Drawing for Dummies

by Brenda Hoddinott

On a simple piece of paper, a fierce bird of prey can swoop down upon its terrified victim, an adoring father can share laughter with the infant daughter cradled in his arms, raindrops can glisten on the hood of a vintage sports car, a lightening bolt can cut across the night, offering a glimpse of trees ominously silhouetted against the blackness. Drawing can enrich your life in extraordinary and unexpected ways. Drawing your everyday experiences can change how you and others see the world, while drawing from imagination can give rise to fantastic new worlds. And, despite what you may believe, it's something just about anyone can learn to do. Drawing For Dummies offers you a fun, easy way to learn drawing basics. Its author, professional illustrator and long-time art educator Brenda Hoddinott, has a simple philosophy--that only you can teach you to draw. With that in mind, she arms you with the tools you need to explore the basics and then coaches you through 30 hands-on drawing projects. You'll quickly


Conquer the basics of line and shading Develop an eye for basic shapes and contours Discover how to create the illusion of three dimensions Render still-life subjects and landscapes Bring animals and people to vivid life on the page Brenda helps you tune into your right brain and see the world as an artist does. You'll discover how to break things down into basic lines and shapes and then reassemble them on the page. Other topics covered include:


Understanding and exercising the basic skills of drawing lines and shapes, adding life and depth with shading, and rendering textures Mastering the fundamentals of composition and planning drawings Creating lifelike doodles and cartoon characters Drawing the natural environment including both plants and animals Keeping a sketchbook and drawing from memory Drawing people, starting with babies and exploring the human face from childhood to old age It's never too late to unleash the artist within. Let Drawing For Dummies put you on the road of discovery and self-expression through drawing.

Genres: Art, Drawing, Nonfiction, Reference, How To, Education, Textbooks

336 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Autumn]

Not Very Helpful or Inspiring. If you have average drawing ability and are ready to see dramatic improvement in your drawing, or if you are at a point in your life where you feel driven to create and dedicate yourself to learning how to draw, put this book down and read Betty Edward’s "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” instead. If you're just looking for an overview of drawing portraits or caricatures, or if you want to learn how to shade with hatching or crosshatching, "Drawing for Dummies" is the book for you.

[McKenzie]

Quite wordy for a drawing book, but not a bad start.

[Victor Daniel]

¡Me pareció genial!
Lo recomiendo a todo el mundo.

[Saxie5]

This book should be called Drawing for People Who Have Somewhat of a Clue. This book is not for beginners.
Although the author made some good points and gave some good advice, she seems to forget that not everyone has been drawing for years. For example, the section on shading needs to be "dumbed down" a bit.

[Apryl Anderson]

The exercises were a bit remedial, but that's obviously what I needed. This was excellent for self-teaching; no instructor required. She comes with the purchase--AND she keeps her website current for further study!

[Nahid]

من به تازگی طراحی با مداد رو شروع کردم و سطح مبتدی هستم ولی این کتاب که سطح پیشرفته داره خیلی بهم کمک کرد که چندگام جلوتر برم
یک مقداری آموزشهاش سخته ولی با تمرین زیاد و پیش زمینه طراحی حتما موفق میشین👍
«آموزش طراحی» را از طاقچه دریافت کنید
https://taaghche.com/book/104519

[Brenda Hoddinott]

This is my very first book and I really enjoyed both writing and creating the over 400 illustrations.

[Keeko]

Clear and easy to follow. Good examples and tips. The sections on perspective and shading are especially helpful. I like how the author refers to other sections as she's explaining a new technique. She assumes, as with most manuals, people skip around. If she's showing how to draw a flower, when she tells you to shade the petals, she mentions which chapter number describes how to shade. Very thoughtful. Thanks to the author and illustrator and all who worked to put this together. Well done!

[Manon]

Quelques chapitres sont intéressants : les modelés, la perspective...
Mais tout le reste est survolé. À part pour avoir un aperçu de ce qu'il est possible de faire, le livre n'est pas super utile. Des ressources sur internet sont tellement plus intéressantes.

[Mauricio Portillo]

Very useful, if you want to start drawing some basic elements.

[Arturo Jiménez]

Está bien para iniciarse

[Melodie Wendel-Cook]

Good exercises to show everything seen as shapes first.

[Tim]

There are better books on drawing

[Haley Bailey]

It's a good book if you are looking to improve or begin drawing skills, however I wasn't impressed with the constant style setting. There was no mix up of drawing styles it kept to the basic realistic, still life, ect.. Over all it was fun to do the activities however I wouldn't recommend to someone who is looking to expand there drawing styles.

[Doug Geivett]

With the many excellent alternatives within reach, there's little reason to turn to this guidebook.

[Patricia]

Now I just need to finish my Peacock drawing :-P

[Kay]

I was looking for a basic good introduction to drawing. I think this book did that.

[Chris Bridges]

Great book for anyone wanting to learn to draw. It takes you through step by step. I borrowed this from the library and will now be buying it

[Mary Adams]

Started this book and I refer to it so often when doing my art, it is a definite must have for Artist.

[Fred]

A bit too traditionnal and old school. I wish there was more modern techniques in there...

[Natashya KitchenPuppies]

A decent book on drawing, a little less exciting than some of the other intro to arts books.

[Anita (Hearts and Whodunits)]

Great book for anyone who wants to learn how to draw.