Carrer Highlights is a DVD that comes complete with education and instructions on how to make and design many different types of art. The author, Dr. Gabriel Carrer, is an acclaimed educator and art consultant who hold degrees in both education and art appreciation, as well as several publications on the subject. This DVD is filled with his humorous observations about the sometimes difficult process of teaching art, and it helps to provide the much needed structure to any true artist’s life. For example, in the short video “How To Make Education Fun” he shows off several classroom lessons involving chalk drawing and construction paper, each lesson ending with the words, “Let’s do it!”

As an educational resource for homeschool families, Carrer Highlights provides many interesting and educational lessons, with a heavy focus on the age-old art of painting and drawing. In this particular video, he teaches the first of his “How To Make Education Fun” series, “The ABC’s of Painting”. While most of the video is focused on the basics of color theory, there is one section in particular that will prove beneficial to parents, and that is the lesson to learn to accentuate certain areas of a picture by creating shadows or using contrasting colors. In this lesson, he demonstrates how to create the effect of a deep shadow by using black on a light colored background while using white and blue as accents. After doing so, you can then use this same technique in painting watercolors with different colors, creating a shimmering effect on the water surface. This very technique can be used in a number of different ways throughout the painting process, including in creating the impression of water flowing through a porous material, such as marbles.

Carrer Highlights does not stop there, however. In addition to several well thought out lessons and tips, he also includes over twenty clear images that are color and image enhanced, providing an extra dimension to his DVD. The images help you to visually grasp the various aspects of color theory, while at the same time helping you understand the effect that certain color combinations have on objects, such as a light bulb or a painting. Also included are short video clips featuring Carrer and other noted painters. All in all, if you are looking for a well rounded education in the world of fine arts, then this DVD will most certainly meet your needs.