The Art of Paint Pouring by Amanda VanEver

The Art of Paint Pouring by Amanda VanEver ISBN-13: 9781633227378 Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing Released: May 21, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Learn the creative, innovative technique of making art by pouring paint with The Art of Paint Pouring! Featuring easy step-by-step projects, practical tips, and beautiful art from an established paint-pouring expert, this book will help artists of any skill level make colorful, textured art by pouring acrylic paint onto a canvas.

There are many techniques for making poured art, and this book details them all. You will learn to swipe, pour, and more using the manyhow-to projects provided in this book. Also included are chapters on the following: tools and materials, including affordable options for items that will help you create poured art; basic color theory and how to choose paint colors that will create pleasing mixtures; eye-catching full-page artwork; tips for creating the paint consistency that you want; and instructions for keeping your work area clean, even while working with a potentially messy technique.

Written and illustrated by a well-recognized paint-pouring artist, The Art of Paint Pouring is a comprehensive reference that eliminates the need to search online for multiple videos that you would continually have to pause and re-watch. If you are new to paint pouring, you will love the beginners’ tips and instructions that allow anyone to master this contemporary craft.


My Review:
The Art of Paint Pouring instructs complete beginners in what you need to know to do your own acrylic paint-pouring. The author started with the tools and materials. She explained which acrylic paints can be used, how to add pouring medium and water, how you make cells in the finished painting, tips when using canvas or wood (or other) surfaces, and more. She briefly covered color theory and listed a number of her favorite color combinations. She also covered how to finish a piece: tips on drying, cleaning, and using resin or varnish to protect your painting.

The actual projects were basically step-by-step instructions on how to do various pouring techniques. You can use your own color combinations, and your finished project will be unique. She taught how to do a dirty pour, flip cup, puddle pour, tree ring, dip, swipe, colander pour, chain pull, striation, hammer, and negative space. She also showed how to use acrylic skins or pours to make jewelry, seasonal ornaments, bookmarks, coasters, and magnets. The photographs clearly showed the different steps, and the instructions were easy to understand. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those interested in trying paint pouring.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Growing Your Own Tea Garden by Jodi Helmer

Growing Your Own Tea Garden by Jodi Helmer ISBN-13: 9781620083222 Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: CompanionHouse Books Released: May 14, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
If you’ve ever considered raising your own tea, this guide is the place to start. Author Jodi Helmer helps you to choose the right plants for your soil and climate, starting with the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and going on through a comprehensive survey of herbal teas, from flowering chamomile and lavender to chicory roots, rose hips, lemon verbena, peppermint, aromatic bergamot and more. Jodi tells you how to harvest, dry and store your tea to enjoy all year long, along with brewing tips and creative recipes.


My Review:
Growing Your Own Tea Garden is a very basic, short gardening book about growing herbs to make into tea. The author started with a brief history of tea, then she included entries for numerous plants that can be used for tea. She covered true tea and herbal teas made from the leaves, flowers, fruits, and roots of various plants. In each entry, she provided very basic planting information, the plant's uses and health benefits, and how to brew it into tea. She suggested some combinations of plants for making your own teas and for planting together in your garden. She also briefly gave some basic gardening advice, basic tea brewing advice, and advice on drying and storing the herbs. This book would be most useful for those new to growing herbs or those looking for new types of plants to use as teas.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Drawing: Dragons by Michael Dobrzycki

Drawing: Dragons by Michael Dobrzycki ISBN-13: 9781633227859 Paperback: 40 pages Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing Released: May 7, 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Drawing: Dragons invites you into the fantastic world of artist Michael Dobrzycki and teaches you how to draw imaginative fire-breathing creatures from start to finish. Featuring step-by-step lessons on drawing legendary dragons from around the world, as well as a wide variety of shading techniques in ink and graphite pencil, Drawing: Dragons covers everything you need to know to draw these fantastic beasts.

Some of the amazing dragons you'll learn to draw: Fire Dragon, Hatchling, Drake, Hydra, Lindworm, and Drachenstein.

Designed for beginners, the How to Draw & Paint series offers an easy-to-follow guide that introduces artists to basic tools and materials and includes simple step-by-step lessons for a variety of projects suitable for the aspiring artist. Drawing: Dragons allows artists to develop their drawing skills, demonstrating how to start with basic shapes and use pencil and ink techniques to create varied textures and characteristics, such as scales, feathers, wings, claws, and more.


My Review:
Drawing: Dragons is a short, step-by-step guide on how to draw 9 dragons using pencil (and occasionally black ink wash or ink pen) and paper. The author very briefly covered tools and materials, basic pencil techniques, how to use basic shapes in drawing, and how to create several dragon scale textures. While this book is targeted at beginners (probably tweens and teens will enjoy it most), he assumed the reader already had some basic skill at drawing as his instructions were mostly "do this next" rather than "here's how to do this."

Most of the book focused on the 9 step-by-step projects: drawing a Fire Dragon, Hatchling, Drake, Hydra, Amphitere, Lindworm, Wyvern, Eastern (Asian) Dragon, and Drachenstein. The author taught how to create these exact dragons by explaining (in four to nine steps, usually about 7 steps) what tool and technique to use in what order. He didn't really talk about how to create your own dragon design, but he did teach the general steps of first drawing the basic shapes of the dragon, then refining the lines, and then adding details, textures, and shading. If you're looking for a guide for drawing specific types of dragons, this one provided good instructions and illustrations to follow.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.