How to Draw Cool Stuff: Shading, Textures and Optical Illusions

How to Draw Cool Stuff is a series of simple tutorial lesson books for learning drawing, written by Catherine V. Holmes. Originally published in 2017, this reformat and re-release from Library Tales is 253 pages and is available in hardcover format in this edition, other formats available in other editions. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free, (as are the companion books in the series).

This volume presents concepts and lessons in shading, texture, pattern, and realism/optical illusions. Although firmly outside the target audience (young students and their facilitators), I found quite a lot of useful information here. The book has an accessible and direct style with information presented in an easy to understand format. Most of the lessons are divided into concepts (know), information (understand), and tutorials (do). Vocabulary and ancillary information are provided in each tutorial segment under their own headings. 

The concepts are very simple and the tutorial lessons include blank areas on each page for students to practice and master specific techniques. The tutorials are grouped into thematic chapters: basic elements of design, shading, texture & pattern, optical illusions, and a sort of synergistic chapter combining the rest of the tutorials into lessons for drawing "cool stuff" (t-rex, animals, self-portrait, and a bunch of others).

The book is laid out as, and would work very well as, lesson plan hand-outs for workshop, classroom, or homeschool use. This would also be a good choice for adults who spend time with young kids to improve their "draw with me" skills. 

Four and a half stars. Very simple but useful for classroom and home use. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.