 2008-11-11 - Not just for Want-To-Be Artists
This is a very interesting book--and not just for aspiring artists, but for anyone. The author devotes a lot of time to explaining how our "left brain" dominates all our thoughts and actions and that we must become accustomed to how it feels to use the right side of our brain, that the right side of our brain is where we create (anything: art, music, handiwork, etc.) She explains that we really have two brains that control different ways we think and behave and provides exercises we can do to illustrate "switching" from left brain activity to "right" brain activity. She teaches us how to SEE in a different way and how to translate that onto paper. By seeing things in a different way, we can appreciate our gift of sight so much more and begin to take things for granted less. Wonderful book--even if you don't want to begin drawing. But be forewarned, YOU WILL PROBABLY WANT TO EXPERIMENT JUST A LITTLE.
2008-11-04 - Excellent book!
I made it into my mid-twenties thinking that I couldn't draw -- that I hadn't been "blessed" with the "talent" necessary to do it well ...
After just one day of reading this book, I was already drawing somewhat realistic looking sketches -- I realized that it wasn't that I didn't have the ability to draw, but that I just hadn't learned the *skills* necessary to succeed at it.
This book opened my mind and enabled me to see what exactly it was that I was "missing" about drawing, and helped me learn to do something I thought was impossible. The exercises are wonderful, but what is even better is that, unlike most drawing books I've come across -- the author not only provides exercises, but also provides *explanations* of why the exercises are important -- i.e. what you are exercising! Her experiences as a teacher, and her digressions into cognitive science and scientific studies regarding how people learn to draw were extremely beneficial, and provided a useful context for the exercises that wasn't present in other books I've tried.
This is an excellent book -- I'd highly recommend it to anyone, even someone who already thinks they know how to draw well. I'm sure there is something in there that will be new to them too. My partner who has been drawing for many years, has also found several items of interest in here .... anyhow that's about enough review writing for me now.
2008-10-25 - Fabulous and instructive
This book is a wonderful start for anyone wishing to begin or improve their drawing skills. Anyone can vastly improve with a bit of direction and practice. It explains (in bite-sized portions) a bit of science behind drawing and why this method works. I also highly recommend the accompanying workbook, so you can keep your work in one place and have a record of your progress. Kudos to the author!
 2008-09-21 - Only for the untalented...
Okay, first let me say that this is an okay book only for those who are not an artist or just starting. I had this as a text book(drawing course for graphic design major in a small tech/bus school), and being I've been drawing since I could hold a writing utensil I found it slightly insulting, especially being in a graphic design course. It's really only for the untalented, along yes, I did get something from it the grids...but that's it.
2008-09-03 - I had it for a while...
... honestly I did not read it yet, but I did take art classes that were derived from the book, and I was amazed at how some of the techniques (though unorthodox) come out to be pretty good exercises as well as drawings. I just never had the time to continue with them on my own. Not very helpful of a review, is it? well these are my few words, the rest is up to you.
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