Sometimes all you need to create art is a little bit of inspiration and some straightforward instruction on getting started. That’s what budding artists and their parents will find in How To Be A Super Awesome Artist: 20 Art Projects Inspired By The Masters by Henry Carroll & Rose Blake.

Using well-known artists as examples, the book presents nearly two-dozen projects that can be taken on with a few simple supplies. For instance, one project encourages young artists to be scavengers in the style of Aaron Johnson’s piece called, “Dandy.” In it, Johnson arranges different types of socks that he painted to create a monster face. The challenge presented to readers is to find any old household items or containers and arrange them to make something new.

Even Pablo Picasso’s “Dachshund/Sausage Dog,” which uses one continuous line to draw the dog, can inspire multiple drawings using only a pencil. The book goes over basics of drawing with exercises in shading, smudging, cross-hatching, and more. And it covers the basics of using paint, particularly acrylics.

The back of the book contains a brief history of art with a timeline. How To Be A Super Awesome Artist is the kind of book that can inspire art projects for years, as each challenge can be completed more than once. I recommend it for readers aged 8 to 12.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.