Oct 13
The selection of animals here is, of necessity, limited, but maybe also rather surprising. You get a zebra, a leopard, an alpaca, a red panda and a tiger: three of the big beasts and a couple of less common ones. It does, however, provide a good variety of structure and of hair and fur types, which is a plus point in a book of this kind. You'll also either love or hate the fact that these are often head and shoulders portraits against a plain background - love it because it keeps things simple or hate it because it seems limiting. This isn't a reflection on the book (it's much more a case of it is what it is than anything else I've ever reviewed), but merely a reflection of where it's aimed. Despite these being relatively complex subjects, Angela has done well to present them in a way that's accessible for the relative beginner and she should be congratulated for that.
* Artbookreview.net *
Nov 13
New to Search Press's Ready to Paint series, Wild Animals in Acrylics provides readers with the opportunity to paint animals that are notoriously difficult to see and even more difficult to make sit still! As with all Ready to Paint books, pull-out tracings are provided so that you don't have to be an expert in drawing to get straight to the fun part of painting. Five projects, each accompanied by a full-size tracing and initial drawing, plus 200 step-by-step photographs will take you through virtually every brushstroke. In addition, four finished paintings (one with a full-size tracing) will inspire you to have a go yourself.
* Leisure Painter, The *
Nov 13
There seem to have been a lot of books on painting wild animals lately. In the past, I'd have said they're a hard sell, but renewed interest has brought some rather excellent authors to the fore. Angela provides five detailed demonstrations, with up to 50 steps, each based on a pre-printed tracing in the now-established manner of the excellent Ready to Paint series. There are big cats, a zebra, an alpaca and a red panda. You could find them all in a zoo, or there are plenty of photographs around, but how often will you find the perfect pose readily available? That's where the tracings come in. Angela concentrates on the animals themselves and there are no fussy backgrounds to complicate things. She'll show you how to get modelling, proportion and a variety of hair and fur just right. This series is aimed at the beginner and there are certainly opportunities to take your work further, and books that will do just that. This one, however, will give you a thoroughly solid grounding from which to progress.
* Paint *
Jan 14
A lovely, well created book. The illustrations are superb, making it easy for anyone to create a beautiful picture of a wild animal - even if they are total beginners. Outline tracings are provided for five different projects - zebra, Amur Leopard, alpaca, red panda and tiger cub. These tracings can be reused time and time again. Full instructions are given on a step by step basis to paint the designs and create lifelike images. Even hints as to how to create the right background and setting are provided. With a bit of practice, the tracings could be adapted for other animals such as big cats and horses, making them a very versatile resource for artists. The book can be followed by anyone as long as they have patience and the basic art materials. The result is guaranteed to be a very satisfying image. Definitely worth a place on any artists bookshelf.
* Monstersandcritics.com *
