Timely Take-aways for Life-long Learning: Ideas for Artists

Timely Take-aways for Life-long Learning: Ideas for Artists

From drawing and painting to mixed media, several new titles provide endless ideas for art educators to spur creativity, teach new techniques, and encourage students to find their creative style.

How to Make Art For Joy’s Sake: Free-Spirited Watercolor
Kristy Rice, Jul 2021, Schiffer Craft, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing
Themes: Art, Techniques, Watercolor

HOW TO MAKE ART FOR JOY’S SAKE provides an overview of preparation, materials, and

basic watercolor techniques. In addition to exercises, techniques, and projects, readers

are encouraged to take a joyful approach and forget the rules.

Take-aways: Educators will find the sections on rules and joy to be good reminders of the

need to balance technique and fun.

Drawing and Painting Expressive Little Animals
Amarilys Henderson, Aug 2021, Quarry Books, an imprint of Quarto Group
Themes: Art, Techniques, Watercolor

DRAWING AND PAINTING EXPRESSIVE LITTLE ANIMALS provides 66 step-by-step, easy-to- follow tutorials for creating adorable animals with personality.

Take-aways: Introduce the suggested animal essentials section to the class, then ask students to complete a tutorial and share their results.

Fresh Paint: Discover Your Unique Creative Style Through 100 Small Mixed-Media Paintings
Flora Bowley & Lynzee Lynx, Aug 2021, Quarry Books, an imprint of Quarto Group
Themes: Art, Techniques, Painting

FRESH PAINT encourages personal style development through 100 engaging, mixed-media projects.

Take-aways: Adapt the author’s suggestions for developing a unique creative style. Ask students to share an exercise that was useful in their journey to identify their style.

Mixed Media Color Studio
Kellee Wynne Conrad, Aug 2021, Quarry Books, an imprint of Quarto Group
Themes: Art, Techniques, Painting

MIXED MEDIA COLOR STUDIO helps readers apply color theory to the creation of unique palettes that reflect their artistic voice.

Take-aways: Educators will find the book’s approach to creating a signature color palette to be an effective way to build color theory skills while encouraging creativity.

The Landscape Painter’s Workbook
Mitchell Albala, Jan 2022, Rockport Publishers, an imprint of Quarto Group
Themes: Art, Techniques, Landscapes, Painting

THE LANDSCAPE PAINTER’S WORKBOOK is part of the “For Artists” series. Focusing on shape, composition, and color, the hands-on guide stresses time-honored techniques.

Take-aways: Educators will find the examples, exercises and particularly the review questions to be useful in developing lessons focusing on landscape painting skills.

Whether helping educators keep up-to-date in their subject-areas, promoting student reading in the content-areas, or simply encouraging nonfiction leisure reading, teacher librarians need to be aware of the best new titles across the curriculum and how to activate life-long learning. - Annette Lamb