Book Review: Drawing Nature – A Journal By Jill Bliss

Psst! I’m going to tell you a secret. I am very intimidated by a blank sketchbooks. That’s why I love the new art journal called Drawing Nature by Jill Bliss. Today is the first stop on her blog tour and I am so excited to share with you this great book. The beautiful journal is pure inspiration from the moment you open it up. Jill’s amazing artwork invites you in while she takes your hand on a drawing journey. The journal starts with simple mini-drawing lessons covering general drawing techniques, flowers, leaves, stems, and how to put it all together. Even for the most timid of sketchers, Jill reminds us “This is not a test. You will not be graded. You cannot fail.” These little words of encouragement as well as drawing tips are peppered throughout the journal, along with the beautiful spreads of her drawings. With her artwork and doodles along the edges, the pages aren’t completely “scary white” and you have plenty of space to explore your own creativity. This journal is also great for kids, as our own Rachel Hobson’s ten year old daughter can attest to. It’s a great little gift for them before the onset of summer vacation!
Jill was nice enough to share with us some drawing tips straight from Drawing Nature:

• Resist the temptation to turn the page on a mistake. Instead, keep working at it until you’re happy with the results!
• Have a complicated item? Draw each part separately at first, several times. Once you understand each separate part, you can combine them together!
• Drawing is like handwriting: we each have our own unique and innate style and approach! So start drawing to find yours!
• If you choose a complicated object to draw, simplify the shapes you see. Break it down into a series of repeating simple forms.
• Don’t be afraid to draw in the style of someone else you admire. By imitating someone else, you’re exploring and finding your own style.
• Remember that no one experiencing your drawing of an object will have the object in front of them with which to compare it.

Take a behind the scenes peek inside the Drawing Nature journal with Jill Bliss in a special video after the jump.