Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I got this book at the library for my 10 year old daughter to see if she would like if before purchasing it. She is talented and comes from artists on her father's side, but had a bad experience with her first Art teacher in a school setting. I was looking for something to spark her confidence and keep her interest high in at least independant and self explorative instruction for now. She loved the book immediately. Because she had some formal class instruction this year she was able to recognize some of the exercises that she was required to do in class, so that background exposure helped her "get" this book right away. This is a great fundementals darwing book for kids, but it is an exersice with a you can do it attitude book which is what I wanted for my daughter at this time. Something she could read for herself, interpret for herself and try her own way and see what she gets without someone else trying to shape her ideas for her. The book's attractively layed out for my 10 year old, but I think she will work with this slowly here and there at her own pace, and probably come back to it even more when she's older too. there are some drawing projects but they are not as extensive as the fundimental practices area. For this reason I also bought her Lee Hammond's series on drawing life like animals for more go right to it and start drawing projects. She is spending more time with that now and I expect as she gets more and more into drawing she'll come back and forth to the therory and the practical fun stuff. For a child who just wants to draw cool looking picts fast, you might be better off with the lee Ames draw 50 series. My 8 year old son loves these draw or trace books as what he produces looks great with no theory just draw.