Cars

Children's Literature - Heather Christensen

Children will learn how to draw cars using basic shapes in this edition in the "First Drawings" series. Starting with a picture of a car, Hosley teaches young artists how to determine the car's proportions by measuring one aspect of the picture, such as a wheel or the driver's helmet then cutting a strip of paper to the same length. The paper strip can then be used to match the proportions of the picture to a sheet of paper. The next step is to break the picture down into basic shapes and, following the proportions set on the paper, to lightly sketch the shapes. Finally, artists can add details to the shapes to create a complete picture of a car. The advantage to this method of drawing is that the readers are not limited to specific drawings in one book, but can use the method to draw all kinds of cars or other objects using a picture or photograph as a guide. It will also help new artists grasp the sometimes difficult concept of proportion. Young children may have trouble breaking down a picture into basic shapes, but the book does a good job of not overwhelming the reader with too much information on one page. Large type and plenty of white space make this an excellent drawing book for beginning readers. Reviewer: Heather Christensen