Drawing Step-by-step

Description

This is a practical and comprehensive guide for all drawing enthusiasts, from the beginner to the experienced artist. It begins with advice on a wide variety of drawing media including graphite and coloured pencils, charcoal, chalks, pastels, conte crayons, water soluble pencils and various pens. It goes on to explore the various techniques that can be used with these media from making marks and creating tone and texture to mixing and overlaying colours. There is detailed, specific advice on drawing landscapes, trees and pets, with step-by-step demonstrations for readers to follow. Each section is accompanied by a selection of inspirational drawings by the five featured artists, in a rich variety of styles. Comprises material from the Leisure Arts series: Basic Drawing Techniques (9780855328429) Drawing Landscapes (9780855328467) Drawing Trees (9780855325824) Drawing Pets (9780855325565) Water Soluble Pencils (9780855329631)

Richard Box is a practising artist and professional embroiderer. He studied painting at Goldsmiths School of Art in London. Soon afterwards he developed a love of textiles, which led him to experiment with machine embroidery and fabric collage. He spends his time teaching and lecturing on both of his two areas of expertise. He has written a number of books on art instruction and embroidery, he has appeared on television and he writes regularly for specialist magazines. Denis John-Naylor studied Natural History Illustration at Bournemouth College of Art and Wildlife Painting at Swansea Institute. He is a self-employed consultant and a part-time teacher of watercolour, pencil, acrylic and oil painting in adult education. His hobbies include plein air painting, reading biographies and listening to music.

This is one of those bind-ups of smaller titles that Search Press does from time to time and does rather well. It's not at all obvious that this is a collection of books which have previously appeared in the Leisure Arts series and material which would normally repeat from one to the other has been removed so that, for example, you only get one introduction to materials, not several authors saying virtually the same thing. I'd tell you how many different books you get for your money if I could but, frankly, I can't spot the joins. At GBP12.99, they're excellent value for money as long as you don't already have a comprehensive collection of the originals.-Artbookreview.net Drawing seems to be sadly undervalued by many artists now and yet is the cornerstone to good artwork. In this book five well known artists share their expertise in different areas to give a comprehensive guide to drawing for both absolute beginners and those who are more experienced. There is advice on what materials to begin with and the properties of different media from simple graphite pencils to pastels, chalk and charcoal, conte crayon to watercolour pencils and different types of pen. Each is fully explored and the reader show the many techniques used to obtain a variety of marks used to create tone and texture so essential to transform a 2d medium into the appearance of a 3d one. Each of the five artists takes one complete section and explains their ways of using this media, accompanied by useful tips and photographs. I found Ronald Swanwick's section on composition especially useful as he has taken a number of photographs of the same subject but from differing positions and shows us by way of quick sketches how best to take what is needed from a photograph and how to subtlety alter areas that don't fit properly to make a pleasing composition. Too often artists slavishly follow a photograph rather than using it as a starting point and adding and subtracting from it as dictated by the final work. There a many different areas covered in this book from simple skies, water, trees and buildings to how to add people and animals within a painting, something that can make all the difference to a finished work. It contains ten demonstrations and over 150 step by step photographs within this book making it an ideal reference book for all artists.-JeannieZelos.com If you want to learn to draw or improve your drawing, this is the book for you. It covers different drawing media and subjects and takes you through the instructions to achieve good results. Learn which medium suits you best, such as pencil, pastels or chalk. There are ten demonstrations and over 150 step-by-step photographs in 144 pages of inspiration. Filled with tips and techniques to make drawing a doddle.-KarenPlatt.co.uk Each of these step-by-step books on drawing, watercolour and acrylics draws on the experience of experts of the medium. There are general chapters, which serve as a basis from which to work up, but specific topics are allocated to one of the many experts. This demonstrates distinctions in style and explains the techniques behind them. It's rare to find guides that successfully cater to so many levels of ability. The opening chapters are dedicated to the beginner, with plenty of focus on mixing colour. However, these books are not just for the uninitiated - all three hold plenty of precious knowledge nuggets for even the most seasoned artists: acrylic texture and lighting in watercolour are both exacting matters and not for the fair-weather painter. All three volumes share more or less the same format; pages littered with plenty of pictures and short bursts of text, so that readers don't have to wade through excessive information in order to get to the point. The study topics are traditional, with nature and animals featuring almost exclusively, and you can't help thinking that each volume could benefit from branching out, even if for just one chapter, into something a little less conventional. Although three entirely separate books, and more than valid on their own, there is something attractive about linking them as a comprehensive learning experience, with disciplines from three different areas serving to complement each other.-Artists & Illustrators Drawing is the foundation of all art practice, and this book takes you through the basics of making initial marks to completing finished, detailed drawings, accurate in tone, shape and perspective. There are some extremely clear, full-page examples where you can see the artist's technique clearly. The five artist-authors have different styles and interests but all believe in developing proficiency and confidence from a basic level to a competent one that enables you to draw from life. Beginning with basic drawing techniques, the book continues with detailed step-by-step demonstrations and many other clearly explained drawings. Some of the projects might daunt an apprehensive beginner, but anyone who is more experienced, or confident, will find this extremely helpful and enlightening.-The Artist This series title is gathered from five previous Search Press books. It features a wide variety of realistic styles and a number of media, including graphite, colored pencils, charcoal, chalks, pastels, water-soluble pencils, and pens. Box and his four coauthors have backgrounds in illustration, painting, textiles, wildlife art, and advertising.-Library Journal USA Search Press is renowned for its high quality, great value books, and it lives up to its reputation with its new series of step-by-step guides covering key topics in drawing and painting. Each book is written by a range of well-respected artists, thus providing varied approaches to each topic or medium. Some readers might note that these titles draw together elements from the Leisure Arts series. They do not, however, feel like patchwork texts, and unless you already have the full set of the earlier smaller works, these compilations provide fantastic value for money. The books all have a similar structure, starting with chapters covering the basics of the topic, thereby making them very accessible for beginners. For example, in Drawing Step-by-Step, Richard Box introduces the subject by looking at fundamental drawing techniques and a wide range of suitable media, interspersed with step-by-step demonstrations; whilst in the Watercolour Painting title, there is an exploration of techniques, media, composition, colour and tone. Following these introductory sections, various experts provide instruction on their specialist topics, developing skills, and providing further inspiration. The Acrylic Painting and Drawing books are constructed with defined chapters, whilst the Watercolour Painting book, created by seven artists, appears more fluid, concealing any sense of it being a compilation of other texts. In the Acrylic Painting guide, for instance, David Hyde and Carole Massey follow on from Wendy Jelbert's introduction, which demonstrates the flexibility of the medium, providing specific guidance on their specialist subjects; landscape and flower painting respectively. Wendy then completes the book by sharing a range of her exciting ideas for creating texture. In the book on drawing, Box's introductory section is followed by Ronald Swanwick on drawing landscapes; Denis John Naylor on trees; Sally Michel on pets; and finally Carole Massey on water-soluble pencils. Each book contains at least ten full step-by-step demonstrations, with panels detailing materials. The wide range of subjects and approaches allows readers to move on to more advanced techniques, making the books appealing to artists of all levels. (Theodora Philcox)-Leisure Painter