Drawing for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Drawing

by Mark Willenbrink, Mary Willenbrink

This inspiring book makes drawing in a realistic style easier than you may think and more fun than you ever imagined!

Authors Mark and Mary Willenbrink (Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner) cover it all--from choosing materials and the correct way to hold your pencil, to expert advice on the tricky stuff, like getting proportions and perspective right, drawing reflections, and designing strong compositions. (It's not as scary as it sounds...not with Mark and Mary as your guide!)

At the heart of this book, a series of fun, hands-on exercises help you practice and perfect your strokes--24 mini-demos lead up to 9 full step-by-step demos. Each exercise builds on the previous one as you develop your skills, build your confidence, and enjoy yourself along the way. The lessons you learn by drawing simple subjects such as coffee mugs, clouds and trees will help you take on progressively more challenging matter like animals, still lifes, landscapes and portraits...the kinds of subjects and scenes you've always dreamt of drawing.

This book is just the ticket for budding artists of any age. It's never too early and never too late to discover the pure joy of drawing!

Genres: Art, Drawing, Nonfiction, Reference, How To, Creative, Crafts

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2006

Reviews

[Dona's Books]

Part of my kill-my-tbr project, in which I'm reading all my physical, unread books, which number around one thousand!

[Tien Pham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I agree with other reviewers that this book isn't exactly for the absolute beginner, it does go over some helpful points such as seeing forms, measuring, value drawing, etc. I particularly enjoy the section which shows you how different way of shading and drawing textures, eg. how to control yours strokes so that they look textures of a tree, rooftop, grass. Overall, good drawing book for people who have attempted to draw for fun or doodle in the past.

[Manar Medhat · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتاب عبارة عن مبادىء و تقنيات فى الرسم لكل مبتدىء و من لديه اهتمام بالرسم


فى البداية يوضح الكتاب الأدوات المستخدمة فى الرسم من أقلام و أدوات وأوراق و اللوحات والمحايات ( الاستيكة يعنى
:D ) ..

فى الفصل الأول يوضح الكاتب الفرق بين ( الاسكتش ) والرسم العادى وطرق الامساك بالقلم و بعض التدريبات البسيطة للاسكتشات

الفصل الثانى عبارة عن مبادىء للرسم الجيد .. عن طريق استخدام الأشكال الأساسية فى الرسم أى تقسيم أى شكل تراه الى مربعات أو مثلثات ( على حسب كل رسمه ) للتسهيل >> عجبتنى الطريقه دى
و قياس النسب و نأتى بعد ذلك الى تقنية مهمة و هى المناظير الخطية يوضح الكاتب فيها نقط التلاشى للرسم والخطوط الأفقية و ما يندرج تحتها >> عموما معرفتش اطبقها اوى :)

الفصل الثالث عبارة عن رسم القيم والظلال وكيفية صنع مقياس للقيمة لمقارنتها مع المشهد الذى ترسمه

الفصل الرابع عبارة تدريبات لممارسة التقنيات ويطبقها الكاتب على عدة أشكال :الصخور والأحجار والأشجار و الطائرات والقطارات و الحيوانات و جسم الانسان .. الخ

الفصل الخامس عبارة عن تأليف وتركيب للرسوم >> لم استفد منه استفادة حقيقية

الفصل السادس عبارة عن تطبيق للكتاب وهو ملىء بالأشكال وكيفية رسمها


الكتاب مفيد الى حد ما .. لكن يؤخذ عليه عدم توضيح بعض الخطوات النهائية لاكمال الرسوم والأشكال الموجودة فى الكتاب

[SlowRain · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I wouldn't call it for the "absolute" beginner, it is quite good for beginners. The focus is exclusively on pencil drawings, so that is a limiting factor. However, the pictures are very good, and it does cover a wide variety of subjects. Perhaps the steps to the drawings don't have as much detail as beginners would, but I think most people will be able to extrapolate where needed. I'd recommend it.

[Pranab Mukherjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

very useful

Really useful book, with plenty of illustrated examples. Very handy guide, especially for beginners like me. Needless to say, practice, practice, practice!

[Donna Mallery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for a beginner!

This book packs a punch! It covers many elements of drawing with a lot of mini demonstrations that are step-by-step. There are many beginner drawing books, and this is one of the better ones! Recommended!

[Sukh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book for beginners. Author has gone for a lot of techniques/styles. As a beginner, it may feel overwhelming. So, I would suggest just pick one and try that out. Once done that, you can always go back try some challenging drawing techniques.

[Maryann Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a beginner book with detail!

I have been looking for a beginner drawing book that contained detailed explanations and step by step progressive instruction - Drawing for the Absolute beginner is what I have been looking for. Great information on shading and perspective. I like that I can draw along with the lessons. This book will stay in my reference section.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. My husband is an artist so my reading this book drove him nuts. However, a lot of the exercises helped me improve my sketches and my hubby approved. Next up, still life practice.....

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the exercises and I also liked the tips about how to draw grass, rock, stone walls, wooden fence, an planner, car. I think I under stand more about perspective. And the horizon line. Now I just need to draw more. No problem.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too intimidating for me

I'm a clueless beginner and this is the second drawing book I've read. I found these instructions and techniques to be pretty intimidating. I think they are aimed at a more technical style of artist than I imagined for myself.

[craige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I go back to this book time and again as I'm learning how to draw. I find it quite a valuable resource for a beginner like me.

[Aidan Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear and well done. I like.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. It just wasn't what I was looking for at this time. So I skimmed the book. It had some very useful info in it.

[Samella Livas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to follow

Very easy to follow. This is very doable. I knew absolutely nothing about drawing before I read this book. I love it!

[Jacobella Jin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is good. It illustrate the basic principles of drawing and is very easy to follow .

[Jeff DiMaio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book about basic drawing, definitely helped me

[Steve Brannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty basic, and yet... Not as much explanatory text as beginners may find helpful.

[Richard E. Beebee · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Photography to Art

I am an amateur photographer preparing to take an Art 101 course. I purchased this book to learn the terms used in sketching and drawing and how to apply them to what I know about taking pictures. Success! My knowledge of horizon lines, composition, light and shadow, textures and vanishing points can now easily be used to absorb my instructor’s teaching. I tried a few of the exercises and came to quickly realize that using my creative skills to actually create a scene or portrait will require practice but that even after my classes are over the basic information in this book will remain a good reference.

[Husain Aazam Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't for the Absolute Beginners. This book will help you when you learn how to be satisfied with your drawings. Definitely not for the beginner who is at first stage because it doesn't have basic or very basic part.

Top of all, it can help you in some way.

[Michaell Cavllaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book For Beginners

If want to learn how to draw, but don't know where to start, this book is for you. I really learned a lot from the authors.

[stefi ✨]

Great book, definitely will visit it again in the future if I need to remember something.

[Amelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more focused on the concepts of drawing and tools. It was very helpful and gave me many tips.

[Sujit Sumitran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too technical. Couldn't go through it. Not for me.

[Tanish Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update: 28 July 2020: I have been practising more of these sketches and my skill has greatly improved. These step-by-step tutorials are really good. Adding one more star ;)


16 July 2020: I was looking for mostly sketching but this book is mainly for adding values in term of shading to your drawings. Nevertheless, the book is easy to browse and the basic concepts are well illustrated.

[Vickie L Searan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the detail explaining helps me under stand what I am doing. Thank you

I would prefer this a friend artist very informative instructions n demo to see it being done.
Very good work.

[Jitka Egressy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Claire Riffle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am an absolute beginner and after reading this, I still don’t know how to draw.

[Naveen · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the tricks and tips of Drawing. An Excellent Read. :) :) :)

[Mark Merris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting overview not detailed

This is an interesting approach for a beginner art lesson. It covers very general techniques to get someone more or less started. Hopefully people who read this and can realize that it isn't a step by step more of a where to begin, how to lay out guide. With good general and helpful hints.