Review: Monstrously Funny Cartoons

Look what came in the mail! I'll be doing a review on this step-by-step drawing book by Christopher Hart. Keep on reading to learn more about this book, the author, his other works and get a quick preview of some pages! :)

Monstrously Funny Cartoons by Christopher Hart
Published by: Watson-Guptill Publications on October 14th 2014.
Pages: 152
Format: Paperback
Source: Blogging for Books

 

About Christopher Hart:

CHRISTOPHER HART is the world's bestselling author of drawing and cartooning books. His books have sold more than 6 million copies and have been translated into 20 languages. Renowned for up-to-the-minute content and easy-to-follow steps, all of Hart's books have become staples for a new generation of aspiring artists and professionals, and they have been selected by the American Library Association for special notice.

Book Synopsis: 

Learn to draw the silliest and scariest monsters, zombies, vampires, witches, mummies, and other creepy cartoon favorites. -- Cartooning master Christopher Hart teaches aspiring artists all the drawing tips and tricks they need to create laugh-out-loud renditions of their favorite monsters and scary creatures. This jam-packed cartooning guide shows readers how to capture the lighter side of these creepy creatures by combining them with Hart's incredibly popular cartoon drawing style! ... [READ MORE]

My Thoughts: 

What a fun book! The bright colors and layout drew me in right away. I am not the best at drawing realistic scenes, but I love to doodle and draw cartoons. I thought this book full of "monstously funny cartoons" would be right up my ally! As promised, there are zombies, vampires, witches, aliens and more! The books takes characters that would usually be scary, and makes them into great humorous cartoons. :)

Besides seeing the basics of how to draw various cartoon monsters, you get tips and tricks for drawing different facial expressions, setting up a great scene for your characters, and more. I really enjoyed the bit of humor in this book as well. It makes it even more fun to flip through. It kept me interested and wanting to really check out each and every page.

I found the tips really helpful, especially since I am no professional artist. Among some of the tips are tricks to draw better hands, good line flow, eye details, proportions, props and the dynamics of a good pose. I think this book is very inspiring! I will certainly be going back to this book for reference and when I feel like being artsy. I love all the little monsters inside and can't wait to try and put my own spin on them!

I think this book will appeal to teens and adults, whether more of an advanced beginner or even a professional trying to broaden their horizons. It's different than a lot of "how-to-draw" books that I've used before. It's more fun and Christopher Hart will encourage you to make your own cartoon drawing style as opposed to the more exact step-by-step, single pose, draw exactly this, type of books. :)

I am very interested in a few of his other books, especially the Manga for the Beginner: Kawaii! If you are interested in drawing manga or cartoons at all, I encourage you to check him out.

Short Book Preview: 

Click the images to see them larger. :)

 

 My quick and messy try at some of the characters! I used a pen, so I couldn't erase anything... Much harder that way. I recommend using a pencil. *wink* If I did that, I would have been much happier with these. lol

Links & More:

Thanks for visiting! I hope you liked my review!

 

Check out Christopher's website to see his books, video tutorials and to read his blog. :)

You can also view all of Christopher Hart's books here!

 

Disclamer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review! :)

Watercolor Haul

Alas! I have a new camera! Special thanks to my parental units for getting me a new camera for Christmas after my outdated one decided it didn't want to function properly. I am beyond happy. I really missed taking pictures!

My boss got me a Hobby Lobby gift card for Christmas, so I went straight away to pick up some new watercolor supplies! I would have preferred the better quality paints, but I didn't want to spend a fortune. I decided since I am no professional, I am going to try "The Fine Touch" brand from Hobby Lobby. I also picked up some brushes, paper pads, a little sealable pallet and a waterproof ink pen. Get closeups and more info below! :)

I got a cheap set of $5.99 round camel brushes in the sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12. (The Fine Touch)

I also got a $7.99 with a size 2 liner and rounds in the sizes 8, 16 and 24. (Master's Touch)

My little plastic folding palette was $2.99. (Master's Touch)

I picked up a $3.99 Pitt Artist Pen too. I got the 0.6 mm fine tip with black India ink. (Faber-Castell)

Next, my cheap paints! lol I got this $13.99 set of 24 tube watercolor paints. (The Fine Touch)

I will have some color swatches below! You can also see them in my palette.

I got 6x8 and 9x12 paper books too.

Here is what the palette looks like when it's open. There are 20 paint wells and then 5 other areas to mix colors. There are also little brushes holders and a place to place your thumb. Pretty decent for the price. It will work for now! I squeezed in my paints and will wait for them to dry. They can be activated again with water. :)

 Here are some quick color swatches of the paints. I got most of them here. I think there was one blue and then the gray and black that didn't fit into my palette. I might end up scraping out a red or two later to make room for those though. A few of the reds look quite similar. I didn't use a whole lot of paint and there is still plenty, so it won't be much of a loss. :)

All together I spent about $30 on everything. I used a 40% off coupon on my paints!

I will share some of my little paintings soon. :)

I'm glad to have the always important camera back so I can start sharing again. See you soon!

Apologies!

I haven't been posting lately. One of the bigger issues is that my camera is no longer working.

Quite depressing! But hopefully after Christmas I can start up again. :)

Easy Show Ribbon Display

If you compete in anything or show animals, you are bound to collect some ribbons! I've been showing rabbits for about 10 years and have a rainbow assortment of ribbons. It's been a long time since I've had any out on display. I have a large trunk at the foot of my bed that houses all of my awards, but I decided I wanted to display some of my favorites and add a little color to my room. :)

Materials:

This is a super easy way to display your ribbons! The only things I used were two nails (or thumbtacks), and a piece of chain used for lighting. You can find all types of linked chain like this for cheap. If not, anything similar and sturdy will work!

This first part might require a helper. Just stretch out your length of chain until you have the desired drape effect, or pull it taunt. However you like! Get it centered and level, then add your nails or thumbtacks into the wall. :) Hook on your chain and taadaa!

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Well... that was simple enough! Now add your ribbons!They can come with all different types of hangers on the backs. I had ones with string loops, hooks and pin enclosures. They all worked for this project. :)

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Here are two different hook backs. These are easy, just hook them wherever you like.

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 Loops can be a pain, but I doubled up the string and tied some knots That way they didn't hang so low. These were put on each end to cover the nails in the wall and the ends of the chain. With a little bit more work they can be tied to a link of the chain. OR you can forget the string and use a little bit of crafting wire or even a wire Christmas ornament hook. Use the pre-punched holes in the cardboard backing to hang it. :)

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This is a ribbon with a pin backing. Another easy attachment! Just like pinning it to fabric... honestly easier! lol

See, that was super easy! I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on ribbon displays I've seen online, so when I saw that chain just sitting around from an old light fixture we had... I knew I could use it. :3 Hopefully it has given you some ideas too! See you again soon!

Books, Books, Books!

Reviews and hauls and such! Goodbye summer... it was nice knowing you. Lots of reading time now though! lol ;)

August 2014 Ipsy Bag & Look

If you have never heard of Ipsy, check out their website to learn more!

This is my second Glam Bag! I like the products, but they are super small sample sizes this month. I know it's a sample subscription, but boy are these tiny! lol

Take a look at everything I got in my bag this month, with swatches and more info. I also created a look with all the products from the bag!

The bag this month is round and white with orange polka dots and zipper. The theme is "beauty schooled" and it reminds me a little of a pencil case. :) 

The Products

1. URBAN DECAY - Perversion Mascara

2. LORD & BERRY - Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil

3. COASTAL SCENTS - Shadow Palette Sample - Set 28

4. ABSOLUTE - You're the Balm - Green Apple

5. DR. BRANDT - Pores No More - Pore Refiner

Color Swatches & Info

1. URBAN DECAY - Perversion Mascara

"Get bigger, blacker, badder lashes with our ultra-creamy, lengthening and volumizing mascara. So intense you might need a safe word, Perversion glides on and gets you sexy in one stroke. (Yet it won’t quit until you say when.) It’s insane how black it is…the purest, deepest, most intense black color imaginable.  Perversion has a creamy, full-bodied texture that’s not too dry, not too wet. This allows just the right amount of “pull” so it glides through lashes. The result: incredible control for insane lashes. Go ahead and pile on coat after coat. Want to apply more before you go out at night? No problem. Even if it’s been all day since you applied, more Perversion always means more beautiful lashes. Our formula NEVER gets brittle or clumpy." 

I actually do like this mascara... but I don't think I want to pay $20 for it! It does seem very creamy though. It glides on super smooth. I didn't notice clumping either. The results below are after only one coat of Perversion.

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2. LORD & BERRY - Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil

"A kohl eye pencil that lines, defines and shades the eyes with rich colour and a silky-smooth finish.
Ophthalmologist tested and gentle enough to be used on the inner eye."

Tiny little pencil. The full size is $15. I would have to agree with the description above, but I wouldn't want to use this anywhere it might come into contact with wetness. From my experience with kohl pencils, they smudge pretty easily, yeah?

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3. COASTAL SCENTS - Shadow Palette Sample - Set 28

"Coastal Scents Shadow Palette Samples are an ideal way to try these highly pigmented, stunning shadows. Each miniature-sized palette offers four specially selected, complementary shades to create a variety of looks."

I got the more tame colors this round. Very pretty though! They are super soft and the pigmentation is great! I could use these colors in quite a few different combinations too. The colors in this palette are: Cocoa Diamond, Reef Coral, Rainstorm and Bronze Peach.

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4. ABSOLUTE - You're the Balm - Green Apple

"Treat your lips with the ultra-moisturizing Duo Lip Balms from Absolute New York. Our lightly tinted, creamy, conditioning formula softens, smoothens, and protects lips for a seriously kissable pout. Discover this must-have duo for sensationally soft and luscious lips!"

 I recieved green apple, but it reminds me more of watermelon. In my opinion it smells pretty yummy and goes on thinly and smoothly. Popping this nomnom in my purse. It has a very light pink tint. Also the only full sized product in this months bag.

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5. DR. BRANDT - Pores No More - Pore Refiner

"A cult favorite, Pores No More Pore Refiner Primer is Dr. Brandt’s quick fix for flawless, photo-ready skin. It is the miracle base to create the perfect skin canvas for long-lasting makeup and well-preserved skin. This velvety formula absorbs excess oil, minimizes pores, blurs fine lines and is resistant to sweat and humidity. Prime, touch-up and treat while perfecting your makeup."

Well, I was impressed. I hate my big pores and I saw a noticeable difference very quickly when I put this just on one area of my cheek. I'll only use it on special occasions because this baby is $45 for an ounce! It is a light flesh tone in color and smells a bit like an acne cream medicine. I can see why it's one of their best sellers.

The August 2014 Glam Bag Look

Here ya go! I used the Coastal Scents eyeshadows, Lord  & Berry eyeliner and the Urban Decay mascara. :) Quite a nice "natural" kind of look. Simple for back to school too. Can't go wrong with some nice neutral eyeshadow. Brown shades are always my go to colors.

 

Summer Fun

It has been FOREVER. I am sorry to have been away for so long... no excuses!

Instead, look at my adorable nieces! Summer is so swell. <3