Marvelous Mermaids (I Heart Drawing)

Wow! I love this book on drawing and painting mermaids. I'm a seasoned, professional writer and poet, who has kept journals for over 25 (nearly 30) yrs, and many have had art and sketches in them. I studied art in college but rarely made time for my art for years-- unless it was a work assignment. Now I'm returning to art after a hiatus and this book by Jane Davenport is fantastic. I have already painted two mermaid paintings (with her Mermaid Markers and a watercolor set of hers), and am really enjoying her little prompts, how-to step-by-step guides on drawing faces, mermaid figures, fantasy sea life scenes, etc. I am a poet and the creative process that she moves through in this book is so cool and refreshing. It really makes it very accessible and not at all intimidating to draw and paint mermaids, if that's your thing. It's not for kids-- it's not juvenile. This is ideal for adults who want to draw and paint mermaids, perhaps for illustration or art journals. I suppose a teenager (late teens) might appreciate it, too, again, if into mermaids and making art. There are only feminine figures in the book-- no masculine merman figures, fyi. Note: Jane Davenport is a cool, inspired, motivational art journaling coach on Facebook and offers workshops, too. I'm really getting into her videos, which offers some tutorials, too. But this book on mermaids is a true gem. It makes me very happy in a time when it's hard to find something to be happy about (pandemic, etc.)

I have Jane Davenport's drawing books on faces and figures, so I was excited to get her new book titled, "Marvelous Mermaids." I wasn't disappointed! Although I'm an experienced artist, I find her work to be very inspirational. Her use of color and fluidity of line are amazing. Her book features multicultural looking mermaids and curvier ones too, which makes it much more inclusive. She has sections on backgrounds, hair variations, seascape ideas, sea life/form ideas, and more. Her suggestions for the use of different media and applications are great too. Finally, the sentiments, prompts, stickers, and collage sheets provide great reference material for experienced artists like me. For these reasons, I highly recommend this book for beginners and advanced artists interested wanting to explore the dynamic visual world of mermaids.

I love the vast amount of instructional art information in this book by Jane Davenport! The generous color prints, quality paper and very strong book binding is beyond belief. Mermaid and sea art is all here, plus how to create with many diverse and yummy mediums. The rock painting section was such a happy surprise too! How to do bodies, faces, eyes and achieve beautiful painterly effects....it's all here in huge color. Color is everywhere on the pages of this high end book, and you will find gifts of stickers in the back of the book to use on your art work or wherever you like! A wonderful page of collage images is also included!! The entire book is a work of art. So many lessons on how to draw and paint are included here! You need to buy this book right now. I am so happy I did!

A whimsical book. As soon as I opened the cover I wanted to make art! A great addition to my craft room. Happy Crafting!

I have most of her books if not all! This one is the best so far! If you love Jane’s art you will not be disappointed in this book.

I've taken numerous classes from Jane but I love that she creates books because then I can take her with me to practice offline too. Her teaching style is casual, helpful, and she gives you tips that you have never heard elsewhere. I can now actually draw a figure a face and of course a mermaid. She has a few other books and I own them all. I might be addicted!

I love all of Jane's books but this one has a special magic! Jane's fashion design technique add such beauty to the mermaids you she teaches you to create in this book. It is filled with imagination and whim which is contagious as you move from one lesson to the next. She covers everything from magical eyes to body structure. Surprise gifts in the back of the book are a wonderful treat! Can't recommend this one enough!!

This is my 4th Jane Davenport book and I love it. I wanted this book as soon as it was advertised. I just had to wait until my budget allowed for it. Jane's "heat" system for bodies and her great instructions for doing faces are easy to follow. I love anything to do with the sea, so this mermaid book was perfect for me. I highly recommend it.