JumpStart Artist

by Vivendi Universal

Product Features

• Jump Start Artist gives your child the tools to discover and explore the world of art.
• Kids create their own masterpieces using many exclusive design tools.
• By playing games, your child will discover famous artists, artworks, and art styles while learning the basic principles of art, including lines and shapes, primary and secondary colors, textures and patterns, symmetry, value, and other important art concepts.
• JumpStart Artist introduces children to the magical world of drawing, painting, puppets, collage, and more.
• With countless ways for children to express themselves artistically, they'll have all the fun they can imagine!

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00001XDUD
• Item model number: 4325
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 24, 1999
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,567 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #15 in Software > Children's Software > Art & Creativity
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Really good children's software is fun to play with, encourages exploration of the program, is forgiving, and teaches something. JumpStart Artist is all of those things, and more. As one might expect from JumpStart (a quality series if ever there was one), JumpStart Artist helps children become comfortable with their own creative skills, while at the same time teaching a little bit about art history and artistic styles.

The CD-ROM revolves around a handful of activities, ranging from freeform painting to virtual puppet making to a matchmaking game that introduces historical pieces of classic art. At any point in the game, the animation is lively and helpful, and accompanied by a friendly soundtrack. Don't think that this isn't enough to do--there is plenty of material here for any little artist to explore.

Our favorite feature of the program is the variety of artwork presented in the matchmaking game. Broken down into five categories, there are examples ranging from Seurat's Sunday in the Park to Tanner's The Banjo Lesson, and even Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Can. The purpose here is teach kids that art comes in a variety of styles, and that not all art looks like Mona Lisa. Not only is each piece pictured, but there is a series of buttons on the side that describes the style of painting, how it was done, and other interesting details. Also, the name of each painting and the artist is pronounced audibly by the narrator, teaching children the proper pronunciation of such names as Matisse and Seurat.

This is a fun and educational CD-ROM, with plenty of depth to keep the blossoming artist involved and interested. --Mike Caputo

Product Description

JumpStart Artist introduces children to the magical world of drawing, painting, puppets, collage, and more. With countless ways for children to express themselves artistically, they'll have all the fun they can imagine!

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Tool!, September 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: JumpStart Artist (CD-ROM)

I've been teaching computer to first through third graders and have tried every art program out there. This program is the answer to a three year search! It is the perfect tool for teaching young children art in a fun, relaxed, interesting and exciting way. It can be played through for fun, or easily broken down into assignments and lessons. The famous art included is excellent, broad in scope, and well described and presented. The tools are easy to use, and the printouts are great. No need to have to switch to different screen settings to use it either (thanks so much kid pixs--didn't tell us that one on the box didja). The program even includes ready made lessons in the idea starter section that teach principles like positive and negative space, texture, pattern, color mixing etc. It is a truly awesome program from my point of view, and the kids love it to!

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great program my five year old is addicted., August 9, 2001

By 

Karen L. Junkin (Lexington Park, Md United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JumpStart Artist (CD-ROM)

This is probably the best begginers art program I have ever seen. My daughter who is five plays this game constantly.It is not only fun but very educational. My daughter saw a reprint of a famous picture the other day and said "daddy thats Mona Lisa by Divincci" I was amazed. You can make movies, pictures with paint, stamps,crop,build objects, and tons of other activities. Watch out Photo-Shop six my five year old is comming.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal for homeschooling, January 3, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JumpStart Artist (CD-ROM)

Featuring art curriculum based on the National Standards for Arts Education, JumpStart Artist introduces students in kindergarten through third grade to the elements and principles of art, art history, the cultural significance of art, art production and display. Featuring drawing, painting, quilting, puppets, and collage activities, students are drawn into the diverse world of art as they develop understandings of basic art concepts using a collection of more than one hundred famous artworks, folk art, and cultural crafts drawn from around the world. There are fun activities introducing students to such fundamental concepts as line, shape, form, texture, value, space, color, symmetry, pattern, focal point, contrast, mood, symbols, and style. A True Color, 32-bit palette enables students to experiment with blending tools for achieving realistic color-mixing effects for their own creations. There are three levels of complexity that provide students with progressively challenging experiences. JumpStart Artist is ideal for homeschooling, and strongly recommended for traditional classroom art appreciation curriculum supplementation.