Drawing (Hands on arts and crafts)

Gr. 4-8. These beginning instructional guides in the Mastering Art series fit a surprising amount of information into their slim formats. Both titles introduce basic materials, color theory, and techniques on achieving different qualities with lines and strokes, light and shadow, texture, and perspective. Painting explores ideas of composition in greater detail, while Drawing delves deeper into the human face and form, at rest and in motion. Some concepts, such as linear perspective, aren't explained clearly or in enough detail, and the author doesn't include safety cautions for handling potentially dangerous materials, such as linseed oil, mat knives, and spray fixatives. Still, Hodges manages to introduce an admirable amount of basic instruction, nicely illustrated with examples of his own bold, freely stroked artworks, and his upbeat text reminds young artists to play, experiment, and "just watch what happens and don't be too critical of yourself." Gillian Engberg
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