How to Draw Cool Stuff by Catherine V. Holmes

How to Draw Cool Stuff: Holidays, Seasons and Events is a step-by-step drawing guide that illustrates popular celebrations, holidays and events for your drawing pleasure. From the Chinese New Year to April Fools' Day, Father's Day to Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Eve - this book covers over 100 fun days, holidays, seasons and events, and offers simple lessons that will teach you how to draw like a pro and get you in the spirit of whichever season it may be!

The Book Details:

Inside you will find specific exercises that offer step-by-step guidelines for drawing a variety of subjects. Each lesson starts with an easy-to-draw shape that will become the basic structure of the drawing. From there, each step adds elements to that structure, allowing the artist to build on their creation and make a more detailed image.

Each art project comes with a chart including information that the artist should be able to KNOW (facts, basic skills), UNDERSTAND (big ideas, concepts, essential questions), and therefore be able to DO (final assessment, performance, measurements of objectives) by the end of the lesson.

This additional information gives these pages more power than just 'art for art's sake' - not that you need it - because art is important enough on its own! Artists are learning about themselves as expressive souls through the process of creating beautiful and interesting work.

The best part is, this is stuff that artists want to draw.

Information for Teachers using this Book:

Teachers can feel confident that they are using instructional time in ways that make a difference for their students when using this guide. Each lesson includes easy-to-follow instruction where the whole process is viewed through a sequence of detailed illustrations that can be linked to historical connections, your curriculum learning standards or adapted into an arts integration lesson. You decide how intense to make each project.

The projects can be differentiated to respond to students' diverse learning styles through a mixture of visuals and text.

While I have no delusions that I will ever be a sought after artist, I enjoy dabbling in all media of art. I love this series of books!  They are written in the voice of a very supportive, encouraging and patient teacher.

From the opening discussion of why art is important to the entertaining and whimsical images I can only dream about attempting to recreate (in my own way,) this is a gentle instructional book that gives hope that artistic skills can be nurtured in anyone. While I may be more likely to sit back and enjoy a hot beverage in January than draw a cup or cake, I am willing to give the puzzle piece images a try. And with some success on the easier shapes, I could be persuaded to follow the instructions of "draw lightly" and make my drawings unique.   I will be working on drawing zodiac symbols and 3D numerals while I build my confidence.

A wonderful assortment of "special holidays" is included for each month.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:     

Catherine V. Holmes is an art/ELA teacher and visual artist from historical Plymouth, Massachusetts. She studied at Boston University and at Bridgewater State College where she earned her BFA and MA in ED. She is currently working towards her second Master's from the University of Scranton. Catherine Holmes specializes in portraits, architecture and illustrations. Her art is inspired by her feelings, ideas, and experiences, whether they are found in nature, the media or in man-made structures. Catherine is also heavily influenced by the interests and suggestions of her students. "To see success through their eyes inspires me to be a better teacher and creator of art."

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drawcoolstuff

Website: www.HowToDrawCoolStuff.com

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Cool-Stuff-Holidays/dp/0692661980

Series Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00UNEFTYU

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2016/06/book-blast-how-to-draw-cool-stuff.html