The Drawing Handbook

Rating:
Summary: Great Beginner to Intermediate How-To Book
Review: When I think of a beginner to intermediate "traditional" how-to-draw book this is exactly the kind of book I think of. It is not a "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" type of book. So if you are someone who hasn't picked up a pencil to sketch seriously since you were 12 I recommend getting Betty Edward's Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book *AND* Mona Brooke's EXCELLENT (5 stars IMHO) "Drawing for Older Children and Teens:A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too". I recommend those two books even to advanced artists - especially the Mona Brookes book which I think is rather under-appreciated and unknown compared to the Betty Edwards book.

When you have finished the two books I listed above get this book . It will help you on toward the next stage of your drawing and sketching. It's divided into two main sections with several chapters in each. The first section has chapters covering composition, drawing materials, perspective and shadows, the geometry of things and drawing techniques for pen and pencil. I really liked the chapters on composition and perspective and shadows as they seemed to go into a bit more detail than most "beginning" traditional drawing books give. The composition chapter explains the golden section, triangle-based composition, s-curves, balance and eye movement. The perspective chapter explains 1 and 2 point perspective and drawing circles in perspective. There is a section that tells how to use a grid to enlarge a small photo or sketch to a much larger one and how to make the calculations so your final drawing will account for matting and framing dimensions. There's even a neat section showing how to create and fold your own gift notecards.

The second Part gets into actual drawing exercises involving landscapes, architecture, birds and other animals, flowers, faces and clothing. In fact, it's packed with these demonstrations/assignments. For the novice the author provides a gridded outline pattern of the finished art. This is to be used as a guide for enlarging or reducing the subject onto your own paper. With each project the author gives step-by-step instructions of each technique used, what, when and where. You may choose drawing and shading techniques that look exactly like the finished project the author shows. Or, an option which I think is just as fun and valuable, you may choose other techniques he's demonstrated to draw that project and create a different result from the finished picture in the book. In fact, you could draw the exact same project over several times using the gridded outline he provides and re-do it in each one of the techniques he's shown.

I also noticed the author lists on his Suggested Reading page John Rushkin's Elements of Drawing (and Elements of Perspective) and Henry Rankin Poore's Composition in Art. I happen to own both and highly recommend them (both 5 stars in my opinion).

For me, it's the second half of the book that really makes it a gem among traditional how-to-draw books. Some of the artwork shown is more "sketchy" and some more finished. But the author has provided plenty of advice and helpful aids for novice to intermediate artists to create successful drawings and have fun while creating them. And that's the best reason of all to draw. Because it's just plain fun!

Rating:
Summary: Great Beginner to Intermediate How-To Book
Review: When I think of a beginner to intermediate "traditional" how-to-draw book this is exactly the kind of book I think of. It is not a "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" type of book. So if you are someone who hasn't picked up a pencil to sketch seriously since you were 12 I recommend getting Betty Edward's Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book *AND* Mona Brooke's EXCELLENT (5 stars IMHO) "Drawing for Older Children and Teens:A Creative Method for Adult Beginners, Too". I recommend those two books even to advanced artists - especially the Mona Brookes book which I think is rather under-appreciated and unknown compared to the Betty Edwards book.

When you have finished the two books I listed above get this book . It will help you on toward the next stage of your drawing and sketching. It's divided into two main sections with several chapters in each. The first section has chapters covering composition, drawing materials, perspective and shadows, the geometry of things and drawing techniques for pen and pencil. I really liked the chapters on composition and perspective and shadows as they seemed to go into a bit more detail than most "beginning" traditional drawing books give. The composition chapter explains the golden section, triangle-based composition, s-curves, balance and eye movement. The perspective chapter explains 1 and 2 point perspective and drawing circles in perspective. There is a section that tells how to use a grid to enlarge a small photo or sketch to a much larger one and how to make the calculations so your final drawing will account for matting and framing dimensions. There's even a neat section showing how to create and fold your own gift notecards.

The second Part gets into actual drawing exercises involving landscapes, architecture, birds and other animals, flowers, faces and clothing. In fact, it's packed with these demonstrations/assignments. For the novice the author provides a gridded outline pattern of the finished art. This is to be used as a guide for enlarging or reducing the subject onto your own paper. With each project the author gives step-by-step instructions of each technique used, what, when and where. You may choose drawing and shading techniques that look exactly like the finished project the author shows. Or, an option which I think is just as fun and valuable, you may choose other techniques he's demonstrated to draw that project and create a different result from the finished picture in the book. In fact, you could draw the exact same project over several times using the gridded outline he provides and re-do it in each one of the techniques he's shown.

I also noticed the author lists on his Suggested Reading page John Rushkin's Elements of Drawing (and Elements of Perspective) and Henry Rankin Poore's Composition in Art. I happen to own both and highly recommend them (both 5 stars in my opinion).

For me, it's the second half of the book that really makes it a gem among traditional how-to-draw books. Some of the artwork shown is more "sketchy" and some more finished. But the author has provided plenty of advice and helpful aids for novice to intermediate artists to create successful drawings and have fun while creating them. And that's the best reason of all to draw. Because it's just plain fun!