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Summary: One of the two Bibles for TRUE Art students
Review: Harold Speed is truly the finest author on the subject of painting and drawing. Wish I could have known him. You will read and reread learning new things every time. Indispensible. Your bible.
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Summary: Must reading on introduction to Visual Art
Review: if you are a Fine Arts student and you havent read this yet... well pick it up. It is well worth for the 1st and 2nd year student!
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Summary: YOU NEED THIS BOOK!!!!!
Review: IF YOU TRULY WISHED TO LEARN TO DRAW LIKE THOSE DRAUGHTSMEN OF OLD, WHY NOT STUDY (NOT JUST READ) FROM ONE OF THE BEST OF THEM? HAROLD SPEED'S TECHNIQUES ARE INCREDIBLE AND WILL TAKE INCREDIBLY LONG TO MASTER...BUT WHO WANTS QUICK FIX STUFF ANYWAY? LEONARDO AND THE OTHER MASTERS DIDN'T JUST PICK UP A PENCIL AND DREW BEAUTIFUL PIECES. DRAWING AND PAINTING WELL IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION. ENJOY LEARNING!
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Summary: YOU NEED THIS BOOK!!!!!
Review: IF YOU TRULY WISHED TO LEARN TO DRAW LIKE THOSE DRAUGHTSMEN OF OLD, WHY NOT STUDY (NOT JUST READ) FROM ONE OF THE BEST OF THEM? HAROLD SPEED'S TECHNIQUES ARE INCREDIBLE AND WILL TAKE INCREDIBLY LONG TO MASTER...BUT WHO WANTS QUICK FIX STUFF ANYWAY? LEONARDO AND THE OTHER MASTERS DIDN'T JUST PICK UP A PENCIL AND DREW BEAUTIFUL PIECES. DRAWING AND PAINTING WELL IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION. ENJOY LEARNING!
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Summary: the best ever done in English
Review: It's easy to pontificate and very, very hard to draw. Suspiciously absent from most books on drawing are drawings by the author. But Speed, a journeyman painter whose career bridged the 19th and 20th centuries, drew wonderfully well, and his drawings vindicate his ideas. Additionally, Speed's career embodies the best of the academic tradition and the then-contemporary discoveries of the Impressionists. His assessment of Monet has stood the test of time, as have his splendid instruction on the nuts and bolts of drawing. If you can only have one book on drawing -- and I have a vested interest in this area -- Speed's is the one to get.
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Summary: Brilliant book for any artist
Review: This book is an in depth study on the elements that make a piece of art. It covers the style and movement of line, (both the drawn and implied), mass, tone, rythym, balance and proportion. It also discusses variation and unity within the individual elements, how all the elements work with the subject to create a piece of art and the differences between a piece of art and a great piece of art.I could ramble on, but will not, though there is so much more in this book. It is bursting at the binding with insight on drawing. It is clearly written by someone who obviously knows what he is writing about. It is a fantastic art course by a man who knows how to teach. It is as relevant today as it was when written, probably even more so given my experience of modern art tuition over the years. If you want to be an artist, no, if you want to be a great artist, read this book.
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Summary: An Essential Reference for Art Students
Review: This book is good not only for the beginning art student, but also as an excellent reference for the more advanced student interested in solidifying his/her drawing skills. I strongly recommend it.
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Summary: A vanishing breed
Review: This practical guide, rapidly approaching its 90th birthday, is one of a few truly classic books for art students still in print, along with Nicolaides' Natural Way to Draw. However, it is also filled with admonishments, strongly held opinions, and the kind of written language that has mostly vanished from the printed page. I warn prospective readers not to be put off by the force or unfamiliarity of the prose style. There are many things to be enjoyed here -- classic exercises, useful diagrams and plates -- and perhaps equally important, a kind of philosophical courage about art and instruction that has otherwise gone the way of the dodo. ("[Lead pencil] is...an excellent training to the eye and hand...Perhaps that is why it has not been so popular in our art schools recently, where the charms of severe discipline are not so much in favor as they should be.")
I highly recommend this book as a complement to anyone's drawing practice.
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Summary: a superb guide to traditional drawing
Review: Though written nearly a hundred years ago, Harold Speed's book is a gem. We live in a time when traditional drawing techniques are hard to come by, but Speed takes us back to the essential skills of the late nineteenth century. If you dream, as I do, of drawing like Ingres and painting like Sargent, this book will point the way. An absolute classic.
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