15 minute Drawing by Heinke Nied

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
 We've probably all looked at a simple line drawing or abstract painting and thought, "I could do that!" But when you try, it isn't as simple as you thought.

This book gives step by step instruction for looking, seeing, and making marks. You'll be amazed at what you create - with this DIY handbook.

Takes drawing to the next level for beginner and intermediate artists.

Housesketching by Albert Kiefer

 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Can you bring the personality of a house to life on the page? I bet you can after you study this delightful book by Kiefer. 

It's more than caricature, more than cartoon. The step-by-step instructions and projects will show you how to create lively sketches of places in which you and others live.

I like this book as a traveler who sees homes and offices that are unique to their country or special in construction. Until now,  I haven't known how to capture that essence. 

Whether you're an experienced artist exploring a new genre, whether you're an observer or tourist, or whether you're a new artist, have fun with this one.

Mini Plein Air Painting by Remington Robinson

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
What if someone showed you how to capture a moment in a tiny box, standing or sitting right where you are? 

Robinson is TikTok famous for little sketches of life around him. You'll be charmed and challenged by his process in this volume. Enjoy it, whether you have never held a paintbrush or you're expanding your repertoire of possibilities.

Start Here: Draw by Moira Clinch

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Beginner? Here's a book of total FUN! If you copy Clinch's illustrations and instructions, you're on the way to illustrating buildings, animals, and anything else you see.

It's the most basic "how to sketch what you see" or imagine. Good pictures, informative text. 

Very helpful if you're teaching or leading and want to put more than a stick-figure on the board, too.

Oxford by Matthew Rice

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
What fun! If you've visited Oxford or lived there for a season, you'll love this book of paintings and information. Or, if you're a tourist and ready to explore the treasures of the city, pick up a copy.

It's a unique look at the architecture and history of a beautiful part of England. Combined art and words have always been part of this university town - enjoy a fresh look. 

Even the Least of These by Anita Skeen

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
The poems and prints are so beautiful that I seek out a bigger screen. I want to read and see beyond my phone's limits.

When your attention is becoming unfocused or blurring by overload, grab a copy - it will help you to see what is right in front of you: food, laundry, work, nature, and more. You'll be surprised how the word and prints bring you back to yourself when you need a breather.

Recommended for artists, poetry lovers, and those going blind and tone-deaf to the beauty of this world.

Creative Resilience by Erica Ginsberg

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
Artists are prone to ups and down. It doesn't matter if you're in dance, or writing, or painting, or music ... you name it (and there are many more ways to express the world). There are many books on managing finances and studios, collaborations, and networks. 

Ginsberg focuses on keeping your heart beating - or restoring your resilience if you've burned out. How do you get back in the groove and do what you're designed to love? Here are practical tips on motivation, organization, accountability, and confidence, whether you're in a season or success, waiting, or failure. You'll like the creative check-ins at the end of each chapter, too.

Recommended for all creatives. Before, during, or after your inevitable artistic crash.

Watercolor Your Way by Sarah Cray

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 
A fresh look at the art and craft of paint and water on the page. You probably won't win awards by using this manual, willed with beautiful illustrations. And you may not become world-famous with the kind of watercolor demonstrated.

But you will enjoy the process of creating beauty from what you see around you, regardless of the level of skill with which you begin. I recommend it for beginners and middle-skill levels.

Open it at your kitchen table or at your desk - and enjoy making something pretty with a light touch, a deft hand, and new tools.

Cray has a lot of followers so check her out on FB, IG, YouTube, etc.

The Art of Seeing Truth by Jan Murphy

 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
A whodunnit with artists and art and competitions and judging ... and a whole lot more information for those who do and don't know the art world. 

It's the story of unforeseen consequences of curiosity and painting and withdrawal into the secret life of an artist. It takes so little to fall from favor, to be blacklisted. And it takes courage and luck and pluck to get back on your feet to succeed and be wanted again.

Recommended if you like mysteries with the quirks and whirls of the art world thrown in.

Learn to Draw in 5 Weeks: A Beginner's Workbook for All Ages by KRITZELPIXEL

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

If you're willing to put in the time, you'll have drawing basics at the end of five weeks! (Check the date is 5 weeks from today?) 

Pixel starts with materials and how an artist thinks - "How do you draw a line? swiftly and deliberately. Move you arm from ...." She moves the reader to more and move complex shapes through warmups and assignments and practice sheets. She guides the reader  through the foundations of drawing what you see and imagine. 

Recommended for the next 5 weeks.

The Urban Sketching Handbook Color First, Ink Later by Mike Yoshiaki Daikubara

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. An interesting new way of looking at and recording your surroundings - blocking in impressions before adding details. Great illustrations, step-by-step techniques, and ideas galore. Worth a place on your shelf and table before you head out the door to sketch your surroundings.

Creative Portraits in Watercolor by Ana Santos

 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

Wow - creative indeed. I enjoyed it. Santos covers the basics if you need help in selecting watercolor supplies, identifying face shapes, and outlining your portrait. However, the color combinations, choosing identifying features, and making a portrait your own are unique and helpful.

The illustrations are clear, the text interesting, and the process is informative. One to add to your library as a beginner or more advanced watercolorist. 

The Art of the Line in Drawing: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Simple, Expressive Drawings by Frederic Forest

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

This short DIY art manual gives you clear instructions on using lines to sketch, suggest, and express your intentions. The book ranges from setting up your workshop and supplies to step-by-step photos that are easy to follow.

A practical course in a book - and an easy, doable one at that. Pick it up, whether you're improving your drawing or teaching others the basics. Recommended.

Creative Wanderlust: Unlock Your Artistic Potential Through Mixed-Media Art Journaling Techniques by Kasia Avery

 

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review. 

I'm not sure there's a lot of new information here, but for creatives, the photos and clear summary of the trends in art and junk journaling are valuable. For newbies, it's a treasure trove.

The layout is easy to read, the photos are excellent (lots to copy and learn), and the page spreads make it simple to follow along. The tips are excellent and will save you lots of fussing around. 

This would be great for a crafters or art-supply shop class text in art journaling. Junk journals would have a blast, too.

I'm thinking of buying it for an artsy book group. It would suit as a manual for a weekly/monthly "friends-night-out-with-art-supplies". We'd each get a copy and finish a chapter at a time, working on the assignments between.

Get your own copy if you like to record senses, feelings, or observations around you by interpreting the world in new ways.

Easy Drawing Simple: step-by-step lessons for learning to draw in more than just pencil by Chelsea Ward

 

★★★ ☐☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

A great manual for beginners who want to move beyond their usually face sketch or "3-leaves-and-no-more". This easy to use book will have you drawing nature shapes, animals, and humans in no time. Recommended for those who draw without perspective or understanding. 

Included are ways to save or frame your work, trendy projects, and just plain fun on a page or canvas. Here you go - put this one within easy reach of your sketchbook.

Color in Reverse: Watercolor Florals by Heinke Nied

 

★★★ ☐☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.

Want to make simple floral patterns in a journal, book, or card? This DIY watercolor manual will give you a fresh start. Learn to use color, brushes, and shapes that convince the eye of flowers.

This is a book you will pull off the shelf when you want ideas, need inspiration, or get stuck.

Simple, pretty, and useful, it's worth adding to your watercolor or scrapbooking library.

301 Things to Draw by Editors of Chartwell Books

 

★★★★★ The publisher provided a copy for review 

Ok, this one is pure fun! and it proves that simplify can be the most powerful. Pages and pages of prompts - the interior is as plain as the exterior, waiting for your creativity. I can't resist showing you one of its 200 pages. Some prompts have a single page, while others share a page.

This book makes me want to pull out all my art supplies and have a great time playing.

You don't have to do these in order. Skip around and see what inspires you. However, in a year's time, if you use one prompt each weekday and skip weekends, you'll have a notebook of inspiration and doodles and painting and drawing and .... well, creativity. 

You could also use these prompts for writing a paragraph, sending a postcard to someone, etc. Use them as food for your creative brain. Highly recommended for those who want to journal something each day.  Buy a copy as a birthday present to yourself or an artsy friend.

Block Print for Beginners by Elise Young

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review

If you've ever wondered about making your own stamps or blocks, want to put color on fabric or paper, or just want to explore a new craft, you'll enjoy this beginner manual. Young makes it simple with clear instructions, options to customize your work, and drawings. 

Have fun! This is definitely one for my artsy friends to try.

Drawing the Head for Artists by Oliver Sin

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
So what's in a face? A whole life is apparent to those who watch our factly and expressions closely. This book will help you observe, focus, and express your observations through drawing and portraiture.

You'll enjoy capturing those you love - as well as those you snap in a photo. Take your art to a whole new level - whether drawing or other mediums are your preferred means of mark-making.

Recommended.

101 More Mixed Media Techniques by Cherril Doty, Heather Greenwood, Monica Moody, Marsh Scott

★★★★ ☐ The publisher has provided a copy for review.
I want to try some of these. Nope - I want to play with most of them. This art DIY volume will bump up your mixed media "I wanna" and your creative "I can do it."

The book offers bright cheer as well as information. You'll look at your tools, your page, and your creative goals in a fresh way. Enjoy this exploration of craft and art - you might even want to take it along on the next girls-night-out and plan an art date with your friends.

Recommended