Yokai Bestiary

This is the perfect book to pick up for the beginning artist in your life. The instructions were easy to follow and well designed. I also loved the character tidbits and history behind what was being drawn.

This is a great introduction to a diverse array of Japanese yokai as well as a wonderful how-to-draw book. There are plenty of tips for beginners and detailed step-by-step guides. The illustrations of the yokai are colorful and have fantastic personality. All in all, this would make a perfect gift for any artistically-minded person, whether child or adult, in your life.

A mix between an encyclopedia and art book about Japanese yokai. It felt well-researched, with references to the yokai’s historical context and pop culture references, and was created by an artist who works on game illustrations.

There were a variety of yokai, from well-known ones to a bit mote obscure, and it’s ordered from least to most difficultly in drawing. Each entry had a brief description on the yokai with step-by-step guide on how to draw them in the author’s art style, which is a bit more animated/graphic novel-esque rather than traditional. The book felt targeted to younger readers, maybe middle grade, but also helpful to adults, and had helpful tips for beginner artists.

Love this book! Instructions are easy to follow especially as someone who is not really gifted with drawing. My kids really enjoyed it as well. Liked the descriptions and info on the yokai as well

This step-by-step yokai drawing book is really fun for fans of creativity and Japanese Folklore.

The explainations are great, simple and the sketches help a lot. The further we go into the book, the most difficult it becomes. We even have some informations about the different entities. The bestiary categorized most monsters in several parts according to their species.

I can't wait to draw these creatures!

This is such a good book. I thought at first it’s just a Yokai encyclopedia. But when I opened it the author is teaching me how to draw them! So fun! And the author makes drawing the yokai so easy. The additional knowledge about the yokai backgrounds are definitely fun to know for someone who likes anime too.

i absolutely love this! i spent well over an hour going through the drawings myself and they are so easy and simple to draw and read about all the Japanese supernatural phenomena!

I have not started to draw the Yokai beast yet but I read the book over and decided on which beasts I will try to draw. All of them!

This is a vibrant book that teaches you to draw Yokai beasts and the instructions are great.

"Yokai Bestiary" is a step-by-step drawing guide that teaches you how to draw 35 supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore, known as yokai. Perfect for artists of all skill levels, this book provides detailed instructions on shaping, shading, and adding culturally significant details to your drawings. Alongside drawing tips, you'll discover the fascinating myths behind creatures like the multi-tailed Kitsune, reptilian Kappa, bird-like Tengu, tree spirits Kodama, and two-tailed Nekomata. "Yokai Bestiary" offers a unique blend of art instruction and Japanese mythology, making it an enchanting journey into a world of mystical beings.

Yokai Bestiary is perfect for anyone interested in drawing mythological creatures. The instructions are clear and precise and before each drawing, it gives a detailed description of the mythical creature that is fun to read and very educational. The book even has a list of classic yokai artists and a list of recommended reading to learn more about yokai. 5 of 5 stars.

Thank you, Wellfleet Press, for the advance reading copy.

Just grab this book as it expertly guides you through the easiest simplest steps on how to draw the theme art of Yokai, Japanese term for mystical creatures.

I am thoroughly impressed with everything about this book. Any one of any age can take creative inspiration easily from this book.

NetGalley Review

Star Rating: ★★★★★

Nice easy to understand steps, great explanations on each step and great tidbits of information about each Yokai. Any kid that loves to draw and loves monsters would love this book!

Like always though, read it and decide for yourself

A part drawing guide, part lesson about Japanese folklore, it's an enjoyable read with practical exercises for drawing. From cute tanuki (Japanese raccoon-dog) to imposing oni (a demon-ogre), we're introduced to a slew of various supernatural mythological creatures, some more dangerous and scary, some more mischievous and mundane, including a glossary at the end. The drawing process is explained stage by stage and framed by general drawing advice and discussion of equipment for physical and digital drawing. The designs and interpretations of the mythological creatures are clear, creative and evocative.

I would recommend this book for beginner fans of Japanese folklore and drawing, who want to learn about basics of both.

Thank you Netgalley and Wellfleet Press for the ARC.

Yokai Bestiary is a collection of Japanese Yokai (Demons). Lance does a stellar job of balancing the drawing guide with the informational portion about each creature. I didn't know much about yokai going into this book, but I enjoyed the snippets of information! The book starts with creatures that are easy to draw and slowly ramp up to more difficult ones, which is a great format for people who are just starting out. The gradual increase in difficulty helps build confidence and it makes each upcoming drawing less intimidating.

Though it seems to be targeted towards middle-grade readers, it's a guide that all ages can reference

Amazing - beautiful illustrations with great lore and instructions. Adore this book and will be buying a hardcopy

Get ready for the weird and the wonderful with Yōkai Bestiary, a book that teaches the reader about Japanese mythological beings and how to draw them. I was immediately intrigued since I both love yōkai and enjoy drawing. This is a unique approach to the topic. Each yōkai (Japanese for "strange apparition") is given an introductory page and then a set of guided instructions on how to draw them. Like most how to draw books, it focuses on step-by-step tutorials built around basic shapes that are refined into the final product. Nothing too groundbreaking in the world of art books, but the information about the yōkai makes it special. Red is an experienced fantasy artist perhaps known for his art for the table top RPG Pathfinder, and his style brings a bit of Western fantasy to the Eastern beasties he discusses. This book will appeal to fans of Japanese folklore and those looking to draw unique fantasy art.

Yoaki Bestiary: How to Draw Eerie and Enchanting Japanese Ghouls and Monsters is a great drawing book on, you guessed it, how to draw yokai! Not only is there a really plain and easy to follow step by step instructions, ranging from easier to much harder, on how to draw these Japanese creatures and beings of legend, but also information on each one -- the origins, if known, the cultural relevance, what they do, if they're goofy or spooky...

A neat little book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wellfleet Press | Wellfleet Press for the eARC in exchange for review!