Kawaii Doggies: Learn to Draw over 100 Adorable Pups in All their Glory, by Olive Yong

 

 Publication April 4, 2023

This one is just plain ol' fun. Puppies and doggies to draw in all sorts of positions, not to mention costumes. True, maybe because my dog is a "dress me up and you will die" kinda dog, I wasn't fond of those but, hey, to each their own. I liked that the author showed how to do different positions, activities, and even things like from the front and rear. Toss in some printed drawings to color and, well, it was just plain ol' fun. 

Although I didn't try every suggestion or breed type, the directions were clear and step-by-step. That should be helpful to the more artistically challenged out there. As you gain confidence, you can certainly improvise, too, which is how I created a cute rendering of my own floppy-eared corgi mix.The section on facial expressions was especially helpful, I thought, as all too often such books don't delve into that or different moods. Although, quite frankly, many of the supposed different breeds looked very similar to me, color and markings helped with the differentiation. 

By the way, the former teacher in me came out and I simply had to look up the meaning of kawaii. While it's usually interpreted to mean "cute", it has a broader meaning to those who speak the language. In this case, it focuses on the Japanese art style that emphasizes cuteness and uses bright colors and a rather simple, even childlike look. It can also mean something that is lovable, hence it can describe many things. Okay, enough teacher talk from me. If you like to draw cute critters or even if you want to draw but struggle, this book should be of benefit. 

Thanks #NetGalley and #QuartoPublishingGroup - #RockPoint for giving me an excuse to flex some of my artsy skills again, using my own too kawaii doggie as model.