Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals: A Mixed-Media Workshop with Carla Sonheim [Paperback]

Carla Sonheim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2012

Rediscover a more child-like approach to creating with Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals! Through fun and creative exercises, Carla Sonheim teaches you to draw a variety of fun animals and creatures, including:

Dogs - Birds - Elephants - Fish - Cats - Rabbits - Fluffalumps - and many others!

You'll also find a variety of unique mixed-media techniques to help you bring your creatures to life, resulting in a unique finished art piece. Improve your drawing skills, expand your creativity, and learn new art techniques--and have loads of fun doing it!--with Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I am incredibly impressed with this book. It's packed full of great ideas, projects and mixed-media techniques....  [It's] inspiring, fun, creative, imaginative and releases all pressure and expectations that we artists often place on ourselves.  -- creativekismet.com

"I love this book. It might not appeal to someone who is only interested in 'Fine Art,' masterpieces created after years of study and practice. But for those of us who simply want to create, who want to find new ways to discover the world around us--this is a fabulous book." -- lifeimitatesdoodles.blogspot.com

About the Author

Carla Sonheim is an illustrator and creativity workshop instructor known for her fun and innovative projects and techniques designed to help adult students recover a more child-like play approach to creating. One student recently said, "[Being in your workshop] is like being a kid again, but we get to do it as an adult." 

Carla is the author of three books: "The Art of Silliness: A Creativity Book for Everyone" (Perigee Books), "Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals: A Mixed-Media Workshop" (Quarry) and "Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists" (Quarry), which has sold over 40,000 copies. 

She currently resides in Seattle, WA where she holds numerous online workshops. Visit her online at carlasonheim.com and carlasonheim.wordpress.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Books (October 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592538053
• ISBN-13: 978-1592538058
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Arts & Photography > History & Criticism > Themes > Plants & Animals
  • #42 in Books > Arts & Photography > Other Media > Mixed Media
  • #48 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Mixed-Media

More About the Author

Carla Sonheim is an illustrator and drawing instructor known for her fun and innovative projects and techniques designed to help adult students recover a more childlike, playful approach to creating.

She holds online drawing and painting art classes and is the author of three books. She currently resides in Seattle, WA.

Visit her website at www.carlasonheim.com and her blog at www.carlasonheim.wordpress.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Whole New World October 5, 2012

By NancyS

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you have a background in art but feel confined by traditional drawing/mixed media themes and techniques then this is the book for you! Carla has an amazing gift for seeing and bringing to life the quirky beings present in everything around us. Her enthusiasm and her imagination are contagious. There are excellent lessons here on finding, interpreting or inventing creatures of your very own. Soon you will have an army of odd and adorable animals that you can further develop through lessons on shading, penwork, coloring, painting and collage. This book encourages you to enjoy the process without focusing on the results. You are invited to relax and let your imagination flow.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm drawing a bit everyday for the first time! November 12, 2012

By Terry Weiss

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I can't explain why, after buying innumerable books about drawing, this one has finally loosened me up - but I'm not complaining. I have taken the author's Art of Silliness online classes and done some of them - but didn't keep up working with Drawing Lab - so this sudden creative urge to draw working with Imaginary Animals is hard to explain. Maybe it's because it is so imaginative that there is no way to let my inner judge start pointing out flaws. Who, including that judge, can say that an imaginary bird doesn't have 3 legs and a weird beak? If you're like me and have bought innumerable books to help you loosen up and start to draw regularly - with little result - I highly recommend trying this one before you completely give up. I put up my "happy light" - SAD light with a positive name - and sit beside it drawing away until 30 - 60 minutes have passed. I've even pulled out my pan pastels (bought at great expense and used once) and my "silky crayons" - a creamy version of oil pastels - and some colored pencils and I'm actually using them! I must confess I'm very proud of myself - and happy to give credit to this fun, relaxing, inviting book. Buy it, you'll like it.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book! October 1, 2012

By Pug Lover

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am so glad that I purchased this book. Carla's art is so quirky and adorable, and she shows you step by step how to create your own little animals with your own style. There are different exercises to do that anyone can do! You don't have to be an "artist" to follow along. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for new ideas and/or techniques for drawing or doodling. You won't be disappointed!