Let's Make Some Great Art [Paperback]

Marion Deuchars (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2011 | Age Range: 1 and up

In this interactive coloring and activity book, Marion Deuchars takes the broad canvas of art and fills it with drawings and activities that engage with what art can be, how it can be made, what it can mean for you and what it has meant for people through the ages. Aimed at children aged eight and older, the emphasis is on fun and making the creation of art an integral part of the way you express yourself.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Marion Deuchars is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning illustrator with an instantly recognizable style. Her work includes covers for Penguin Books, commissions from The Guardian, New York Magazine and Jamie Oliver, as well as advertising campaigns for Volkswagen, Ford and Formula One. Her illustration and lettering is much loved and highly influential.

Product Details

• Age Range: 1 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Laurence King Publishers (August 17, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 185669786X
• ISBN-13: 978-1856697866
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 1 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marion Deuchars, born in Scotland and studied at the Royal College of Art, London.
She is an internationally acclaimed, award winning Illustrator.
Based in a multi-disciplinary studio in North London, her clients are wide and varied;
from Ford, Jamie Oliver, The New York Times to Formula 1.
Let's Make Some Great Art, is her first book for Laurence King Publishing.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, fantastic, terrific boook of art! October 18, 2011

By FIRR-Kids!

Format:Paperback

I really love this book. It is creative, incredibly clever, and full of projects that are both fun and easy. Professional artist and renowned illustrator Marion Deuchars created these projects in an effort to keep her sons inspired and stimulated. Hey, if her kids need a prod here and then, I don't feel so badly about my own!

The book's core ideas are inspired by the work of twelve famous artists, including Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, and Leonardo da Vinci. Deuchars gives a brief introduction of each, explaining the type of art each was best known for, and then reveals several projects that relate to that specific claim. Make modern art from squiggles, try your hand at collage, conduct color experiments, re-create Mona Lisa's smile, or try painting Jackson Pollack style with paint and marbles. What will your children be inspired to create?

I like how this book is a cross between a history lesson and fifty art lessons, with a little bonus course on how easy it to use your imagination to come up with great things. I also love how varied the projects are - there is a bit of everything. Make animals from inky fingerprints, create your own color wheel and experiment mixing the colors, draw a shark in the pre-drawn tank, make a mobile from simple geometric shapes, fiddle around with tangrams, or draw circles by hand and compare them to compass drawn circles.

The projects mentioned just barely scratch the surface of what you will have to choose from! At 224 pages, the ideas are not technically "endless" but it sure feels that way. Opening this book for the first time is akin to having a bomb of creativity dropped in your lap. The next time you hear "I'm bored. There's nothing to do." you will have hundreds of suggestions at your fingertips.

I think maybe best of all, this book will help kids realize that it is possible to create great things from very simple ideas. Some of the pages are blank, apart from a single one sentence direction. They might need that little push to get started, but hopefully, this will show them that art is fun to create and there are no boundaries.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for children August 23, 2011

By Stacey A Chatman

Format:Paperback

As a teacher and mother I absolutely loved this. Trying to get my 12 year old interested in anything is almost impossible, but she actually really enjoyed this as a way to introduce her to art. I have no doubt it would be ideal for younger children who are avid readers, but my daughter hates books!!! This was a great way to encourage reading and still allow her to 'interact' with art and art history!!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! March 31, 2012

By E. Heath

Format:Paperback

I love this book. It has lots for great art activities for older kids, not like simple little "doodle" books for kids ages 7-9, I'd say this book is for about 10-13 year old kids, but I'm sure 8 or 9 year old kids would really enjoy it too. I also love how it talks about different artist and has activities having to do with their style of art. A great way to sneak some learning into fun activities for your kids.