MrsK Books: Doodletopia Cartoons by Christopher Hart

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Doodletopia Cartoons by Christopher Hart

Doodletopia: Cartoons: Draw, Design, and Color Your Own Super-Fun Cartoon Creations

ISBN: 9781607746911

Publisher's Synopsis:

Welcome to Doodletopia! Your first stop in this paradise of creativity? The world of cartoons. Your tour guide Christopher Hart is ready to introduce you to the interactive, artistic possibilities of creating your own exciting, hilarious, off-the-wall cartoon characters, gags, and more.

Unlike other doodle books that leave you stranded, with no help at all, Doodletopia: Cartoons pairs fun doodle-based activities with the sort of insightful (and laugh-out-loud funny) advice and tips that countless readers have come to expect from cartooning master Christopher Hart. For the first time ever, you can pick up your pencils, pens, markers, or crayons, and draw, doodle, or color right on the same page as the author.
From finishing cartoon faces to selecting costumes to completing wacky cartoon scenes,
the opportunities for creative expression are endless. So what are you waiting for? Open up and start doodling!

MrsK's Review:
Just in time for some fun reading and doodling. I always doodle, especially when I'm learning something new. Like so many of my students, doodling and drawing is a fun place to be. Doodling causes your mind to focus, especially if you are a visual learner and instructors are talking to you! If you draw to create or pass time... this book is for you.

"Doodles are fun to draw.

They get your creative juices flowing."

Are you ready to begin? Do you know how to use the center line or the eye line guidelines? What about warming up your artistic brain with some step-by-step exercises? With "witted" instructions you will learn and practice the art of doodling cartoons.

Beginning with warm ups (yes, you will be interactively doodling with pages next to the instruction). You get to practice each step as a doodler (date your pages... it is your artistic creation). (pgs. 11-27)

Your next project will be completing the silly silhouettes. How fun is this... you get an outline and "bam... there it is" open space to design whatever your imagination can create. (pgs. 29-41)

Next up will be drawing the other half. Ok, this takes a bit of precision. Mirror imaging takes some practice, oh yeah, that's what this book is all about. I did the best with the panda! (pgs. 43-55)

Cartoon characterization is all about the expressions. Given some examples of expressions and blank silhouettes, you can practice any form of expression that you choose for these faces. (pgs. 57-69)

What about creating two different characters from one shape. Silliness at its best! Turning a happy turtle into a surprised armadillo. Or what about an alligator into a wolf. You decide, don't forget the colored pencils for these projects. (pgs. 71-91)

Outfitting the characters is unbelievably fun. The character and a few backdrops are outlined and all you do is create the outfits and any background details or words bubbles you might want. With a few costuming suggestions you can add all the details and bling you want. Its silly time with new friends. (pgs. 93-113)

Matchmaking characters is not as easy at it looks. First you need to have them looking at each other. Next, well next you need to apply all you have learned in the practice projects. Yikes! This is getting more difficult... fun but really detailed. (pgs. 115-124)

Writing with cartooning flair. I can do this! This is what I do best! Yes, I've got it! (pgs. 125-133)

Crazy and ridiculous inventions is uniquely zany. You are designing an invention for a problem that isn't real. Your clue is to "over design." (pgs. 135-143)

Finishing the cartoon. Consider creating an army of sock finding drones. What about a capsule full of "noisy" little aliens on their way back from camp. Or my favorite, a kingdom of baby dragons coughing chaos. (pgs. 145-160)

What ever you do... date it, color it, share it, and have oodles of doodling fun,
MrsK

"May the funny be with you!"

Enjoyable read full of great drawing fun...

Get creative!

Meet the Cartoonist/Author:
Logo-1

Christopher Hart is the world’s best-selling author of How-To-Draw books. Readers have gobbled up over six million copies of his titles. His work has been translated into more than 20 languages. He is published by Random House, Soho Publishing and Walter Foster. Chris has had the rare distinction of having had the top 1, 2 & 3 art books in the country, simultaneously, as reported by Nielsen Bookscan.

Chris has also been featured on the cover of the publishing industry’s premier magazine, Publisher’s Weekly. He hosted How-To-Draw episodes for Comcast’s Activity TV channel, and has been featured on 20 videos for Howcast. His work has been licensed to art kits, board games and sports equipment.

Chris is known for his ability to create cute and dramatic characters, brimming with personality. He focuses on the most contemporary styles, genres, and techniques, in order to give his readers and fans the very latest in art instruction.

Few authors read and respond to every email they receive. But Chris does. Let him share his view on being an author: “It’s a privilege to be published as a cartoonist. I’m grateful to my readers, who make it happen. So if I can give something back, by offering a little encouragement, answering a question, or giving advice, why wouldn’t I? I honestly don’t understand authors who say they’re too busy to respond to their readers. The readers are why they are authors in the first place.”

Click the above image to go to drawing videos!

Tip of the Week

Book Tutorials

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

http://crownpublishing.com/imprint/watson-guptill/

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MrsK's Reading Bio

Reading is important! No questions asked, not even a blink of the eye from any student I grew up with. On the first day of the First grade, we were given our first books. Day two we all read aloud, round robin of course. Day three we were place in our first basal, now known as a lit circle group. Books were so important, publishers designed new curriculum so that every student was reading by the end of the first week. These early readers had images that looked like what we could see in the classroom, beyond the classroom, even on the big screen. Reading is important, throughout history every generation has believed that “Reading” opens up the world for endless possibilities.

I adore the 1950’s Dick and Jane books. Actually, most reading specialists and experienced (45+) educators believe that every student learned to read with Dick and Jane. Since these books are being re-issued, I have heard many parents, grandparents, and students claim that Dick and Jane stories of repetition does teach students to read.

Early influences from my mother influenced my desire to read. I would watch her read and we would go on “secret” excursions to the library. The library became my playground. I owned every book I could carry home, of course they needed to be taken back to their home after visiting with me for a week or two. My first book that I could pull off of the library shelf and read was, Father Bear Comes Home. I only saw my dad on Sundays for a few hours. I would pull this beginning reader off of the library shelf every week. Every week I would try to read the first chapter. Every week I got further in the story. My mom would let me check it out, only if I could read it myself (She didn’t like the illustrations therefore she didn’t want to take time to read it to me). One day, I pulled the book from the shelf and when mom came to get me from the children’s corner, I realized that I had read the whole story. I ran to the check out desk and the Librarian KERCHUNKED the checkout card. My mother, brother and neighbors read. My teachers read. We all read aloud all day long in school. The Priest read aloud every day at mass, even in Latin. Everybody in the Doctor’s office read. People on the bus read. Dad’s waiting in their cars as the Mom’s and children grocery shopped, read. In fact, once you could read and write, Sunset Magazine considered you a reader and sent you mail every day.

Reading is important; I’ve spent my life reading. I’ve traveled around the world and into space through books. My favorite genre is whichever book I have open at the time. Children’s Literature is my passion. Book clubbing is one of the best past times, especially if food is involved. In fact my friends of old are in a book club and we are about to embark on a beach trip to “read” and discuss our newest selection.

My “home-run” book story has helped every student find his or her own “home-run” reads. Every year, I have shared my, Father Bear Comes Home, and every year my students have brought in their “home-run” books. That’s the “diving board” into our Lit. Studies.

In “Growing Up Digital,” Tapscott’s insights into the new generations enthusiasm for the Net reminded me of my generation’s enthusiasm for reading, movies, TV, parties and our driving permits. The Net-Generation, as Tapscott describes, “are learning, playing, communicating, working, creating communities, and enforcing a social transformation.”
N-Geners are interactive “techies” who are always looking for a way to “work it” verses the TV Generation of “Baby Boomers” who started out looking for “how it works.” Reading development is tougher today, society moves too fast to invest their “non-working” free time into a book or even “home work.” Since I stepped into my own classroom, I have seen students being told to read, being forced to read, and threatened into reading. Homework is not any longer the vehicle for students to gain their future lifestyles or careers with. Yet, the Internet does create an enthusiasm for learning. Since I have been enrolled in these courses, I have used the computers in every subject. My students are using the newest technology in the classroom because I am giving them investigative sites to use as they learn from each other and books. I agree with Tapscott, in order to bridge the gap with this up and coming generation we must “live and learn with them.”

FTC Required Disclaimer: I receive these books from the publishers. I did not receive monetary compensation for these reviews. These reviews have been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)