Hilli's book is both a source of inspiration and a constant frustration to read. This could have been a great book if anyone had bothered to edit the book for content. It has great advice and concepts, but it is too wordy and repetitive and feels amateurish.
MAIN CONCEPTS
> Zero to One, there is more distance or space between zero and one, than from one to two, two to three. In art, this means that the most difficult thing to do is starting anything. That is why a blank canvas can be terrifying and we postpone or delay working on it.
> The adjacent possible shows that any option that we make, whether in life or art, leads to something else that was unpredictable or unknown. It is something like the butterfly effect. So a new mark or line in a canvas might create, for example, a shape that inspires us to create something else that we hadn't thought about. For that to happen, the artist has to be ready for the unknown, dive into the unknown, allow the unknown to materialize by opening to it, and leave the predictable, the rules and the comfortable behind.
> Exploration and experimentation are at the core of creativity, and are the basis to progress, grown and evolve as an artist as complacency gets artists stagnant.
> Ugly art is necessary and teaches us invaluable lessons. We need to get comfortable with our ugly stuff and see that as a stepping stone for improvement and growth.
THINGS THAT I REALLY LIKED
Beyond the concepts mentioned above I liked some of the points that the author made. Here some of them:> Not being a known artist is actually a blessing, as this allows to create good art. However, even professional artists benefit for the approach of obscurity: What would you create if you were invisible? How would you sing if no one were watching? What if you were unself-conscious in your art making? What risks would you take if the outcome didn’t matter? > It is never pleasant when someone is critical of your art. The worst part: however, is when a part of you agrees with the criticism.(p. 60). > Advice on how to keep track of our art. > The questions to make a self-assessment of our art.> The technique trap: No amount of technique will move you closer to expressing your deepest art. Technique is painting from the outside in, rather than the inside out" (p. 148). > Learning that Joseph Campbell wasn't the father of the concept of the hero's journey.but Edward Burnett Tylor. > The fact that luck is related to two habits: changing up daily routines and avoiding over-scheduling. > I thought that the best chapters in the book, due to their content, structure and clarity, are: -- 12 Three tips for artists (keep a journal, just start, and work in a series).
-- 13 Three massive mistakes even the pros make (painting paralysis, the tyranny of technique, and empty virtuosity).
-- 14 Four traps artists face where old beliefs are replaced with new ones ( the critique trap,
the imposter trap, the judgement trap, and the technique trap).
-- 15 Three invisible paradoxes ( the refusal, the perils, and he dark night of the soul).
Finally, I also liked the recaps at the end of some chapters, some of the simple exercises advised and the fact that any major point discussed in the book has a real life story attached to it. NOT SO GOOD
This is a self-published book and, unfortunately, shows terribly. The book lacks a good structure, lack of cohesiveness in structure to be precise, as repeats the same ideas na concepts over and over, ad nauseam. One gets exhausted after the same ideas are repeated ad nauseam for nearly 200 pages.
Some of the more scientific concepts are unnecessary discussed in scientific jargon when in fact the simple explanation given at the beginning is sufficient. I thought that the description of what the hero's journey is was too long. Also, Hillis has a tendency to divert from the discourse at hand to then go back to it.
For the rest, the book seems addressed to professional or established artists not as much to beginner artists.
KINDLE EDITION
The Kindle edition is well edited except for some minor typos. Some of the ones I've noticed:
-- p. 78 short dashes should be replaced with long ones.
-- p. 155 there is the 3rd item of a list, mistake number 3, but is mistakenly labelled as mistake #1 .
-- p. 215, an hyphen is used instead of a long dash.
IN SHORT
The core of the book is as follows: start something even though that's the most
difficult part. Experiment, be fearless, accept your mistakes and learn
from them. Do art that reflects who you are not what other people want
to see. Keep open to experimentation and the unknown as these are
the keys to artistic growth. Technique serves art and it is not art per se.
This is another great book for beginners by art journalist extraordinaire Dina Wakley. It's packed with very easy to follow (and well photographed) tutorials, encouragement to start or continue with your art journey, and plenty of mixed-media techniques, like creating your own stencils, just to mention one that I loved.
Each chapter tries to motivate us to leave fears aside and start creating and the advice given is simple and sound:
-- Fear: I don’t know what to write! And I don’t like my handwriting. Courage: Writing takes practice! Plus, the only person who doesn’t like your handwriting is you.
-- Fear: I can’t draw. Courage: You can draw once you know the formula. And once you commit to practice!
-- Fear: I don’t want to, or know how to, include my image in my work. Courage: Examining yourself is a time-honored artistic tradition that helps you learn and grow as an artist.
-- Fear: Layering is hard. I don’t know what to do next. Courage: Breaking down the layering process into tools and methods will help you layer with confidence.
-- Fear: You don’t have the newest, trendiest art supplies so you can’t make good art. Courage: You can use supplies in unexpected ways to keep your artwork fresh and exciting!
-- Fear: I have to have everything planned in my head before I work. Courage: By working organically and intuitively, you can create interesting art and push yourself to see more.
-- Fear: Working in my journal is comfortable, but I’m afraid to move on to other projects. Courage: Moving your art from the journal page to other substrates and mixed-media projects is satisfying and exciting!
The language used in the book is simple and effective, no technicalities. Even if you don't follow the tutorials to the letter or not at all, you'll still learn a lot of stuff that will improve your artwork.
The table at the end of the book with the properties, uses and downfalls of each media type is excellent.
Wakley, who has a huge range of mixed media products for sale in the craft market, doesn't promote them in the book at all, so that's really refreshing.
KINDLE EDITION
The Kindle edition is really good and the images have good resolution. Besides, the pages can be bookmarked and annotated easily, unlike other art books on Kindle.
DOWNSIDES
> The initial chapter on tools and materials is a copy-and-paste of Wakley's previous book Art Journal Freedom.
> Chapter Six starts with a big statement about the fact that we don't need expensive supplies to art journal or paint. Yet, in the tutorials included in this chapter include the use of very expensive PanPastels and Caran D'Ache Neocolors.
> I would have wanted a bit of more guidance on face shading because the book barely provides guidance on this subject.
TYPOS
Bold is missing from the words 'fear' and 'courage' at the start of chapter 6.
Without a good composition, images simply don't work.
I'm a fan of Wakley's art products so I thought I'd give this book a try. This is a short enjoyable read, great to understand basic rules of composition and colour. Everything is explained in a very simple effective way, in a language that has no technicalities or complexity. Wakley also shows how to break the rules and when to do it. By the end of the book, one gets to understand why some images work and others not. Subjects discussed in the book are: symmetry/asymmetry, white space, continuance, closure, proximity, dominance, repetition, colour basics, contrast with colour, and colour as composition tool.
THINGS I LOVE
> The book is a workshop on its own.
> Good for anyone wanting to start painting not just art journaling.
> The summaries at the end of each book with taglines about the major points discussed.
> Everything Wakley says is exemplified by images coming from her own artwork, so it is not just theoretical talk.
> Each chapter has a tutorial, simple but beautiful, really well explained and photographed.
> Each page has prompts to put some of the points discussed in practice.
> Although the book is for beginners, it has plenty of value for intermediate artists.
> Great Kindle edition and quality images.
I DIDN'T LIKE
> The fact that a sewing machine is one of the tools needed. I don't have one, and I don't think this is really necessary. Some of the things Wakley does with the machine can easily be achieved with a marker or pen, so why not providing this alternative?
> Although I love Wakley's artwork, I would have loved having visual examples from other artists exemplifying what she says.
MIND
> This is a book thought for beginners, so take it as such.
> This is a book about mixed media not drawing or painting per se.
This is a lovely selection of art journal pages and images from authors around the world although most authors come from the US. In the introduction, the author confesses that she did choose some of her favorite authors and pages while the majority were chosen after an online call out for submissions.
Most of the artwork is of my liking, and I got inspired by some of the interviews and pages in the book, which is the reason I got it in the first place. There is a mix of techniques and media (illustration, painting, collage and mixed media) and styles (whimsical, dark, abstract, surrealist, visual diary, etc.). The interviews with the featured artists are short and sweet and very encouraging for non-professional artists.
I hesitated about whether to buy the Kindle or hard copy edition. I'm happy that I chose the former. The kindle edition is great and allows me to zoom in without loosing quality image, so I can appreciate the smallest details and lettering in each work.
DONWSIDES
> This Kindle edition does not allow page bookmarking.
> The structure of the book is not of my liking. It's organized alphabetically, by country of origin, which is fair enough, but I'd rather have it by types of art (conceptual, abstract, whimsical, etc.) as I would personally focus on specific areas.
> The book reads like a published blog. This being the case, it lacked insight on the creative process. Each image is accompanied by a generic list of elements, but that's also simplistic.
> Although there are many authors and styles in the book, I missed some avant-garde or dark journaling.
> There is a heavy weight on US authors, so the world overview is, in the end, quite unbalanced.
THINGS I LOVE
> Caitlin Sholl's texts and the advice given are terrific. The author guides us and
allows us to deep dive into gratitude with prompts to make us find
things we are grateful for, and tips on how to express gratitude. Scholl's definition of and introduction to gratitude are wonderful and very unique.
> The deck structure. The cards are organised in three sections and energies: 1/ Affirmation, connected to the morning. 2/ Inspiration, connected to midday. 3/ Reflection, connected to the evening. They have three different coding colours (yellow, green and violet) and each card comes with an inspiration quote at the top, and some items of advice to follow on the day, plus the extended advice in the guidebook.
> The overall pastel colour scheme and the whole visual design of the deck, which is minimalist and very elegant.
> The plush deck bag, which is an awesome bonus.
> The quality of the cards and the fact that they shuffle well.
> You can use just the cards or just the booklet without missing anything.
> You can use the different sections at different times of the day or shuffle all of them at once. In that regard, the deck is very versatile.
> The booklet is printed in good quality glossy paper and is bound loosely so you can open it comfortably.
> Good value for money. NOT SO GOOD> The contrast between the background and the lettering is deficient overall, but especially noticeable in the yellow set.
> The booklet's deficiencies are unforgivable:
-- The binding is just lightly glued. I was just gently browsing the booklet and two came off unglued from the bottom. Can you imagine if I use this properly?
-- The cards aren't numbered, so the awesome extra information on each card has to be looked up in the guidebook manually, just within the corresponding section. As the cards are made to shuffle, this look-up can be a bit labyrinthine, time consuming and not very helpful. I find surprising that the editorial house didn't pay attention to something so important for a guidebook, because, otherwise, it's not a guide, it's a book where to search for information.
-- The index is too generic to be of any use.
-- The cover is just paper, not even a bit of cardboard to hold the whole thing together.
-- This being the case, I feel hesitant to gift someone with this deck, even though I think this is just a wonderful deck.
> I can use just the booklet or just the cards, not both combined for the reasons mentioned above.
MIND
The cards are on the large side, so if you, like me, have small hands, you might struggle with the shuffling.
WISH
I would love seeing the booklet properly reprinted and edited.
I bought this to give it as a gift a friend who would benefit from such an inspirational deck as she's going through a lot. The conception and healing properties of the deck are undeniable, yet, the quality of the final product isn't good and I ended keeping it myself, as I don't want to gift anything that looks cheap.
THINGS I LOVE
> The structure of the deck. The deck is
structured on three sections (affirmation, inspiration and reflection)
with three different pastel colors (blue, green and violet) and each
card comes with an inspiration quote at the top, and some generic advice
to follow on the day, plus the extended advice in the guidebook.
> The quality of the writing and the advice given by Scholl are terrific and covers not only self care when you're are on your own, but also when you're in social settings.
> The overall pastel palette of the deck, which gives a calming vibe to it. > The quality of the card stock.
> The elegant imagery and card design.
> The plush pouch bag being included in the set, also the fabric is very pleasurable to touch.
> The booklet is printed in good quality glossy paper and is 'bound' loosely so you can comfortably open it flat.
> The quality of the keepsake box.
> Good priced an good value for money.
NOT SO GOOD
> As per my photo, the top layer of the printed paper arrived bubbled up. This is not the result of the posting and handling as the deck arrived sealed in plastic and well packaged, but the result of not spreading well the sheet of paper on the cardboard on the glue. This being the case I couldn't gift my friend with something it looks used or badly done.
> Some of the quotes and the advice given on them is not always really connected, at least to me.
> The booklet's deficiencies:
-- The binding of the booklet is just glue, and it's so tightly done that the pages will certainly come off as soon as I start to use it frequently.
-- The structure of the booklet. The cards aren't numbered, so the awesome extra information on each card has to be looked up manually, just within the corresponding section. As the cards are made to shuffle, this look up can be a bit labyrinthine, time consuming and not very helpful. I find surprising that the editorial house didn't pay attention to something so important for a guidebook, because otherwise it is not a guide, it is a book where to search for information.
-- The index is also too generic to be of any use.
-- The cover of the booklet is paper thin, literally just paper, not even a bit of cardboard to hold the hole thing together.
MIND
The cards are on the large side
OVERALL
This could have been an awesome deck if the some basic stuff had been been tended to properly. Despite the undeniable psychotherapeutic quality of the deck as a self-care tool, the overall cheap quality of the product and the poor structuring of the guidebook end resting value to a deck that deserves being better curated and produced.
Deborah Blake, who has authored numerous fiction and non-fiction books on modern witchcraft, hit the jackpot with this Tarot deck, first published in 2017 and the mini format in 2020. This is one of my fav Tarot decks because of the general jolly vibe, the overall narrative, and the artwork.
I LOVE
> Elisabeth Alba's juicy imagination and artwork that adjusts to the structure of the RSWT Tarot but creating a wizard world that's unique and colorful not dark or gothic. We are allowed into a magic world of modern boho witches and wizards, whose lives are full of fun, adventures, dangers and challenges. Alba is an amazing illustrator and, if this wasn't a Tarot deck, this would make a stunning graphic book. > The imagery is rich enough to get my intuitive juices flowing even if I didn't anything about Tarot.
> Good quality card stock.
> Great quality printing.
> Cute card back illustration.
> The deck shuffles beautifully.
> Easy to carry in a small camera bag.
> Good for people with small hands.
> Children's friendly re size and imagery.
> Cat lovers' delight. If you, like me, love cats, you'll be delighted with the important role that cats play in each card image, and with the way they are depicted.
SO-SO
> Bad quality box, which arrived with the corners squeezed and slightly damaged.
> No booklet/leaflet. I have the app with the digital book, so that's fine with me. However, if you aren't familiar with the deck, you might need to get the full size deck with the accompanying guidebook.
> The card back gives away whether the card is coming straight or reversed.
> People with average-size hands might struggle with the sizing as this deck is more a tiny deck than a mini deck.
> Unlike Blake's Everyday Witch Oracle, this deck has no ethnic/racial diversity whatsoever, which is inexcusable as the deck was first published in 2017.
MIND
> Based on the RWST, with some adjustments in the imagery, the most noticeable being the female Hyerophant.
> Teen and youngster vibe overall.
Belinda Grace's oracle is a soulful exploration of romantic relationships that will be useful for singles or partnered people. The imagery draws on issues that affect and influence relationships for good or bad. Some of the imagery uses well-known world myths to illustrate couple dynamics and qualities of relating. This being the case, the cards can be used in counseling or therapeutic settings.
Lori Banks' artwork is just my cup of tea: colorful symbolic paintings that are pregnant with meaning and very intuitive to use. However, what makes this decks so lovely to me is not just the cute artwork, is the quality of the guidebook and the texts that accompany eachc card.
FAB QUALITY
RockPool demonstrates, once more, that other Tarot publishing houses have much to learn on how to produce affordable good-quality decks.
> Beautiful keepsake box with magnetic clip.
> The quality of the booklet is amazing. Premium glossy paper, color illustrations, good-sized lettering.
> Flexible good quality glossy cards, easy to shuffle and handle. Despite the size, the deck is light and not bulky.
> Good value for money.
ON THE FLIP SIDE
> The cards are a big too big for people with small hands.
> No ethnic or gender diversity.
> Three of the full body frontal images have wrong proportions between head and body, thus, the characters look a bit dwarfish: The Divine Masculine, Chivalry and the Sacred Woman.
The Wild Unknown Tarot pocket size in a tin, is just a great good quality deck.
This tarot deck has Kim Krans unique unmistakable atmospheric illustration style, which is immediately recognizable because of the simplicity of the elements, abstract predominantly B&W imagery with splashes of bright colors. The imagery relates to the natural world, the woods and the animals that populate it. This is a night-time-vibe Tarot, as the night scenes dominate most of the images and, overall, it has a strong night energy.
Beyond the imagery, there are other things that I like about this deck:
> The sizing is fantastic, really good for people with small hands.
> The cards shuffle and fly off beautifully and the deck is not heavy at all.
> The tin design is just fabulous.
> The major arcana, aces and court cards are really beautiful, but the deck, overall, is just artistically congruent and fabulous. I also love the snake-skin card back.
ON THE FLIP SIDE
> The card stock is a bit flimsy.
> The booklet is mass produced, bound too tightly and using bad quality paper.
> Some of the imagery used for the minor arcana seemed too abstract.
> Despite the fact that I admire this deck, I cannot connect with it. Said differently, I love the artwork, but it doesn't work for me. I find it too dark in mood and lacking warmth.
> Not a deck for beginners.
> Not an intuitive deck.
I actually returned the deck to the seller, because although I loved the artwork, I thought I would not use this deck and would sit on my shelves untouched.
MIND
The deck follows
the structure of the RSWT but the court cards are daughters (pages), sons (knights), mothers (queens) and fathers (kings).
Moonology is a book, deck and companion website by astrologer Yasmin Boland that delves into the influence of the phases of the moon in our daily lives. This is a very popular deck, one that you'll find used in many YouTube Tarot reading channels.
Honestly, I was never a fan of the images I saw on the screen. I purchased the deck as it was heavily discounted but, to my surprise, the deck is, in real life, beautiful.
GOOD STUFF
> Moonology is a highly intuitive deck, and this is something that, for me, makes an oracle, an oracle.
> Nyx Rowan's paintings and deck design are really beautiful and hypnotizing.
> The deck can be used as a normal oracle, i.e., you shuffle the cards, get one and get an answer to your question. Secondly, you can use the booklet as stand-alone guide to check specific phases of the moon, and events/circumstances associated to that phase.
> Good quality card stock with mate coating, so the cards shuffle well and let the painted artwork shine. Mate suits the night/moon theme, as well.
> Beautiful sturdy keepsake box.
> The card back is really pretty despite its simplicity or because of its simplicity.
> The booklet is very good regarding texts and also nicely bound, so you can fully open it and read it comfortably.
SO-SO
> I have had a mix of results with the deck, as I haven't had for for long and I am getting to start to understand it.
> I think if you are into Astrology and familiar with astrological charts, this deck might be a bit difficult to understand.
> For the same reason, unless you are really familiar with the cycles of the moon,the structure of the booklet is going to be challenge. Don't take me wrong, it's totally congruent and something that you can expect from a Moonology deck, yet, impractical for many people. I'd rather have the cards numbered so the user can look up them straight away, still keeping the current booklet structure.
> The keepsake box coating doesn't allow the lid to glide as easily as other decks.
Posts
Hilli's book is both a source of inspiration and a constant frustration to read. This could have been a great book if anyone had bothered to edit the book for content. It has great advice and concepts, but it is too wordy and repetitive and feels amateurish. 
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