Review by Kirkus Book Review
A beautiful and practical how-to guide that gives young artists the tools and instruction they need to begin drawing about their lives. This cheerfully illustrated volume helps readers develop a daily practice of drawing and reflecting. Created by a professional artist, this book draws on an essential truth about developing artistic discipline: Both inspiration and concrete instruction are required. Chapters are punctuated with space for hands-on exploration of lessons, and the book concludes with blank pages for readers' own journaling. Baker covers pragmatic aspects of drawing, including why, what, and how to draw; an overview of materials; and targeted lessons about line, composition, color, ink techniques, light and shadow, and the proportions of the human body, among other subjects. She carefully and sensitively addresses the topic of children's anxiety about the quality of their art; a beautifully illustrated sketchbook such as this will be inspiring to some but may be daunting to others. The section on blind contour drawing is particularly useful here, and this is where the book shines. Rather than merely providing vague inspiration, Baker actually tells readers how to draw, starting with the basics of making marks on a page. Drawing challenges present fun twists on the skills being taught and help readers tie together the skill sets into larger projects. The children shown in the book are racially diverse. A thoughtful and visually striking handbook for anyone interested in cultivating their creative side. (Nonfiction. 8-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
