Product Description
The most comprehensive book ever published on drawing hands uses a revolutionary system for visualizing the hand in an almost infinite number of positions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

excellent artist
product was shipped and received with no issues, the artist is well renowned and book is perfect for those who need to focus on limbs and details of those limbs. cant go wrong with the artist Hogarth

weird
I just don't feel like the illustrations give an accurate impression of hands. (And being a book about illustrating, the pictures are one of the most important parts.) The way things bend is unnatural, the shapes and proportions are wrong, and the overall impression just doesn't look like a hand. The "seven to eight years" hand (supposed to be the hand of a child) was the one that came the closest to looking like a normal adult hand to me. In some pictures I found it very difficult to tell the thumb from the little finger. That can't be a good thing. The anatomy may be technically correct, but correct anatomy is NOT everything. Giving the correct impression is vital.

You've got your own hands right in front of you. If you choose to use this book as a reference, please don't neglect the much more accurate reference material at the end of your wrists.

Loaded with examples and techniques
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1BLD1B5T60JR0 Drawing Dynamic Hands is a really good book on drawing hands. It explains almost everything you need from the form, structures, proportions, anatomical landmarks, functions to foreshortening. The illustrated examples are plentiful with hands in almost every humanly possible pose. There are so many to practice from.

The only problem with this book is the ridiculously muscular fingers in all the examples. We don't see this level of muscles even in superhero comics. But you already know that when you buy a Hogarth book.

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to draw hands. A general anatomy reference book is recommended as companion for those who cannot get pass the over stylized Hogarth style.

(Check out my Amazon profile for other books I've reviewed.)

Tips that make good artists fine artists
This book is very good! Hands are the most difficult to draw and this book gives you many guidelines and tips

excellent
excellent book to practice. I did all of them and my drawing improved a lot ... Read more

Product Description
While its predecessor, Don Bluth's Art of Storyboard, described in detail the technical and creative processes involved in crafting the visual blueprints for animated films, Don Bluth's Art of Animation Drawing focuses on the process of designing characters; adapting them to script, voice talent, and music; directing their "performances"; the timing and rhythm of movement; analyzing action; and more. The acclaimed animator/director of The Secret of N.I.M.H., An American Tail, and All Dogs Go to Heaven, Bluth’s gorgeous artwork and lively commentary make this a must for animators of any level and a delight for animation fans of any age. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Motivation for animators
Im a Don Bluth fan since small age, and this book it feels like if he was really talking to you.
As an animator enthusiast, i really find this book inspiring. Its more like a motivation book than a textbook.
It explains really well the basics of animation and it also includes thins like the musical score and voice recording.
I really recommend it if you want to read something that its not just a animation textbook.

fantastic book for animator
This beautiful book is indispensable for those who want to approach the
world of animation, this book is the history of animation. Not only
Disney but a group of animators that created a new world animated
i have all books of Don Bluth.
These books are the official guide for NEMO Academy.

An understanding of how animation is made
It has decent information. It goes over all the techniques that animators have used, including the authors own. This would be a book for a person who's beginning in animation.

My review
It's always beneficial to have a simple book to guide you when animation gets complicated, and this is one of those books.

Emphasis on "Animation", not "Drawing"
I looked through this book at a bookstore. Its focus is on the animation process; it talks about backgrounds and models and voice actors, and it gives examples of how to match a character's mouth movements with a vocal track. It also shows how to punctuate a character's animation with frames that show extremes of emotion. There's a reason, though, why this is in the "Filmmaking" section of a bookstore, and not the "Drawing" section - the emphasis of the book is on the techniques used to bring an animated character to life, NOT on how to draw them. There are lots of pictures of lots of characters from lots of Bluth projects, everything from Banjo the Woodpile Cat to Dirk the Daring to Space Ace to Anastasia to Rasputin to Mrs. Brisby to Jenner and more, and the pictures would be really interesting to someone with some drawing skills; there are some character sheets in there, and lots of rough animation drawings showing the characters in various poses. This is not a "how-to", nor is it a comprehensive history of Bluth's work, but it's still a really interesting book. ... Read more

Product Description
Who hasn't, at one time or other, kept a journal? The impulse to record our daily lives on paper is nothing if not universal. Still, only a few of us have the discipline to make it past the first few entries, and fewer still manage to create diaries whose insight and visual beauty can inspire anyone but their authors. Drawing from Life: The Journal as Art is an exploration of these exceptions—books of obsessive wonder filled to their borders with drawings, sketches, watercolors, graphs, charts, lists, collages, portraits, and photographs. Jennifer New takes readers on a spirited tour into the private worlds of journal keepers—an architect, a traveler, a film director, an archeologist, a cancer patient, a songwriter, a quiltmaker, a gardener, an artist, a cyclist, and a scientist, to name just a few—illustrating a broad range of journaling styles and techniques that in the end show how each of us can go about documenting our everyday lives. Excerpts from journals by such artists as Maira Kalman, Steven Holl, David Byrne, and Mike Figgis give us a peek at how creative souls observe, reflect, and explore. For those who already keep a journal, Drawing from Life will be an inspiration. For those who have always wanted to—or tried and failed—it might just be the motivation needed to get past that first week. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Wanted to like it!
I really hate to give a low review, because this SHOULD have been one of my favorite books. I love reading about journals and seeing other's journals but just found most everything in here boring. I enjoyed the glimpse at Lynda Barry's pages, but it was all too brief. Danny Gregory's Illustrated Journals book is a much better choice-you get to hear from the artist's and get a good look into their journals. I turn to thatbook again and again...I only wish that was how I felt about this.

Less than wowed, not quite bored...
There is so much currently available on the internet--for free--that authors of books such as this one really need to try much harder to make it worthwhile for potential readers to part with their money. Simply put: I dont think Drawing From Life is worth the price of admission, not the full-admission price, anyway.

One can draw some inspiration from its pages, but this isnt a how-to book. The journals selected for inclusion run the gamut from "wow" to "huh?" On the whole, its difficult to see what--if any--objective criteria were used to judge the merits of those represented. The scribbled math formulas of a scientist, for instance, hardly seemed to me an example of "The Journal as Art." There was little in the way of journal theory, even less in the way of journal history. Ive found more visually interesting pages on a website like 1000 Journals, and technique-oriented books abound for those who want to get to work on their own journals.

This might have been one of the first--and most visible--of the books that chronicled the emerging practice of the-journal-as-art and, as such, might once have been a revelation and an inspiration to an increasingly growing art genre. But I think that time may well have passed it by. Unless you feel the need to complete your journalling library with this once-upon-a-time essential, perhaps even landmark, text, I'm inclined to suggest that you can pass on "Drawing From Life."

Excellent
Art journaling has become so popular, I think by example. People see themselves in others' work and want to imitate and branch off and personalize. When we read about and see other's journal/art we don't feel so isolated and weird. Sometimes looking thru other's journals makes me feel kind of like this:-I've thought the same things, but I never thought about writing it down or expressing it -till seeing how someone else has journaled similar thoughts/feelings, and then my wheels are turning, and I'm thinking about how or what I want to express.

This is a great book for reading about how other people journal, how they got started, their style and how keeping journals have helped them in their lives. You'll read about some querky journalers, some ingenius journalers, and some just normal ones. Various contributors, some who are famous for their journals or other creative work have shared their journal experiences and examples for this book. You'll find people like Hannah Hinchman, Lynda Barry, and the 'someguy' who started the '1000 Journals' project just to name a few. Then there's the interesting Masayoshi Nakano who created beautiful journals where he chronicled his daily walks thru Musashino and then burned all but one journal later on. A very bold display,of non-attachment.

It's great for ideas, and to learn more about journaling and how it is art, personal and sometimes public. There are great color pictures/examples/snippetts of the contributors' journals throughout. I love the message that there's no wrong way to do it. It's very healing. I have enjoyed this book and pick it up often to read/look at.

Great for all kinds of creative expression!
I love this book, and it repeatedly finds its way into my bag to be taken out and thumbed through on the bus, on vacation, at work during breaks or while I am on the couch during those rare few minutes of "me-time". It takes the idea of "journal" and makes it multi-faceted. You see the artistic side of journaling of course, but the author proposes the idea that a scientific journal or furniture designer sketchbook is just as artistic as the watercolor journal. It really takes away the fear that just because you can't draw or have no idea how to collage you can't create a meaningful journal.
This isn't a "how-to", it's a "just-is". If you are looking for a book to teach you visual journaling techniques, this probably isn't the book for you. But if you like to see how others journal in a way that fits their lives, you will enjoy this book.

Great source of inspiration
I really like this book and it is one of my favorites, one I will return to again and again when I need a little creativity kick start.
As a mixed media artist who writes/draws in a journal daily, I really enjoy getting a peek at what other people are doing in their journals and how they work things out on paper,what inspires them or drives them as the case may be.
If you are looking for a "how to" book then this is not the book for you, there are plenty of fine books in that specific area of interest.
I like it because it is unique and real,not trendy or cute, or edgy,it's just a wonderful compilation of other people's journal pages. ... Read more

Product Description
A how-to handbook that makes drawing easy. It offers simplified techniques and many hints and helps, as well as step-by-step procedures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

A Ten
If you order just one book on human portraiture, this should be the one. Amazon needs to offer a book on the human figure showing many different postures and athletic movements from all perspectives.

The figure, broken down
Hamm's classic book on the subject is still one of the best. I have recently been teaching myself drawing (specifically figure drawing) through books like this and online tutorials, and I have to say this is the best resource I have found. He covers a varoety of techniques, plus breaks the body down to parts and has different sections on how to draw speific regions, with lots of examples. My challenge in drawing the human form was figuring out where to start, and how to draw the individual areas.I have found that this book and the Xua Taptara's online resource [...] have been my best allies for growing as an artist.

Excellent book, especially for beginners
This book is very detailed and gives a good foundation of head and figure drawing.For a beginner like myself, it was easy to understand and helped me gain much needed understanding of proportions of the head and body.

Excellent book
The book is an excellent for beginners to an expert. If you just flip thru few pages and start trying out your hand, you will find what this book has helped you to acheive. A true value for price. I have seen lot of such books, however the crisp communication to acheive better results were missing. This book is a real differentiator in which the clarity and crisp communication has created a difference.

love
I would purchase from this seller again and recommend. The item was delivered promptly and in the condition promised. ... Read more

Product Description
This resourceful guide presents art therapy techniques for difficult clients where the typical therapist-client interaction can often be distant, demanding, and frustrating. Offering practical and theoretical information from a wide variety of treatment populations and diagnostic categories; and incorporating individual, group, and family therapy case studies, the text is filled with examples and over 150 illustrations taken from the author’s sixteen years of experience working with hundreds of clients. The author is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Art Therapy. The text comes with an accompanying CD-ROM which includes full-color pictures and additional material not found in the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Here is a really good book for the artist who wants to develop his or her pencil drawing abilities, whether it's to improve your preliminary sketch work, or to create beautiful pencil drawings complete in their own right. Pencil Drawing Techniques brings together six of today's best artists, all of whom are incredibly fine instructors as well.

The artists show you how to develop your skill and ability in handling pencil technique. Ferdinand Petrie shows you how to handle pencils and produce a controlled variety of lines, values, and textures. Then he shows you exactly how to use these techniques to draw landscapes in a range of styles and compositions.

Rudy De Reyna explains pencil basics, and explores perspective, size relationships, form, and structure. Douglas grave teaches you how to begin drawing portraits by building a drawing step-by-step. Norman Dams and Joe Singer demonstrate how you can use the pencil to produce spectacular drawings of animals. John Blockley and Richard Bolton show you how pencil drawings can capture the essence of a subject and help you work out a plan for painting it. Finally, Bet Borgeson teaches you all the secrets of colored pencil work and demonstrates a whole new dimension.

The book is divided into seven sections: how to handle a pencil, fundamentals of drawing, drawing landscapes, drawing portraits, drawing animals, drawing for watercolors, and handling color pencils. The copious illustrations show in detail how the artists use their techniques. For the artist who uses the pencil, Pencil Drawing Techniques is an an excellent instructional book of ideas for using the pencil creatively. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Pencil Drawing Techniques
This has got to be one of the best instructional books I have ever purchased.It's easy and simple to follow.I use it constantly.
Thank You So Much

Pencil Drawing Techniques
My 19 year old Son and I are using this book and find it so easy to use in training ourselves to draw.It uses great pictures along with very understandable description in teaching yourself to draw.
We, both, highly recommend this book in teaching yourself to draw.

Lack of instruction, not good for self learning.
I don't really understand why this book got so many good reviews.

Personally, I wouldnt recommend it to a beginner, for the simple reason that it lacks step by step instructions, it only features 1 to 3 pictures per examples, which IMHO is insufficient for self learning shading techniques, the section on perspective is extremely brief and not very helpful.

If you want to learn to draw, try instead the Betty Edwards workbook, and for shading techniques and creating texture, try the lifelike texture in pencil by Lee Hammond, which has more detailed instructions.

Btw, if you don't believe my review, check this book out of the library, you'll see for yourself what I mean.

Great for people who want to learn how to draw
I bought this for my son as he loves to draw but didn't know the techniques and now he is so excited because it is taking his drawings to a different level.

drawing techniques
The book have techniques that I already knew but can be helpful if you are trying to learn

... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Book: Art of Pencil Drawing
The book arrived quickly - that was a pleasant surprise - and it was in excellent condition.I would order from these folks again!

Excellent, Complete Graphite Pencil Drawing...
I've had about 2+ years of intensive art-education & training- *brilliantly* this 1 inexpensive book basically captures all the BEST teachings I received during this time & then some. Maybe I should've *just* bought this book! In case it isn't obvious, Ernest W. Watson is *the* Watson in the popular "Watson-Guptill Publications". It's all black & white here- with 100% focus on values. Exclusively about the graphite pencil- It's easily his best compositional work! This isn't an A-to-Z style guide, progressing from basic to advanced chapters. Rather, it examines a variety of themes & solutions common to both pencil drawing & picturemaking in general- which is why all artists can benefit from it. Additionally, Watson tells us the *exact* pencils & paper used in many of the drawings included- very insightful information(!). *All* the most advanced elements of picturemaking here are covered in-depth. These sections include: 1. Ways With The Pencil; 2. Looking And Seeing; 3. Size & Composition; 4. Pattern; 5. Shadows; 6. Texture; 7. Sketching Town & City; 8. Landscape Sketching; 9. Drawing Trees; and maybe *most* importantly- 10. Memory & Imagination (enlightening!). The 1st chapter being for beginners- You could justify buying this book based on the 1st & 10th chapters alone! Figure drawing is *not* covered here- There's at least one distinct figure rendering included here to demonstrate that aspect of his ability (p.81). Some of these drawings are amazingly beautiful- with a *very* wide range of subjects depicted. His clean, crisp, and clear pencil style & technique is today unique among all art-instruction books. Often called "broad-stroke" & "pencil painting" and using a full-ranging "Tonal Pallete" from white to near-black (p.14), Watson explains that one learns this technique best through example: Every illustration in this book is his! Well, with one exception: a very small, enlightening line drawing by Rembrandt Van Rijn (p.133). Also: A few photographs are included- 3 photos in all- only to illustrate the composing of sketches: selection, subordination, and emphasis. In these many drawings I have a number of favorites: Figure20: Ponte San Lorenzo, Venice; Figure46: The Rialto, Venice; Figure47: Near Old Tucson, Arizona; the *entire* trees chapter; as well as Figures 97, 98 & 99- also drawings of trees (he's an expert at this!). The bottom line: this *amazing* book is a self-contained art-education in about 160 pages! 5 STARS!

My Favorite Book on Pencil...
...but then I've been drawing with one since I could pick one up. If you need a step-by-step "how-to" just this side of paint-by-numbers, this is not your book. If you want to be given the techniques to then apply to what =you= want to draw, buy it!

This one book takes you from choosing materials and learning to see, through composition and using light and shade (valuable in any media, and cheap and easy to master in this one) to outdoor sketching both rural and urban.The final section on working from memory and imagination is particularly invigorating.

Superb Book by the Master of the Medium
If you need those silly little breakdowns that some people think are teaching aids then go for a Hammond book or one of the lesser pencil artists because this gem is for the serious individual who wants to learn and master the technique of pencil drawing with values. Watson's writing is as precise and clear as is his drawings and it is here that you will find real teaching in the art of how to see and how to translate what you see into truly beautiful drawings.
GET THIS BOOK FOR THE PICTURES , THE TEACHING AND ABOVE ALL THE EXAMPLES OF FRESH, CLEAN, BEAUTIFUL PENCIL WORK!!!!!

His technique and use of a value palette of light to dark strokes from different grade pencils is nothing short of remarkable and his enthusiasum for the student learning the many so-called tricks of the trade is metered with wisdom and stunningly skillful examples of this available medium.
I had this book at the beginning of my journey as an artist and I bought it here on Amazon in a fit of nostalgia.
Well just the chapter on how to get into and out of a sketch gracefully was worth the price.
I forgot how wonderful leaning over the shoulder of a real master was with all the systems and idot proof methods totally dependent on only photographs that proliferate this genre
Well, this wonderful book brings pencil drawing back to its rightful place at the head of the artists list of cheap and marvelous tools.
YOu have all the needed information plus the techniques for drawing clean clear crisp pencil work well illustrated and tempered by knowledgeable paragraphs on compoosition and lighting, handling your pencil with the spepcial point he shows how to make, as well as examples to follow and apply eventually in plein air sketching.

Not a step-by-step tutorial
A great concise treatment of techniques from the master. But be warned that this is not a step-by-step tutorial. Unfortunately, the 'Look inside' feature does not show a single excerpt.

The chapters start of with a little introduction, there is a figure accompanying every technique and a short description of the technique. Think of it like having anecdotes for each figure.

This is a book for an 'advanced beginner', who wants to reflect upon his skills so-far by comparison and try out some of the ideas that this book offers. ... Read more

Product Description

More a “how-to-see-it” than a “how-to-do-it” book, this edition explores the disguises and characteristics of shapes and forms in nature, and it examines the visual elements and the relational, moving, and emotive forces that constitute the language of drawing. Clear and objective, this book offers an intensive examination of vital drawing processes and concepts, an in-depth analysis of exceptional drawings by old and contemporary artists, and suggested exercises to enhance the readers' grasp of important measurable and dynamic phenomena. For the art student, the art teacher, the interested amateur, and the practicing artist.

Customer Reviews (6)

Artful Dodger
This book is a printer's reject. All the page groups are bound out or order. What do you expect for $3 and change? To be told what it is would be nice - not in "Good Condition", although the book is clean and has not been "dog eared". I probably would have bought it anyway being hardup for dough.

good text book
Bought it for a class I am taking. The instructor decided after I bought it that we would not be using it for his class. So I am really happy that I like the book, makes spending the money not hurt quit as bad

The Art of Responsive Drawing 5th Edition
While most books I have purchased through Amazon have met my expectations, I was disappointed to receive a copy of The Art of Responsive Drawing 5th Edition that was not correctly bound. The pages were out of sequence making the copy impossible to read. There may be more like this one. so buyers should be aware & inspect copies carefully. I have never encountered this problem before in either a new or used book.

Excellent insight into Master artists drawings
I love this book; re-read from time to time. The comments on the classical drawings by the early Masters are insightful and inspiring.

How to see drawings
I have used this book for years as source material for the college level drawing courses I teach.Its greatest value is the high calibre of master drawing examples by everyone from Michelangelo to Rembrandt and Watteau, as well as appropriate and sensitive student examples.Mr. Goldstein breaks down the approach to drawing into contour line, structural line, shape, gesture, volume, combination drawing.The book is dense with writing as this is largely a verbal analysis of visual issues in which each drawing example is discussed in a very detailed manner.Some may find the approach too verbose, and indeed this is not a "how-to-draw" book in the "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" category, but more of a guide to conoisseurship and the philosophy of drawing. In fact, there are precious few exercises described for the student.I think that for the drawing student who does not have the benefit of a teacher, this book paired with a more practical "how-to" guidewould be a terrific resource.This is the kind of book you will find yourself dipping into over the years.I always have it on an easy-to-reach shelf. ... Read more

Product Description
A book whose sales have not diminished but rather increased dramatically since its publication 45 years ago, this bestselling classic is the ultimate manual of drawing taught by the late Robert Beverly Hale, who’s famed lectures and classes at New York City’s Art Student League captivated artists and art educators from around the world.

Faithfully producing and methodically analyzing 100 master drawings—including works of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Rodin, Goya, and Rembrandt among others—Hale shows how these artists tackled basic problems such as line, light and planes, mass, position and thrust, and anatomy. With detailed analytical captions and diagrams, every lesson is clearly delineated and illustrated. Throughout, also, is commentary that sheds light on the creative process of drawing and offers deep insight into the unsurpassed achievements of the masters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters
Hale was smoking weed. Either that or he should have kept the window open when painting. How else can you explain his statement 'the best artist today could not draw better than the worst artist in this book'. Granted, he said that a long time ago. Certainly well before Lance Richlin et al came on the scene. I have the latter's book 'Lifelike Heads'. But back to Hale's book, 'Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters': John Henry Fuseli #18th century dude on p.49 and, if you like vomiting, p.19# is 'interesting' in the way he renders form. But he has nothing on the graphite pencil sketches in Richlin's short tome quoted above. Don't ask an art buff if my statement is valid. Ask a kid. Or your wife. Someone who hasn't been indoctrinated by the art world's heroes, like Hale. Someone who can say what they really feel and think. Kids can do that, and I'm pretty sure a kid would not choose Hale' masters over Richlin for artistry. Hale's statement is bizarre, and his book is equally so. Leonardo, Leonardo. Get over it. He was ahead of his time, just not this time. I've seen the old man Hale on youtube, along with the fawning idiot trying to sell DVDs of Hale waxing on about this and that. For $700? More weed? Hale looks as straight as a razor and, to be sure, he seems just as sharp and insightful about the human skeleton. But you're reading this review because you're thinking of buying his book, not figuring if he knew the human form backwards or could hold a class. I bought the book, and I say that if you're looking to buy 'Lessons from the Great Masters' well, it isn't a PATCH on 'Lifelike Heads' by Lance Richlin. Don't agree? Then I guess you know a whole lot more about art than I do. So why're you reading my review? Go ahead. Buy this funny, antiquated old man's funny, antiquated old book with its ridiculous statements and 'interesting' artists of a bygone, thankfully gone, era. Or invest your money wisely in accessible art books by the likes of Lance Richlin, Betty Edwards or JD Hillberry. I hope you find success and happiness in what you achieve with pencil. If you're like me, Hale's book will send you back to those stale, dull school lessons led by left-leaning art teachers who've wasted their spent youth on Hale's alleged masters.

Drawing Lessons from the Great masters
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in trying to improve their drawing technique.It gives very clear illustrations of what is being discussed and is very thought provoking without being too complex.

Insightful and inspirational
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RKAE9I3KRZOJB Drawing Lessons From the Great Masters is an art book that teaches by looking at the art fundamentals used by great art masters themselves -- Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rodin, Goya, Rembrandt, among others.

There are 100 master drawings analysed by Robert Beverly Hale on the fundamentals such as line, light and planes, mass, position and thrust, and anatomy. These are all figure drawings. Each illustration is printed full on one page with a certain section selected for analyzing on the next. The commentary is simple and concise, providing great insight to what these artists were thinking. Many of these pieces are really sketches but when you realised the thought put behind every stroke and what the artist was trying to show, you'll instantly be enlightened.

At the end of this book, even if you can't draw yet, you'll be able to identify the difference between a good and bad drawing. And when you draw, you'll remember the principles.

This is a really useful and inspirational reference book, great for beginner to advanced artists.

Robert Beverly Hale has also authored Anatomy Lessons From The Great Masters, which uses the same teaching style here but focusing on anatomy drawings.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

A great study on the mental basics of figure drawing.
Robert Beverly Hale's drawing books are some of the first one I go to on my shelf when looking for drawing advice. Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters is terrific book to get a handle on the mental aspects of drawing.

This book is a little more generic than his others, focusing more on a general approach to drawing and a very basic overview of anatomy.

The primary truth Hale mentions that many students fail to realize and some other drawing books skip over is that drawings aren't supposed to be a copy of real life. They're just symbolic depictions of life.

If a limb needs to be moved to make a better drawing, or if the entire lighting plan needs to be redone in your head, do it. The model is just the initial suggestion on which to base a drawing.

Where Hale's books shine is that he uses old master drawings for his examples. Basic art concepts such as conceiving body forms as basic geometric shapes to help control and simplify details are much easier to understand when you can see it in a Rubens or DaVinci drawing.

I will admit that some of his advice (like buying bones to study anatomy) may sound a tad odd. But you should remember that this book is 20 years old and draws on teaching experience for 30+ years before that. However, other than that the lessons in this book are just as important and relevant now and when they were first written.

I have a ton of drawing books, (almost literally) but this and Robert Beverly Hale's other books are some of my favorites.

The Timeless Fundamentals of Drawing
This book is a great addition to the student of drawing's library.The author does a superb job of analyze some excellent examples of classical drawing and elucidates the formal and structural concepts in each.Although this book does not provide very much in the way of "step by step" style technical instruction, it does provide the reader with a way of conceptually approaching a drawing.

The author demonstrates where the great artist used a cylinder, or a sphere to conceptualize a part of the subject's anatomy.He shows how lines are modulated to give varying degrees of tone and shape to the figure.Many of these ideas will stew around in your head as you approach your own drawing projects.Eventually, you will notice that you are more aware of certain parts of the form and that these are being incorporated into your work.Overall, this book is a very interesting and enjoyable way of delivering basic drawing concepts to a student reader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mastering the art of drawing
A great book that covers all the beginning theory you need to start drawing with pencils, and pens.Then it goes a step farther by covering the more complicated technique of introducing color into your sketch through the use of pastels.Whether your intention is to only sketch in pencil and pen or to someday aspire to paint in acrylics or oil, this is a good book to begin that journey. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Next best thing to a personal instructor
Whether you are a budding artist on the cusp of exploring drawing for the first time, or at a more advanced level and looking to embellish your proficiency, Art of Still Life Drawing makes accurate still life drawings uncomplicated and approachable for every level of sketcher. The book's clear, precise step-by-step illustrations and explanations demonstrate the logic behind drawing, and thoroughly examine the fundamentals of attaining an amazingly vibrant and expressive composition. The building blocks of creating an accurate and successful still life, presented in coherent progression, will make even the most unskilled artist feel comfortable with delving into a more complex piece of art, and launch the emerging artists off on a great journey of creating something they've never attempted before.

Chapters include well-written and easy to follow instructions on the initial basic line drawing, perspective, incorporating light and shadow depending on the shape of the object; discussion of shapes, qualities and subjects of still life; amazingly informative instructions on rending the texture of an object (glass, metal, pottery, textiles, etc.); demonstration of creating accurate reflections and representing transparency; exploring the composition of the still life; and step-by-step studies of drawings from beginning to end, using different techniques and drawing implements.

Each comprehensive section of this lovely book is color coded for quick and easy reference at your fingertips, and a comprehensive index is also included at the back of the book for specific topic look-up. The reader will enjoy the sequential how-to's in each chapter, with beautifully informative illustrations and understandable descriptive text, which offer helpful hints and different perspectives to each technique explored. Different drawing equipment and tools are discussed in achieving distinctive looks and renderings. The book also leaves room for coupling its instructions with the utilization of one's own individual style, techniques and ideas, aiding in the creation of a still life that is anything but dull.

As a self-taught artist who is constantly endeavoring to better her drawing and painting skills, I can honestly recommend Art of Still Life Drawing as one of the better-end instructional drawing books available. It is the next best thing to having a real-life instructor by your side, guiding you through every step. With endless possible variations, Still Life Drawing offers artists, of any echelon, the ideal instruction for creating - and perfecting - still life compositions. Its inspirational lessons cover all the crucial precursors for capturing a realistic image, and is a must-have for any artist. ... Read more

Product Description
The follow-up title to the hit title Drawing Cutting Edge Comics, which has been translated into seven languages, this drawing tutorial shows artists how to draw the exaggerated musculature of super-sized figures in action poses. The guesswork is taken out of figuring out which muscles show through to the surface and how muscles appear through clothing. This instructional manual even gives both the Latin and the common terms for particular body parts such as scapula/shoulder blade. Hart covers all aspects of extreme anatomy. The book opens by providing detailed diagrams of all of the various muscle groups, including chest, back, shoulder, arm, and leg muscles. Then he covers many of the various extreme comic book types including good guy, bad guy, insane guy, punk, genius, and brute for men; and the heroine, bad gal, trashy gal, seductress, fighter babe, and cyber chick for women. As an added bonus, this book closes with two invaluable sections to all aspiring comic book artists. One provides a roadmap of all the steps an artist must take if he or she is going to get started in the comic book business, and advice on how the comic book business works. The second section features interviews with people from two of the most significant companies in the world of comics, Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

great book!
This book is a must have for any person looking to learn how to draw. It is the best book on drawing I have bought yet.

I only genuinely read a few pages...
This book was incredible. I don't actually own it, but I was bored and at the library one day so I decided to go pick up some drawing books. I renewed this book as many times as I could. I actually couldn't get around to reading it all. I really only read a few pages while skimming through the other ones. Somehow even this vastly improved my drawing though. It's especially useful for beginners as the book can clearly define, yet leave room for creative imput on certain things like muscles and height (meaning it doesn't restrict you to the "8-head figure" rule, an annoyance I've enountered too many times in drawing books).

Also, although the book mostly consists of pictures of blue women and green men with impossible body features, the book clearly defines (and provides examples) between such characters as "average joe", "hero", "super hero", "super villan" etc. Mostly I think the book should mostly be used for comic/manga style anatomy, but for me it really improved my overall style and gave it an edge that makes my drawings look exceptionally better than they used to be. Overall, this is an amazing book and I would reccommend it to anyone with a desire to draw, especially those who are struggling with anatomy. Also, Amazon seems to be selling this at a much cheaper price than in stores, so DEFINITELY get this book! I swear, it's worth it!

Good resource!
This is a terrific book for those hoping to hone their skill for drawing athletic figures. This book paired with Frederic Delavier's incomparable Strength Training Anatomy will seriously improve your ability to draw athletic, muscle-bound characters!

Same old drawing book.
Normally I don't but into "how to draw" books. Drawing skill comes with practice, not by reading. I heard this was a good one so broke down and bought it (with a few others) they all collect dust on my shelf.

Improve your skills as an all around artist
Shipped fast and in described condition.

This is a great book for any artist, not just comic book types.Most artists have trouble with key features of the human body, i.e. feet, hands, faces, anatomy, and this is a great book to work on that.This helps with inking, perspective, action poses, and many others.Just a great all around book for improving skills.Highly recommended on the ol' book shelf. ... Read more

Product Description
Often the finest artists do not make the best teachers.Many frustrated college students of art know this all too well as they suffer through unstructured classes with inexperienced teachers or graduate student instructors.In these situations, it is easy to blame the teachers.But the problem is largely institutional: most students graduating with MFAs from art schools receive little if any instruction in teaching art.If you find yourself in this predicament as teacher or student, this book is for you.
The first book to provide a comprehensive guide for teaching college-level art, The Art of Teaching Art is the culmination of respected artist and instructor Deborah Rockman's two decades of teaching experience. Believing that drawing is the backbone of all of the visual arts, she begins with a complete explanation of drawing concepts that apply to any subject matter, e.g., composition, sighting processes, scaling techniques, and methods for linear and tonal development.She then illustrates these concepts with step-by-step methods that easily translate to classroom exercises.Next, she applies the drawing principles to every artist's most important and challenging subject, the human figure.After an extended section on understanding and teaching perspective that explores illusionistic form and space, the focus of the book shifts to the studio classroom itself and the essential elements that go into making an effective learning environment and curriculum.From preparing materials lists and syllabi, to setting up still-lifes, handling difficult classroom situations, critiquing and grading student artworks, and shooting slides of student artworks, she leaves no stone unturned.
The Art of Teaching Art is the guide every new or experienced teacher of college-level art must have. Its helpful suggestions and numerous examples of student artwork from Rockman's classes will impart confidence to the inexperienced and fresh inspiration to the veteran instructors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

If you're a teacher this is an amazing resource.
Deborah Rockman has absolutely put together an invaluable tool for those that teach art.All bases from drawing essentials such as proper sighting methods to post graduation career counseling are covered in this comprehensive text.A must have for the libraries of new and experienced professors alike.

The Art of Teaching Art
This book teaches in depth the learning foundations of drawing based art for higher level arts students. The book requires lots of reading and study: it also has many black and white examples of principals being taught. The language could be somewhat confusing for non artists.

Gift for graduate student
I chose this book, along with many others, based upon the very informative reviews.The results were good and the student did well on graduate exams.Thanks all...

Excellent resource
Having taught classes as a graduate student and now, as a part time lecturer at a state university, I have found this text to be excellent as essential support, a course framework, and a terrific reminder of everything I need to remember in my own artwork, as well as necessary knowledge for my students.Teaching any art course necessitates thorough art knowledge as well as solid pedagogical skills, which most art graduate students and new faculty simply do not have."The Art of teaching art" provides a strong resource for this unfortunate but common situation. I highly recommend it!

excellent resource!
I bought this book while pursuing my MFA. I was in my first semester with a Teaching Assistantship and was freaking out! I was in the predicament of being able to make great art, but not articulate and teach it. This book guided me through my TA in grad school and now is the first text I consult when teaching my own classes. I taught K-6 Art Ed for a few years and was able to apply Ms. Rockman's instruction of composition, line variation, and scaling. Once I made the move to a University setting, her chapter discussing the classroom environment and how to facilitate critiques proved invaluable. Fine Art can be such a difficult area to apply grading scales. She offers criteria for making sound grading judgements on student work. Overall, I think every Grad student doing a TA and every art instructor should have this book. It's a solid foundation for beginning or improving your teaching skills. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Not for beginngers
If you are a beginnger select another book.I would recommend "Drawing for the absolute beginner by Mark and Mary Willenbrink."

Book: Landscape Drawing in Pencil...
This book arrived so quickly, I was amazed!It's in perfect condition.I am very pleased with the excellent service and I would not hesitate to order from this website again!

Good art book for perspective, shading and detail
I purchased this book for my father as he has just started drawing recently. He was able to complete the exercises and drawings very easily, significantly improving his grasp of perspective and shading in particular.
The drawings provided for reference are beautiful and fun to draw, but are very detailed and take some time to complete for beginners.

Very good material
This is a very interesting book for those who likes drawing landscapes with Graphite Pencils. It includes a brief description of the techniques and twenty two lead drawings of beautifull landscapes, each one with its review. Good for everyone intersted in landscape drawing.

ExcellentResource
This is a fine book to have in your resource and refrence section. I feel that drawing is a very important part of the artistic experience. It allows your ideas to take form without words. Although I would suggest the "New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain," as a primer for anyone learning to draw anything, if you focus on landscapes this book will help. ... Read more

Product Description
Free your inner drama queen by drawing fantastic fashion shojo manga (Japanese-style girls' comics) with this resource that teaches you how to depict young characters with style using different elements for exciting results. Create fabulous shojo manga clothing and characters with different looks, primarily in pencil and ink. Loaded with techniques and tips from an exciting young artist, this book demonstrates the Japanese comic-book practices of stylized proportions, clean lines and contrast between black and white (manga is usually published in black and white), with some finished art in colour. It covers basic techniques; heads, including eyes, noses, mouths, ears, skin tones, makeup, hair and facial expressions; bodies; clothes and accessories; different looks; as well as, step-by-step chapters on putting it all together to create specific looks and cool settings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Wonderful book!Excellent author/illustrator.
I am impressed with the author of this comprehensive "Shojo Fashion Manga Art School: How to Draw Cool Looks and Characters"book.I am impressed that the author was so inclusive with several techniques.It is easy to understand and interesting for my students to read and use.I found plenty for beginners and plenty for advanced students.I am using this in my art classes from now on.

AMAZING
This is the best manga book I have ever bought. It shows you the basics (like how to draw bodies) in a helpful way. But the outfits are endless. It shows you everything from head to toe with clothes and different styles. It's just simply amazing. AND it's all in color. This is worth every penny and I recomend this book more than any.
The clothes are examples that you can go off and create your own from.
They (to name a few) show shirts, pants, gloves, hands, shoes, socks....
OMG It's just amazing (and I am a total critic when it comes to how to draw books)!

It was the best buy
I goes into detail about pants,jeans,skirt,and shirt and shoes and more.I'm very happy to have this book and it help me with making better anime clothing for my characters

Very good!
I really like this book it teaches you a lot more than just to draw manga clothes, it teaches you faces, hair and body structures not only that but it also gives tips on how to color your drawing. Im very happy that i bought this book and would recomend it to anyone who wanna become better to draw manga. Its also very good for inspiration, it inspires you to draw different types of clothes.

A surprise!
This is an excellent book from the beginner to the advanced. I was surprised that it turned out to be as excellent as it was. While this book does assume you have some experience drawing (That you have attempted to draw people before, even if they turned out awful). It gives you pointers and things to keep in mind when attempting to draw them. Don't skimp on the practicing, as it does work!

The best section by far is the detail spent on clothing. I, myself, have a lot of problems drawing clothes and this book gave me an excellent idea of how clothing should look, lay, and work with the character.

I found that with this book and Girl to Grrrl manga by Colleen Doran, that all my other how to draw manga books make a bit more sense as well as become easier to understand. Girl to Grrl manga and Shojo Fashion break down the basics to help you understand how draw not only the basic character, but facial expressions, as well as different styles. They also focus on body structure and proportion, which nessc. for any beginning artist. ... Read more

Product Description
THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Presents the life and work of Henri Matisse in the form of a child's school report. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Book!
This is such a wonderfull little book!I highly reccomend it for your kids, and art class, or just yourself!:)

Not really great
I think it was cute for parents of the child, but not really worth purchasing, I expectsd a graft project book. Waste of money.

Excellent concept, well executed
An amusing introduction to the artist Matisse that I highly recommend.Written as though it's an 8-yr-old's school report, it is accessible and very informative.It includes reproductions of Matisse art and biographical information.Loved it.And it was useful as a teaching tool.

Disappointed in Matisse Drawing with Scissors
Cute, but not as substantial as I would have liked. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

fresh innovative approach to interpreting line in textile art
This book is about is an exploration of one of the fundamentals of art and design: line.You'll learn how to observe and document the lines that you see around you in nature, architecture etc and then learn how to interpret those into embroidery and textile art.

Broken into 4 major sections the book begins with an extensive overview of tools, materials and backgrounds.The types of drawing tools for making marks on whatever grounds you work with are followed by a discussion of how to alter your backgrounds by layering, collage, piecing, weaving and several coloring options. These backgrounds are the base for the second section of the book entitled Line Drawing and Textile Processes.

This second chapter guides you in adding marks to your backgrounds using techniques such as mono-printing, printing blocks made from erasers, lifting and removing color using chalks, crayons discharge, and frisket and then moves into a discussion of several transfer techniques. Creating lines is not limited to just printing techniques though, the author also includes a section on creating needle felted lines and marks as well as making fibrous surfaces with silk tops and cocoon strippings.

The first two chapters of this book are really the groundwork for the books main focus which is found in chapter three: Interpreting Line Quality - Drawing and Stitching.It's in this chapter where you'll find examples of actual design interpretations by the author as well as other artists.Each piece of the authors artwork is accompanied by a image of the original design reference and the approach she took with interpreting or drawing the line and then what stitch techniques were used.This section is an absolute feast for the eyes!Full page images of the artwork as well as clear crisp closeups allow you to see the intricate details of the pieces.Detailed explanation of how each piece was created give the reader a good understanding of the artists approach as well as a road map for the reader to consider when creating their own work.

The book closes with a chapter on Using Line.Here is where you'll learn how to use stitch to interpret the textural quality of lines and marks on a surface.As in the third chapter an image is accompanied by the resulting artwork that it inspired along with a description of how the piece was created.The difference here is that the focus is on the types of stitching used; hand stitching or machine and the type of stitch used.

This book is a must have for textile artists who are looking for a fresh innovative approach to interpreting line in their work.

... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Good book for younger students.
I teach art to all grade levels and this book really does a nice job of covering the topic of lines and providing artwork examples.I like it best for Kindergarten to about 4th/5th grade but it is very usable for older grades too.I have had several teachers like this book enough that they have taken the information to purchase it for their classroom. ... Read more

Product Description
A representative selection of Leonardo's various achievements: drawings of plants, landscapes, human face and figure, etc., as well as studies for The Adoration of the Magi, Sforza monument, The Last Supper, more. 60 illustrations.


... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Shame on Dover Art Library!
Absolutely horrible print quality. Did you get these pictures from internet?

Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci

was an Italian Renaissance polymath:



an architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. He has been described as the archetype of the " Renaissance man" and as a universal genius, a man infinitely curious and infinitely inventive. He is also considered one of the greatest painters that ever lived.


Portrait in red chalk, circa 1512 to 1515, widely (though not universally) accepted as a genuine self-portrait.In his lifetime, Leonardo - he had no surname in the modern sense; "da Vinci" simply means "from Vinci" - was an engineer, artist, anatomist, physiologist and much more.



His full birth name was "Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci", meaning "Leonardo, of ser Piero from Vinci". Leonardo is famous for his paintings, such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, as well as for influential drawings such as the Vitruvian Man. He designed many inventions that anticipated modern technology, such as the helicopter, tank, use of solar power, the calculator, etc., though few of these designs were constructed or were feasible in his lifetime. In addition, he advanced the study of anatomy, astronomy, and civil engineering. Of his works, only a few paintings survive, together with his notebooks (scattered among various collections) containing drawings, scientific diagrams and notes.

Don't waste your money
The print quality is so low and I can hardly see anything.forget it.

Digital download version is terrible
I was very disappointed in the quality of the Adobe Reader version I downloaded. I don't know if the other reviewers were reviewing hard copy versions or digital downloads. A hard copy version might be OK, but the digital version is not worth a cent in my opinion. I was hoping to be able to make some small letter-size posters for my office at work, but the resolution was so poor I don't think any of the drawings will be usable. My recommendation is don't waste your money on the download.

Not very good
The reprints in this book are of absoultely terrible quality. If you are planning to use them as sources for drawings forget it! There are other Dover books that are better such as Sargent's. This book is of no use at all. ... Read more

Product Description
Young artists can now learn all the fundamentals of art, including basic shapes, proportion, perspective, shading and movement in drawings with this easy-to-read instructional. With over 350 illustrations, Sketching and Drawing for Children starts out with simple objects, then moves on to progressively more difficult and complex pictures and scenes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Learn to Draw books
Both of my granddaughters are talented in arts and crafts. They are 12 and 8 years old, and spend most of their time together doing something "crafty." I bought them each a copy of this book for Christmas, and they love it!

Classic drawing tecniques for anyone.
It's nice to see a book for children that teaches classic drawing tecniques.The book is sequentially presented, full of explanitory pictures and creates excitement to draw. When children are forced to problem solve in classic drawing excercise their creative mind is stimulated in all areas of life. A+

Big hit with my 9 year old niece!
I gave this to my 9 year old niece, who likes to draw.I had a book very like this one (probably an earlier printing) when I was small.She loves it!She particularly likes the way it helps her to draw the "difficult" things--proportions, perspective, etc.She has already gotten a lot of use from the book and I am glad I gave it to her.It's not a bit outdated it seems, although it was originally published 50 years ago.

Update 2 years later: niece is 11 now and she still uses this. Probably will use for years to come.So this was a solid buy, highly recommended.

Great Starter Book for Kids
We purchased this book for our 7-year old daughter.The book is written and illustrated where she can read it herself and learn as she goes.She was able to improve on her drawing of an apple withing 5 minutes of using this book.It has great drawing techniques that a young child can easily pick up and learn themselves or with the help of a parent or older sibling.

Excellent guide for a young, developing artist
I purchased this book for my daughter who is twelve years old.She has always had interests in art, and drawing in particular.This book clearly demonstrates techniques that will allow her to develop her existing skillsas well as add new ones.I wish that it was one of a series of booksrather than a single publication.She loves it. ... Read more