How To Draw
The Gruffalo And Friends features all your favourite characters, and
celebrates 30 years of stories from much loved duo, author Julia Donaldson and
illustrator Alex Scheffler. The clarity of information and sense of ease around
drawing pictures inside this step-by-step instructional book, are both really
wonderful.
The book
breaks characters down into simple lines on the page. Anybody can draw these
characters. You don’t even have to be particularly artistic! The ‘lines’ and
the directions that come with them are very accessible, bite-sized chunks of
activity which are totally do-able for artists (and non-artists) of all levels
and abilities.
There is
not a lot of room for the ‘I can’t draw’ brigade because the book shows, very
clearly and logically, that you definitely can. Indeed, with the help of this
book, drawing the Gruffalo and all manner of other strange and wonderful
creatures comes down to being able to follow instructions. Have you heard the
saying if you can read, you can cook? It’s just like that – but substituting the
word cook with draw!
For
instance, you draw a small line angling down this way. And then you add a
rounded part like this. And then follow the path up here. And so on, until
pretty soon – you’ve drawn a Gruffalo whether you meant it or not!
Friendly,
welcoming, reassuring and interesting, the book also has bonus tips on every
page around everything from character development to cover design, which are a fascinating
peek-a-boo into the mind and skillset of the artist.
Touted as
being for children, I have a sneaking suspicion that like adult colouring books
and choose-your-own-adventure drawings, How To Draw The Gruffalo And Friends
will comfortably take its place on coffee tables and in waiting rooms, as well
as on school desks and beside bunk-beds.
As a child,
I would have loved and devoured this book – and as an adult I think it’s
fabulous. Although I confess that I haven’t drawn in my personal copy.
Yet.
Title: How To Draw The Gruffalo And Friends
Author: Alex Scheffler
Publisher: Macmillan, $19.99
Publication Date: 9 May 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781035001491
For ages: 3 +
Type:
