, it's 144 pages and available in ebook and flexibind formats. Author Amy Leidtke is an educator and designer and brings that experience to bear creating and presenting numerous projects which illustrate the concepts detailed in each segment. The chapters cover visual light and color and there are some really cool projects (like a camera obscura to build and DIY). Details from Leonardo da Vinci's life and history are seamlessly woven into the book in sidebars. The photography and diagrams in the book are clear and the instructions are well written. The projects use relatively easily sourced and inexpensive materials.
This would make a superlative book for youth groups (scouts) or school STEAM module for middle grade students.
Wonderfully well made and interesting projects.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
