Drawing Is...: Your Guide to Scribbled Adventures

Gr 4-7–An inspirational primer on the art of drawing showing how the art form is for everyone. In mostly black-and-white, sketched illustrations, this work celebrates imagination and individuality. With philosophical text, an unnamed child shares with potential artists encouraging prompts and inspirational guidance to find their inner creator and silence their inner critic. “Inside the pages of your sketchbook, you are creating your own, magical somewhere.” The advice leans heavily on the social-emotional intelligence aspect of art-making rather than a practical, how-to manual direction. The illustrations were created with pencil, ink, gouache, graphite powder, and digital collage and range from expansive spreads to tiny spot art, adding dynamism to the book. Splashes of bright colors brighten up the sepia-tone backgrounds. The hand-lettered text contributes to the work’s intimate feel. The last few pages offer a short biography of the author/illustrator and some practical drawing exercises, such as how to strengthen the non-dominant hand and syncing eye and hand movements so that the pencil goes at the speed of one’s gaze.