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Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun
Carla Sonheim is an artist and creativity workshop instructor known for her fun and innovative projects and techniques designed to help adult students recover a more spontaneous, playful approach to creating. Her innovative ideas are now collected and elaborated on in this unique volume. Carla offers a year's worth of assignments, projects, ideas, and techniques that will introduce more creativity and nonsense into your art and life. Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists offers readers a fun way to learn and gain expertise in drawing through experimentation and play. There is no right or wrong result, yet, the readers gain new skills and confidence, allowing them to take their work to a new level.
152 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
January 2, 2013
Awesome book! For a book only 144 pgs, it packs a lot of punch. Milage may vary, but she presents art in such a fun way, I am impressed. It would be a lovely gift to an artist along with keri smith's "wreck this journal. " Not all art has to be serious-- and as a senior art student myself, I can attest that a number of her prompts have been used in my art classes and even some other art books. So some of that information is not new, but it is presented in a brilliant way, for any age group. (I want to try the Klee prompt in my Print class!) I just purchased her two newest books which I suppose are based on her online workshops-- I can't wait to get them in the mail!
The layout in this book is quite nice, too-- I thought I would mention that since books like this can be awkward to find anything in later. Not so here.
The layout in this book is quite nice, too-- I thought I would mention that since books like this can be awkward to find anything in later. Not so here.
July 12, 2010
52 rock solid fun and creative assignments, projects and exercises that will take the visual artist's creativity to new levels. For all skill levels. A fun reference manual with a year's worth of work.
January 15, 2020
I strongly recommend this book; I remember wondering if art was going to be the major for me, when my entire freshmen year - was spent drawing cardboard boxes to learn about perspective, scale and the basics of drawing. I was so frustrated because it was a general education elective, but I was way beyond what we were learning and that class almost made me drop my major then and there. I constantly broke rules and stretched the boundaries of my assignments - while my teacher praised the creativity she was a stickler for the fundamentals. I just think that art is fun and should be open to everyone and it need not take itself so seriously. Do not get me wrong you do need a working knowledge of the basics, but art is so subjective that it need not have so many rules and be so formal. It is easier to know the rules and then break them but not everybody learns this way. I love this book; it is fun and a bargain for the quality of exercises and information that you get. I wanted to tighten up my skills and I think this book takes a fresh perspective to teaching new or advanced artists a thing or two. I still have not finished all of the exercises and I love, that this book allows you to take your time-really get into each chapter and work the exercises or ideas and keep coming back for more!
December 23, 2011
Recently got this on Kindle to read on vacation, and devoured it. Glad I spent the 40 minutes I did browsing the Kindle store, this was exactly the book I was looking for; full of practical exercises for that help to free up the creativity and to hone the skills. Fun without being overly silly, technical without being dry.
January 3, 2013
A gift from my mom, with lots of neat ideas... I have a feeling this is going to be on my desk and in my bag for awhile to come!
My favorite quote so far:
"Research has shown that doodling in meetings actually helps you pay better attention, as it keeps your brain occupied just enough to keep you from daydreaming and missing the content of the meeting altogether. Thank goodness, you now have a scientific reason to doodle!" p. 92
My favorite quote so far:
"Research has shown that doodling in meetings actually helps you pay better attention, as it keeps your brain occupied just enough to keep you from daydreaming and missing the content of the meeting altogether. Thank goodness, you now have a scientific reason to doodle!" p. 92
August 13, 2017
lots of info on techniques - stands out from other books with art prompts
May 29, 2018
A book with useful drawing exercises to challenge yourself to get away from your habits.
April 8, 2019
I might have to go buy this book because I just keep checking it out of the library in order to do more of the exercises. It's not a book I'll ever "finish"!
April 11, 2023
Cơ hội tăng giá BĐS Zeitgeist City Nguyễn Hữu Thọ
Dự án Zeitgeist Nhà Bè - Nguyễn Hữu Thọ đã tạo động lực cho nhiều dự án BĐS và sinh lời cho nhiều nhà đầu tư và người mua BĐS tại khu Nam Sài Gòn. Nguyễn Hữu Thọ là một trong 3 tuyến đường cao tốc chính của khu Nam Sài Gòn, là tuyến đường bắc nam của thành phố kết nối thuận tiện giữa TP.HCM và các Tỉnh Miền Tây.
Ngoài ra, nơi đây còn được mệnh danh là trục giao thương tài chính quốc tế của khu vực phía Nam, có lợi thế về giao thông thuận tiện, giao thông sầm uất và hệ thống an ninh cao. Đường Nguyễn Hữu Thọ đã thay đổi diện mạo và trở thành “tỷ phú” bất động sản cho các nhà đầu tư trong và ngoài nước.
Lợi thế hấp dẫn BĐS Zeitgeist City từ yếu tố vị trí và hạ tầng
Trong 3 quý vừa qua, Nam Sài Gòn liên tục đón nhận những tín hiệu tích cực từ hạ tầng của thành phố với đề xuất xây cảng trung chuyển quốc tế trị giá 6 tỷ USD đi Cần Giờ. Đồng thời, ưu tiên các dự án nối dài đường Nguyễn Văn Linh và Nguyễn Hữu Thọ để toàn bộ hệ thống giao thông của khu vực được đồng bộ. Trong những năm tới, khi hai vệ tinh Nhà Bè và Cần Giờ được hình thành sẽ gia tăng giá trị cho khu vực phía Nam thành phố.
Chi tiết dự án >>> https://www.propelio.com/academy/community/profile/duanzeitgeistnhabe/
Bà Hằng, Giám đốc tư vấn và nghiên cứu cho biết: “Hạ tầng không chỉ là cơ hội gỡ nút thắt giao thông mà còn là cơ hội thúc đẩy kinh doanh giữa các tỉnh, thành, đồng thời thúc đẩy cộng đồng. Do đó, cơ sở hạ tầng là một trong những yếu tố quan trọng nhất của thị trường bất động sản giúp mang lại tiềm năng phát triển và đầu tư cho những khu vực hay dự án này.”
Nguyễn Hữu Thọ hiện là thủ phủ của các dự án khu dân cư lớn nhỏ ở nhiều phân khúc khác nhau. Theo quy hoạch, tất cả các công trình trên tuyến đường này sẽ được xây dựng trên cao, tạo không gian kiến trúc độc đáo cho đô thị. Một trong những dự án quan trọng và hút thị trường nhất trên tuyến đường đó là Zeit River County 1 thuộc khu đô thị Zeitgeist do Tập đoàn GS E&C của Hàn Quốc làm chủ đầu tư. Dự án sở hữu đài vàng hiếm hoi còn sót lại trên trục đường Nguyễn Hữu Thọ, với diện tích lên đến 350 ha.
Zeitgeist - Tiềm năng sinh lời
Giá bán Zeitgeist nhà bè, tọa lạc ngay mặt tiền đường Nguyễn Hữu Thọ, xã Phước Kiển, huyện Nhà Bè, HCM. Do nằm ngay mặt tiền đường nên dự án này tận dụng lợi thế về hạ tầng vì dễ dàng kết nối với chuỗi dịch vụ cao cấp của khu đô thị Phú Mỹ Hưng như hệ giáo dục, vật chất… chăm sóc sức khỏe, trung tâm mua sắm và các hoạt động vui chơi giải trí, thể thao,… chỉ trong khoảng 5-10 phút.
January 26, 2021
A solid book of prompts for those who might be a bit stuck in their art practice. I enjoyed the explanations of the prompts, the inclusion of featured artists, and the 'taking it further' ideas. I also enjoyed that Sonheim explored a variety of topics.
For me, the only real drawback was that a few of the prompts were not so easy to just get up and do. For example, while I often find myself sketching at a coffee shop, to 'have to' go to one for the purposes of sketching seems onerous. Also, while I am vaguely aware of the fact that there is likely a zoo in my region, I could not tell you which municipality it is in (aside from being reasonably sure a different one than the one where I live). I have no wish to go to my 'local' zoo, nor any zoo. I find these depressing, horrible places. Yet, not one but TWO of the exercises are centred on visiting the zoo. Morality aside, that would also mean not one but TWO trips to some distant municipality and not one but TWO requirements to pay the entry fees for the zoo and the transit fares to get there and back. And, that is not one but TWO hurdles too far, where even one trip would be a hurdle too much, especially when it's already a pain to 'have to' go to a coffee shop and I can walk for less than ten minutes from my home and probably get to half a dozen of those.
That said, usually with this type of prompting I modify and make-up to have it work for me, so if I were serious about following these I would, for example be likely to google animals to draw and, despite Sonheim's admonishments otherwise, use those. Or maybe go to a local park and capture the wild, free animals there (or the happy domestic ones visiting the space).
Overall, a solid resource for those who might need to get unstuck in their art practice.
For me, the only real drawback was that a few of the prompts were not so easy to just get up and do. For example, while I often find myself sketching at a coffee shop, to 'have to' go to one for the purposes of sketching seems onerous. Also, while I am vaguely aware of the fact that there is likely a zoo in my region, I could not tell you which municipality it is in (aside from being reasonably sure a different one than the one where I live). I have no wish to go to my 'local' zoo, nor any zoo. I find these depressing, horrible places. Yet, not one but TWO of the exercises are centred on visiting the zoo. Morality aside, that would also mean not one but TWO trips to some distant municipality and not one but TWO requirements to pay the entry fees for the zoo and the transit fares to get there and back. And, that is not one but TWO hurdles too far, where even one trip would be a hurdle too much, especially when it's already a pain to 'have to' go to a coffee shop and I can walk for less than ten minutes from my home and probably get to half a dozen of those.
That said, usually with this type of prompting I modify and make-up to have it work for me, so if I were serious about following these I would, for example be likely to google animals to draw and, despite Sonheim's admonishments otherwise, use those. Or maybe go to a local park and capture the wild, free animals there (or the happy domestic ones visiting the space).
Overall, a solid resource for those who might need to get unstuck in their art practice.
May 13, 2024
Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artist penned by Carla Sonheim. Ms. Sonheim, an artist, allows the reader into world of mixed media art. I appreciate the manner and style of her writing. She presents the mixed media techniques as if readers were in her workshops. Each segment is presented as a class and allows readers to learn and gain experience in drawing. I liked her theme “there is no right or wrong in art.” Each section allows readers to experiment and play with each topic. This book is easy to read and the illustrations allow readers to feel confident enough to experiment
April 30, 2020
I love Carla’s books/classes and this one is awesome. It’s chock full of ideas and it’s a handy book when trying to remember something I learned in class or thumbing through for ideas if I am stuck for ideas. It’s quirky, original and some of my most original art comes from something I learned from Carla.
One piece if advice....if you start a project from the book, keep taking it to the next level. You will be amazed where it takes you creatively.
One piece if advice....if you start a project from the book, keep taking it to the next level. You will be amazed where it takes you creatively.
May 19, 2020
This book is what got me back into creating art again, after over a ten year hiatus. I'm a perfectonist who agonizes over everything I do. These exercises reminded me that art is not about perfection, and as the wise Bob Ross would say, there's no mistakes, only happy accidents. The carefree, creative style of these exercises got me to relax and trust that not only is my best good enough, but that letting my own style come out is a great thing. Recommended for anyone who needs a push!
September 22, 2023
"Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun" is an awesome book that offers a variety of engaging exercises to spark your creativity and make drawing an enjoyable experience. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this book provides a fun and interactive way to enhance your drawing skills. Get ready to explore new techniques, experiment with different materials, and have a blast while expressing yourself through art! 🎨📚✨
November 22, 2020
This book is so much fun. It has a ton of totally un-intimidating art prompts that help you improve your art, all while enjoying yourself immensely! The silly picture examples drawn by the author help you to relax and not take yourself so seriously.
May 14, 2019
Fun, fun, fun
So many choices that you’re sure to find something you’d want to draw or a project to begin. No pressure, not a lot of rules but yet some structure to guide you.
So many choices that you’re sure to find something you’d want to draw or a project to begin. No pressure, not a lot of rules but yet some structure to guide you.
June 12, 2019
Lots of amazing ideas!
April 4, 2020
I had expected more. Much more.
August 26, 2020
Great book for adults kids and alike. 52 exercises for the year to keep you drawing every day and playing with different mediums. Love this book.
September 16, 2020
This is such a fun book! It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or a professional artist... this book is fun for everyone! So many cool ideas to just play with! Love it!
March 15, 2023
salvando pra lembrar do livro !
September 15, 2023
The art
October 8, 2023
"An absolute gem! This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery. The suspense had me guessing until the very end."
October 25, 2023
"A thought-provoking read that challenges your perspective in the most profound ways. I found myself pondering its themes for days."
August 28, 2011
I had originally checked this book out of the library because I'm participating in "Art Journal Every Day" this year, and used some of the exercises for inspiration in my journal. I liked it enough to put it on my Amazon wish list and my dear friend Madeleine sent it for my birthday! If you are an absolute beginner in drawing or do not feel confident in your drawing skills, I would recommend looking at all the exercises first and starting out with the blind-contour drawings or projects inspired by kids' art, as some of the projects assume a higher skill level.
April 14, 2016
A collection of art assignments/projects inspired by a number of sources: nature, children, other artists, etc. Most of them didn't inspire me too much, but a few sparked my interest. I could see this being fun for someone who wants to draw but isn't sure how to approach it or what medium they might be happiest using, as these projects encompass a wide range of techniques and ideas and materials. Not something I'll come back to again, but certainly worth a quick flip-through if you're looking for new directions for your art.
May 9, 2011
This book is incredibly well designed - a nice summary of 52 drawing based exercises that are appropriate for artists of all levels. Furthermore, the straightforward approach is well illustrated and appointed. At least 1/2 of these exercises I will incorporate into various lessons for both children and adult classes - the content is that applicable! Love this book and have added the other 2 in the series, collage and print & stamp lab, to my to-read list.
May 6, 2012
I love this book. I just received it yesterday and have already been through it once, done the first exercise, and can't wait to continue.
I'm not an artist, I'm a wannabe artist, and I am always getting ideas that I don't have the drawing ability to carry through, so this will be great exercise, and inspiring enough to get me practicing more regularly. Besides that, it's visually appealing and fun. I highly recommend this book.
I'm not an artist, I'm a wannabe artist, and I am always getting ideas that I don't have the drawing ability to carry through, so this will be great exercise, and inspiring enough to get me practicing more regularly. Besides that, it's visually appealing and fun. I highly recommend this book.
January 20, 2011
Provided I can pay attention long enough to complete the exercises given, this book is extremely entertaining! There are step by step instructions for each of the 50 drawing techniques and each one is fun, straight-forward and provides and chance to use your imagination. This book provides a way to feed a dying muse or to try something new in a safe and comfortable atmosphere.
July 20, 2011
This book offers lots of inspiration. I love the exercises she provides, suggested materials to use, as well as extension ideas to stretch yourself farther. I also like the many quotations from famous artists as well as biography and, sometimes, interviews with featured artists. I feel like the exercises in this book will stretch me beyond my comfort zone...which is good for growth.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews