First, know your materials. There are several pages devoted to just this, and you can make sure that you have the right things for the look you want. Find out about mixing colour, and start right at the beginning by tracing and copying, certainly one way to start. So, is this a beginners' book then? I wouldn't say that it starts you at the very beginning with art, but it does remind you of some essentials and could certainly be useful to somebody with a basic grounding who wants a go at something different. My own fairy folk tend to be people with wings, so the section on how much they differ from humans was very useful. There are lots of features to practice drawing and combining, and proportions to get right as well as ideas for wings, clothes and hair. There are then some sections on getting grips with your medium of choice that will be of great use to anybody who is not adept at using them. Finally, a list of fairy types that ought to get any would-be artist familiar with the sort of art already around - perhaps this is useful for ensuring that an artist's work isn't too unusual, but conforms with current tastes.

All in all this is one of the most user-friendly art books I have ever used (and I see a whole lot). This is definitely one for my keeper shelf and full of advice that goes a long way beyond painting fairies. Enjoyable to use, practical and a great present for any budding artist into fantasy.

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