Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits by Nelli Suneli: is it worth buying?
Quick answer
| Best for | Artists who are tired of following tutorials and want to learn the system behind stylized character design. |
| Skip if | You are looking for a realistic portrait guide, a video course, or a simple coloring book. |
| Price | $19 |
| Format | 85-page PDF workbook (printable or digital) |
| One-line take | A construction-set approach to character drawing that turns “I don’t know what to draw” into a repeatable creative process. |
What you’re actually buying
Most drawing resources fall into one of two traps: they are either a rigid step-by-step tutorial that leaves you unable to draw anything new, or a vague theory book that never gives you a place to practice. Nelli Suneli’s Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits sits in the sweet spot between the two. It is an 85-page workbook designed to teach you the underlying “grammar” of stylized characters so you can eventually stop relying on the book entirely.
The core of the offer is the Mix and Match section. Instead of just showing you one finished portrait, this section breaks down hairstyles, eyes, noses, and mouths into modular components. You get over a hundred variations per page, which is a rare amount of concrete practice material for the price. It’s less about memorizing a specific face and more about understanding how to combine elements to create a unique character. This is the part that makes the $19 feel like a small investment rather than a quick fix. (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
Beyond the mixing section, the workbook includes a dedicated deep-dive on hair, which is often the hardest part of character design to get right. You’ll learn to see the shapes and lines in real references and how to stylize them, a skill that transfers to any character you create. The book also includes 27 idea cards for those days when you’re stuck, plus a gallery of accessories and background details to help you finish your looks. It’s a complete toolkit for building a character from scratch, not just a collection of pretty pictures. (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
Why it’s on our radar
This workbook is interesting because it addresses a specific frustration for intermediate hobbyists: the “tutorial dependency.” Many artists can copy a video perfectly but freeze when they open a blank page. The Stylized Portraits workbook is structured to break that cycle by starting with simple lines and shapes, moving through step-by-step tutorials, and then pushing you into “real creative work” where you mix elements yourself.
The specificity of the deliverables is also worth noting. You aren’t just getting a PDF; you’re getting a structured learning path that includes warm-ups, exercises to lock in skills, and a system for generating endless variations. For $19, getting a full 85-page resource that covers head shape, features, hair volumes, and personality details is a strong value proposition for anyone serious about character design. (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
What actually matters
Before you buy, keep these three points in mind to ensure it fits your workflow: (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
- It’s a workbook, not a video course. The format is a PDF meant to be printed and drawn on, or used as a digital reference. If you prefer learning through video tutorials or want real-time feedback, this won’t be the right format. (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
- The “Mix and Match” section is the key feature. If you’re already comfortable with character construction and just need a place to practice, this section alone justifies the purchase. If you’re a complete beginner who hasn’t drawn a single line, you might find the initial warm-ups a bit challenging, though the book does start from simple shapes. (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
- It’s stylized, not realistic. The focus is on creating unique, stylized portraits. If your goal is to learn how to draw photorealistic human faces, this isn’t the right tool for the job. (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
Mid-check
If you’re ready to move past tutorials and start building your own characters, this is a solid next step. (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
FAQ
Is this book suitable for complete beginners? Yes, but with a caveat. The book starts with warm-ups using simple lines and shapes, so it’s accessible to beginners. However, the goal is to move you toward creating your own characters, so you should be willing to practice and experiment rather than just copy. If you’re looking for a “how to draw a face in 5 minutes” guide, this is more in-depth. (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
Do I need to print the PDF to use it? No. While printing is the easiest way to draw directly on the pages (since they have prepared drawing areas), you can also use the digital version as a guide while you draw in a physical sketchbook. You can also save pages as images and use them on a tablet if you draw digitally. (Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits)
How is this different from Drawing Practice Book 1? This is Book 2, specifically focused on Stylized Portraits. If you’ve already done the first book, this is the natural next step for character design. If you’re new to the series, this book is self-contained and focuses on the construction of stylized characters, hair, and accessories.
Bottom line
If you’re stuck in the loop of watching tutorials but struggling to create original characters, Drawing Practice Book 2: Stylized Portraits is a practical, well-structured way to break that habit. The $19 price point is reasonable for an 85-page workbook that gives you a system for generating endless character variations. It’s not a magic fix, but it’s a solid tool for artists who want to build their own visual language.