Write, Design & Wreck Review & GIVEAWAY

Let loose! Write, Design & Wreck: Draw, Paint, Rip, and Ruin this Book by the Editors of Chartwell Books. Make this art journal your own. Express your creativity without the fear of making a mistake or being perfect. This guided journal has over 150 mixed-media prompts in color and the space to complete them. All prompts are open to interpretation. Use your favorite arts and crafts supplies. Tools to write with and add color are a good starting point. You probably have enough materials around the house. There are no limits. Every page is different. It's never dull. Explore the art journaling process with words, drawings and more. Try a wide variety of activities - with all types of mediums. The benefits of keeping a journal are many. Work out your thoughts and feelings. Express your mood. Set goals, plan and dream. Try new materials and practice new techniques. It's fun. I look forward to it every day. See excerpts below. This 192-page paperback will be released on April 11, 2023, by Chartwell Books. It's available now for pre-order. Get your copy below!

Back of my copy.

Write, Design & Wreck ISBN-13 : 978-0785842026 is available worldwide at Chartwell Books, an imprint of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until April 19, 2023. Canadian and US addresses only. Good luck!

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Let's Make Some Great Art: Animals Review & GIVEAWAY

Have kids? This is Let's Make Some Great Art: Animals by Marion Deuchars. Her wonderful book features a selection of art activities designed to engage beginning artists. They include things like drawing, painting, finger and hand print art. The activities focus on creating a wide range of animals, from popular pets to wild animals and more. Space is reserved inside this (over-sized) workbook to complete nearly all of the activities. Many can be expanded upon outside of this book. Minimally you'll need some basic art supplies - something to draw with, some paint, tape and a pair of scissors. Or use all your favorite art supplies. Text is minimal. Examples of each activity show clearly what to do. Use these charming examples to spark creativity. Prompts lead the way - gently encouraging action. There is a new art technique every page or two. The emphasis is on having fun. Perfection is rejected. The activities are designed to build kids confidence in their ability to make art. This British illustrators "Let’s Make Some Great Art" 4 book series (shown at bottom of this post) has won numerous awards and been translated into 22 languages. I can see why. There is something very special about this book. See excerpts below. Laurence King Publishing released this 80 page paperback on September 8, 2020. Get your copy below!

Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 21.72  x 29.21 cm (‎8.55 x 11.5 inches)

Cut paper and drawing.

Stenciling.

Square and triangle drawing.

Simple shapes and drawing.

Scan of back cover.

Raincoast Books Canada has generously offered to giveaway a copy of Let's Make Some Great Art: Animals! One winner will be selected at random. Open until June 22, 2022. Good luck! CANADA ONLY.

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Let's Make Some Great Art series.

Mixed Media Color Studio Review & GIVEAWAY

Find color! This is Mixed Media Color Studio: Explore Modern Color Theory to Create Unique Palettes and Find Your Creative Voice by Kellee Wynne Conrad. Take an in depth look at modern color through a series of practical exercises and projects using acrylic paint. Learn about color by playing with color. Modern color is defined as a base palette of primary cyan, primary magenta, and primary yellow (CMY). This palette offers an incredible array of colors that you cannot get by mixing traditional colors. In Chapter 1 Kellee reviews the mixed media supplies she uses. This includes acrylic paint, acrylic mediums, brushes, mark-making tools, collage elements and substrates. To do the color exercises and projects in this book you'll need, minimally, a few tubes of acrylic paint (3 primary colors and white), something to paint on and a brush or two. She encourages resourcefulness. If you don't have a listed tool or material substitute or adapt. The exercises in Chapter 2 show you how to uncover your signature color palette and discover new ones. Kellee shares her 5 color principles and talks about her one guiding rule of design - variation. Chapter 3 is packed with color mixing exercises starting with a color wheel warm up. Experiment with the CMY modern color palette and more. Luscious paint color swatches and mixes are found throughout. Put it all together in Chapter 4 and make some art. Twelve mixed media projects explore painting styles, techniques and color. Each step-by-step project has a focus - complementary colors, value, range, grays and saturation. The following colors are highlighted - green, blue, orange, purple, red, black and yellow. Several guest artists are featured. If you want to master color get this book! I've never used acrylics before but this book makes me want to. It's a wonderful modern color adventure. See excerpts and the complete table of contents below. Quarry Books released the 128 page paperback ‏on August 24, 2021. A Kindle edition is available. Get your copy below!

I N T R O D U C T I O N

How I Found Color

1

SUPPLIES

My Favorite Supplies For Making a Colorful Impact

2

DISCOVERING YOUR SIGNATURE COLOR PALETTE

A GUIDE TO CREATING YOUR PERSONAL COLOR PALETTE

Palette Collecting Exercises

Kellee's Five Color Principles

My One Guiding Rule of Design: Variation is the Key

3

MODERN COLOR THEORY

LET'S EXPERIMENT WITH COLOR

Color Wheel Warm-Up

The Benefits of Making Mud

Color Has Value

Color Proportion

Alternative Primaries

Color Mixing Experiments

4

PALETTES AND PROJECTS

Lesson 1: 

COMPLEMENTARY SUCCESS

Project: Painted Postcards

Lesson 2:

FROM DARK TO LIGHT

Project: Abstract Landscape

Lesson 3:

HIGH-KEY/LOW-KEY

Project: Moody Abstracts

Lesson 4:

COLORFUL NEUTRALS

Project: Architectural Arches

Lesson 5:

CHROMA POP

Project: Painted Portal

Lesson 6:

TRICKY GREENS

Project: Dynamic Landscape

Lesson 7:

INFINITE BLUES

Project: Small Seascapes

Lesson 8:

TAMING THE WILD ORANGE

Project: Abstract Florals

Lesson 9:

ROYAL PURPLE

Project: Mixed Media Landscape

Lesson 10:

A THIMBLE OF RED

Project: Abstract Garden

Lesson 11:

BLACK AS A COLOR

Project: Mixed Media Florals

Lesson 12:

YELLOW ON TOP

Project: Mixed Media Abstract Botanical

GUEST ARTISTS

Alice Sheridan

Priscilla George

Laly Mille

Ange Miller

Regina Lord

Becca Bastion Lee

Melissa Doty

Final Thoughts

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Index

How I Found Color

Creating a Color Wheel

SUPPLIES

Oh, the thrill of walking into an art supply store and seeing all those pretty paint tubes lined up, calling to you to bring them home. But before you blow your budget, consider a few things: You don’t have to have it all. A few tubes of paint, a surface to paint on, and a brush or two will give you a good start. I suggest using a variety of materials for the projects in this book, but I encourage you to be resourceful. Adapt with what you have on hand, substitute when possible, and be innovative with your supplies. If you are interested in learning about art supplies, we’ll review the possibilities in this chapter.

DISCOVERING YOUR SIGNATURE COLOR PALETTE

Color is part of my identity as an artist. I’ll bet that if you looked at your work, you would see a color pattern as well. When you paint, do you have a go-to palette or know how to identify one that is materializing as your own signature color combination? A golden thread runs through your work and your life, and it’s the key to your own signature color palette. The best way to discover your signature color palette is to see the world with wonder. Figure out what lights your soul on fire and then embrace your natural path toward creative expression. Soon you will see color combinations everywhere you go that you simply can’t resist.

MODERN COLOR THEORY

Previously, color theory included hues such as ultramarine blue, cadmium red, and cadmium yellow. The newer colors of phthalo, quinacridone, and azo yellow are synthetic hues not found in nature and have revolutionized the way we create because they offer an incredible array of colors that you can’t get using the traditional color palette. Many artists have moved over to new and exciting possibilities with modern synthetic colors. This is where modern color theory comes into play. For printing and graphics, and now on your canvas, you can use primary cyan, primary magenta, and primary yellow. Let’s take a deep dive together into a whole new world of modern color theory.

PALETTES AND PROJECTS

One of the greatest pleasures in working with mixed media is that painting in layers is forgiving. You can correct mistakes and adjust your work along the way by experimenting with different mediums and mark-making tools. Be creative in your approach—use what you have—and substitutions are allowed. Nothing is a mistake in the process of making art. If something doesn’t go as planned, consider it serendipity, a chance to discover something unexpected in making your most authentic artwork.

TRICKY GREENS | PROJECT: DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE

In this lesson, you’ll see how a green-centric painting compares with one that is balanced with other colors and more natural hues of green. When painting landscapes, many of my students are inclined to use a bright St. Patrick’s Day green right out of the tube or mix a similar super-saturated color. To create a dynamic and interesting landscape, more variety is needed. That’s why we’re going to push the range of hues we use and include complementary colors.

INFINITE BLUES | PROJECT: SMALL SEASCAPES

This lesson will not only expose you to myriad blue hues, but it will also bolster your acrylic painting practice. If you don’t have a million blues like I do, return to the color wheel warm-up lesson (see page 36) and mix a variety of blues using the modern primaries. Once you have a nice selection, begin playing with paint and create these lovely small seascapes.

YELLOW ON TOP | PROJECT: MIXED MEDIA ABSTRACT BOTANICAL

Let’s get wild with our biggest project. This is a great opportunity to try out any of the mixed media techniques or ideas that we’ve covered, and we’ll see what happens when we bring it all together into one big yellow phenomenon. Don’t hesitate to make it your own!

The modern CMY color base.

Photo I took of part of back cover.

Get your copy of Mixed Media Color Studio at Amazon Canada and Amazon USA. The Quarto Publishing Group has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until May 14, 2022. Canadian and USA addresses only. Good luck! 

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Get Messy Art Review & GIVEAWAY

You're invited to Get Messy! This is Get Messy Art: The No-Rules, No-Judgment, No-Pressure Approach to Making Art - Create with Watercolor, Acrylics, Markers, Inks, and More by Caylee Grey. Her book is about art journaling. It's an extension of the popular on-line art journaling community she developed in 2014 also called Get Messy Art. Her approach is creativity without perfection. Learn what a messy artist is and how to become one. Discover the power of art journaling and how to establish a journaling routine that fits you. There's a review of mixed media art supplies - though the emphasis is on using what you have. Step-by-step tutorials guide you through swatching your supplies and binding your own journals. The second part of the book offers a course of action for making art. Lessons and projects focus on how to build and maintain a satisfying art journaling practice. The author enlists numerous guest artists from around the world to share their knowledge and skill throughout. Plus you get a peek inside their journals. The Get Messy mindset appeals to me. It's very freeing. I read this book with pleasure and will use it to start my own messy art journaling adventure. See excerpts and the complete table of contents below. Quarry Books released the 128 page paperback ‏on December 14, 2021. Get your copy below!

Contents

Introduction

The Messy Movement

The Power of the Journal

The Magic of Habit

The Anti-Supply List

Creating Your Messy Journal

THE TRAILS

 Spark

Spark your creativity and launch your art journaling habit.

Grow

Grow as an artist by expanding your knowledge and skills.

Cultivate

Cultivate your artistic practice and take your creative life to the next level.

Connect

Connect with a community that get you and your artsy awesomeness.

Resources

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Index

Contents.

The Messy Movement.

Develop as an artist by expanding your knowledge and skills.

Left Brain + Right Brain = Mixed Media Grid.

Guest Artist Johanna Clough from New South Wales, Australia.

Learn how to bind your own journals on page 38.

Photo I took of page 86's Project Modeling Paste. I can't wait to try it!

Get Messy Art ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0760371169 is available worldwide at Quarry Books, an imprint of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Quarry Books. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until March 12, 2022. Canadian & US addresses only. Good luck!

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Design & Destroy Review & GIVEAWAY

I'm enjoying this immensely - Design & Destroy: Draw, Paint, Rip, and Ruin This Book! It's a guided journal just released by the Editors of Chartwell Books. Each page has an alternative creative prompt and space for completing it. Use your favorite art and craft supplies and household things you may not normally associate with art. There are over 150 mixed-media prompts. The prompts are open to interpretation. Some are fun and silly. Some seem easy, while others feel a little scary. Some you'll jump right into, and others will cause hesitation. They encourage you to be more adventurous creatively. The order you complete them doesn't matter. I do whatever page appeals to me at the time. It's a chance to let go of perfectionism and stress, express yourself, and not be attached to the outcome - like when you were a kid. I love it! It's suitable for any age or ability. See the sample pages below. Chartwell Books released this 204-page paperback on April 27, 2021. Get your copy below!

These are two of my works-in-progress.

Design & Destroy ISBN-13 : 978-0785839309 is available worldwide at Chartwell Books. Chartwell Books is a imprint of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Chartwell Books. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until May 19, 2021. Canadian and USA only. Good luck!

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Art Starts in the Heart Review & GIVEAWAY

Get personal with your art - Art Starts in the Heart: Creative projects and inspirational ideas for learning to make expressive, mindful art. It is written and illustrated by Erin McManness whose previous works include the best-selling Art Starts with a Line. Develop your drawing skills and personal style with this inspiring collection of tutorials, projects, prompts and practice space all on large 9 x 12" (23 x 30 cm) pages. The author begins by sharing her favorite tools and materials. You will need tools for drawing, adding color and ideally a mixed media sketchbook. Use the supplies of your choice. Warm up with some basic drawing, lettering, coloring and digital techniques practice. Learn some design, composition and layout fundamentals. Draw (step-by-step) six decorative frames. Create (step-by-step) five art prints. Put it all together on 44 pages of prompts designed to encourage self-reflection in your art-making. It's like a personal art journal! Walter Foster Publishing will release this 128 page paperback on October 8, 2019. It is available now for pre-order. Get your copy below!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

1

How To Use This Book

Suggested Tool & Materials

Drawing Techniques

Lettering Techniques

Working in Color

Digital Techniques

2

Creating a Pleasing Design

Composition Tips & Tricks

Creating a Beautiful Layout

3

Framing Devices

4

Step-by-Step Art Prints

 Hand lettered Floral Quotes

 Embellished Portrait

 Illustrated Map

 Symmetrical Folk Art

 Portrait of Your Pet or Favorite Animal

5

Inspiration for the Journey

Creative Prompts to Spark Your Imagination

Vision Board

About the Artist

Pages 10/11.

Pages 14/15.

Pages 18/19.

Pages 20/21.

My copy.

Art Starts in the Heart ISBN-13: 978-1633228108 is available worldwide at Walter Foster. Walter Foster is a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Walter Foster is one of the most recognized names in art instruction. Check out their unique catalog at Walter Foster. Quarto has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until October 21, 2019. Canadian and USA addresses only. Good luck!

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