Hello Copic lovers! Samantha here, but before we get started, don't forget to check out our current contest for a chance to win a $5 gift certificate for your next iCopic order!! You can enter on the blog post from Sunday(click here) or on our Facebook page (click here). That gives you TWO chances to win :O)
And today, I would like to do some book reviews for you! iCopic.com is stocked with some awesome books to help you color like a pro and I want to take a chance to tell you about them. I have been reading two in particular and they are fantastic!! And when I am done with the book reviews, I am going to tell you what is next on Sami's must have list.
First up: Coloring Techniques for Card Making Craft Book
The book is divided into three sections, on for each coloring method. At the start of each section, the coloring projects are very very basic for beginners and as you read through the section, the techniques get more and more advanced.
And after the three sections are complete, there is a special section at the end called "Beyond the Basics" where it goes into detail about some of the more advanced techniques that some of the projects used.
There are a lot of great projects in this book and I felt like I took a lot of ideas away from it.
What I LOVE about this book:
- BIG project pictures so you can see all the coloring details on each project.
- The layout, divided into the three coloring techniques, and beginner to advanced coloring in each section.
- Complete projects, not just showing you the coloring, but it shows you how to put the coloring onto your card project.
- Detailed description for each project.
- I really wish that the "Beyond the Basics" section was bigger!!
- If you don't read the entire project steps, you can miss some of the best tips. This is especially bad because I like to scan rather than read all the pages. The best tips and tricks from this book are actually in with all the project details so you need to read everything carefully.
Next up: Shadows & Shading Book: A beginner’s guide to lighting placement
When I first received this book, I'll have to admit, I was really intimidated because just by the cover, it looks really advanced. It looks very technical and advanced, but once I started reading it, I realized that it was broken down in an easy to digest format! This book is set up to help you no matter what level you are at.
And one of the best things about this book is that Marianne explains that people using Copics are ARTISTS and you need to think of this as your ART. This struck me on a personal level because I had never considered my Copics like that before.
I took fine arts classes from the time I was 5 or 6 years old up until I graduated from college. I know about lighting and gradients and such, but I had never really applied any of the things I learned through fine arts to my Copic coloring. I didn't consider Copic coloring, anything like my fine arts background, but now that this book explained that Copics are art, I am able to begin to mesh the two.
It has really helped me to open up my eyes.
This book goes through all the different types of light, shading gradients, light sources, and it really does a fantastic job of covering each topic so that it is easy to understand. There are many drawing/coloring examples for each topic so that you can see what she is describing to us.
Also, there are shadowing guides included with the book. These guides have lines and grids on them to help you determine where the shadows fall on your coloring. They are really neat!!
What I LOVE about this book:
- The shadowing guides (they are awesome!!)
- The fine arts explanation, Copics ARE art and you ARE an artist!
- Lots of visual examples to help you grasp each concept
- Everything is explained in basic terms and it is easy to follow
- A great resource for any level of coloring
- It covers a ton of information
- It is SMALL! I don't mean by the number of pages, but I mean the size of the pages are smaller than a standard magazine sized book. This can be good because you can take it with you places, but in my case, I have misplaced it a few times in my scrap area!! LOL
And to end today's post: What's on Sami's Must Have List
The iCopic store offers soooooo many things, and it feels like I always have a wish list a mile long! I want to tell you about the items at the very top of my wish list -the must haves.
- The Copic Coloring Guide Book by Marianne Walker & Colleen Schaan *PRE-ORDER* Oh, I cannot wait for this to finally come out!! It is set to be released at the end of June. I was Copic certified by Colleen Schaan, and so I know her and Marianne will not disappoint in this book.
- Tsukineko Pssst! Sheer Shimmer Sparkle Spritz 7ML Set Copper & Pewter
These Sheer Spritz sprays are AWESOME!! I have the set that comes with Frost (whitish) and Sparkle (clear) and I am using them on everything these days. I really want to get some of the metallic ones. If you haven't tried these sprays, you need to pick some up! They are really fun. - Divine Baker's Twine Single Spool - Aqua This Twine is at the top of my list! I have been wanting the aqua color for quite a while and it just came back in stock. I have quite a few other colors already and love the look of the twine on my projects.
2 comments :
Thank you for these great reviews! I wasn't sure about the shading book either, but after reading your review, I think I will put it on MY wish list (which is also a mile long =P ). It would be great if you did a review of the coloring guide book after it is released!
Post a Comment