Anywhere, Anytime Art: Colored Pencil - Review

Anywhere, Anytime Art: Colored Pencil

By: Cara Hanley

Publication: May 1st 2018 by Walter Foster Publishing

128 pages

Genre: Non-fiction, Arts, Crafts

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--Anywhere, Anytime Art: Colored Pencil makes colored pencils approachable and accessible. The author’s contemporary art style takes a fresh approach to colored-pencil artwork, which can be dry and traditional-looking. Anywhere, Anytime Art: Colored Pencil presents colored-pencil drawing in a youthful way, focusing on urban and suburban scenes as well as subjects from daily life.

Learn basic drawing topics like tools, materials, drawing techniques, and color theory, and then dive into helpful tips, hacks, and techniques for creating art while out and about. Step-by-step projects covering a variety of subjects, from campers and cafes to cats and cityscapes, make drawing with colored pencils quick, easy, and fun for artists of all skill levels.

Learn to be spontaneous with your artwork, and expand your artistic horizons!

I really like colored pencils. I like the control and precision of being able to get color into a small space with the tip of the pencil. However, my least favorite thing about colored pencils is that they don't blend into each other. But I still enjoy this art medium and find myself pulling my colored pencils more frequently than almost anything else. So when I saw Anywhere, Anytime Art: Colored Pencil I was really looking forward to getting some tips and tricks that I didn't already have (because I'm seriously an amateur artist).

It didn't take me long before I began to question the credentials of the author of this book. I mean I hate to say that. My feelings toward this book strike up the saying that my mom used to say to me when I was a kid. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." But as a reviewer I need to give my thoughts on a book even if they are "negative." Perhaps the quality of the illustrations in this book is due to the author's "style". I mean she labels herself an illustrator and not a photo-realist. However, I really found myself thinking that I--even with my non-existent art training--could draw at least just as well as this author if not better in some instances. Others she definitely has me beat. Here, let me include a page from the section on drawing your pets to prove my point:

I mean seriously? How did this end up in a published book teaching art techniques? I'm sorry, but the illustration stands for itself. Like I said, I could do work that good. I mean maybe that's the point? To appeal to the amateur? Saying "hey, even you can do this?" But even if I don't yet want to review an art book that leaves me feeling like I could never achieve the results the book is trying to teach, I also really don't want to feel like I can already achieve what the book is trying to teach without even trying or learning something new. One of my biggest pet peeves was the lack of straight lines. I mean sometimes even seasoned and experienced artists just need to use a ruler. I continued reading simply because it was an easy and fast read.

As much as I hate to say all of this, Anywhere, Anytime Art: Colored Pencil was a real disappointment. For me, this book gets 2 Stars. Have you read Anywhere, Anytime Art: Colored Pencil? What did you think? Let me know!