Learn
how to make simple flat shapes spring to life with this coloring
book with a difference. A few stokes of the pencil and a parrot
takes flight, a flying carpet takes off, a secret passageway
goes deep into the ground and a playful kitten breaks through
the paper to wave a paw.
As
a keen colorist I have quite a few coloring books so it is
good to find one that takes the basic idea and goes somewhere
new with it. The book opens with an explanation of how to
make a drawing look three dimensional by using the rules of
perspective to create an optical illusion. Learn how to use
color to show shadows, work out where the light is coming
from and finally cut out the right sections to enhance the
effect. It sounds complicated but it is simpler than you think,
and suitable for a beginner. All you need is a spectrum of
colored pencils, a good rubber and a few other basics that
most homes will have like a pencil sharpener, scissors or
craft knife and a ruler. No brand names are used and the picture
just shows a tin with a basic set of twenty-four colors; great
to know that you don’t need to splash out on the most
expensive professional quality pencils. Each of the twenty
projects has a page sized photograph of the completed image
plus nine steps with photographs of the work being done. There
is a key showing all the colors used (nothing unusual, just
basic shades without metallics) and the first picture uses
two colors to show where the shadows lie and where the light
source is coming from. At the back are all the projects printed
on one side of the smooth white card with a useful dotted
line where you can cut it out. Would that all coloring books
had these features! There are tips scattered throughout and
a guide showing how to photograph your work with your cellphone,
prior to posting it proudly online with a hashtag indicating
the source. This book, together with a tin of pencils would
make a lovely gift for somebody…if you can bear to part
with it! I’d love to see more innovative coloring books
like this, well done Zakka Workshop.
Inexpensive
but good quality colored pencils available from https://arteza.co.uk/
If
you cannot find a good range of coloring materials locally
try www.searchpress.com
for a list of suppliers.
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