Dylan Li, 5Yorba Linda, CA Talk Dylan Li, 5 I like to talk, talk, talk… I talk to an apple No answer I talk to mommy and daddy Sometimes mommy is working daddy is sleeping Sometimes daddy is working mommy is sleeping So I talk to Alexa She always answers But sometimes power is off I really want to talk to my friends face to face
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
The Hobbit, Reviewed by Nora, 12
I first read The Hobbit when I was seven years old. I was instantly intrigued by the adventure, and wanted to read as much as I could. The story was exciting, and interesting, despite the rather dense language that often frightens people away. Some people think that The Hobbit is for middle schoolers to read, or sometimes high schoolers. But it is an adventure that will appeal to all ages, whether you’re seven or seventeen. One thing that made The Hobbit so interesting was that the main character, Bilbo Baggins, was a normal hobbit, and never ever wanted an adventure in his life. Throughout the book, he was often frightened, and not sure if he could do what he had been given to do. Everyone thought that he was some great burglar, when in truth, he had never left his hobbit-hole in Bag-End before. But despite all this, he ended up being crucial for the mission, and saved his friend’s lives on more than one occasion. Bilbo Baggins is unknowingly caught up in a great scheme between the dwarves and the great wizard, Gandalf, to get their gold and treasure back from the evil dragon, Smaug. Along the way, they come across many dangers, and almost die a few times. Bilbo is worried that he will never see his cosy home in Bag-End ever again. The Hobbit is the amazing prequel to The Lord of the Rings series. All four books take place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginary world, called Middle Earth. Elves and goblins live there, along with hobbits, dragons, and other magical creatures. But Tolkein puts enough reality into it so that the characters are relatable, and although impossible things are happening to them, and they are not even human, it feels as though they are actually real. The dense writing style of The Hobbit often causes people to think that the book is very hard to understand, and not worth the time it takes them to read it. But it most definitely is. From the moment you read the first line, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” you will be fascinated, drawn in by the charm that J.R.R. Tolkien puts into his words. You will battle giant spiders, escape from goblins, and play a game of riddles with a creature in the dark. You will journey through the dark and dangerous forest, and confront Smaug, the dragon. I would recommend The Hobbit to anyone at all who is looking for a new adventure book. Whether you’re young or old, the story that has captivated audiences for generations will captivate you, too. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Mariner Books, 1937. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
How to Draw Anime Art
Drawing is a skill you can always improve at. Everyone makes art and draws it in different ways. One style that is both common and very popular is anime art. Anime art uses thin lines and many details. Most people make anime art digitally, but some do it on paper! Today I will be teaching you all how to draw anime art digitally! (Or well, my version of it anyways!) Whether you are a newer artist or a complete newbie on this, it’s fine! The first recommendation I would make is to find a good art program like Firealpaca, Medibang, Ibis Paint X, Photoshop, Procreate, and more! However, do keep in mind that different art programs have different layouts, tools, and prices. Photoshop, Procreate, Clipstudio, and Paint Tool SAI are all amazing drawing programs but all cost real money. Some free alternatives are Firealpaca, Krita, Medibang, and Ibis Paint X, but Firealpaca and Krita are only on desktops, and Medibang and Ibis Paint X are mobile! Also, a little side note: for the bottom art, I used Medibang! Please note: The example drawing down below was made a few weeks ago, so this is a half body and not a headshot. STEPS: 1. Find a clear image or idea of what you want to draw 2. When drawing digitally, you should start with a large canvas size like 1000×1000 so you have room to add details and make those tiny little features that make anime art look like anime art. 3. You should also note that when drawing, just use a basic pen or pencil brush, nothing too special. Just keep it simple for now and experiment later! 4. Start sketching what you want to draw (sketching means drawing using very basic shapes like lines, circles, triangles, etc.) 5. Then start the more refined sketching—let’s put this into parts: 5.1 The Head: draw a circle, and then add 2 short lines to the sides and connect them 5.2 The Body: draw a rectangle (since this is a headshot, the rectangle is the whole body) 5.3 Hair: it is up to you how you want to draw the hair or if you want to at all. 5.4 Eyes- this is also up to you how you want to draw it or not What it should look similar to: 6. Now draw the lineart. Do one stroke at a time. Not many lines— just 1 line at a time to make it look clean. What it should look similar to: 7. Add color by using the eyedrop tool 8. Add shading (optional) What it should look similar to: At the end, you can add highlights if you like. Your final result should look somewhat like this, but you should always practice to get better!
