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Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals: A Mixed-Media Workshop with Carla Sonheim
Rediscover a more child-like approach to creating with Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals ! Through fun and creative exercises, Carla Sonheim teaches you to draw a variety of fun animals and creatures, Dogs - Birds - Elephants - Fish - Cats - Rabbits - Fluffalumps - and many others!You'll also find a variety of unique mixed-media techniques to help you bring your creatures to life, resulting in a unique finished art piece. Improve your drawing skills, expand your creativity, and learn new art techniques--and have loads of fun doing it!--with Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals .
145 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
28 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 20, 2015
The finished picture:
The blob I started with:
________________________________________
I am always saying I find it too difficult to draw, and I can't find inspiration. My flickr friend and brilliant cartoonist - Duck Parade Comics - is wonderfully supportive. He suggested that I looked at this book...so I went out and got it.
Basically Sonheim starts off her imaginary animals by drawing or photographing things like spills, blobs, cracks and other random shapes...and from these she makes her animals, adding more and more details - like penwork, shading and textures - as she goes along. Here is an example of one of her tutorials...
www.carlasonheim.com/red-bull-tutorial/
There is something here for everyone - watercolour, pencils, acrylics on wood, collages, eraser drawing, watercolour transfers, charcoal - and so it goes on. She even makes knotted material and wire animals. She's incredibly liberal and slapdash in her approach (and I mean that in a good way). All the exercises she suggests are wonderfully freeing. Especially good for overly punctilious pencil-clenchers like myself.
Interestingly the one thing she didn't mention was Photoshop - and that is my favourite tool - so whilst I drew a lot of the above pic using pencil, biro and coloured pencils - I also spent quite a lot of time finishing it off in Photoshop.
If you are wanting to draw or paint and don't know where to start - this book is fabulous.
(Quote on the drawing came from Lemony Snicket)
The blob I started with:
________________________________________
I am always saying I find it too difficult to draw, and I can't find inspiration. My flickr friend and brilliant cartoonist - Duck Parade Comics - is wonderfully supportive. He suggested that I looked at this book...so I went out and got it.
Basically Sonheim starts off her imaginary animals by drawing or photographing things like spills, blobs, cracks and other random shapes...and from these she makes her animals, adding more and more details - like penwork, shading and textures - as she goes along. Here is an example of one of her tutorials...
www.carlasonheim.com/red-bull-tutorial/
There is something here for everyone - watercolour, pencils, acrylics on wood, collages, eraser drawing, watercolour transfers, charcoal - and so it goes on. She even makes knotted material and wire animals. She's incredibly liberal and slapdash in her approach (and I mean that in a good way). All the exercises she suggests are wonderfully freeing. Especially good for overly punctilious pencil-clenchers like myself.
Interestingly the one thing she didn't mention was Photoshop - and that is my favourite tool - so whilst I drew a lot of the above pic using pencil, biro and coloured pencils - I also spent quite a lot of time finishing it off in Photoshop.
If you are wanting to draw or paint and don't know where to start - this book is fabulous.
(Quote on the drawing came from Lemony Snicket)
July 17, 2021
Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals: A Mixed-Media Workshop with Carla Sonheim
by Carla Sonheim
This is a delightful book with terrific and fun ways to make cute critters using various media. The lessons are fun and crazy! Such as looking at a blob or sidewalk crack and find a creature in it. Everyone will see something different. There is so many things to do in here to really open up the creative juices.
I gave it a 4 star rating until I started playing with it then realized how the lessons really were helping. I am now giving it a 5 star after experiencing some of the fun!
Good for family or individual!
by Carla Sonheim
This is a delightful book with terrific and fun ways to make cute critters using various media. The lessons are fun and crazy! Such as looking at a blob or sidewalk crack and find a creature in it. Everyone will see something different. There is so many things to do in here to really open up the creative juices.
I gave it a 4 star rating until I started playing with it then realized how the lessons really were helping. I am now giving it a 5 star after experiencing some of the fun!
Good for family or individual!
July 14, 2014
I quite enjoyed this book even though I don't do this sort of art at all (although I do enjoy imagining shapes in things) and will probably never even try most of the ideas or peojects in it. Blobby animals usually aren't my thing but I really liked Sonheim's; they have so much personality! I love their suspicious glares. The artist's tone was really great, too. She came across as friendly and reassuring without being patronizing. She seems like she would be a great person to hang out with, especially if you have a store of amusing pet anecdotes to swap.
February 11, 2013
I loved this book! I have Carla's Drawing lab book (which is also fantastic), and so when I saw this was published I was a little hesitant. I am not overly into animals, or drawing them, and I didn't want a double-up of information. So I was on the sideline, waiting.
Then a little while ago I was doing a search for something at my local library and I saw they had this. So I got a bit excited, and added my name to the waiting list.
Finally it was my turn, and this is so much more than I expected.
The first section of the book has drawing exercises and ideas for your sketchbook in developing existing animals and imaginary ones. I love that the animals Carla creates are quirky and have character. Very illustratory, which I adore. I love Carla's work, and this was a delight to look through. I was also really inspired by some of the contributing artists and work they had done. And I found a sketchbook I was going to use as a collage journal for this year but I was so inspired I actually co-opted it for some animal sketches and working through the exercises. She also does the most amazing eraser drawings, while mine look quite rubbish, I think she may have magical supplies.
The second section is a series of ten projects where you can utilise some of the work from the first section and take it further. They are step by step, but are couched in such broad terms so you can take these any direction. There were some projects I was so excited about I have already partially started four of the projects. She has a stunning junk mail journal and I have made 4 (!!) which I truly love. The pages sit flat, and I love the way of binding, once I got the hang of it. I am also now desperate to locate some transfer paper, despite my self-imposed ban of not buying any art supplies this year! :)
The last section of the book is the artist's gallery. Where you see some different works by different artists, and hear about their process.
This was a library book, but I love it so much and am now so loathe to return it, that I am going to have to purchase my own copy.
I like everything about the book. I like the instructions and the photos. The paper quality is good when you are holding it in your hand, it is a nice size. I just love it.
Also Carla's author photo may be the best I have ever seen. I normally only quickly glance at them, but I have gone back to that photo. She looks so filled with light and joy. It is a magical photo.
I recommend this for everybody. Carla's drawing is incredible and her use of watercolour especially captures me. So loose and magical. I love this book.
Then a little while ago I was doing a search for something at my local library and I saw they had this. So I got a bit excited, and added my name to the waiting list.
Finally it was my turn, and this is so much more than I expected.
The first section of the book has drawing exercises and ideas for your sketchbook in developing existing animals and imaginary ones. I love that the animals Carla creates are quirky and have character. Very illustratory, which I adore. I love Carla's work, and this was a delight to look through. I was also really inspired by some of the contributing artists and work they had done. And I found a sketchbook I was going to use as a collage journal for this year but I was so inspired I actually co-opted it for some animal sketches and working through the exercises. She also does the most amazing eraser drawings, while mine look quite rubbish, I think she may have magical supplies.
The second section is a series of ten projects where you can utilise some of the work from the first section and take it further. They are step by step, but are couched in such broad terms so you can take these any direction. There were some projects I was so excited about I have already partially started four of the projects. She has a stunning junk mail journal and I have made 4 (!!) which I truly love. The pages sit flat, and I love the way of binding, once I got the hang of it. I am also now desperate to locate some transfer paper, despite my self-imposed ban of not buying any art supplies this year! :)
The last section of the book is the artist's gallery. Where you see some different works by different artists, and hear about their process.
This was a library book, but I love it so much and am now so loathe to return it, that I am going to have to purchase my own copy.
I like everything about the book. I like the instructions and the photos. The paper quality is good when you are holding it in your hand, it is a nice size. I just love it.
Also Carla's author photo may be the best I have ever seen. I normally only quickly glance at them, but I have gone back to that photo. She looks so filled with light and joy. It is a magical photo.
I recommend this for everybody. Carla's drawing is incredible and her use of watercolour especially captures me. So loose and magical. I love this book.
February 27, 2014
I borrowed this book from the library. It is very fortunate for us to find some of good illustration books at our public library in Singapore. I like this book, tough I am not really into this style of drawing. Carla showed us her creative process in the book, where she can just go out there and observe things around her and sketch them. It could be a crack on the wall, spot of water on the road, coffee spill etc. She just sketched the shapes first and revisit them again and change that shape into different types of animal forms. I love her technique of drawing and merging colors using water colors. Her colors selections are very sweet. It's a good book to explore if we want to learn different technique of creative drawing.
November 4, 2020
So, it’s more of a 3.5 than a 4, and only if you choose to ignore that all you can see are ANIMALS in blobs and cracks... instead of say people or robots or plants or whatever you want really... but there are some quaint ideas and projects to get your creative juices started and push you out of your box of comfort and predictable imagery. Also- I appreciated that the author/artist did not sound pretentious. It was a light and pleasant read. Will definitely try some of the proposed exercises too.
October 23, 2017
I bought this book on Amazon. I wish I would have waited and looked through it at a bookstore first. The description and reviews made it sound great, but the exercises in the book were a waste of time. I think they might be fun and good practice for an elementary aged student but not for an adult with any experience as an artist.
February 6, 2017
This is a super-fun book that doesn't confine you to material or technique or even expectation. It presents ways to kickstart creativity in a judgment-free way.
November 8, 2020
Kind of cute?
February 18, 2017
It does what is advertised. My work papers are covered in blobs.
March 24, 2013
Same as for her other book on my shelf: Some fun ideas, but the book is very thin on content. Her own art is much more fun than the prompts she writes. I think I would have gotten more by looking at a full book of the author's art. After all, it was her whimsical art that drew me to her books in the first place.
I should have know not to buy a second book. But again, I got sucked in by the whimsy in her own art.
I should have know not to buy a second book. But again, I got sucked in by the whimsy in her own art.
February 15, 2013
I love this book, mostly for the cool prompts. My uninitiated art-world family HATE the drawings, but I like them and they fit the style of the book. This is fun. I don't think it is quite as good as Art Lab, but it is right up there. :-)
December 18, 2013
I will probably never draw or paint in this style. But I found it freeing for my sculpting to try adopting similar methods for a few exercises. Ended up with a cute little smudge of a dragon. Well worth flipping through if nothing else.
September 21, 2014
This is my go-to book for inspiration!
Carla Sonheim provides various projects and ideas for artists that want a new way to perceive animals.
The illustrations in the book are fantastic! The layout of the book is very inviting.
Great book overall.
Carla Sonheim provides various projects and ideas for artists that want a new way to perceive animals.
The illustrations in the book are fantastic! The layout of the book is very inviting.
Great book overall.
September 23, 2014
I am not a fan of cutesy animals, but do like the whimsical quality of the author's art. This book has projects using various techniques and materials to help you to draw and paint animals that might have gone gone extinct due to natural selection processes.
January 29, 2015
I've marked this book as finished but really I've just read the words. I'm looking forward to trying some of the creative prompts and drawing exercises. This seems to suit my kind of doodling and will help ease my transition away from writing while still letting me explore creatively.
January 10, 2018
Great book for warming up creatively. I used this book each morning to work on creating these little characters, it helps take the pressure off trying to create the perfect this and that right out of the artistic gate each morning. Fun book.
October 23, 2012
LOVED this one - such creative and inspiring ideas and prompts for journalers at every level. And the book was just plain FUN to work through, too!! Another keeper from Carla Sonheim!
April 20, 2013
A fun little book to loosen up your art and creativity.
March 5, 2013
Very interesting and fun. Has lots of ideas for stiimulating creativity and for reinvigurating a rusty artistic mind.
September 23, 2013
Love all the ideas in this book! Wonderful ways to jump-start your creativity!
October 7, 2014
This was not what I was expecting at all!
December 30, 2014
Excellent book on working from your imagination. Really enjoyed the demos and lessons. I have to do more of these in my sketchbooks.
July 19, 2015
Loved the book!
April 1, 2015
Sonheim shares her creative techniques for artistic doodling. Cute, but not essential.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews