Draw Like an Artist: 100 Realistic Animals by Melissa Washburn

Draw Like an Artist: 100 Realistic Animals by Melissa Washburn ISBN-13: 9781631598197 Paperback: 112 pages Publisher: Quarry Books Released: December 17th 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Draw Like an Artist: 100 Realistic Animals is a step-by-step guidebook demonstrates fundamental art concepts like proportion and spatial relationships as you learn to draw a full range of creatures, all shown from a variety of perspectives. Each set of illustrations takes you from beginning sketch lines to a finished drawing. Author Melissa Washburn is a skilled illustrator whose clear and elegant drawing style will make this a go-to sourcebook for years to come.


My Review:
Draw Like an Artist: 100 Realistic Animals is an art instruction book on using graphite pencil to draw realistic line drawings of animals. After the brief introduction to her method, the author provided step-by-step drawings for 85 animals with one animal demonstrated per page. She then had 15 pages of close-up details for dogs, cats, and horses (heads, paws, fur, and such). There's no text in the demonstrations, just 6-8 easy-to-follow steps leading from basic shapes to help block in angles and positions to adding details and cleaning up the guidelines.

The author demonstrated how to draw a wide variety of animal types so you can apply the lessons from one animal to similar animals. She covered common animals like dogs, cats, and other pets, farm animals, wild land animals, marine animals, and birds. Overall, I'd recommend this book to beginning artists who want to improve or learn how to do realistic line drawings of animals.


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.

The Ultimate Fluid Pouring & Painting Project Book by Jane Monteith

The Ultimate Fluid Pouring & Painting Project Book by Jane Monteith ISBN-13: 9781631597633 Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: Quarry Books Released: November 12th 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Join mixed-media artist and international instructor Jane Monteith, a master of the fluid artforms and creator of the stunningly beautiful and popular paintings called MOD Minis. Fluid pouring and painting can result in beautiful, organic, and abstract designs that can be captured on special papers, canvas and board substrates, used to make gorgeous lampshades, poured into molds or dishes to create coasters, geodes, and agate slices, and can even be formed into vases, vessels, and bowls.

For both novice and experienced artists, this expressive book shares detailed, comprehensive techniques for working with high flow inks and acrylic paints. The Ultimate Fluid Pouring & Painting Project Book guides you through a variety of different fluid projects, from fluid-painted collage to resin-poured paints on different substrates. You will learn to use various tools and solutions to create beautiful colors and textures on paper. Learn how to work with resin and avoid common mistakes to produce a flawless finish. Understand how to seal and protect your work for years to come.


My Review:
The Ultimate Fluid Pouring & Painting Project Book explains how to complete a number of abstract art projects using alcohol ink and often resin. There was also one project that demonstrated three acrylic paint pour techniques: swipes, dirty cup pours, and ring pours. She started off by talking about the materials, then she provided the actual step-by-step instructions for the various projects. Her descriptions and the pictures were clear and easy to follow. She included troubleshooting tips. Although there were 12 projects overall, many projects had several ways to complete that project or several ways to achieve different looks for that same project. She had you create things like coasters, flower vases, and resin pieces that looked like geodes or agate slices. These projects look very interesting and doable if you have the needed materials. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about using alcohol ink and resin to make interesting abstract art.


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.

Mindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting by Virginia Lloyd-Davies

Mindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting by Virginia Lloyd-Davies ISBN-13: 9781633228122 Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing Released: December 3rd 2019

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Centuries ago, Buddhist monks used black ink and brushes to practice mindfulness and create gorgeously harmonious works of art called "sumi-e paintings." The popularity of sumi-e, or ink wash painting, continues to this day.

Mindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting opens with an introduction explaining the links between mindfulness and sumi-e and how they enhance one another. Sections on “The Four Treasures,” as the tools needed for sumi-e painting are called; brushstrokes and painting techniques; and “The Four Gentlemen,” or the most common subjects in sumi-e painting, ensure that you have a solid background before getting started on the simple, approachable step-by-step painting projects. Throughout the book you can find stunning full-page artwork, tips for remaining mindful while you work, creative prompts and exercises, inspirational ideas, and suggestions on how to add color to black ink pieces.


My Review:
Sumi-e Painting "Sumi-e Painting" is an art instruction book on sumi-e, or ink wash painting. The author briefly talked about the philosophy behind the style and the needed tools and materials. I liked that only two brushes are needed, but I would've liked more information about the different papers. She provided step-by-step instructions on how to make different flowers and animals. For each flower, she first talked about how to make each part: a petal, a stem, and so on. Then she did a demonstration project that combined all of these parts into a finished painting. She demonstrated bamboo, orchid, plum, chrysanthemum, iris, peony, wisteria, grapes, lotus, insects, birds, rocks and water.

I felt like the instructions were more for someone who was familiar with the style. Her instructions tended to be 'use this color and this brush and hold it in this way' along with the picture showing the result. I felt like this required the reader to figure out what she meant by how to hold the brush and make the mark. There were only one or two photos showing how to hold the brush, though she did reference a YouTube video you can watch which shows a full bamboo demonstration painting. I enjoyed learning more about sumi-e and would recommend this book to people who already have some experience with watercolor or ink painting.


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.