Rachel Rubin Wolf

An entertaining thrill ride from the start, this was an enjoyable read. Sun Trap follows a Hollywood movie crew to the Abu Dhabi desert, where the filmmaking gets deadly. This is one of the books with constant action. I was invested in the story although I did not feel connected to the characters at all. Especially after the half way mark there was twist after twist after twist. Also, is this not one of the most gorgeous covers you've ever seen?

Thank you, Netgalley and Aria & Aries, for the show more chance to read a copy in exchange for an honest review! show less

This book takes you from sketch to finished painting. The instructions are basic but clear.

It covers basic head proportions (baby's, 3 & 8-year-old, teenager, adult); rendering the eye (and other features) in oils and coloured pencil. Painting hair and beards, etc.
I found the tips on determining the tonal value, very good - squinting your eyes at the subject to determine basic tonal scales was Something I hadn't done since college.
There are also studies of figures in action - great for show more bulking out crowd scenes.

I discovered a great way to visualise the head in different positions and from different angles. Basically it involves sketching your character's features an up-turned paper cup and then turning it as required. It's not an exact formula, but I think it would work well for basic positioning or even cartooning - when you have invented a character from your head and need a source of reference to develop the look further. This is one thing I have taken from this book that I will be incorporating into my design work in future. show less

The seven artists represented in this book have distinctly different styles, and techniques, which is great. There is a nice balance between text, and photographs. As someone who knew little about acrylic paints, other than they dry quickly, I learned many new things about acrylic paints, and painting. There are numerous tips sprinkled throughout the book.

There are a few duds. The demo for painting a light subject on a dark background is paint the subject, then paint the background. Not show more really groundbreaking info. The majority of the book is a selection of helpful information. show less

More of a technique book but I got it to show the possibilities of watercolor. Lots of neat examples.