Drawing Food & Snapn Food: New Books Help You Document Your Dinner

• Who wrote it: Claudia Pearson

• Who published it: Chronicle Books

• Highlights: We love illustrator Claudia Pearson’s tea towels, calendars, and totes featuring seasonal fruits and vegetables. Now she’s encouraging others to pick up a pencil and explore the shapes, colors, and textures of food. “There is no right or wrong way to draw,” Pearson says, and this guided sketchbook is really an invitation to slow down, set aside some “me” time, and have fun.

In the first part of the journal, Pearson shares techniques for drawing fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy, bread and sweets, and kitchen objects. The second half of the book contains an entire year’s worth of weekly prompts such as “in the farmers’ market right now,” “a recipe I made this week,” and “my favorite pots and pans.” We can just imagine how much fun it would be to flip through at the end of the year.

• Who would enjoy this book? food lovers and artists of all ages and skill levels; would also make a great gift with a set of drawing pencils

Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: Drawing Food: A Journal

• Visit the author’s website: Claudia Pearson

• Who wrote it: Paul O’Hanlon and Kelly Kingman

• Who published it: Darren Rowse/Digital Photography School

• Highlights: Want to get started or improve your food photography? Whether you’re shooting with a fancy digital camera or a cell phone, this mini-guide will help you capture beautiful and interesting images at home and on location.

Authors Paul O’Hanlon and Kelly Kingman have lots of experience in professional photography and food, yet their tips and techniques are accessible enough for anyone to understand and implement. Topics in the 38-page PDF include basic gear, food photography styles, lighting, props, angles, composition, styling, and more. Easy to read and packed with information, this is something you can immediately put to use and then return to time and again.

• Who would enjoy this book? people who enjoy (or want to get started) photographing the food they cook or eat, bloggers, food business owners

Find the book at SnapnGuides: Snapn Food: Delicious Food Photography in a Snap

• Visit the authors’ websites: Beacon Lightworks & Kelly Kingman Media

Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.

(Images: Emily Han)