Sketch! The non-artist's guide to inspiration, technique, and drawing daily life by France- Belleville - Van Stone

Sketch! The non-artist's guide to inspiration, technique, and drawing daily life by France- Belleville - Van Stone is a newly published guide for all ages.  This manual styled guide book is written for those who are not artists.  It is written for those readers who are completely new to the world of art and illustration- with no prior experience whatsoever.  Even those readers who have never ever doodled will find inspiration from this book.  In otherwords, this is for the layman, with no artistic talent or background.  This informal, casually written book is something you would not learn from a formal art class, but the guidance you might get from an art mentor.

This mixed media book contains full color illustrations.  There is a variety of reproduced art from simple cartoons and line drawings, to sketches, to realistic still life depictions.  There is something for everyone- and readers of varied interests and backgrounds will find inspiration.  Unlike other art instruction books which focus on a specific or stylized genre- this book allows the reader to find his or own style.  There is not one style promoted over another- just simply instruction and a variety of techniques.

There is a lot of introductory information contained- including some info on selecting supplies such as paper and pencil.  I like this book because it does not assume the reader has unlimited financial resources for expensive supplies.  The author uses simple paper, pencils and erasers- items that just about everyone has easy access to, or can purchase without going into debt.  The author even goes into further detail for those who wish to experiment with different types of supplies- this book appeals to the beginner and grows to a more moderate level as well.  Unlike other art instruction books, this one is not intimidating.  It is presented in a less formal format- the pages themselves are reminiscent of a beloved sketch book or well used composition book. The style and presentation of this book, in general, is retro and friendly.  As a blogger I received a copy of this book published by Watson-Guptill publications for the purpose of writing this review.