Book Inspiration - Vintage Home by Sarah Moore

When I bought Vintage Home: Stylish ideas and over 50 projects from furniture to decorating by Sarah Moore, the first contestant to win Great Interior Design Challenge, I was attracted by the cover and the title. Knowing that I have a few vintage items in my home and I also like to change things around, I thought I might find some useful projects and plenty of inspiration for the home.

Photo by Teodora Totorean

Book Review: Drawing on Tablets and Smartphones for Absolute Beginners by Etienne Nguyen Tan Hon

Drawing on tablets and smartphones: For absolute beginners

Reviewed by Teodora Totorean for Readers' Favorite 

Drawing on Tablets and Smartphones for Absolute Beginners by Etienne Nguyen Tan Hon is a manual for people who want to try their hand at digital drawing. The book starts by presenting the advantages and disadvantages of traditional painting vs. digital painting and finishes with sketching tips. In between, the author shows readers how to choose the right canvas size, the drawing, painting and blending tools, how to use technical tools from the application like zoom in and zoom out, digital colour theory and colour coding, uploading and sharing the artworks. Packed with step by step exercises of various drawing techniques using the tools available from the application, the book offers a variety of projects that people can do while reading the book. You will learn how to draw various shapes (circle, cone, square, etc) while gaining valuable knowledge about shadow, perspective and contrast.

Book Review: A Strategic Painter: Mastermind Your Craft by Roopa Dudley

A Strategic Painter: Mastermind Your Craft

Reviewed by Teodora Totorean for Readers' Favorite

A Strategic Painter: Mastermind Your Craft by Roopa Dudley is an educational book for artists, guiding readers through what it means to set up and then to own an artistic business. From ingredients that make an exceptional artwork to how to promote your art, the book is packed with valuable information for those who want to pursue this career. Having a Facebook page, writing a blog, taking professional photos of your paintings, having a sketchbook, joining art groups, and writing quarterly newsletters, the book teaches readers step-by-step strategies that can be easily applied to their own circumstances. The book is written from Dudley’s perspective as an artist which gives it authenticity and credibility.

Book Review: A Lifetime of Cats by Angela Cater

Reviewed by Teodora Totorean for Readers' Favorite

A Lifetime of Cats – The True Stories Behind a Cat-lover’s Art by Angela Cater is an account of all the cats she had since she was two years old to the present day. All the cats have a little story – how they ended up in Cater’s care, how they lived, their personalities, how they influenced the artist’s work, how they died, and most importantly, how they were immortalised in Angela Cater’s artworks. The purpose of this book and Cater’s art is to show people that cats have their own personalities; once they see this, people can’t be cruel to these adorable creatures. The book also shows the readers how Cater’s art benefited from her love of cats, a constant subject in her paintings, illustrations, greetings cards and children’s books. The Adventures of Sailor Sam and Samson and Snowflake were both inspired by the cat called Samson and were very popular with children and adults alike. 

Book Review: Art From Intuition by Dean Nimmer

Art From Intuition: Overcoming your Fears and Obstacles to Making Art by Dean Nimmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I was considering turning my painting hobby into a profession and I had no idea where to begin, I only wish I had this book as a starting point. A few months later when I saw the “Art from Intuition” title in a bookstore, I said to myself “I must have it”. It wasn't too late for my art to start following the projects within.