Crayons aren’t just for coloring books. They can be used to create realistic drawings like those in Lee Hammond’s Amazing Crayon Drawing book.

Chapter one focuses on Crayola crayons (the recommended brand) and the supplies needed to make remarkable-looking illustrations. The chapter on layering, burnishing, and scratching techniques contains a practice exercise and an explanation about shading. Many of the lessons in the book use the Grid method (a detachable plastic grid is included in the book); other practice sessions focus on drawing three-dimensional shapes by adding tone and contour. Sand dollar, wood grain and conch shell sketches demonstrate textures, while a close-up drawing of a decanter explains how to draw a glass object.

Readers will find tips on creating beautiful landscapes and detailed illustrations of flowers, animals, and people in the last three chapters. Color illustrations and step-by-step demonstrations appear in every chapter of this book, but there is also an impressive gallery of seven finished illustrations at the back. The type of paper and colors used are shown in labels appearing under the illustrations, and tips about completing projects are written in sidebars entitled Lee’s Lesson’s.

Budding artists may want to pair this book with Lee Hammond’s Big Book of Drawing and try the demonstrations that contain less detail, such as sketching a stone or drawing a heart or tree trunk.