While there's no substitute for visiting a real art gallery, there are now a vast array of resources online for getting an idea of different artists' styles, and a glimpse of some of the artistic treasures of the world. Some of these are listed below.
National gallery UK - see some of the collections online, by theme or by period; read biographies of some famous artists; find background information to classical and mythological references in some of the pictures.
(Note that most major art galleries in the UK and elsewhere have online resources - try searching by name, or for 'art galleries').
Monet's art - Links to anything related to Claude Monet, including his gardens at Giverny and lots of paintings. Suitable for all ages.
Art attack - based on the British TV show, this site has some excellent ideas for different art styles, with simple explanations and examples, for children of all ages.
Download-a-dinosaur - create your own dinosaurs from paper, following the instructions. You need paper, a printer, scissors and glue.
The art room - mostly intended for teachers, this is a big site with ideas for helping children learn to be artistic, a gallery of children's artwork, and some suggested art projects. Well worth browsing.
Create art - learn how to create artwork, from downloadable pictures to colour through to complex techniques in many types of art
Paper craft - download and print hundreds of designs, with instructions online, to create a wide variety of paper objects - animals, vehicles, national costumes, buildings around the world and much more. Something for all agegroups.
Papier mache - excellent and thorough site explaining all that is needed for papier mache models, with several tutorials as well as some articles.
Crafts - basic list of projects including colouring, mobiles, 3d art, calendars, and using up old CD-Roms. Graded according to difficulty, with very clear instructions.
Kinder art - American site intended for home educating parents who want to teach art and craft formally. Hundreds of 'lessons' listing required resources for various projects - plenty of ideas, and they can always be presented informally!
Study art - comprehensive site covering various artists and artistic styles, with brief biographies and examples of work. This also looks at principles and concepts of art.
Art studio - explanations about perspective, atmosphere, shading and other techniques. Ideal for teenage artists wanting to learn more.
Figure drawing - detailed and clear explanations of how to draw figures and portraits. Excellent resource for teenagers and adults.
Blender 3d graphics - my sons' favourite art program, which allows for complex 3d modelling on screen. The program is freeware and downloadable from this site. Galleries show the kind of artwork that can be produced using Blender.
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