Doodling in French: How to Draw with Joie de Vivre

Doodling in French - How to Draw with Joie de Vivre by Anna Corba is such a gem and a delight, like the artist herself. I was so excited to get this book and pored over the beautiful pages with all the small details and wonderful photography and reproductions. I have seen Anna's work in person as a student, and the images in the book precisely depict her style and attention to detail, Anna's own joie de vivre!I eagerly anticipated seeing the book because I am a fan of Anna's other books on the genre of how to make collages with a French flair. This book was no disappointment! The left-facing pages have simple-to-follow instructions on how to draw everyday objects such as hats, flowers and garden watering cans. They are organized by parts of the home and life in a whimsical fashion that sparks creativity and the imagination. On the right-facing pages, Anna shows how to combine the doodled object with delicate collaged elements to make sensual art pieces that stand on their own, or can be used for cards or boxes. Combined with techniques and projects from Anna's other published books, such as Vintage Paper Crafts and Making Memory Boxes, this set of examples and instructions on how to draw helps Anna's followers create the unique personal marks in their art that Anna teaches are so important.The last part of the book is chock full of pages with starter material for you to draw in your doodles and complete your own collages, so if you don't have some French ephemera of your own at hand, fear not. You can create lovely pieces right in your own copy of this book.What a great gift these precious smaller format books would make for a group of your besties in your book group, or as a thank you gift for bridesmaids.

Love this book! It is feminine and fun! Each page is beautifully crafted to look like a scrapbook page and inspire your inner artist.The doodles range from very simple to more difficult. It was initially purchased for my daughter to make her high school French classes more engaging and now I use it when I substitute in French classes. Students enjoy doing some "French art" and learning the corresponding vocabulary.It is appropriate for any age.

I have the book "Paper Crafts", also by Anna Corba, so I was super excited to see that she had a new book out. I love all things Parisian, so thought this would be right up my alley. It is a fun little book, I haven't tried drawing anything yet, even though I've had the book for quite some time.Love the colors and collages. I guess I just wish there was more to it, and also wish she had shown actual finished projects.

A cute book for the budding artist or for the person who likes all things French. The quality of the book is good with a sturdy cover different colored pages. The paper has a matte finish so there is no glare from overhead lights. Interesting introduction in which the author notes why she created the book and why she chose this particular format for the book.

but this fun and charming book gives me the directions on how to do simple 'Frenchy' designs to incorporate into my collage artwork. I love the blank and beautiful pages at the end of the book that just invite you to start drawing. I plan on buying several of these books as gifts for my special friends who can use an excuse to be creative and play!

I ordered this book and was so excited when it arrived. I love French designs and this such a wonderful book. The author gave great step by step illustrations on drawing various images which makes is so easy for anyone to do. This has quickly become one of my favorite books! Love it!!!

I got this for my daughter for her birthday, because she's a doodler especially at work. She has this book displayed on her bookshelf at work so she can feel the spirit of Paris even if she's not really there. It's a lot of fun, and gives lots of ideas for creative doodling. Her patients enjoy the French ambience of her office now.

This was a gift for my niece who visited Paris 2 years ago. She has kept her memorabilia in a box and this seemed the book for her dreams of that trip to France. The author writes and details how to make your scrapbook an artistic romantic thing of beauty and there are even quite a few pages at the back of the book to add your own touches.