This unusual book serves several different purposes, starting with its guaranteed appeal to both professionals and amateurs who like to pick up a pencil and draw. Art students seeking a change of pace will respond to the authors' very informal approach, seeing the lessons as fun-to-do confidence builders that emphasize the value of creative freedom. Every exercise can be performed by artists at all levels of training and ability. All exercises are designed to develop and improve hand-eye coordination Each exercise focuses on a different approach to drawing precisely what the eye sees--rapid sketches of moving objects, detailed observation of tones and shadow, exercises that teach rules of perspective, and much more A powerfully effective art course that never feels like a set of tedious drills Lessons can be completed using various media--pencil, ink, colored pencils, magic markers, or charcoal. Illustrations on every page in color and black and white.
Okay, honestly the inside of this book could get a full 4-5 stars from me if it wasn't for the title. The title/cover includes "dynamic drawing course for anyone with a pencil and paper" so I thought this would be a how to learn to draw type of book. Nope. It has a lot of great inspiration for those who already draw/sketch and are stuck for ideas or need to grow outside of their regular sketchbox. This book will not teach you how to draw, so many of the activities I could not do because I do not yet sketch or draw. I will use other books to learn more and then come back to this book when I have some ideas and skills to help give me inspiration to try different things.
I wouldn't say this is a book for anyone - certainly not 'self-styled no-hopers'. You have to have some basic idea of how to draw, of materials and techniques, but where it does excel is as a source of inspiration.
The book is divided into chapters which cover line and mark making, tone, composition, observation and so on. Each chapter contains exercises and, most usefully, examples and further reading/looking at artists who have captured that skill.
I find it a beautiful thing to leaf through as well as a source of inspiration.
I have been searching for a book like this for a while. It has lots of interesting tasks and artistic exercises that challenge and develop your skills and perception, many of the exercises I remember from my college days.
Most of the tasks are drawing related though there are a few mixed media exercises.
I think I will buy a copy to put on my shelf for those times where I'm short on inspiration.
As an art student I find this useful for my everyday practice there a lot of exercise to improve my talent in drawing and I never get any artist block. I recommended this book to all art student out there.
Interesting book for what it is — not a book of instruction, but a book of inspiration. Draw large, draw tiny, draw from above, draw from below. Get a new perspective, do it different, and keep up your enthusiasm. An idea that’s worth a lot, and you may want to at least skim the material in it.