How to Draw Cool Stuff – {Book Review}
I received a copy of “How to Draw Cool Stuff ” ($19.99 value – Amazon) in exchange for this promotion. Any opinions expressed here are honest and my own.
The How To Draw Cool Stuff series (Library Tales Publishing) by art teacher and professional artist Catherine V. Holmes guides readers through the basic principles of illustration by concentrating on easy-to-learn shapes that build into complex drawings. The original How To Draw Cool Stuff and the subsequent books, How To Draw Cool Stuff: Shading, Textures and Optical Illusions and How To Draw Cool Stuff: Holidays, Seasons and Events, each offer unique lessons for readers.
In addition to teaching basic drawing skills, this wonderful series provides:
- Lessons on creating shading and texture for more realistic artistic renderings
- Step-by-step tutorials on drawing fun and beloved characters like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, leprechauns and more!
- A guidebook that can be used by art teachers in the classroom to help supplement lesson plans and provide students with independent activities
- Valuable lessons in how to make drawing easier and more fun, such as: draw lightly, don’t aim to create an exact replica, and why patience pays off
- A wonderful gift for all aspiring artists
Now with all that being said above, it makes this series sound pretty awesome. Well, after taking a look at How to Draw Cool Stuff: Shading, Textures, Patterns and Optical Illusions and giving it a try….I totally agree! I personally don’t have an ounce of artistry in me, but this book may give me some hope. It had VERY detailed information on how to draw step by step with easy instructions. At first the book starts off with basic shapes…like cubes, cones, cylinders, etc and then on to shading and texture and optical illusions and then it gets into some pretty cool stuff like a palm of a hand and faces. The techniques in the book really breaks the drawings down into simple shapes within a complex object. I think this allows the artist to not be overwhelmed of the end product when drawing piece by piece of it. Can’t wait to try more drawings and I really think this is a great book for my kids to try out also.
This How to Draw Cool Stuff series is available an Amazon.
About the Author:
Catherine V. Holmes is an art/ELA teacher and visual artist from historical Plymouth, Massachusetts. She studied at Boston University and at Bridgewater State College, where she earned her BFA and MA in ED, and has her second Master of Science in Educational Administration from the University of Scranton. Holmes specializes in portraits, architecture and illustrations and her art is inspired by her feelings, ideas, and experiences, whether found in nature, the media, or in man-made structures. Holmes is also heavily influenced by the interests and suggestions of her students and says, “To see success through their eyes inspires me to be a better teacher and creator of art.”
For more information, visit www.HowToDrawCoolStuff.com and connect with the author on Facebook, Pinterest, and ThePaintedCanvas.net
