Successful Drawing

by Andrew Loomis

The illustrator Andrew Loomis is revered amongst artists for his mastery of drawing technique and his clean, realist style. His hugely influential series of art instruction books have never been bettered and Successful Drawing, the third in Titan's programme of facsimile editions, returns this classic title to print for the first time in decades.

For over 60 years Successful Drawing has provided a superb resource covering all the techniques needed to master three-dimensional drawing. From the fundamentals of proportion, placement, perspective, planes and pattern, through a detailed examination of scale and the effects and capture of light, to the mastery of conception, construction, contour, character and consistency, Successful Drawing is filled with step-by-step instruction, professional tips and beautiful illustration.

Engaging, witty, and wonderfully executed, this is a masterclass for amateur artists and professional illustrators alike.

Genres: Art, Drawing, Nonfiction, Reference, Art Design, Education, Design

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

William Andrew Loomis was an American illustrator, author, and art instructor.

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 4 out of 5]

(More pictures on my blog)

This book is more advanced than the two earlier books, Figure Drawing for All It's Worth and Drawing the Head and Hands.

Compared to other books that try to cover everything, this book focuses on certain aspects of drawing.

There's a great deal of emphasis on perspective and that section is 80 pages, which is half of this 160-page hardcover. At times, it can be quite difficult to follow because there's too many things explained at the same time. The part on drawing figures on different planes and elevation is quite useful. And also the part on common perspective mistakes.

The second half of the book covers lighting. It's stuff like how light rolls of a sphere, cone and cube. The application is more on figures as with the accompanying illustrated examples. There are many useful drawing pointers to take note of.

The book doesn't cover everything, or at least topics I would expect from a drawing book. What's missing are topics such as composition, contour drawings, colours, drawing portraits (dealt in his other books) and drawing techniques like hatching, layering tones, etc. It doesn't cover drawing by eye which deals with proportion, although it is mentioned briefly which can be overlooked easily.

Ultimately, the book is on understanding the fundamentals behind drawings. There isn't any step-by-step instructions to follow along, you learn by copying what's shown.

This is an intermediate book more suited for those with some knowledge of drawing, more specifically for those looking to learning perspective and lighting. If you have the two other Loomis books mentioned above, then you can easily apply what you've learned.

If you're looking to draw something instantly, then I would recommend more elementary beginner books. For perspective, you can try Perspective Made Easy, and Keys to Drawing for drawing in general. I'll also recommend Lessons in Classical Drawing because that book is also about successful drawing.

[Darjeeling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get it here:
https://archive.org/details/andrew-lo...

Just like Loomis' other books, this thing is packed to the brim with knowledge. Very technical, far more information here than I ever got studying art and design in college. If a college tells you they are using 'self directed study' tell them were to shove it and just buy a book instead. You will save a hell of a lot of money and learn a hell of a lot more.

Loomis recommends sketching a hand every day (drawing hands is something every artist finds challenging), so I have been sketching one body, one face, one hand, and one landscape every day using the following website:
https://quickposes.com/en/gestures/ra...
I recommend creating an account, since it enables you to save any reference images you really like, or if they seem like they would be useful for current or future projects, to a 'favourites' folder for future reference.

Finishing this book marks the end of the current research phase for my DIY art course.
I'll be going through this free online art course next to make sure it sticks:
https://rapidfireart.com/how-to-draw-...

Then, with drawing hopefully brought up to a decent level it will be time for more research:

Deadline 1st July:
'Color - A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors'
by Betty Edwards

Deadline 1st August:
https://tips.clip-studio.com/en-us/of...

Deadline 1st September:
http://www.clipstudiotutorials.com/

Deadline 1st October:
Watch BitChute version of Vox Stoicas' Summary of Ultralearning as a form of revision:
https://www.bitchute.com/video/Ryfhnp...

+ Read ebook version of ULTRALEARNING:
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/library

+ Revision of method:
https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/mypr...
(Read the text and watch the video).

Deadline 1st November:
Portrait Challenge:
Every day I will allow my self 1 hour for a 'Progress Monitor Portrait'.
(and also do 6 speed portraits at 10 minutes each to actually progress in skill, for a total of 2 hours spent).

Then after a bit more research up until 1st of December it will be time to start work on my own art project... 0_0

[Serge Pierro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another classic tome by Andrew Loomis. It is easy to see how great artists such as Alex Ross were influenced by these books. This one deals mainly with Perspective and Lighting on Form. Personally, I felt that the section on Lighting Forms, for both basic shapes and anatomical forms, was the highlight of the book. The section on Perspective was also very educational. Great artwork is presented for the examples.

[Sumaya Subhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"To learn to draw is to draw and draw and draw."

-Andrew Loomis

[Kalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that has an extensive section on perspective drawing. I bought it to fill in knowledge gaps left out by other books in my collection - specifically perspective drawing as it pertains to the figure. The drawing examples can be a bit more difficult to understand than in other books, especially when there are lots of dark construction lines cluttering up the images. This is one of the reasons why I don't think this book is nearly as effective as a stand alone resource. The section on common errors in perspective drawing was especially helpful, as well as the sections on inclined planes and establishing shadows, which other books seem to neglect entirely.

I think this book is available free online, but I bought the new reprint because I can't stand reading PDFs or looking at art examples on an e-reader.

[Rahul Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are artists. There are masters. And then there are teachers.
Loomis writes with the technical sincerity of a physicist writing the proof of a theorem - and the book expects equal amount of work and dedication on your part.
The section on perspectives is quite long, and sometimes hard to follow - but that's only because a novice will have to practice and return to assimilate the depth of the content.

The book is also an interesting source for copying and practicing interesting sketches. Loomis' approach to drawing is refined and instructive like a manual - and he writes quite brilliantly.

[Hala · Rating 5 out of 5]

من اجمل الكُتُب في الرسم ،، وأرشحه بشده للي هيدخلوا امتحان قٌدُرات

عمارة او فنون

مليان مناظير ومجسمات وتهشيرها وتظليلها صح ولاند سكيب والنِسَب

رااااااااااااااائع رااااااااااااائع

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book for that person that you know that is always drawing. wonderful examples!

[Suphatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Loomis book, and my favorite so far. This one goes through all the foundational elements of drawing, so you will see lots about perspective, drawing basic shapes, light and shading. The topics are not different from what you would find in a modern day book on drawing, except for Loomis’ writing and explanation of these areas is beyond exceptional. He is truly gifted at art instruction and explains how to “see” what you are drawing. A must have for a beginner artist!

[G.Carman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Technical, but the fundamentals are all here for the novice to see. It's free somewhere but getting a physical copy is a must there is not beating owning it and getting a habit of having it with you as reference :)

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read through the book. I only did a few exercise because I did not have time to do them all. So I will have to read the book again and do all the exercises. I liked the book.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some very good guidance on perspective, light and form. I really like the examples that he gave. There is always more to learn when it comes to art.

[Shaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives you a solid foundation on what makes a successful drawing that attempts for realism. Heavy on the fundamentals of drawing such as perspective and rendering form.

[Christine Nguyễn · Rating 2 out of 5]

not for me. lots of text when i was expecting more of a visual guidebook.

[Mitch B · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a mess. Half the book is a really messy but relatively insightful look at perspective. The other half is complete half assed filler of a variety of different topics.

[Michael Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Loomis's Successful Drawing is a classic course on drawing. In it, Loomis expresses his approach on becoming a competent sketcher/painter. The wannabe artist has to master five aspects: proportion, placement, perspective, planes of light, and pattern or texture. To create, the same artist would have to traverse a path that starts with conception, traverses construction, contour, character, and ends with consistency. The book illustrates each concept and path element, but the actual text may seem at times difficult. Overall, an excellent drawing book. Read it and all the books signed Loomis.

[Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can hardly wait for the Titan Books release of the new printing of this book, a long-treasured part of my drawing library. I have had to handle my original printing with great care to preserve it - so I look forward to being able to really dig in to upcoming reprint.

As noted in other reviews, this is a complete drawing course and while excellent, may be challenging to some. Loomis' discussion of perspective is one of the most valuable I have found.

[claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend books by andrew loomis, because of the individual detailed subjects he draws and write about. And most importantly these books are for free download. They don't make them like this anymore.

[Evan Spendlove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just plain amazing, it goes into great depth about perspective, and constructing shapes in perspective!its also useful for lighting and basic form.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably one of the best explanations of complex perspective out there. The rest of the text is decent.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one

[Lisa Ulibarri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book on perspective; Light, shadow, distance,...

[Alun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Andrew Loomis. This, together with his books on figure drawing and portraits, are a must for any serious artist.

[january · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still can't believe a dead man is teaching me more about art than 3 years of university.