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.

Watercolor with Me: In the Forest Review

Can you learn to paint if you can't draw? Yes, says Dana Fox author of Watercolor With Me: In the Forest - a gorgeous watercolor project book with 50 woodland sketches for you to paint. The subjects are listed below in the table of contents and include a variety of appealing flora and fauna. All projects are laid out in the same useful format. On the left page is a simple sketch. While on the right - tips, instructions, a color palette and the tools required to complete the artwork are shown. For reference, a sample of the subject matter painted in Dana's whimsical style is also included. Sketches are printed on 24.4 x 23 cm (9.6 x 9 inch) good watercolor paper. Experiment with the following watercolor techniques - wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet, painting fur, and ink and wash. Supplies you are likely to need include: watercolor paint and brushes, a permanent ink pen and white gel pen. Premium binding allows the book to lay fully flat when open. Hands free! No previous skill is needed. What a wonderful way to explore watercolor! I love it and am going to work my way through it. Dana is the creator of the popular YouTube series, Paint with Me. This is her first watercolor book. Good news, her second book in the series is set to be released in Fall 2019! Page Street Publishing released this 119 page paperback on August 14, 2018. A Kindle version is also available. Get your copy below!

Introduction

Projects

WET ON DRY

Acorns

Caterpillars

Ferns

Ladybugs

Clovers

Flowers

Monarch

Tree

Moth

Dogwood Rose

Mushroom

Cabin

WET ON WET

Chickadee

Feathers

Maple Leaf

Snail

Hummingbird

Bluebird

Tortoise

Squirrel

Leaves

Wild Roses

Daisies

Trout

PAINTING FUR

Hedgehog

Bumble Bee

Bear

Skunk

Chipmunk

Fawn

Raccoon

Rabbit

Coyote

Beaver

Fox

INK AND WASH

Dragon Fly

Mountain Ash Leaf

Stoat

Salamander

Pine Cone

Mouse

Raspberries

Tree Frog

Owl

Grasshopper

Trillium

Wolf

Titmouse

Lily Pad

About the Author

Fawn from the Painting Fur exercise on pages 74 and 75.

Glance inside the pages of Watercolor with Me: In the Forest.

Watercolor With Me: In the Forest is available worldwide (scroll down) and at Amazon USA, Amazon Canada and Amazon UK. Page Street Publishing Co. was founded in 2012 and is located just outside of Boston. They only use sustainable paper vendors and print with environmentally-friendly, soy-based ink.

My copy beside my new watercolor paint set.

Draw 62 Animals and Make Them Cute Review

Your task is to draw 62 animals and make them cute. Your guide is favored Instagram illustrator hee_cookingdiary. Your book is Draw 62 Animals and Make Them Cute: Step-by-Step Drawing for Characters and Personality by Heegyum Kim. On large printer size pages (8.5 x 11) the illustrator/author studies the animal kingdom. On the left page, showing step-by-step, she brings each animal to life, infusing them with personality. Try it yourself in the dedicated space provided. As shown below she does it well. Her animals are very appealing. On the right page is an opportunity for you to modify your drawing - try changing the pose, expression, and/or activity. Several examples and open spaces are offered. Scattered throughout are helpful creative and technical TIPs. This charming and delightful book will help you improve your drawing skills. The 128 page paperback will be released March 26, 2019 by Quarry Books. You can pre-order it now. Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

Introduction

Alpaca

Fugu

Puffin

Bear

Kiwi Bird

Koala

Ostrich

Platypus

Capybara

Chickadee

Giraffe

Kangaroo

Meerkat

Otter

Owl

Penguin

Raccoon

Toucan

Wombat

Sheep

Corgi

Hedgehog

Elephant

Chicken

Red Panda

Lemur

Pig

Rabbit

Frog

Mouse

Duck

Turtle

Anglerfish

Panda

Sausage Dog

Goat

Snail

Whale

Hippo

Sloth

Mole

Sanderling

Tapir

Camel

Squirrel

Skunk

Groundhog

Fox

Aardvark

Bee

Deer

Narwhal

Robin

Armadillo

Octopus

Donkey

Seal

Weasel

Crocodile

Java Sparrow

Cat

Chinchilla

About the Author

Chickens by Heegyum Kim.

One of the many tips throughout. 

Draw 62 Animals and Make Them Cute is available worldwide at Quarry Books, a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Quarry Books.

Part of the back cover of my copy. 

Journal Sparks Review

You don't have to be a kid to love Journal Sparks: Fire Up Your Creativity with Spontaneous Art, Wild Writing, and Inventive Thinking by Emily K. Neuburger. It's a mixed media, artistic adventure! Collect your favorite art supplies and ideally a blank journal. With 60 imaginative and engaging art prompts it's bound to inspire a creative journaling habit. As shown below, the activities run the gamut - from coloring, to cutting and pasting, drawing and writing, folding and more. It comes with 10 pages of vibrantly colored collage paper, 3 pages of stickers, 1 page of pop-out speech bubbles and an envelope template. I'm not surprised it's won a bunch of awards. Its pages are amusing, delightful and motivational. I treated myself to a new journal and watercolor paint set while examining Journal Sparks. If you wonder what I'm up to, I'll be reveling in its pages! Storey Publishing released the 164 page paperback on April 18, 2017. Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

About the Author

Getting Started

Chapter One

Observation

Chapter Two

Invention

Chapter Three

Collection

Chapter Four

Color & Construction

Chapter Five

Wordsmith

Chapter Six

Journal Challenges

Chapter Seven

Journal Making & Hacking

Acknowledgements

Fortune Envelopes

Collage Papers

Pop-out Speech Bubbles

Stickers

COLOR YOUR MOOD  pages 24 and 25.

FRAGMENTS  pages 46 and 47.

MANDALAS  pages 94 and 95.

BEGIN WITH THE HAIR  pages 96 and 97.

TINY POEMS  pages 102 and 103.

Journal Sparks is available worldwide at Storey Publishing. Check out their unique catalog at Storey Publishing. Storey Publishing is an imprint the The Workman Publishing Company. 

Journal Sparks and my new watercolor paints and journal.

A Dangle a Day Review

Want to create beautiful letters and intricate strings of charms? Angela Porter (the best-selling coloring book creator) is the author and illustrator of A Dangle a Day. It's a fun workbook for anyone interested in learning how to dangle. Angela demos how she builds her dangles, layer-by-layer, from pencil sketch through adding color. She dangles the letters of the alphabet, numbers and all four seasons. Her dangles become more elaborate as you progress through the book. Following every demo is a space called "Now it's your turn!". This is where you get to practice and experiment with dangling. Follow the authors example or do your own thing. There are 68 step-by-step dangling exercises. I've included the first two below. Use the tools and materials of your choice or follow the authors recommendations. Dangles are perfect for accenting artwork, stationery, planners, and journals. An introduction to bullet journaling also known as BuJo is included. Race Point Publishing released this 144 page paperback on January 15, 2019. Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

What Is a Dangle?

Recommended Materials

Bullet Journals A Primer

PART ONE:  DANGLE CAPS & NUMERALS

PART TWO:  DANGLE DESIGNS FOR EVERY SEASON

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Dangle Directory

About the Author

Acknowledgements

Page 14

Page 15

My copy. Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 1.7 x 25.4 cm (8 x 0.6 x 10 inches).

A Dangle a Day is available worldwide at Race Point Publishing. Check out their unique catalog at Race Point Publishing. Race Point Publishing is a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA.

Hand Lettering A to Z Workbook Review

Learn and improve your lettering with the Hand Lettering A to Z Workbook by Abbey Sy. Her terrific new volume is a workbook for practicing letters. It contains instructions and guided exercises related to hand lettering. With over 80 two-sided worksheets, you'll get plenty of practice. These full-size pages are perforated for easy removal. Abbey leads you through a wide range of styles. See the detailed Table of Contents below. I've included an excerpt from the Tools & Materials section to show the tools needed to get started. You probably already have them - a pencil, colored pencils, various pens and markers. Abbey's new workbook makes lettering practice easy - just follow the prompts! Rockport Publishing released the 192 page paperback was October 16, 2018. Get your copy below!

Contents

INTRODUCTION

How to Use This Book

Essential Terminology

Fonts & Type Styles

Tools & Materials

Starting with Pencil

Working Freehand

Letters & Layouts

Alternative Letters

Flourishes & Embellishments

Using the Practice Sheets

PRACTICE SHEETS

Warmups, exemplars, and practice sheets for 6 lettering styles, including numerals and punctuation

Sans Serif/Serif Warmups

Simple Sans Serif

Embellished Sans Serif

Simple Serif

Swash Serif

Script Warmups

Simple Script

Embellished Script

Practice sheets for taking your lettering to the next level

Bounced Words

Flourishes

Embellishments

Inspirational Quotes

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hand Lettering A to Z Workbook is available worldwide at Rockport Publishing, a division of the Quarto Publishing Group USA. Check out their unique catalog at Rockport Publishing.

My copy. Product dimensions: 8.6 x 0.6 x 11.1 inches (21.8 x 1.7 x 28.2 cm).

Happy: The Journal Review & GIVEAWAY

Thinking of keeping a journal? Happy: The Journal by Fearne Cotton is a 12-month, daily, write-in journal. It is partially dated with the month and number, for example January 1, January 2 etc. Each day has a thoughtful writing prompt. Each month has a theme. The spaces for writing in are lined. Some sample pages are shown below. Fearne is a passionate ambassador for Mind, an organization throughout England and Wales that promotes healthy minds. I recognize her from UK television. She is surprisingly candid about her own struggles. I've kept a journal before, mostly stream of consciousness, and like Fearne I found it cathartic and revealing. This time I'd like a little nudge. I've decided to work my way through it. The benefits of keeping a journal are many including greater awareness. Ixia Press released the 256 page paperback on December 28, 2018. Get your copy below!

Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1 x 8.2 inches (15 x 2.5 x 20.8 cm)

Happy: The Journal is available worldwide at Ixia Press a division of Dover Publications. Ixia marks Dover's first foray into frontlist self-help publishing in the company's 75 year history. It is named after the South African flower that represents happiness. Check out their unique catalog at Ixia Press. Dover has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until January 21, 2019. Canadian & USA addresses only. Good luck!

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Make Art Every Day Review & GIVEAWAY

Get your creative life on track with this adorable and fun 52-week planner! Make Art Every Day is A Weekly Planner for Creative Thinkers by Katie Vernon. It comes with over 500 cute stickers. Make your creative life flourish by completing  a variety of activities such as - setting goals for your creative practice, finding inspiration/feasting your eyes, taking care of yourself, trying a new technique, making a creative connection and making an art appointment. Some of the stickers correspond to these categories, while others are customizable. In addition, there are basic tutorials on mark-making, hand lettering and working with watercolor and acrylic paints. Write, draw and color in - it's made for personalizing. Each week is spread over two pages and runs from Sunday through Saturday. It's non-dated so you may start your creative adventure anytime. It's the perfect planner for creative types! Publisher Quarry Books released the 128 page paperback on December 26, 2017. Get your copy below!

CONTENTS

PREFACE

How to use this book

Sticker key

Basic mark making

Hand lettering primer

Creating with color

Your Creative Journey Starts Here: 52 Weeks of Exercises: Prompts, and Reminders

Also Featuring These Step-by-Step Creative Starters:

How to sketch in public

How to play exquisite corpse

How to draw a peony

How to collage a landscape

How to paint a fluffy bird

How to make a repeat pattern

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Find 16 Sticker Sheets at the End of This Book!

Make Art Every Day is available worldwide at Quarry Books, a division 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 January 10, 2019. Canadian & US addresses only. Good luck!

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Your Year in Art Review & GIVEAWAY

Is one of your New Year resolutions to be more creative? Then check out Your Year in Art: A project for every week of the year to overcome blank-page anxiety and inspire creative exploration by Chelsea Ward. Gather your supplies (a multimedia sketchbook, pencils, pens, coloring implements, etc.) and start drawing. Just follow the prompts. Every week you get a new lesson and assignment including ideas, inspiration and encouragement, all designed to help you develop a routine of drawing. How much time you devote is up to you, five minutes a day, half-hour a week or more. What a fun way to get better at drawing! See below for the table of contents, author's recommended tools and materials, and a sample exercise layout. Walter Foster Publishing released this 112 page paperback on November 27, 2018. Get your copy below!

Contents

Chapter 1:  Basics

Week 1:  Art-solutions

Week 2:  Empowering Words

Week 3:  Shape-finding

Week 4:  Mark-making

Week 5:  Ink Wash

Week 6:  Points of View

Week 7:  Contour Drawing

Week 8:  Color Theory

Chapter 2:  Loosening Up

Week 9:  Mindful Doodles

Week 10:  Draw Your Tools

Week 11:  Primary Color Challenge

Week 12:  Eraser-free Drawing

Week 13:  Line Drawing

Week 14:  Opposite Hand

Week 15:  Illustrated Recipe

Week 16:  Mandalas

Week 17:  Living Letters

Week 18:  Pattern Search

Week 19:  Zendoodles

Chapter 3:  Branching Out

Week 20:  Lists of Lists

Week 21:  Baker's Dozen

Week 22:  Drawings by Color

Week 23:  Draw in Public

Week 24:  Scapes

Week 25:  Sky Study

Week 26:  Sketch Crawl

Week 27:  Map-making

Week 28:  House Portrait

Week 29:  Collect a Rainbow

Week 30:  Botanical Study

Week 31:  Windows

Chapter 4:  Getting Personal

Week 32:  Artist's Block Solutions Flowchart

Week 33:  Self-portrait Collage

Week 34:  Your Day in Doodles

Week 35:  Hand Study

Week 36:  X-ray Vision

Week 37:  Figure Study

Week 38:  Illustrated Quote

Week 39:  Self-portrait

Week 40:  Coordinates

Week 41:  Bucket List

Chapter 5:  Keeping at It

Week 42:  Timed Drawing

Week 43:  Daily Challenge

Week 44:  Bird's Eye View

Week 45:  Drawing Still Life

Week 46:  Rorschach

Week 47:  Travel Postcards

Week 48:  Where You Stand

Week 49:  Micro & Macro

Week 50:  Elapsed Time Study

Week 51:  Block Busters

Week 52:  Art It Forward

Meet the Author

Author's recommended tools and materials.

Sample week. 

Your Year in Art 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 January 3, 2019. Canadian and US addresses only. Good luck!


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Badass Babe Workbook Review & GIVEAWAY

I've been carefully looking over the just released Badass Babe Workbook by Julie Van Grol. She's the illustrator of 100 Days of Badass Babes, a popular social media series highlighting influential women. The series is the precursor to this, her first book. The 176 page paperback features "creative exercises, drawing activities, empowering stories, and fuel for your personal evolution, inspired by over 100 trailblazing women." This energizing workbook is for girls and women. You will meet over 100 accomplished women from very diverse backgrounds. Be inspired by the obstacles they face and overcome. Explore important issues facing women today. Complete a variety of engaging creative exercises woven throughout the chapters. These include drawing, writing and collage. And the most important part - discovering your own unique story. March is Women's History Month in the US. Make your mark! Get your copy below! 

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

What is this book for?

Who is this book for?

Hearing and telling stories

What will you find in this book?

Assembling your toolkit

How do you do your best work?

SELF-CARE, CREATIVITY AND OUR STORIES

Starting with self-care

Art changes the world

Art facilitates understanding

Art connects us through common experience

STEPS TO EMPOWERMENT

Groundbreaking women

Babes in math and science

Drawing parts of the face

The portrait spectrum

Funny babes (part 1)

Babes in sports (part 1)

Writing tips

Learning from the wisdom the the greats

Activist babes

Musical badasses

Expressive drawing

REDEFINING FEMININE

Challengers of gender constructs

Firsts & boundary-breakers

Defying conventions with fashion

Going head to head with dudes

EXPANDING WHAT WE SEE AS POSSIBLE

Funny babes (part 2)

Babes in sports (part 2)

Drawing the figure

Miscellaneous badassery

Overcoming impossible odds

MORE TALES OF BADASSERY

Advocates for education

Spreading awareness

Challenging arbitrary beauty and body standards

Lady business: babes changing the workplace

Judiciary babes

Contemporary activists

CLOSING WORDS OF WISDOM

Babe index

About the author

Acknowledgements

Kathleen Hanna by Julie Van Grol. 

The text below is from page 108.

Kathleen Hanna is best known as the front woman for Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, both feminist rock bands. She was truly a pioneer for making space for girls and women in the punk scene by making her activism an essential part of her music and performances. GIRLS TO THE FRONT!

Using punk flyers for inspiration, make a cut-and-paste flyer for an event you have coming up or one that you would like to make happen. Even if you're the only one to ever see it, let it help you get pumped. 

This is my flyer for an origami event. I've had some ideas swirling around my head for sometime but it never occurred to me to explore them on paper.

The Badass Babe Workbook is available worldwide at Quarry Books, a division 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 April 4, 2018. Canadian and USA addresses only. Good luck!

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