Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The bad reviews on this book are really unfair. They are basically the equivalent of saying: "I thought I was buying an orange. I was actually buying an apple. And, dang it!, it doesn't taste anything like an orange!!" If you pay attention to what you are buying and even go so far as to take advantage of the handy-dandy "look inside" feature on this site, then you won't be disappointed in what you get. This is a book of IDEAS of things to draw and spaces in which to do so. It's a fantastic way to engage the imagination and make an artist in a rut think outside the box. Many, MANY artists get into the habit of drawing the same subjects over and over again. A book with 642 suggestions of (often) off-the-wall ideas will force such people to go in a different direction. I understand that some people are looking for a "how to" book, but what better way to learn to draw than to simply sit down and do it? Having someone set up a step-by-step example of how to draw a particular object is all good and well if you want to draw exactly like somebody else. But developing your own style of art requires you to look at things with your own eye and figure them out yourself. If you want to encourage your young budding artist to draw, please don't shy away from this book. It will be exactly what they need! As for the actually physical construction: The book is, itself, really nice. The cover is sturdy. (I'm not sure what they call the material... It's not actually paper, but it's not a hardback, either.) The paper is nice, very smooth, and stands up well to different mediums. So far we have used ink and a variety of markers and have not had any problems with the colors bleeding through the paper. I am going to try some carefully applied watercolors in it to mix things up, but the paper will not likely hold up under much more than that. It will have its limits. It is a nice sized book. I expected it to be quite small, sort of a travel journal sort, but at about 7.5x9 inches, it's more substantial than that. This was good news for me. I took another reviewers suggestion and use this as a sort of guest book for our home, in which visitors are asked to draw a random picture and sign and date it. When this book is all filled up, I believe it will be one of my most treasured possessions and a family heirloom.