Free Downloads Mixed-Media Girls With Suzi Blu: Drawing, Painting, And Fanciful Adornments From Start To Finish
Growing out of her popular online workshops and videos, Mixed-Media Girls with Suzi Blu takes you step by step through the process of drawing a folk art and stylized girl's face. You will learn to create simple, balanced features and add shading with colored pencils and paint. From there, you will learn how to draw the rest of the figure and put it into a unique, textured, mixed-media background.- Learn to design costumes and personalities for your girls and adapt them to fit your own artistic style.- Create vivid, exciting backgrounds by layering paint, collaging with fabric, carving beeswax, distressing wood, and building up texture with mediums and pastes.- And the accompanying online videos include a mini workshop full of whimsical mayhem, motivation, and real-time video with Suzi Blu, showing you detailed drawing and shading techniques for faces, beeswax finishes, and how to make a mixed-media art journal start to finish.
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Quarry Books; MAC WIN PA edition (May 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1592537693
ISBN-13: 978-1592537693
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.5 x 11 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #205,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #34 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Folkcrafts #162 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Mixed-Media #163 in Books > Arts & Photography > Other Media > Mixed Media
This book is wonderful and full of information. The pictures are amazing. Certainly makes you want to start drawing right away-I am just learning to draw so I got some of Suzi's stamps. They are fabulous too. I am 63 and can't draw a stick figure but learning with Suzi has helped tremendously to get over my fears and try. And I'm doing pretty good-it takes practice and thats fun now. Thanks for carrying this book.
This book has captivated my heart and soul. The colors and detailed photographs pulled me in immediately but it's the nuts & bolts of how to get down to the business of creating that got me to stay. Unlike so many mixed media book authors Suzi Blu delivers on how to both inspire and to help others so inclined along the way by providing detailed suggestions/instructions with corresponding clear (emphasis on clear) images. One of the things I most liked about Suzi Blu's book is that it encourages without being cloying or overly sentimental. She delivers her message through what comes across as a natural tone (i.e., direct and encouraging) that I have found in the most sincere of teachers. Her work is beautiful and while she offers guidelines on how to create similar pieces, her authentic voice and instructions encourage others to find their own style. Her work is truly mesmerizing and I feel forever captivated and inspired. My favorite book among my vast (and mostly useless) mixed media collection. I hope this is the beginning of much more inspiration coming from Suzi Blu.
I recently got hooked on mixed media art but was having trouble drawing dolls. Thank you for recommending this book and thank you Suzi Blu for making it so easy. It was not scheduled to arrive till May but I received it today.The illustrations are gorgeous. The DVD is so informative, I just never wanted it to end, Suzi Blu is so sincere and encouraging. After seeing the video, almost wish I had a signed copy. Thank you for the great tips on materials and techniques too. Could never have accomplished this outside of applying to art school. Lovely job!
I've bought just about every book in this category, so I've read quite a few. Overall, I would say that I wouldn't buy this one again. It's beautiful. There is no doubt about it, but it's lacking in content, in my opinion. First, Suzi tells you how to make the first girl step by step. Then the rest of the projects build off of that, yet she details all of the steps in each one, even though the majority of the steps have been described in the previous projects. I don't know if this is needed for the beginner artist or not, but it definitely isn't necessary if you have some experience. Secondly, there isn't much room for individual creativity. She tells you exactly what to do. There's no room for doing your own thing. Sure you can do that, but I didn't feel very free. She does give you the option of doing encaustics or using self-leveling gel, so that's good, but I felt that all of the projects were pretty much the same. I really enjoy books that have a wide variety of projects. I also like it when authors give the reader enough to get them going, but them release them to do their own thing. That encourages readers to find their own voice, which I think is the whole point to art in the first place. Most times, I believe, it is better to have contributing artists and not just the author. You only get one point of view with just one artist. The great thing about art is the different points of view, the different interpretations.Pros:As I said previously, the book is beautiful. It has great eye candy and a marvelous cover. It even comes with a DVD. I don't think anyone wouldn't be tempted to purchase the book, just because of that.
This is a lovely book. It is beautifully laid out and informative.I have played with mixed media for a year and taken a few e-courses. Currently I use the book more for the mixed media techniques that I have not tried before. My 7 year old daughter uses it to learn how to draw cute girly girls.Actually at this point we are mostly sitting on the sofa together looking through the book, admiring the girls and discussing what we could make (over and over again :)I recommend it, especially if you have a little-someone to craft with.
*****I am a huge Suzi Blu fan: I have followed her blog and YouTube videos for years and taken one of her classes. I have to say that I like her latest project--this book--best of all! It is even better than taking a class because not only is it very affordable, but it is all of the techniques and instructions in one place that can be referred back to again and again (unlike a class). The book is beautiful and fun. The reader is taken step by step through basic drawing instruction Suzi-style, materials, ideas and more.One thing I really appreciate about Suzi's writing is that she tells you WHY you should do different things or use different materials, so that you really understand the process. She also is characteristically encouraging throughout, knowing that the reader will have fears and how it feels when you are a beginner.The techniques are taught through projects so that you can get creating from the very beginning. These projects are mixed media on wood with a beeswax coating, although they can be modified for almost any type of artwork, which Suzi discusses. She includes so many ideas, and they are not just for petite dolls, but for variations like mermaids, angels, animals, and scenes.There is a student gallery and list of resources for where to get materials. There is also a short 30 minute DVD included that shows some techniques that are ideal for video (like how the beeswax should be put down); it is in Suzi-style too, so fans will find much to love here.If you are unfamiliar with the author, you may think this is a book for little girls to learn to draw dolls--it can be that of course--but it is ideal for anyone who is wanting to grow and be creative and learn new and interesting mixed-media techniques. If you want to grow as an artist, you'll love this book.Highly recommended.*****
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