This month has been a little slow in the reading department. Partly because I’m reading so many books at once that I’m not finishing any of them, but also because I’ve only been reading in the mornings. My afternoons and evenings have been spent creating art and working on a children’s book. So the list is short but has some fun books to inspire your creative side if that’s what you’re looking for.
Wonder – 3 Stars
Non-Fiction: Art
I purchased Wonder as a Christmas gift for myself. I like seeing how other artists work and wanted to get inspired by more digital artists as I start to learn this medium. While the images are beautiful and do inspire, the writing does absolutely nothing for me. It doesn’t go deep in any way and sounds like half-hearted blog posts. I would have loved to see Beatrice Blue go more in-depth into her process and give me more than surface-level writing. At the very least I’ll use this book as a reference for some fun illustrations and ways to get creative.
The Art of Loish – 3 Stars
Non-Fiction: Art
I went ahead and rented The Art of Loish from the library because it’s from the same publisher as Wonder and I didn’t trust it would provide what I needed. It does go a bit deeper than wonder and the illustrations are beyond incredible. I love seeing more of her working sketches and the concept artwork. The last chapter does do a breakdown tutorial of how she creates her work which gives some insights and tips for my own practice. I might end up buying this book simply because the artwork is so inspiring (almost to the point where I can’t help but be jealous!)
Klaus: The Art of the Movie – 5 Stars
Non-Fiction: Art
Okay, let’s start with if you haven’t seen the movie Klaus on Netflix, stop everything you’re doing and go watch it. I don’t care that it’s a Christmas movie and the season is over, you need to see this movie. It came out about 3 years ago and instantly became our favorite Christmas movie. Every time I would watch I would remark on how magical the trees were drawn, that the lighting was insane, and how could you ever create this look in a movie? Well, I found a book on how they created the characters, developed a new program for creating light, and explained how this was the first completely hand-drawn movie made since you were a kid (I’m talking early 1990’s!) So, not only is the story too good for words, the artwork insanely inspirational, but it’s also a masterpiece that’s taking this medium to new grounds. Yes, the book is the perfect book for anyone interested in animation or illustration, or if you just like to know how a movie is made. I highly recommend it.
And if you want to learn more about how Klaus was made, this short video is mind-blowing!
Virgin River Series – 4 Stars
Fiction
You’ve been seeing this one a lot and it’s because there are about 20 books in the series. I’m not sure when I’ll tire of these books but they are an easy and fun read to get lost in. This month I read both Second Chance Pass and Temptation Ridge. If you’ve watched the TV show and like it, let me just tell you that the books are SO much better and only the first book follows along with the show, after that they are completely their own stories.
