Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
With the Holiday Gift Guide here at The Classy Chics in full swing, I have a great instruction book for you to consider for the artist on your gift list, or perhaps even for yourself. Allow me to present Modern Colored Pencil: A Playful and …
Watercolor artists looking for a creative new way to express themselves need look no further than the soon-to-be-released book Colorways: Watercolor Animals by Shaunna Russell (Walter Foster Publishing, December 3, 2019). The subtitle says it all: Tips, Techniques, and Step-by-Step Lessons for Learning to Paint …
Do you have a budding artist on your gift list? Let me suggest a book they’re sure to enjoy, full of fun ideas for creating line drawings of people and anthropomorphic animals. It’s Draw 62 Characters and Make them Cute: Step-by-Step Drawing for Figures and Personality by Heegyum Kim (Quarry Books, November 2019).
* Complimentary book received for review. This post may contain affiliate links.
This book is not the usual drawing instruction book. In fact, the introduction is only one page of text, mostly devoted to ideas for getting you drawing rather than lessons on how to draw. Tips are scattered throughout the book to provide more ideas and suggestions for creating certain effects in your drawings. Other than that, you’ll simply find page after page of examples of all different types of characters, shown from the first outline of their faces to completed characters doing cute things.
Each of the 62 characters in the book is featured in a two-page spread. The first page gives step-by-step examples of how to create the character, starting with an outline of the face and ending with the character complete with clothing and accessories. The second page gives some ideas for how to bring the character to life, showing it in different poses and doing different things, sometimes with captions; this is the “make them cute” part, where you infuse the character with its own personality.
To give them even more personality, each of the characters has a name and an occupation or quirk, which serves as a jumping-off point for creating that character’s story. Take Jeff the Frog Chef, for example. Jeff’s first pose shows him in outline, wearing a chef’s hat and an apron, with his arms crossed. But as we get to know him, we see him posed with different kitchen tools, like a soup ladle, some spatulas, and a skillet. But he’s at his cutest in a side view, eyes closed, wearing his chef’s hat and apron, using oven mitts to carry an overflowing pot, and saying “Presenting the masterpiece!”
Some of the other characters include Yasmin the Yogi Kitty, Argo the Wandering Astronaut, Ephram the Elephant Plumber, Bianca the Baking Pig, Patty the Platypus, Granny Greta, and Lex the Lumber Jack. Once you get the hang of drawing all types of characters, you’ll be off and running, using your imagination to create your own characters (and yes, making them cute, too).
Draw 62 Characters and Make them Cute is part of the “Draw 62” series from Heegyum Kim and Quarry Books. If this book appeals to you, you might be interested in Shelly’s review of the first book in the series, Draw 62 Animals and Make Them Cute.
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!
Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win a copy of Draw 62 Characters and Make them Cute thanks to Quarry Books, an imprint of the Quarto Publishing Group.
Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on November 21st, 2019 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
Disclaimer: A. Bailey received a complimentary product for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ. Please read the blog’s terms of service policy before entering any giveaways. The Classy Chics are NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping of any items won from this blog. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, we may or may not make a small commission which helps to support this website. Thank you!!!
For over 40 years I’ve been dabbling in various arts and craft. I enjoy crafting as a way to reduce stress and as a creative outlet. Some of my favorite crafting mediums include: scrapbooking, cardmaking, basic decorative painting, coastal crafts, crochet, cross-stitch and working with …
Do you have a calligrapher or student of calligraphy on your gift list? If so, I have a new book to tell you about that will help them hone their skills, work on their technique, and foster their individuality. It’s called Mastering Modern Calligraphy, Beyond …
These days most of us lead very busy lives. Our schedules are jam-packed with work and activities from the time we wake-up until the time we fall into bed. It seems like there is never enough time in our day to complete everything that we want to get done. All of that hustle and bustle in our daily lives can lead to stress, depression and medical problems.
* Complimentary book received for review. This post contains affiliate links and is part of the 10th Annual Holiday Gift Guide.
A few years ago I jumped onto the adult coloring bandwagon after having surgery and a long recovery period. I was getting depressed and needed a creative outlet. Once I jumped into the adult coloring world I felt my spirits lift and my creativity re-emerge. It’s now a hobby that I enjoy on a regular basis to help me relax and to de-stress after a busy day.
Let me introduce you to a brand new adult coloring book titled Creative Haven Inspiring Proverbs by Jessica Mazurkiewicz and from Dover Publications. This book contains a collection of spiritual designs all printed on high-quality paper with one design per page (only on one side of the page). Each page is perforated along the edge for easy removal from the book.
Each illustration features a beautifully lettered scripture verse from the Book of Proverbs, surrounded by lovely frames of flowers, birds, and other prayerful designs. You can use colored pencils, markers, gel ink pens, glitter gel ink pens, crayons, paint pens, etc. to color them in. You’ll find 31 different designs.
Once you have completed a design you can frame it, laminate it, use it in your scrapbooking and paper craft projects, etc. I like to cut out elements from the design, laminate them and turn them into refrigerator magnets. I also like to cut the finished designs into strips, laminate them, punch a hole in the top, thread some ribbon through the hole and turn them into trendy bookmarks. You can do a lot with your finished designs!
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!
Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win the Creative Haven Inspiring Proverbs Coloring Book from Dover Publications. Good Luck.
Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on November 4th, 2019 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
Disclaimer: Shelly received a complimentary product as featured in this blog post. No monetary compensation was received. Shelly’s thoughts and words are 100% her own unbiased opinion on the company & products being featured today. The Two Classy Chics are not responsible for prize shipment or fulfillment. This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item through an affiliate link, we may receive a small commission which helps to support this site.
Remember those cut-out paper snowflakes you used to make in elementary school? Well, there’s a new book full of creative patterns for snowflakes that your grown-up self will love to make! Snowflakes: Creative Paper Cutouts for All Seasons by Cindy Higham (Gibbs Smith, September 2019) …
Have you always wanted to learn how to make balloon animals and shapes? You know, the kind you see clowns & other people make at birthday parties, state fairs, carnivals, etc. If so, you need the brand new book titled “The Big Book of Balloon …