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You Can Draw It in Just 30 Minutes: See It and Sketch It in a Half-Hour or Less
"Sharpen your pencils and open your sketchbook; your teacher is waiting."--Boston GlobeEmmy Award-winning and longtime PBS host Mark Kistler is back with You Can Draw It in Just 30 Minutes, the sequel to his hugely popular You Can Draw in 30 Days. Take a 30-minute creativity break and be amazed at what you accomplish! Learn to draw 25 different everyday objects--each completed in just half an hour--with step-by-step illustrations and friendly, personality-filled instructions for each lesson. Inside you'll "art hacks": Drawing shortcuts (such as tracing handy objects) make you more productive and efficient in your drawing.Blueprints for quick You'll learn to find the simple shapes within complex-appearing objects.Long-term The skills you gain along the day in the individual lessons can be used in more detailed, longer projects.Hundreds of More cartoonish? More realistic? The drawings can be modified for a new work of art every time.In 30 minutes, you'll have a finished drawing. Pick up your pencil and begin today!
396 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2016
120 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Mark Kistler
44 books31 followersMark Kistler teaches art. He has run thousands of elementary school workshops, written art books, and starred in the public television series The Secret City, The Draw Squad, The New Secret City Adventures, and the Emmy-Award-winning Imagination Station, all teaching art.
[author photo credit: Lois Bernstein]
[author photo credit: Lois Bernstein]
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 31, 2017
Informative. Sequel to You Can Draw in 30 Days.
Offers directions in drawing certain objects. List of materials are presented. Step by step technique.
My grandson and I like to take afternoons picking out an object to learn how to draw, following the directions...then comparing who did it better. Fun activity for us, but it also helps us in our technical abilities.
Fun. Helpful. Resourceful. Recommend
Offers directions in drawing certain objects. List of materials are presented. Step by step technique.
My grandson and I like to take afternoons picking out an object to learn how to draw, following the directions...then comparing who did it better. Fun activity for us, but it also helps us in our technical abilities.
Fun. Helpful. Resourceful. Recommend
January 7, 2025
This text is an accessible and comprehensive guide for budding artists.
The book covers an impressive range of topics, with 25 detailed lessons that teach readers how to sketch everything from bananas to tree frogs.
The book structures each lesson, offering clear, step-by-step instructions, clever hacks, and bonus challenges to enhance creativity.
The breadth of the subject matter ensures readers gain a versatile skill set, while the glossary of art terms solidifies their understanding of artistic techniques.
What stands out most is Kistler’s engaging and conversational writing style, which makes the material feel approachable and fun.
His humour, personal anecdotes, and emphasis on overcoming “drawing anxiety” are very enjoyable.
The timed, 30-minute structure of each lesson is innovative, encouraging efficiency and confidence while making the process feel achievable for beginners.
However, the book could benefit from more advanced challenges or resources for experienced artists seeking depth beyond foundational skills.
Also, while the reliance on tracing and hacks is beginner-friendly, some readers might view it as too simplistic.
Remember, this book is an introduction to drawing.
Overall, You Can Draw It in Just 30 Minutes is perfect for those new to drawing or anyone seeking a quick, enjoyable introduction to sketching.
It’s a must-read for anyone looking to build confidence and creativity in a short amount of time.
The book covers an impressive range of topics, with 25 detailed lessons that teach readers how to sketch everything from bananas to tree frogs.
The book structures each lesson, offering clear, step-by-step instructions, clever hacks, and bonus challenges to enhance creativity.
The breadth of the subject matter ensures readers gain a versatile skill set, while the glossary of art terms solidifies their understanding of artistic techniques.
What stands out most is Kistler’s engaging and conversational writing style, which makes the material feel approachable and fun.
His humour, personal anecdotes, and emphasis on overcoming “drawing anxiety” are very enjoyable.
The timed, 30-minute structure of each lesson is innovative, encouraging efficiency and confidence while making the process feel achievable for beginners.
However, the book could benefit from more advanced challenges or resources for experienced artists seeking depth beyond foundational skills.
Also, while the reliance on tracing and hacks is beginner-friendly, some readers might view it as too simplistic.
Remember, this book is an introduction to drawing.
Overall, You Can Draw It in Just 30 Minutes is perfect for those new to drawing or anyone seeking a quick, enjoyable introduction to sketching.
It’s a must-read for anyone looking to build confidence and creativity in a short amount of time.
March 30, 2025
This is a really great introduction to drawing well while working fast. I like how each of the projects starts with drawing tips, before breaking things down into easy shapes. I have a fair bit of experience, so I’m finishing the drawings in well under 30 minutes, but it’s been a great refresher and a fun way to get back into graphic drawing.
February 8, 2022
gets you drawing quickly
I found this book useful to get me drawing quickly and having fun however I am halfway through and I found some of the drawings not very realistic and started to lose interest.It is a shame because I really enjoyed the first half.
I found this book useful to get me drawing quickly and having fun however I am halfway through and I found some of the drawings not very realistic and started to lose interest.It is a shame because I really enjoyed the first half.
December 26, 2022
A great book on learning to draw by looking at the shapes.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews