The Aspiring Artist's Journal

Claude Lapointe is one of Europe's top illustrators and has more than 70 books to his credit. Trained at the School of Fine Arts in France, he founded the illustration studio in the School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg, France. He has also applied his talents as a writer, animator, and educator. Among his many honors is the Graphics prize from the Bologna Children's Book Fair. His book The Aspiring Artist's Journal is a companion book to the Aspiring Writer's Journal. Lapointe has created a wide variety of exercises for the young artist. There are 365 days of opportunity for the young artist to use their imagination and create some wonderful pieces of art. Day one asks the artist to trace the hand you sketch with. Lapointe writes, "This is the hand that will sketch all the drawings in this book. Treat it with the respect it deserves." A wonderful illustration that screams, "A whole year of drawing awaits!" accompanies the first page. Each page also contains wonderful quotes that encourage the artist to look beyond the blank page. On page 249 a quote from the Talmud reads, "Don't think of the vessel itself, but of its contents." I showed this book to a thirteen year old girl and her remarks were as follows. "Cool, looks very fun, lots of things to do, and I would do it for the whole year and longer." You can't ask for a better review than that. This book is a terrific gift for anyone who likes to draw young or old. It is marketed to young artists but I think anyone who enjoys doodling and creating would enjoy this book. Armchair Interviews says: The book gives inspiration to take your art to the next level.