One effective and convenient way to learn drawing is through lessons and tutorials
More common these days is to search for workshops, online courses or video tutorials, but at some point, you do not know where to look at (your artwork or theirs?), and some concepts will be missing.
Nevertheless the above can give you a faster and live understanding of the process, #artbooks, on the other hand, will provide you with solid knowledge and the possibility of learning something at your own pace.
Using those two methods combined can give you better results.
“The big lesson that you can learn with these books is that #drawing is a skill that anyone can learn”
Betty Edwards "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain"
The essential book, and if you do not have a big budget to start with, the one on “Learning How to Draw for beginners”, you should buy is the Betty Edwards "#drawingontherightsideofthebrain".
In fact, to be true, the "drawing on the right side of the brain method" are two books and work as a dialogue. One is more theoretical, and the second is more practical, and probably it will be interesting that you read (and follow) both at the same time.
You will find practical exercises on learning the basics or improving your #drawingskills.
#bettyedwards starts by explaining how our drawings and observation skills develop as we grow up, how we observe the world affects how we draw. After that, if we follow the #bettyedwardsmethod , and I strongly advise you to do it, we start with the exercises to learn how to observe correctly what surrounds us as we learn technical and correct ways to do it: Edges and Contours; Positive and Negative Space, relationships and Perspective; Value; Colour. All of this, while #drawing still life, portraiture and some interior perspectives.
First released in 1979, it has been continually updated, reprinted and translated into more than seventeen languages.
The big lesson taught by this book is that drawing is a skill that anyone can learn, and you will see it with your own eyes with the “famous” before and after lecture / practice exercises.
Bert Dodson “Keys to Drawing"
To keep on the same philosophy that “Anyone who can hold a pencil can learn to draw with some degree of proficiency”, my second recommended book and the one I’m quoting is #bertdodson “#keystodrawing".
Divided into lessons, called “keys,” he breaks down complicated practices into straightforward steps.
He offers clear, easy to understand, and helpful tips, exercises, and tricks that #artists of all levels of experience are bound to find helpful.
Simultaneously, the basics of Betty Edwards concepts are there, so you can continue practicing and progressing.
Some of my favourites parts of the book are not only, when he teaches you how to have the right posture and handle the #pencil, but also when he teaches on proportions, texture, shading, composition with several numerous and consistent practical #drawingexercises.
The highlight is, at the end of each chapter, a self-critique assessment of our #artwork. Something rare these days, that’s super important to make us progress in drawing (as in life)!
You can find the book here.
Kimon Nicolaides’s, “The Natural Way to Draw”
I remembered, the first time I saw these book, two things caught my eye: the precise instructions given to make the drawing exercises (it looked like a Math book) and one photo of a Violin Player sculpture with the legend "The artist has been blind since birth. You need not rely on the eyes alone."
#kimonnicolaides’s, " #thenaturalwaytodraw” is not as “easy” to understand and follow as the previous ones but it’s as important and the following step.
Nicolaides was an expert, artist and #artteacher and his book is based on all his experience and knowledge of his #artcourses taught on an #artschool in New York.
if you’re interested in studying fine arts or becoming a professional, this is the book!
But remember that if you choose to be committed enough to follow the #kimonnicolaidesmethod it will be required that you #practice for at least four hours every day...
Still there?
This book is not suitable for anyone who wants instant results, on the contrary it demandes a serious commitment to drawing, requires constant practice and it`s designed as a long term
course, but even if you don’t want to do it in such a rigorous way, still it will be useful.
To be sincere I was never capable to follow by line all his instructions and exercises but it was very utile to use and practice as separated blocks, made in a relaxed mode to progress on expression, #sketching and precision at my own rhythm.
You can buy the book here.
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