Book Description
Millions of people have learned to draw using the methods of Dr. Betty Edwards. Now, in an essential companion to her bestselling classic, Edwards offers readers the key to mastering this art form: guided practice in their newfound creative abilities.
Here are forty new exercises that cover each of the five basic skills of drawing. Each practice session includes a brief explanation and instructional drawings, suggestions for materials, sample drawings, and blank pages for the reader's own drawings. Also provided in this spiral-bound workbook is a pullout viewfinder, a crucial tool for effective practice. While The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain focused primarily on portrait drawing with pencil, this workbook gives readers experience in various subject matter-still life, landscape, imaginative drawing-using alternative mediums such as pen and ink, charcoal, and conté crayon.
For all those who are taking a drawing class, who have already received instruction through a book or course, or who prefer to learn by doing, this volume of carefully structured "homework" offers the perfect opportunity to reinforce and improve their skills and expand their repertoire.
Customer Reviews:
drawing.......2007-02-03
Companion to reading. A must have for anyone who just likes to draw.
Build Drawing Skills easily.......2007-01-26
This workbook is a great companion to Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. We bought it for my teenage son. It provides nicely guided lessons to give directed practice in drawing. The lessons are laid out well. I like that the drawing area is large enough to encourage exploration and expression.
Excellent Practice Book.......2007-01-25
Buy the text and the workbook, do the exercises and see your drawing improve.
Drawing made easier.......2007-01-16
My grandson and I are just starting to work through this book. He is really excited about it. I think it makes sense! While my grandson is only 12 and this is not a childrens book, with our working together it makes my job of teaching possible. I had not had lessons myself and am learning as I teach. I can't wait for our next session.
Making a difference.......2007-01-10
I would say this is one of those book that just gets your brain moving forward and into new spaces of the drawing dimension. Unfortuately my art teacher in high school never used such a high calibre but easy to understand book, otherwise I would have gone a longer way on art courses. But it is never too late, now is the time to start. I am half way through the book, and I am impressed with my results already. What is most important is that you now know what is stopping you is not "natural ability", but time and effort.
Amazon.com
This first big "bible" of
Bloom County includes comics from the earlier collections:
Loose Tails,
'Toons for Our Times and
Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things. Eighty full-color pages including the wonderful Opus "hairy fishnuts/Hare Krishnas" strip and the first Bill-the-Cat appearance. If you hurt yourself laughing (like when you read about Bill freebasing Friskies), don't blame me; I warned you.
Customer Reviews:
A fabulous strip that is sadly gone from the papers.......2007-05-10
Thankfully we can still get his books of Bloom County and Outland and of course, his current iteration, Opus.
I have always loved Berkely's quirky look at life, politics, love and what not through the eyes of Milo, Opus, Cutter John and others throughout the years and when I bought this book, I would read 2-3 pages, often before turning out the light at night and would find myself laughing at much of the strips. That's how good they are, even now some 20 years later and I recall reading many of then when they were running in the papers. While some of the strips show their age a little, the strip is as still timeless now as when they were originally conceaved. That's a rare feat in my book.
While it's by no means all of his Bloom County strips, it's a good collection of some of the best and that alone is worth it.
Horrible, cheap black & white printing of a great book.......2005-10-27
Despite what the item description says, there are no color pages in this cheap reprinting. The pages are printed only in black and white, and are printed in very poor quality. What a shame, because the book itself is fantastic. I have an original printing of this book and love it. I ordered this reprint as a gift and had to return it because of the poor print quality. I wish I had noticed the other reviews about this problem (listed below) before I wasted my time and money!
Babble on and on and on.......2004-07-19
Bloom County is on my short list of all-time favorite comics. The original form, before short-lived "Outland" or the current "Opus", is long gone, though. Picking up this book was a wonderful piece of nostlagia.
The series peaked some time in the early 80s, and "Babylon" offers a sample of that time. I had forgotten how topical it was, full of references to then-current supermodels, presidents, movies, and sitcoms. Despite that, much of the humor has aged well. Milo's anxiety closet, for example, never needs to end. Various bogey-men (and -women) will reside there for their times, and move on. The anxiety will always be there, however, no matter how silly it looks to everyone else.
Even a book this size can't capture every strip in the five years (82-6) that it covers. That means that some of my favorite characters, like winsome Pistachio, barely even had cameo appearances. I'll take what I can get, though, and this is a pleasant sample.
If you ever liked any strip comic, you liked Bloom County or will like it. Maybe the 80s were before your time, but the characters will still look right up to date. Enjoy!
//wiredweird
Possibly the best of the Bloom County collections........2004-04-13
This book is an overview of the first five years of the strip, ranging from the early strips in which the focus is mostly on Milo, through the introductions of Binkley, Bobbi, Cutter John, Opus, Oliver Wendell Jones, Steve Dallas, and finally, Bill The Cat. Personally, I've always had a preference for the early, pre-Bill The Cat strips; I could deal with the silliness inherent in Opus and Oliver's anthropomorphic computer, but Bill just seemed one step over the line. But I know that he's very popular, and he's here, too. There are a few strips here that were reprinted from the previous three collections, but most of this material is NOT reprints. Of course, much of the humor will be completely incomprehensible to anyone who wasn't politically aware during the '80s, but I suspect that even for such a (hopefully) young person, there's plenty here to enjoy.
Full color? I must be colorblind........2003-10-16
Buyer beware: the editorial review states that this book contains eighty full-color pages, but it doesn't. It contains eighty pages that obviously were at one time or another in color, but which are now a messy conglomeration of grays and whites, much like something you'd expect to see coming out of a low-grade fax machine.
Many years ago, I read another copy of this book that did, in fact, contain eighty full-color pages, so I know the pages were in color at some point. However, the only colors on the book I received from Amazon.com are on the front and back covers.
Book Description
If you are anime/manga collector or fan, you have had a burning desire to learn how to draw the popular characters by yourself. However, you may be worried that you cannot draw as well as people in art clubs or in cartoon clubs because drawing is difficult - don't worry, many people feel the same way. This series was written to help those who are interested in drawing, but are worried about the challenges involved with it. If you change the way you look at an object - even just a little, you can succeed.
Customer Reviews:
total waste of money!!!.......2007-04-07
this book was not helpful at all!!!i had just recently got into manga and anime drawing so i thought that this book would be helpful to me you know with the title being "basics for beginners" and all. all it did was show me useless information.all it does is show you characters made out of these weird rectangle type things only and then the finished project (but thats all no hair no clothes no nothing), instead of step-by-step directions on everything. if you are a beginner i would highly reccomend NOT, i repeat NOT getting this book!!! it confused me and didn't actually show me how to draw anything!!!if your a beginner and don't know where to start, your not alone!!! although this is the first book i ever got on the whole anime subject i would suggest some other how to draw manga books but definately not this one. try how to draw manga ultimate manga lessons volumes 1-6 and more how to draw manga volumes 1-4. believe me if you want, if you think diferently and want to try it any way be my guest but in my oppinion it's a total waste of money!!! hope this helped!!!
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters VOL.1 Review.......2007-01-18
I would say pick this book up, because i am not a beginner but i still got alot out of it. If you want to get into drawing anime or game characters or you want to be pick this one up. This book really helped me brush up on my basics.I also fully intend to follow up with all the rest of the books in this sereies.
Nice Book.......2007-01-10
Bought it as a Christmas gift for one of my nieces. I looked through it before I gave it to her. The book looks like it's got alot to offer. Maybe I'll get one for myself in the future.
tasteless.......2006-06-28
This book tasteless. There are comics in the back of the book where there is a pedophilia scene. A young boy is seduced by a older man. It's not very nice. It also shows how to draw seductivley. This book is not appropriate for young people.
It's awesome .......2005-11-06
I would recommend this for all beggining artist in magna, it has helped me alot, now i'm on the search for a magna book that teaches to draw clothing. This will really increase your drawing prowess
Book Description
Complete coverage of basic design principles illustrated by student examples
Design for Communication offers a unique approach to mastering the basic design principles, conceptual problem-solving methods, and critical-thinking skills that distinguish graphic designers from desktop technicians.
This book presents forty-two basic to advanced graphic design and typography assignments collaboratively written by college educators to teach the fundamental processes, concepts, and techniques through hands-on applications. Each assignment is illustrated with actual student solutions, and each includes a process narrative and an educator's critical analysis revealing the reasoning behind the creative strategies employed by each individual student solution.
Assignments are organized from basic to advanced within six sections:
* The elements and principles of design
* Typography as image
* Creative word play
* Word and image
* Grid and visual hierarchy
* Visual advocacy
Design for Communication is a highly visual resource of instruction, information, ideas, and inspiration for students and professionals.
Customer Reviews:
Advanced "homework".......2007-06-08
I am just starting out in graphic design and this book, though interesting, is very hard for me to grasp at this time. I think I will really enjoy doing the instructionals as I learn more about design though. I tried a few of the exercises and (for me) they are hard to do right now.
This work contributes to graphic design education.......2004-01-22
This review was sent to me by a colleague.
"I am particularly impressed with the strength of the sections and introductory texts for each section. It is very cleverly planned and well written. More importantly, the strength of the book for me lies on the fact that the assignments do not illustrate but on the contrary, strengthens your observations, aims/objectives, methodology, structure and propositions for the design education.
The book is also in excellent record of what goes on in design colleges in terms of methods of working (to record students statements and instructors evaluations is, on its own right, a great contribution to knowledge within the design education). The interaction between students statements and instructors evaluations are very important for me. The two different texts create a dialogue within the book.
The book brings theory and practice together for the students and educators which is very rare in design publication and education and even more so at the BA/ undergraduate level.
Thank you for your great work!"
A Unique Approach to Graphic Design Education.......2003-07-10
Professor Resnick's new text, Graphic Design for Communication offers a fresh, innovative approach to teaching visual communication in general and graphic design in particular. She presents many conceptual design principles in a format that is easy-to-understand, practical, and clear in its organizational hierarchy. The book provides intelligent, pragmatic lessons about design that will be of use to both students and teachers alike.
The book's most notable strength lies in its author's unique approach to the subject matter. In the past, most authors have tackled the task of writing an instructional text on design by focusing on a few basic principles of the craft and supplementing these with exercises designed to impart specific skills and techniques to the reader. In contrast, Resnick has employed a far more inclusive, conceptually focused approach. Like her peers, as an educator she does offer text that presents her perspective on various basic design principles. Yet unlike many others her focus is clearly on the reason we design-namely to effectively express and communicate ideas. And again unlike some other texts, ideas about BOTH form and content are give their due here. The different principles explored each section are illuminated with appropriate exercises. This is where Resnick's book shines as a unique accomplishment. For her illustrative exercises, Resnick invited a remarkable group of international educators to work with her as collaborators. All were invited to submit their best assignments along with student work for inclusion. In this respect, Graphic Design for Communication is unlike most other texts because it offers an inclusive diversity of approaches to design and will certainly be a great tool for educators. As a text for use at all levels of instruction, it offers the best, "road-tested", assignments for lecturers to draw upon as inspiration when explaining the principles of design to students. The numerous exercises impart information in a manner that is at once both practical and conceptually expressive.
Graphic Design for Communication features a structure that is pragmatic and clear. Each section opens with a well-written, articulate introduction to a different design principle (e.g., basic elements of design; typography as both image and semiotic message; word and image relationships; the grid and visual hierarchy; and visual advocacy). This text is followed by a series of design assignments (from basic to advanced) that teach students how to effectively integrate ideas with various techniques and processes. The design exercises are amply illustrated with examples of real student work completed in response to the assignments. In addition, most of the student samples include a brief process statement from the student as well as a critical instructor evaluation. As another reviewer pointed out, students will certainly appreciate the many illustrations (some in color) and the opportunity to examine both the process and critical evaluation of peer work outside the classroom. By using student work for examples (as opposed to those created by master designers), Resnick succeeds in bringing both the assignments and the creative design process to life.
Because of the great range of exercises included, this text will serve both students and educators as a useful handbook. For anyone who has either audited a class or wished they could have, the book is a joy. It is a little like auditing the "best of" graphic design education-all the more rewarding because the author was enlightened enough to collect some assignments and visual examples from cultures outside the U.S.
Professor Resnick deserves special credit for her concise editing and clean layout. I suspect one of the challenges in a compilation of this sort had to be the careful editing of her collaborator's assignments. It would appear that she did not just leave them to their own devices in this regard. Rather, as an educator herself she has thoughtfully and carefully applied her writing skills to the task. The result is a well-considered, consistent survey of the principles that guide modern graphic design. In addition, I must add that her bibliography is outstanding. It should be adopted as a standard reading list for anyone interested in the field.
As with the very best cookbooks (I am thinking of the classics here, such as Rombauer and Becker's Joy of Cooking or Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking) this book will find a place in the libraries of both novices and experienced students of design. Like those texts, it effectively explains the important principles that guide all design work. Her decision to present contemporary master "recipes" (those proven to work in the classroom) introduces students to design as a thoughtful "process" without forfeiting any artistry or pleasure along the way. It is clear that Professor Resnick is passionate about her work as BOTH a designer and educator and in this book she she shares that pleasure with us, the reader.
Design for Communication: Conceptual Graphic Design Basics.......2003-06-17
This new book, like Elizabeth Resnick's earlier one (Graphic Design: A Problem-Solving Approach to Visual Communication), that was published in the early '80s, has a generous amount of student work on its pages, providing the reader with some wonderful and useful examples of solutions to the problems presented. There's even a section with some of these shown in full color!
When Ms. Resnick wrote her first book, no graphic design was being done on a computer. This current text, published now that we're fully into the digital age, also very wisely steers clear of a "how to" approach. It's all too easy for students starting out in graphic design now to think that it's about "how to use QuarkXPress" or some other software package, but Resnick's book stresses concepts, communication, and the art of creating fresh and thoughtful solutions to design problems. It will help students to learn the importance of research, and how to develop the analytical and conceptual skills they will need as professional designers later on.
The idea of using quality student work as a teaching tool is a very good one. It results in a book that is much more appealing to the student. Each solution has a statement by its creator as well as the instructor's feedback. I think students will find the author's approach to the subject fresh, direct, and very accessible. The presentation of each problem consists of: the Assignment Brief, Objectives, Specifications, Process, and Critiques. This results in a very clear, useful, and well-structured text. I highly recommend this book!
Finally, a graphic design text with depth.......2003-06-07
There are so many books out there on graphic design that are merely pretty picture books, and focus only on what a piece LOOKS like. What students need is something with depth, something that addresses the conceptual aspects that can be so difficult to grasp.
Resnick's book really targets this need, by presenting an integration of formal and conceptual issues and respecting the students' intelligence in the process. It shows them how FORM influences and strengthens CONCEPT, which I haven't seen in any other text. This is one of the most important (and elusive) issues in graphic design education.
The book is illustrated entirely with student work, all high quality. Students will love this approach; they are used to being shown only the work of experienced professionals.
The book is also going to be really useful for instructors
who want to improve the rigor and depth of their assignments but aren't sure how to go about it.
Book Description
Professional artists, photographers, gardeners, chefs, and even hosts trying to set a pretty table will welcome this handsome exploration of design principles. Through hundreds of photographs and accessible text, even the most abstract design concepts—such as rhythm and balance—become easy to visualize and understand. Find out how to manipulate visual elements, work within the design space, create attractive symmetrical arrangements, establish a focal point, and more. Examples of good design range from ceramics, jewelry, architecture, and painting to clothing, hair styling, gardening, sushi, and vintage movie posters. Plus, guided exercises help users grasp each principle.
Customer Reviews:
A clear (and gorgeous) presentation.......2007-10-02
As a beginning student of design, I've been looking at a number of texts. This is the best I've come across so far. The concepts are presented concisely and in a well-organized format. The illustrations are superb, drawing from a number of crafts, media, and styles. The tone is friendly and encouraging. Recommended highly!
Easy Reading Design Education.......2007-08-07
This book is a very good choice if you are looking to broaden your horizons in design. There are lots of pictures for examples, and the text is easy reading.
Well-written guide with a wide range of aesthetically pleasing examples........2007-01-09
The book is well-written and the examples include some stunning and unusual pieces of art and craft (including painting, photography, pottery, needlework, quilting and more). It is an excellent introduction to design for beginners (artists, craftsmen and art-lovers) but even intermediate readers will find it useful.
A Great Resource.......2006-08-17
This book is a great resource. It is packed with exciting, richly varied visuals and clear, informative exercises that will enrich daily appreciation and application of principles of good design all around us. As a professional artist and teacher, I enjoy this book for myself as well as share it with my students. Design! is a great resource for the student or professional.
A pleasant reading.......2004-10-15
True! Design is everywhere you look but if you don't understand what you are staring at then design is useless. Fortunately, Steven Aimone's Design! will open up your mind and guide you to see the purpose of design. What are descriptive, narrative, emotive, utilitarian, and decorative of designs? What are the elements of design (lines, shapes, textures, colors, etc.)? Why are a certain elements arranged they way they are? Why is design space important? If you're unclear about the answers to these questions, this book will help you straightened out.
As someone who gets involved with web design as a passion, I had no prior training on design. While my classes at La Salle were too busy shoving down Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and other software programs, the fundamentals of design were not part of the curriculum. One of our art professors realized the important of the missing part and tried to cover it but the class was not as successful as it should be. The hands on assignments she gave us (the black squares exercises) were definitely on the right track but most of my classmates thought they were kindergarten because the theories were missing. If she had this book to accommodate her assignments, the class would have been a huge success; therefore, Design! should be a required textbook for any Art 101 or Introduction to Visual Design classes at colleges and universities.
Design! is not only an invaluable design inspiration but an enjoyable reading as well because of its easy to read approach and clear visual examples. I recommend this book enthusiastically to anyone who designs for a living or pleasure and to anyone who simply enjoys and appreciates the aesthetic qualities from the work of art.
Book Description
Moving logically from simple concepts to specific tools and methods, this book shows how to construct perspective views one step at a time, with illustrated examples that cover every key part of the process.
* Step-by-step instructions make the learning process simpler
* Includes a new chapter on aerial perspective and an updated chapter with examples digital perspective drawings
* It is visually oriented with the author's graphic explanations making the drawing process easy to understand
* The author has also created spare and linear illustrations so the reader can shade sections, highlight lines or use coloured pencils to reinforce concepts and processes
Customer Reviews:
I give it an A..........2006-12-30
I needed this book for one of my college classes and the Amazon price was almost 3/4 cheaper then in the schools book store. This book was only used for about 3-4 months and from what I saw from the textbook... it was great. I learned a lot and I might keep it around just in case I need it for a future math class. But overall, I give it an A...
An education in perspective.......2005-09-20
This is one of the best and most informative books on the subject of perspective I've read or studied. Thank you very much for making this book available.
Clear guide to basic perspective.......2004-06-18
For some reason, perspective is the boogey-man of many people learning to draw. It doesn't have to be that way. This book will help you put that sense of solidity and reality into a drawing.
This book gives a clear, step by step introduction to the basics of drawing in perspective. Interior and exterior; 1-, 2-, and 3-point; they're all here. The techniques are all graphical, and require only basic ability to handle simple drafting tools.
As the title says, this covers just the basics. It covers them thoroughly, so the hard-working reader should come away from it with very usable skills.
Not just for engineers and architects........2003-02-02
I got this book because I had a floor plan that I wanted to make into a 3D or at least 2D home elevation. I've never taken a drawing course and before this, everything I drew was rubbery or floating. :-)
I found this book to be a great help, even in drawing circles, cylinders and curves. It explains shading and light sources, multiple vanishing points, intersecting just about anything and even gives you an idea of how to draw unique shapes in a 3D perspective. All the examples are step-by-step progressions of each concept and really show you how to do it.
You don't have to know sines and cosines, and you don't need a compass or protractor (although they might help). All you need is a pencil, ruler and eraser.
About 85% of the book is dedicated to shapes and structures, but there are also examples of furniture, cars and even people.
An excellent starting point for drawing in perspective.
Customer Reviews:
I guess it depends on what you mean by serious.......2007-04-08
When she says serious... in the last few pages she tells you about becoming a full time artist, pros and cons kind of thing and options. She gives suggestions of places you can look into to show your work, but does not tell you how, just where to go. She does however say to go to the library to find out more or the internet. I guess most people don't know that, to me it is obvious. But hey, now you know and you didn't have to buy the book!
The artwork in the book sucks. It lacks depth and looks flat. Sure there is color, but it all seems to have the same pressure to it. Some may be better than others, buy my eyes don't want to look at it long. So, a tip that I know in becoming a serious artist is that if you actually want people to buy your work, you will want to create something that captures the attention of the viewer and keeps them there. The more they look at your work or the longer, the more likely they will buy it. The only one in there that looked pretty cool was the monopoly picture.
It's odd, she shows some basic examples of creating the illusion of 3D using tonal values from light to dark as well as discussing form, volume and space... but does not fully carry it through in her own work.
I just think if your going to learn from an artist, you would want to learn from someone who can give a good example. Why not learn it the right way the first time? There are too many other books that could do it better for ya. Check out books by Ann Kullberg, Janie Gildow, Gary Greene, Vera Curnow, or even Bernard Poulin. These artists have books for beginners and advanced, check them out and find the level best for you. They are better examples to follow. And if you want to start selling find a book strickly for that. Though Ann Kullberg, in "colored pencil portraits step-by-step has a section where she explains how she sells her portraits.
Are you kidding?.......2007-03-30
How did this artist ever get this published? The artwork in this book is so amateurish I did not even want to read what he/she had to say. I don't want my pieces to look like theirs. It looked like junior high artwork. The proportions of animals were totally incorrect, color wasn't eye catching, pieces looked like crayon drawings. This must be self published. I returned the book I didn't even care that I lost my shipping costs, I would never look at it or read it again.
Not for beginners.......2007-02-06
I think this may be a fine book for more advanced artists. There was little help for true beginners,even"serious " ones. There was much philosophy and opionion, but little practical help.
THE book on Colored Pencil........2007-01-25
If you can only have one book on colored pencil, let it be this one. I had to buy another one when my professor saw it. It is another book that I read with pen and highlighter in hand. I couldn't just read it I had to study it.
The only book you need.......2006-10-29
If you can only buy one book on the art and craft of colored pencil, buy this one! If you have a hundered books on art, I'd still say: you need this one! Bet Borgeson is well known for her intelligence, wit, humor, and her refusal to "talk down" to the reader or student. Page for page, there is more useful information in this book than in any other art book on my shelves -- and most of it is invaluable for artists working in any medium. From the basics of "getting started," to the philosophy of an artist's life, this book is jam-packed with useful and thought provoking information. Its richness and quality call to mind Richard Schmid's _Alla Prima_ or Rex vicat Cole's _ The Artistic Anatomy of Trees_, two of my other personal favorites. I love this book!
Book Description
A primer for everyone interested in building models. Model Making is an introduction to the craft for students of architecture; landscape architecture; urban, interior, and theatrical design; or anyone who has the need or desire to make the large small. In concise instructions and nearly 200 charming, easy-to-follow drawings the book details the construction of both study and presentation models in common materials such as paper, chipboard, illustration board, foamcore, and balsa. It also covers topics such as choosing the right materials for the job, rendering contoured sites, and fashioning entourage.
Customer Reviews:
Not for casual beginners.......2006-11-28
The book was not detailed enough, but it had some very insightful tips. All the pictures were hand drawn. I wouldn't recommend it for beginners. If you are causal beginner, you might try something SIMILAR to a Warhammer Terrain how-to book (table top games would be too specific). Something like that would have more step by step photographs and detailed instructions for making models.
Model Making: A Basic Guide.......2006-03-05
Very basic. Lots of different techniques, none covered in depth. For the very beginner.
Inspirational More Than How To.......2005-07-29
This is an elegant little book of line illustrations dealing with the art of architectural model building. It is not really a "how to" book. This book is ideal for people who already posses plenty of artistic talent. They will see basic concepts and be able to go from there.
If like me, you want to make models to help out with your kid's school projects, this book is not for you. For anybody looking for a step by step guide to making models, I would recommend a book by Games Workshop called, "How to Make Wargames Terrain", a beautifully illustrated guide book aimed towards teenagers
Easy Reading.......2005-05-01
I am an Architecture student and used this book as a guide for tips & tricks of model making. It's a great tool, easy reading, straight forward. Highly recommended if you are a beginning model maker.
A good guide for my course.......2001-04-25
A have open an elective course as "Model Making"in EMU at the Faculty of Architecture.This book helps me very much while I was preparing my program and guides me about the course content and outline.I can say that it is a perfect book for both architecture and interior architecture or for any design field.
senih.cavusoglu@emu.edu.tr
Customer Reviews:
The human body is nothing more than irregular cylinders, cubes and other shapes. .......2006-08-15
I would recommend this book after you have taken a basic drawing class. First you must master the ability to see all around you as basic shapes. After you have completed that task, this book is the next logical step.
From the begininng, this book offers different ways of observing the human body. Nothing much is needed to begin drawing the human body than a pencil and paper, this book will lead the way. However, for those advanced (or really motivated beginners) this book offers a list of other items to purchase.
Each part of the body (except for the feet!) is nicely described in the form of observation and basic shapes. Once you've learned that the human torso is nothing more than a irregularly shaped egg, the rest becomes easy.
J. C.
Feeling ambivalent about this one, but here's why: ..........2004-06-29
I looked over this book very carefully. At first I thought Greg Albert was the author. [I just finished SLAMMING Greg Albert for a different but poorly authored text elsewhere on Amazon!] But looking carefully, the cover states that Greg Albert is only the "editor" of this book, published by NORTH LIGHT.
There was something disturbingly familiar about the illustrations which are excellent...and then I realized, that North Light was the same publisher for WALT REED's "THE FIGURE", published in 1976, and that what North Light Publishers have done is invite GREG ALBERT to do a revision and update of WALT REED's "The Figure" with some new illustrations added, and slapping on an entirely new title. Well...okay...
This may give me an unpleasant feeling concerning authorship, but I did give Walt Reed's text a FIVE STAR rating on Amazon.com, and this has new illustrations added in.
This is an excellent book on beginner drawing, full of Walt Reed's original BLOCK FIGURES and human puppets. NORTH LIGHT PUBLISHERS was wise to update and revise the current text and continue to polish it.
I was disappointed.......2004-01-08
I had high expectations for this book, thought it would teach me the correct way to render my sketchings of people better... I really think the sketches in the book could have been better, I thought it looked a little amateurish. Although the author covers many things and tries his hardest to convey what needs to be done, I think the photo lacks more instructions and step-by-step advice.
For instance: he will start with a semi outline of a body and just show you how to fill it in... it wasn't until later in the book he actually tries to show you porportions.
And in the beginning, he has you starting off my scribbling. Maybe that worked for others, but not for me.
I am starting a college drawing course in about 9 days and have been practicing my techniques from different books, but this is one book I'd rather leave on the shelf.
Basic Figure Drawing Techniques(North light Painting).......2000-09-17
An excellent choice, for beginning artists. This book includes many essential tools in figure drawing; such as the underlying bases of the figures, many different distinct poses, and also a good introduction to anatomy from an artistic view, yet still easily understandable by beginners. Within, this book you will find many introductory techniques that start from scribble and transform into to beautiful life forms as well as, well-written passages thoroughly explaining everything every step of the way. Therefore, if your interested in figure drawing and have never before even picked up a pencile;this book is your best choice!
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-01-21
I would recommend this book for beginners and intermediates as well. Easy to follow and the techniques I learned are priceless.
A Different Concept for Backgrounds.......2005-08-30
I found Borgeson's handling of background very interesting and different from all the other colored pencil artists' books. Her use of spot layering and single layer color juxtaposition helps to make the large areas go quickly. She also presents other methods to speed up colored pencil application. Of course, she covers all the basics, too. A good book for any colored pencil artist.
No idea where to start? pick this one........2000-03-25
I always liked to draw using colored pencil. Nevertheless, I never found any interesting book that would deal with several approaches to the colored pencil medium. After reading about Mrs. Borgeson work, I decided to try and never got disapointed. Her books (all of them) give you several different points of view about the colored pencil and teaches you (step by step) how to apply the techiniques to solve apparently simple problems. Layering, lifting, color interactions, error corrections, light and much more. A nice book to have and enjoy.
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