Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I really like Tamara LaPorte so this review is difficult to write. I've taken several of her online classes, and have been involved in lifebook online. That said, I would be hard-pressed to recommend this book to someone who is looking to begin mixed media art. If you are a fan of Tam and her work and you just want to support her then by all means purchase this book. However if you are a new or burgeoning artist, and you want actual instruction, this is not the book for you. This book is more suited for people who have taken one of Tam's online classes or have access to her videos. The instructions are vague and the book serves more as an advertisement for taking her $100 to $300 classes online than it does an actual instructional book. Most of the pictures in the book seem to be still photographs taken directly from instructional videos, and are not exactly helpful in teaching you to actually draw the face or Draw the feather or Draw whatever. There's not a lot of actual instruction but there are lots of inspirational photos, Buddhist references, and there's a lot of photos of the successful work of many of her students. Keep in mind those students did not learn from this book but instead from her online classes which have videos, PDFs, and other resources that guide you to learn to draw in Her Style along with lots of personal interaction with others who have taken these courses before. I would have to say again that if you actually want to learn to draw and you've never taken one of her online classes with the videos and instructions this book is not going to help you very much on your path. It's a shame because this was a real opportunity to give a chance to learn an interesting and unique Style to people who simply cannot afford to take the lifebook class. Future versions should consider including a DVD of at least a few techniques or maybe how to draw the face.