When I was a kid I did not doodle just to doodle. I always needed a project. I later tried to study fine art but my lecturers politely suggested I might be more suited for illustration. Art as a project. Art with a purpose. Which probably explains my later career as a graphic designer. Give me a blank page to doodle and I will just freeze. But give me a problem to solve, a project, and I will dive right in.
Published to coincide with Tate Gallery’s phenomenally successful Hockney retrospective, this rich and expansive workbook is far more than supplementary material. Theory is explored but, after initially positioning us as art critics, Blake draws us in skilfully; in no time at all we are learning by doing. We move from pencils, to paint, to smartphones; from landscapes to portraits to set design. Inspiration is drawn from our reactions to Hockney’s finished work as well as his processes.
The quickest of flicks through Allegra Agliardi’s journey through the rainbow and you know you’re in for a treat. From the simple, bold cover illustration, the technicolour endpapers and the intricate die-cut peepholes, All the Colours I See is a visual feast for children.
Picturebooks can be a wonderful tool for helping little people put into words the emotions they’re experiencing. In Alice Melvin’s latest board book for very young children, this is exactly what is achieved. From the ‘excitement’ of the opening page to the ‘tiredness’ at the last, the range of emotions explored is characteristic of almost every toddler who will share this book with their parents or carers.
Treasure Hunt by Alice Melvin is a unique idea for those who enjoy collecting the odd and wonderful objects that can be found in the world around us. It is an activity book that provides a place or ideas for things to make with the tiny treasures that we find on our everyday travels.
A little girl and her mummy are on the way to visit Grandpa. They make their way through the busy train station, Mummy holding on to the little girl and the little girl holding onto her Teddy, but when they arrive at their destination, calamity strikes – Teddy is missing! Grandpa tries to help, but one of Mummy’s old bears is a poor replacement for her own Teddy.
This is an unusual and magical story about a beloved statue of a man on a horse. What’s unusual is that the statue comes to life and at first only changes position when people in the museum aren’t looking. However, once the horse from the statue goes missing, wanders into the forest and befriends a previously lonely Lyla, the magic really begins. Lyla lives in an odd house that is ‘taller than the trees’, presumably alone, and before meeting the horse, spends her time in her bedroom daydreaming. With the horse in her life, Lyla’s days are filled with happiness.
Meet the Artist: The Pre-Raphaelites is full to the brim with inspiring activities for young art historians and artists alike. In this art activity book author Helena Perez Garcia provides a brief introduction to Pre-Raphaelite art by exploring stand out themes and ideas used by the artists. She highlights leaders of the Pre-Raphaelite movement such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Julia Margaret Cameron and Ford Maddox Brown.
This is the best art and artist book ever! It starts in alphabetical order examining amazing female artists individually and in depth. Each entry has a small blurb about the artist in bold, a quick way to get introduced to our dynamic female artists. As the book continues there are fun and quirky pages sprinkled throughout.
This is an intriguing book from Ukrainian picturebook makers Romanyshyn and Lesiv. It is no suprise to learn that it won a Bologna Ragazzi Opera Prima (first works) Award.
