Picture This: The Near-sighted Monkey Book

This is a great book. it's a lot of fun with a lot of journaling advice inside.

Just thumbing through this book makes me feel like a kid again. The idea of painting and drawing on lowly 'binder paper' rocks my line art graphic mindset. There are a myriad of creative trails to follow and I've just begun the journey. There is such honesty in the pages, such a wonderful mix of spirit, technique, angst, and fun in a book about making art. Maybe "expressing ourselves" is a better term than "making art". Lynda Barry helps you open the door to expression.My favorite quote from the book so far is "The worst thing I can do when I'm stuck is to start thinking and stop moving my hands."I'm off to do a mood doodle and follow along with Marlys, Arna and the cephalopod.

If you long to draw, but struggle with fear of the blank page, of not knowing what to draw because you think your drawing needs to be "good" or have a goal, this book is for you. Lynda Barry gives us a free pass—along with tips and a lot of enCOURAGEment—to create with joy, rather than judgement.That said, I think I would have had trouble appreciating Picture This if I hadn't first read Lynda Barry's What It Is. What It Is has a similar format, but it does finally present (when you reach around page 140) a disciplined method that is very practical and extremely helpful. Picture This includes many little activities you can do to start "arting," but I think it would be easy to reach the end of the book and think you were missing something.Reaching the method in What It Is helped me appreciate everything that had come before and the approach Lynda Barry takes, and that opened me up to embracing this book more than I think I would have if I'd read Picture This first. Now, I love this book. I love drawing for no purpose other than to watch the ink flow out of my fountain pen (medium flex nib Noodler's Konrad) onto the drawing paper and discover where it takes me.

I bought this for a friend because she loves mine. This is my all time favorite art book. I love all of Lynda Barry's books

This book is chock full of wonderful inspiration from Lynda Barry. It has lifted me out of my painting doldrums and put me back at ease in front of a blank sheet of paper. Actually, I've been painting on newspaper lately, a la Lynda. This book is rich in philosophy, inspiration, hope and wonder. I've bought multiple copies to hand out as gifts, and finally, one for myself. I had kept the library copy out past its due date and realized I needed to have my own copy to keep close at hand. Just had to buy it.

If you could use some encouragement to actually create something instead of thinking about creating...this book is for you. Lynda Barry has been teaching folks that the “external immune system”, actually creating something/anything, is how humans can heal their world a bit more.Her art and playful presentation gives you the permission to go ahead. She’s the friend you didn’t know you had who I can imagine would celebrate your creations and would happily help you destroy them to make something new.

I love this book. This author never disappoints. I love that it's 100% visual, which is how my brain works, and it's so different from almost everything else out there. So glad I bought this.

This may not be for everyone, but if you know and love Lynda Barry's work, you'll love this book. I felt as if I was traveling into the inky recesses of my own mind while hitching a ride through Lynda's process to make art. What a gift. If you ever felt like something was stopping you from enjoying drawing, or painting or any kind of art, then this is a gentle reminder of what art can be, if you let it. You may find yourself wanting to skip around the pages, but I suggest letting the book's story unfold from beginning to end. It's worth it!You may not experience it the way I did, but I feel like this book changed my life.Thank you, Lynda Barry!

An unusual book that I found enlightening. This is the second Lynda Barry book of this type I've read. They look at what makes a good picture, or a bad picture. I found them challenging my view of what is a bad picture.

Makes you think I’m a different way. A beautiful book

Libro illustrato piu per grandi che per piccini. Molto simpatico. Non tanto delle lezioni di disegno, quanto pensieri e disegni di una mamma, disegnatrice autrice di libri

This book is amazing. Every page is a piece of art. On the surface it looks a little like an odd children's picture book, but it actually has many layers, some quite insightful and complex. The silly component is definitely there, though! I really recommend buying this book to anyone who appreciates art, and loves to imagine, draw, pretend, and think about life.

another beautiful inspiring book! So glad i bought this! I love her art style, and her notes on *creating* are honest - more questions than answers, but the right questions...