Reviewed by annieb123 on
Half Hour of Pencil Power is a fun all ages book of drawing tutorials by Mark Kistler. Due out 30th Aug 2022 from Hachette, it's 176 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a collection of 25 simple and engaging tutorial lessons. They include step by step humorous directions between the progress pictures showing each new line as it's added. The language is simple and easy to understand and the finished drawings are cute and full of whimsy. They're deceptively simple but contain really useful techniques such as shading and light, reflection, and perspective.
The author has also included an introduction for each lesson with a bit of background about the drawings and how he came up with them. I loved getting glimpses into his process and inspirations.
Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, makers' spaces, or for gift giving, possibly bundled with some drawing supplies. It would also make a great choice for adults who spend a significant amount of time with youngsters, and who are trying to learn some simple drawings to up their "draw-with-me game" for their young charges.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 4 August, 2022: Reviewed