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A Net in Time

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Art Series

Art Book: Hand Lettered Life

October 25, 2017 By Annette1 6 Comments

 Today I have a bit of a different book for you.  You know how sometimes I like to look at Adult Colouring Books?  Well today I have a new format of a ‘colouring book’ for you, called a Scratch and Create.  This one is called Hand Lettered Life and was put together by Shandra Smith.

art color scratch&create

This book is filled with 16 Scratch Board and 4 alphabet and ornament stencils to help you create your own quotes and colourful images.  In these pages, the colouring is done for you, all you need to do is create the colourful image.

To do so you have this handy dandy stylus to use.

Once you have your stylus in hand, you take your board (with perforated edge for ease of removal) and your stencils and then you basically scratch off the grey tile to reveal the bright colour underneath, using the stencil as a guide line.

I’ll show you what I worked at with one board.

I thought I’d try a couple of things to see how the stylus and board worked.  I punched out a dragonfly and thought I’d see how tracing goes, because sometimes you just want an outline of something, you know?  Tracing the solid stencil worked really well.  Easy to do with the pointed end of the stylus.

I found that using the outline stencil didn’t work as well.  I had to really push down on the edges of the outline to keep the lines smooth.  

It took some practice to figure out which end of the stylus was the best to use, and then how best to use it.  It’s a good thing they give four practice boards in the front of the book eh?   Very helpful that!

I learned that the colours on the outside of the board reflect the colours underneath the silver coating.  

I must warn you, keep a cloth handy to keep the silver coating from transfering to your clothes, it washes out easily, but if you are out at a gathering, you don’t need it on your nice clothes eh?

I can’t say I’m completely enamoured with how it all turned out, I don’t feel particularly creative to really make full use of this book. 

It also requires more attention to detail then what I am prone to give to any kind of art form.  Less forgiving of errors as well.  BUT overall I think for the right person this could be a stellar form of relaxation.  Sitting back and watching the colours come to life in front of you.

Hand-Lettered Life: design our own quotes with 16 scratch boards and 4 alphabet and ornament tiles
Shandra Smith
Series: Scratch & Create (four in series currently)
Rockport Publishers
24 pages
Colour, Stencil, Scratch, Art Book

Reviewed for: Quarto Group

Where Can I Find It?
Amazon.ca:  Hand-lettered Life.
Amazon.com:  Hand-lettered Life.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Filed Under: Art, Uncategorized Tagged With: Art, Art Books, Art Series, Book Review, Books for Adults, Books for Young Adults, Review

Art Book: Art Up Close

October 18, 2017 By Annette1 2 Comments

Wow! I really like this art book. It’s called Art Up Close. Despite the fact that it has no art to draw or to inspire, my lad even likes it! 

I have to tell you all the details about this marvellous book, and truly it is a GOOD book.


First off, there are over 20 different masterpieces featured, from ancient to modern times.

Each two page spread looks like this one.  A piece of art work surrounded by up to 12 circles which are parts of the painting blown up.  Your challenge is to find each of those circles.

 Each circle is designed to help you dig deeper into the art work, perhaps discovering things you weren’t aware of before.

When you find it, it’s always a good thing you know?

And don’t worry, if you can’t find it, you can always turn to the back of the book.  Where first you learn a bit more about the art work.

Then as you scroll pass this section you discover the answer (provided under a lift the flap).  It’s not good to cheat BUT it is good to be able to find the answer if you are truly stuck, don’t you think?

I appreciated the sheer variety in these pieces, from early Egyptian art through Arabic manuscripts, to the Aztecs and on to the early 19th century and ending with Jackson Pollock of 1952.    I can’t say that I liked all the art work, but I definitely learned more about it!   It was good to have details to pick out as it helped me to pick out other details as well as I searched the painting. 

Claire d’Harcourt achieved her purpose in helping students of art history learn more about these paintings and to pay attention to the details.

I think this book would be a great add-on to any student of art history, from homeschoolers adding an art credit, to older students wanting to understand more about our past.  Art is a good way to look back at where we are, and understand our fellow man all the more.

Art Up Close: From Ancient to Modern
Claire d’Harcourt
64 pages
ages 10+
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Type: Hardcover art book, oversized.

Reviewed for Raincoast books. 

Where can you find it?

Amazon.ca: Art Up Close: from Ancient to Modern.
Amazon.com: Art Up Close: From Ancient to Modern. 

 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Filed Under: Art, Uncategorized Tagged With: Art, Art Books, Art Series, Book Review, Books for Middle School, history, Resources, Review

Art Book: CatDoodles

October 11, 2017 By Annette1 4 Comments

Do you like cats? Do you like to doodle as a way to relax?
Well, let me tell you about this fun little book that crossed my desk today. Catdoodles. The Cat Loves Drawing book. 

Now mind me here.. if cats are TOTALLY not your thing, this is not the book for you.  BUT if you are like my boy and think cats are well… the cat’s meow.. then this book just might appeal to you as a doodler.  

 Okay so Masudo starts this book off with giving you some basic instructions on how to doodle cats.  🙂

As well as giving some instructions on how to use this book.

Then pages are simply provided for you to doodle on.  Some have tons of room to draw on.  Like for instance this one:

Whereas others, like my absolute favourite in the whole book, provide less room, but with small boxes that I just ache to fill in.  🙂

Some pages strike me as silly and actually caused my 12 year to snort when he saw it.  What Can I say… he just doesn’t see putting sweaters on a cat (at least that was how he pictured it).

All in all, it’s not a bad little book to fill in and just relax, letting your fretting ease away and you draw in the whimsy that is “the cat”.  And there are.. JUST SO MANY CATS!  

Happy cats, sad cats, tiny cats, big cats, black cats, white cats, even some colourful cats….just cats… cats.. cats.

Indulge your fancy.   And get Catdoodles.  🙂

 
Cat Doodles: the Cat Lovers Drawing Book
Akido Masudo
Type: Art/doodling
Publisher: Quarry Books
Pages: 64 pages
Softcover

Reviewed for Quarto Group. 

Where can you find it?
Amazon.ca: Cat Doodles.
Amazon.com:  Cat Doodles: The Cat Lovers Drawing Book.
 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Filed Under: Art, Uncategorized Tagged With: Art, Art Books, Art Series, Book Review, Review

Art Book: Kawaii Doodle Class

October 4, 2017 By Annette1 2 Comments

Kawaii Doodle Class is a fun softcover book, that was a pleasure to review.  This book is all about creating cute images from food, drink, nature, monsters, everyday items and more. Zainab Khan shows us how to give these items a cute outlook on life and faces with character. 

Zainab Khan takes items you find in everyday life (plus monsters) and turns them into cute creations in a step by step manner.

 Khan shows us the difference that changing line shape and colour means to the creations we build.

Page after page is filled with delightful creations to make your doodles into items of joy and stories waiting to be told.

Khan closes this book with some fun search and find puzzles.

These pages also give the author a chance to show case how all the doodles can fit together.  I look at them all and see how easily these creations could become characters in a story, just from drawing a few simple lines.  None of the lines in this book are overly complicated, anyone with a will to try can learn from this artist.   Simple lines and basic colours makes for fun, cute creations from anything you can find around you.
Kawaii Doodle Class: Sketching Super-cute tacos, sushi, clouds, flowers, monsters, cosmetics, and more.
Zainab Khan
Publisher: Race Point
Pages:
Age: Elementary and up
Type: Art

Reviewed for: Quarto Group

Where can you find it?
Amazon.ca: Kawaii Doodle Class.
Amazon.com:  Kawaii Doodle Class.
 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Filed Under: Art, Uncategorized Tagged With: Art, Art Books, Art Series, Book Review, Review

Art Book: It’s Great to Create

September 20, 2017 By Annette1 2 Comments

Jon Burgerman has created a really fun art book for us to use.  Coming up with 101 creative exercises for anyone to do as they play around doing art.

art create exercises

It’s Great to Create is not a very large book but it is very packed full of ideas.   From writing upside down, to creating self-portraits using household items, and so much more.

These ideas are divided into 

  • prompts for paper
  • prompts for objects
  • Prompts for indoors and outdoors

Along with various resources you can use.   In this section Mr. Burgerman talks about the items such as pens, pencils, paints, and brushes available as well as other items.  

Can you imagine making a poem using colour?  I want to try this with some 6-8 year olds and see what they come up with!  🙂

 Some of these ideas make me want to do a fun night of 10 minute art challenges with my home school group.   Can you… create with colour, can you do a self-portrait while blind folded, can you make a smudge animal, and so on and so forth.  Wouldn’t that just be a hoot?  Think quick, don’t worry on perfection, just do it!  Remove the fear from art and just have fun.

  
What do you think?   Doesn’t it look like a fun book?   I think so.  🙂

It’s Great to Create: 101 Fun Creative Exercises for Everyone
Jon Burgerman
Chronicle Books
Size: approximately 5 x 4
Age range: all ages
Type: art book
Pages: 224

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books. 

Where can you find it?
Amazon.ca: It’s Great to Create.
Amazon.com:  It’s Great to Create.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Filed Under: Art, Uncategorized Tagged With: Art, Art Books, Art Series, Book Review, Books for Adults, Books for Children, Books for Middle School, Books for Upper Elementary, Review, Series

Art Book:1 2 3, I Can Sculpt

September 6, 2017 By Annette1 2 Comments

 1,2,3, I Can Sculpt is colourful book geared to helping your young ones have fun creating sculptures.  The book starts off explaining what a sculpture is

“a piece of art that has more than one side to look at”.

Isn’t that just the most straight-forward definition of a sculpture that you have heard?


The next pages walk you through some items you can use for sculpting, egg cartons, aluminum foil, tape and more. 

Our path is led on by the question “How do you form the idea for a sculpture?”

For instance.. what can an egg carton make?  or how about a piece of paper? Can clay make a sculpture?  Before you know it, you’ll have seven ideas for sculptures you can make.. perhaps you might even come up with more.. all on your own!

I loved the big text, and the clear images, making it easy for anyone to help a younger child learn how to make a sculpture out of the various objects used throughout the book.

Try things out, see what you can make a sculpture out of! 

The book closes with a parent/teacher section, giving you ideas and vocab words to use with your children. 

It’s a nice beginner sculpting book, check it out eh?

1, 2, 3, I Can Sculpt!
Irene Luxbacher
series: starting art
Kids Can Press
24 pages
hardcover

Where can you find it?
Amazon.ca: 1, 2, 3 I Can Sculpt!
Amazon.com:  1, 2, 3, I Can Sculpt!

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Art, Art Books, Art Series, Books for Children, homeschool, Resources, Series

Art Book: Stick Sketch School

August 30, 2017 By Annette1 4 Comments

I want you to imagine that you have just taught your children about this amazing animal called the blob fish.  It comes out of Tasmania, and you asked your children to draw a picture of it and they give you a blank look… How can you help them draw this amazing fish?   Well, if you have the Stick Sketch School book it will be easy peasy.. just turn to page 86 and before you know it your children will have created a beautiful image of the blob fish.  🙂   Might be a sketch figure but it will be “beautiful” enough to colour in and create an underwater world.

Allow me now to introduce you to a wonderful book called “Stick Sketch School”

Stick Sketch School

This is a rather neat book that I see so much potential for in a homeschool situation (or even a lets just draw together at home).

There is such a variety of animals (real or imagined) such as frogs, tigers, bears, reindeer, spiders, flies, blob fish, whales and more

Each animal comes with a small introduction, along with where they are from.  They have fun introducing the animal.

stick sketch school

The rest of the page shows you different ways you can draw your stick figure animal.

Stick Sketch School: An Animal Artventure: Mastering the Art of Stick Figure Critters (Stick World)

Each animal is given a two page spread.
One to show how to draw it and give ideas.  The second to create a scene with your newly drawn animals.  Do you see how he has three sheep started?   Wouldn’t it be fun to draw them in and then add some little sheep frolicking about?

stick sketch school

I think this is a such a neat art book.  Animals, with their place in the world, an author with a sense of humour that shows various ways you can draw the same animal in a simple stick figure way.  Bring those critters to life eh?   

It could be such a fun addition to geography study, nature study or just a fun art class.  🙂   Use it as part of a co-op class!   Have fun, bring your stick figures to life, give them facial expressions and interesting poses. 
 

Stick Sketch School: An Animal Artventure: Mastering the Art of Stick Figure Critters (Stick World)

Stick Sketch School.  Mastering the art of stick figure critters.
Author/Artist: Billy Attinger
Author: Rachel Kochackis
Series:Stick Figures- An Animal Adventure
Softcover
Art Book

Reviewed for: Quarto Group

Where Can I Find It?
Amazon.ca: Stick Sketch School
Amazon.com: Stick Sketch School, an animal adventure

Linked up at the Virtual Fridge!

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Art, Art Books, Art Series, Books for Middle School, Books for Upper Elementary, homeschool, Review, Series

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