A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Art Books

Art Series: Fantastic Planets

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I so much enjoy my colouring book Fantastic Collections so when I saw I could review Fantastic Planet I was delighted!  This book is part of a series produced by Chronicle books.    This review is part of an Art series is part of an on-going series of Art books reviewed for your pleasure and resource.    You can find more books here and here.

 Book Synopsis:
Bestselling author Steve McDonald uses his unique photo-based
illustration style to celebrate the fantastic places, flora, and fauna
of the natural world around us. Here are inspiring, fun-to-color images
of lush jungles, teeming reefs, desert landscapes, fruitful orchards,
sun-dappled forests, spectacular waterfalls, majestic trees, tulip
fields, animal migrations, and much more.

My thoughts:

This is a GREAT colouring book.. seriously.
Fantastic images to fill in, that take the whole page, not just part of it.
High quality paper and images…wow… the images. 

I found myself hard pressed to pick which images I wanted to share with you.

 Back to back pictures that fill the page so you have no wasted space.   In the crease of the book one can find a description of what the image is about.

For instance, these alligators are from The Florida Everglades.   Can you see how an image like this might be fun to add to a study on Florida or Alligators?

These books are meant for adults, but I’ve known young teens who have done a stellar job with them.   Just a simply delightful colouring book.   The detail and imagery is simply a delight to fill in, knowing that by the end I will have a picture of a real thing.  

My son loves the tangle of snakes he discovered, my hubby the wolves and the landscape scences, I have a friend I’d love to send the elephants to, if I could figure out how to get it to her undamaged.  🙂   Some of these images, I see them and think, wouldn’t that be nice to add to a study someone is doing on Africa, Indonesia, China and more?  A nice add on for science and geography eh?

So if you like colouring books, my advice is to get this book, You’ll enjoy it.  Draw nature, explore this planet that we live on, and take some time…just for you.  🙂

 
Fantastic Planet: A Coloring Book of Places Real and Imagined
 Steve McDonald
 Chronicle Books
11.48 x 11.87
60 pages

 Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

Art Series: 642 Things about Me.

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You know how art is about more than drawing, painting, cutting, gluing and making.  How art is also about words and how to use them beautifully?   Here is a book to encourage beauty in both of those formats for your young artists and writers.    642 things about me.

Chronicle Books has come out with another 642 things book!    This one is geared for the 8-12 year old writer and artist.    

As you can see there is plenty of space to write and to draw, sometimes to do both for the same topic.

Some of the things you might be asked to write about are:

  • something you collect
  • a cheer you could chant
  • describe what thunder sounds like
  • the music at the dentist office

Things to write and draw

  • an historical figure image, quote, question to ask
  • an artist that inspires, art work, a project you could do

Things you can draw:

  • treasure chest at the bottom of the ocean
  • colossal bike ramp
  • flag of your country
  • a valentine 
  • a merit badge for bravery

So many things to write, to draw.
So many things to see and to listen for.  Thoughts to consider, quotes that inspire.

Get this book into the hands of your young artist and watch them get busy being inspired to learn, draw, grow, and develop.  A good thing yes?

You can find my reviews on 
642 Big Things to Draw
642 Places to Draw.

If looking for the complete series of the 642 books visit Chronicle books.

642 Things About Me: Young Writer’s & Artist’s Edition
Chronicle Books
7.5 x 8.95 
304 pages
Ages 8-12

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

 

Art Series: Earth-Space Coloring Book

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 Imagine a book where you could combine a love of learning, with a love of colouring.   Right now my son is big into astronomy…he’s having fun doing experiments, reading and listening, watching youtube videos…and now he can see pictures of what he is learning about in a softcover colouring book AND if he were so inclined…try to replicate what he sees.

Allow me to introduce to you a  new colouring book.   Earth-Space.  This lovely book is put together by Chronicle Books.

This book is beautiful.   The images of space that are photographs taken from the Archives of NASA.  They are breathtakingly beautiful.

Each picture is labelled so we know just what we are looking at.   We see earth from space, corona australis, the orion nebula, stellar snowflake cluster and so much more.

Some of the images are so close you could almost reach out and touch them, while others really point out the grandeur of God to me…that he could make something so interesting to look at, like the Caterpillar of dust and gas.

Each page opens into two page, the first page of the natural phenomena, the second with it broken down into simple lines.   This breaks the natural beauty seem more attainable to colour.  I have to admit though, I felt intimidated by the idea of trying to replicate the variety of colours presented.  BUT since each image is broken down simple lines, it is easier diverge… take for instance the image of rings of Saturn seen below…the colouring page does not depict ALL the rings, so you can use the colours you have at hand, or if desired…you could completely change it up.  It’s a colouring book… do what you want eh?

As you can see, each colouring page is done with simple lines.  Allowing each area to be coloured in sections, or swirls or whatever you wish.   These lines give you connecting points to the real picture so you can build off that.

Just a fascinating colouring book, that at first (to me looked intimidating) but as I continued to look through and think about it, I just found it fascinating as it’s different then other colouring books, it’s more free form with the lines just providing a grounding to base one’s work off of.  Mix colours, don’t be constrained by lines, and just have fun recreating.

I can EASILY see this being used in an astronomy class with students as well.  Even just to look at the pictures to show the beauty that can be found in the galaxy above us.  🙂


Earth Space Coloring book: Photographs from the Archives of NASA.

Published by Chronicle Books.
Pages: 80
Size 8.63 x 11

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

Art Series: The Painting-In Book

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Today I have a NEAT book.  It’s  one of those use it up type books, but could easily, be adapted for a classroom setting.

It’s called the Painting-In Book, it’s written by Anna Rumsby, and it is just a fun book… meant to teach young children about paint and how to use it.

Book Synopsis: 
Can you give the gorilla a jungle to hide in? Can you create some
honeycomb for the bees? And can you mix up some delicious flavors of ice
cream?

Create paint masterpieces with nothing more than your
poster paints and Anna Rumsby’s entertaining activity pages. A great big
book of painting fun!

Also contains an introduction to mixing colors and simple, easy-to-copy painting techniques. 

My thoughts:
This is such a neat little book.  64 pages filled with one sided sheets to help young children express themselves with paint, learning to mix colours, and use differing paint techniques.

Can you give a dog some long hair?

Can you help this boy have fun with the elephant?

The instructions on each page are written clearly and simply.
I am not sure if it is the copy that I received, but the pages pull out very easily.  This makes it easy to pull individual pages out in order to let your little artist create, and later display.

Recommendation:
If you have young children, and want to let them show their artistic side and learn a few things while doing so, this book will work for you.   If you KNOW someone with young children this would make a great gift, along with some washable paints.

The Painting-In Book: 30 Paint and Play Activities
By: Anna Rumsby
Pages: 64
Geared for ages 3-5
Published by: Laurence King
Size: 14.56 x 10.29
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

Amazon.ca: The Painting-In Book: 30 Paint and Play Activities

Amazon.com: The Painting-In Book: 30 Paint and Play Activities

I Linked up at the Virtual Fridge this week. Good place to go to for Art Inspiration!

Art Series: The Art of Cursive Logic

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 I almost forgot to do a post this week!   Can you believe it?

And a good reminder came in the mail today…. sample pages from Cursive Logic’s new book.  Guess what they have created?   It’s a colouring book for adults!   

 This book is actually in final production stages so I can’t tell you what the actual book will be like but I can tell you this.

They have mentioned to me how the final product will be made on paper superior to what they are sending as samples…and boy.. that will be REALLY nice paper since what they sent is very solid, great paper that won’t leak through, printed only on one side, and just a gorgeous paper for a colouring book.

This book is very much geared to teen-adult learners rather than children, as seen from the fine details found on this page. 

Let me tell you what I like about this book.

  1. It all ties together.  If you are wanting to improve your cursive abilities or simply want to learn how to do cursive, wouldn’t it be lovely to practice those skills and make some lovely art at the same time?
  2. It’s a colouring book and the images are beautiful, the learning the cursive movements is tied into the art work seamlessly.
  3. Quotes that appeal and give me something to think on.

    4. Cursive Logic instruction is not forgotten in the desire to create a gorgeous book.

    You will find the same shapes and movements of the teaching pages contained within the colouring pages.  It’s actually quite well done.

 I really really wish I could convey the beauty of the paper… it is SO nice and very solid.   It would be great for using any kind of medium to fill in the pictures.  Though I have to admit, I wish they could have included a sample of each of the kinds of paper they are thinking of using so I could have judged them.  🙂

Anyways, if you like colouring… get this book.  If you want to improve your cursive.. get this book.   Either one…you’ll improve a skill and have a good time doing it eh?

 The information from Cursive Logic:

  • like to print on
    thick, art paper
  • with perforated edges for ease of coloring and for display
  • they are doing a kickstarter campaign which you can find here:  bit.ly/2taclrc It’s a great way to support a cool book and get interesting product in return.  🙂
 I received unbound lesson pages and four sample pages in exchange for this review.

Art Series: Zentangle – anything is possible one stroke at a time

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Zentangles…I had never heard that term before until I received this book.   The cover made me think of the colouring books that I enjoy doing.   I always thought those were called mandalas though, which of course led me to research that idea.

A mandala is a piece of art made in a circle. Mandala means “circle” in Sanskrit.   In Buddhist and Hindu faith systems they have spiritual significance.  Outside those circles they are just circular drawings that can used to help you relax.

A zentangle is any design made from repetitive patterns.  Does not have to be in a circle shape.

There are some people who use the words interchangeably, but mandalas are supposed to circular, zentangles can be anything.

Good to know eh?

Anyways, all that to tell you about this book I have in my hands here.  Zentangle: the inspiring and mindful drawing workbook.  This workbook has over 70 practice tiles to play around with.  It has been put together by Jane Marbaix.

Zentangles are a way of doodling, it’s making a variety of shapes and designs on purpose.  Mostly done to fill in a space, but sometimes they just become an art form.

What I thoroughly appreciate about this book as it walks you through right from the beginning how to doodle with purpose.   It always amazes me when I see doodles come to life.   Take for instance this video.  Simple lines and shapes, but suddenly they become something.

Just fascinating to me.

Ms. Marbaix provides the space right in the book to practice the techniques that she shows the reader how to do.

She starts with the very basics, how to make the most basic of doodles and what they are called.   Doodles like tipples, crescent moon, static, zander, poke root, hollibaugh and msst.   We then proceed to the use of string and more advanced doodles.

Each step leads to more advanced techniques.

Before you know you it you’ll be filling in shapes and making rubber stamps and all sorts of interesting items.

A whole world is waiting to be drawn and doodled.

Chapters are:

  1. What is a Zentangle?
  2. First Steps
  3. Zentangle Inspired Art
  4. Tanglenhancers
  5. Zentangle Friends
  6. Tangling Fun
  7. Using Stencils
  8. Zendalas
  9. Shapes
  10. Letters and Numbers
  11. Rubber Stamping
  12. Kids Time
  13. Directory of Tangles

 I really like the lay out and the sheer amount of technique in this book.   I like to doodle, but would never call myself an artist.  I love art, but the know-how is often lacking.  If I were to work through all the lessons in this book, I would be able to make my own zentangles.   Perhaps then I could call myself a zentangle artist.  🙂

Of course as I go through this book I keep thinking to myself… wouldn’t this be fun to do with a group of interested youth?   The lessons in the book are straight-forward, they could all bring lots of paper to practice on, ideas to spur each other to doing their doodle drawings better, and can you imagine the lovely zentangles they could come up with?    To have fun deciding which of the more complicated designs they might wish to learn.

 Each of these more complicated designs comes complete with a green box describing it’s name and what the pattern is.  I just love how this book starts with easy and gradually works it way up to tougher designs to create. 

This is a great book to learn the how and wherefore’s of doing good doodling as you learn to draw zentangles.  Well-written, with lots of information and examples to draw from.  Inspiration awaits!

Use it to relax, to focus your mind, to release your creative talent, to refine your doodling abilities and more.   It’s a great book to learn from, check it out today, really.

 Zentangles: the inspiring and mindful drawing workbook with over 70 practice tiles.
Author: Jane Marbaix
Publisher: Thunder Bay Press
size: 9.11 x 10.72
  176 pages

Art Book Series: Beatrix Potter

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I talked about this gorgeous art book early in December last year.   I just LOVED reviewing this book and find it an absolutely wonderful book that tells us all about Beatrix Potter. 

This lovely book was filled with a mirade of information about Miss Potter, from childhood through to accomplished artist.   It followed her initial interest and her love of her country cottage, the progression of her “little books for little hands”, and multiple of places her art took her.  
Five main chapters:
1. Becoming Beatrix Potter
2. London and the South Coast
3. Scotland
4. The Lake District
5. Wales and Beyond
I freely admit that I was captivated by her pictures of the mushrooms, just totally loved them!

Aren’t they well done?

Equally well done is all the other art that you will find hidden within the pages of this 256 page book, each picture coming with a story of the inspiration behind it and more.   The engaging style of writing taught me so much about Miss Potter.

If you would like to know more of the story behind Beatrix Potter, her books and her wonderful art, this book will do it for you completely 

Amazon.ca
Amazon.com