5 comments about Fingerprint: The Art of Using Hand-Made Elements in Graphic Design.

1. I bought this book as a gift for someone else, but after seeing it in person I'm thinking of buying it for myself! It is a beautiful book!



2. When relying on a computer all day, this book lets you return to how it all began. Get creative! Draw, doodle, color, cut, create and interpret this into your latest computer-aided design.



3. This is a fantastic resource filled with great examples of handmade design masterpieces. There are a few sections of illustrations that are already starting to look very dated, but a lot of the featured designs are timeless in their inginuity and beauty.
   
   Whether you are already using hand-made techniques in your work, or you are searching for some inspiration on how you can get a more hands-on tactile feel with your designs in this age of InDesign, Photoshop and stock graphics, this book is great.



4. If you love handmade and mixed media this book is for you. It is an inspirational collection of graphic design with a handmade look, very creative.



5. This is such a lovely book! Nice layout, easy to follow. Full of fantastic examples.

5 comments about Classical Painting Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice.

1. The Atelier method of art education is to take a master artist and have them instruct a student artist - the method has produced some of the greatest artists the world has ever seen and as such, some of the greatest works of art as well. "Classical Painting Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice" is an attempt to emulate this artistic practice in book from as author and artist Juliette Aristides seeks to pass on her skill and wisdom to her readers by going over distinct techniques and practices lesson by lesson. A book of essential advice for any painter, "Classical Painting Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice" is highly recommended to community library collections catering to art.



2. This book, along with the one on drawing is simply the truth about how to attain excellence in painting, not just a step-by-step or history based piece of literature. she has spent many years studying side by side with some of the greatest masters today including Jacob Collins and now she has attained a masterly level and runs her own atelier. the only way to understand these concepts better would be to learn it from the mouth of a master. i personally consider this book along with all the amazing visuals the prize of my library and a gigantic boost to my artistic endeavors.



3. Well it is better than possibly expected and so much better than the drawing previous volume, although that is an excellent book as well. It is well laid out and covers a big subject with elegance and great comphrension. The images from the artist Daniel Sprick are worth the books price and shows an exceptional contemporary realist artists work that is breathtakingly stunning. These plates are amazingly faithful to the originals.
   It is a worthy and well written book, tons of beautiful illustrations. Everyone should buy a copy of this book to encourage the author to produce more. I would encourage everyone to buy now as this volume will certainly sell out very very soon. Simply wonderful! Helpful more than instructive but a seminal and much needed book to read, absorb, learn and have as a good reference. There is much to keep you inspired.
   As I mentioned earlier, buy it if only for the paintings shown by the artist Daniel Sprick.
   This is one artist worth watching....closely. Lovely, lovely book. Thanks.



4. This book comes across as a quasi-religious manifesto at times, and as shameless pandering at others. There is not a whole lot of actual information or instruction here beyond a basic level. The idea, I think, is that you have to actually attend an atelier to get the full instruction. (The author runs an atelier.) There are quite a few nice reproductions in this book and that is the main value I see in it. The moderns in general dont hold up well against their old master and 19th century predecessors although there are some exceptions such as jacob collins and jeremy lipking. This book also includes one of the most horrific images I have ever seen - a skinned bloody rabbit on a plate. If that sounds appetizing to you then maybe you'll like this book more than I did. oh yeah I hate odd nerdrum too - totally overrated.



5. The author called her first book in this series 'the course I always wanted to take' in other words the highlights of all the different instructors and methods she encountered studying.
   
   Unless you study at a formal atelier like, say New York Academy or Grand Central Academy, chances are you'll run into a variety of methods and approaches when learning to paint and draw.
   
   This book gives what I think is the best comprehensive overview for people who want to become accomplished "realist" or 'classical' painters - its definitely filled in a lot of gaps for me.
   
   There is no shortage of information out there about painting...the problem is its not distilled - what this book gives you is the distilled wisdom of the author- an accomplished painter who runs a respected atelier.
   
   For example there is a great book about artists materials -but its 900+ pages long (artist materials handbook) - its great to have that information but whittled down materials overview in this book is "useable".
   
   Some other key points:
   The quality of the reproductions is outstanding
   examples are not only old masters but contemporary realists - and not just the author!
   
   Highly recommended and I might add ,an outstanding value.

5 comments about Gardner's Art Through the Ages (with ArtStudy Student CD-ROM and InfoTrac ).

1. The book came as described by the seller and the CD that comes with the book is has great resources for studying the chapters but I have never waited so long for a book to arrive from amazon, I ordered on the first week of my class and I got it the third week into my class which wasn't very helpful to me



2. I had to buy this book for school and I have to tell you, it isn't easy forking out over $100 bucks for a textbook. I have no regrets now after finishing my course and exploring this amazing Art Histoty book. It is something you will have for a lifetime and be glad that you do!



3. I purchased this book for a class; Ancient Art history. This book really is beautiful. Most of my textbooks I would resale once my class ended, but I definitely plan on keeping this one. The authors did a great job of giving high level overviews and thorough descriptions for each work; both in artistic form and historical context. I would highly recommend this book for both art enthusiasts and students.



4. The main strength of this book are the pictures - most of them in colour and all of superb quality. To each picture corresponds a section in the text which describes the displayed work in a vivid and informative way, cultivating the reader's ability to look at art, understand and appreciate it. Another excellent feature are the "boxes", containing e.g. a description of an artistic technique or an excerpt from an original written source.
   
   However, questions arise when it comes to more general parts of the text, e.g. chapter introductions aimed at conveying a broad picture of art and society of the epoque. Simplifications are expected, but they shouldn't be misleading - here are just some examples of the contrary: it's not correct to include Merovigians among the barbarian tribes (Goths, Franks, ...) that invaded the Roman empire! This is absent in the 11th edition but present in the 12th. Or, one cannot say that the Treaty of Westphalia granted religious freedom in Europe: that freedom mostly applied only to the local sovereigns, while their subjects were forced, sometimes quite brutally, to follow the religion of their boss. The Centre Pompidou in Paris is not quite a place of "popular entertainment", etc.
   
   Conceptually, the book follows a certain point of view, emphasizing e.g. the question of gendre - the reader learns, for instance, that the communities in ancien Grece were dominated by "white males" ... The authors have also decided to include some works which are not generally accepted as art - but is an introductory textbook like this a good place to redefine the notion of art?
   
   In summary, if you want in the first place to enjoy splendid pictures described in revealing yet understandable terms, go for this book. If you are looking for a more solid and reliable information, look somewhere else.



5. Wonderful Art History textbook. Very comprehensive. CD-ROM quite useful. Used this text for Advanced Placement Art History course in high school for 2006-2007 school year. Liked the book so much I purchased one from Amazon in May. The copy I bought is bound upside down (the cover is upside down compared to the text inside).

5 comments about Living the Creative Life: Ideas and Inspiration from Working Artists.

1. You can't but be inspired after reading this wondrous book! I will admit first hand, I personally have no intention (nor the talent), to ever become a world class artist by any means. I do have passion to create however, and this book along with another I received around the same time, Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint, by Curtis Heuser, have almost convinced me to rethink my day job. How rewarding (and envious), it sounds from all these talented souls, to be devoted and fortunate enough to get to spend their time without a doubt, doing what they love. Not to say it is without effort, but the pure joy and love for expression, explodes off the pages and simply can not be denied in both of these glorious titles.
   
   Unlike the various first hand artistic testimonials featured throughout "THE CREATIVE LIFE..." - "YOUR HOME..." follows just one decorative artist's amazing creative journey, leading to the publishing of his extroidinary first book which documents the rebirth of his ordinary historic home, through must see mural and faux painting techniques and decoration. In addition, Heuser's book is full of beautiful before, during and after photography, and inspiring how to do the same for your own home-projects. There are similarities in both of these titles however, as the reader will discover and can almost touch the often unexplicable creative passion in the hearts and spirits of these diversely talented artistans.
   
   There appears a special kinship between the artists and authors of both these books - as each are driven by the undeniable desire to express themselves through a wide range of interesting art mediums. I want to personally "Thank" both authors for so eloquently and unselfishly sharing their work and individual views on creativity with us! Both books offer rare insight and are worthy of our every penny! ENJOY!!!!



2. It is hard to imagine anyone could read this book without stopping multiple times to experiment with some form of art explorations of their own. The author makes it seem natural and oh so inviting. The only drawback is the small print on busy pages. It is sometimes difficult to read the suggestions.



3. Living the Creative Life is challenging me to look at creativity in many new ways. The approach taken from the viewpoint of many different artists in many different media shows the versitality of our innate creative spirit. The idea that all humans are creative if they allow that part of the whole person to flourish is not new to me, but the way this author discusses the creative spirit is fresh. The book is beautiful to look at and I love the format -- small size, lovely illustrations and great ideas for jump starting creativity.



4. I know a couple artists that submitted their work to this book and I was happy to see them included!
   I think any book that helps people with inspiration is great.
   
   I do think this book is a bit fluffy. At least for me. I was hoping for something different maybe. Something meatier ~ Thanks



5. By asking several artist's the same question, it shows there is no "right" way. Everyone comes to their art with their own style. Great idea's to jump start the muse. The imagery was beautiful.

5 comments about Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels.

1. When my grandparents got me this book, I didn't think it could help me. I was looking for a "How to Draw" not a "How to Write". This book proved me so wrong. I couldn't believe how much fun it was to read, and it helped me a lot too. Almost everything I thought I knew was proved wrong and after reading it I felt like I understood comics so much better. As well as making me better at writing comic books, it made me a better writer altogether. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in comics or in just plain writing or art.



2. Well thought out, well written, quality throughout. I like this book the best so far; the previous weren't as appealing as this but were still very well done. The author really practices what he preaches as far as his message and the book speaks for itself. You won't be disappointed. Looking forward to the new books!



3. This is the best cartooning and illustration
   book that has EVER been created. It accomplishes cartoons and
   illustrating and explains everything. THIS is
   the only book you will ever need. Don't let this
   book escape you, you will NEVER forgive yourself if
   you let this treasure get away. It is total visual
   instruction. Easy to understand. Easy to attempt.
   It is the book I keep on the drawing desk next to me
   because it is so complete. Wow!!!!!!---- Luisa Felix



4. What I like about this book is the fact that it is not only instructional for comic book artists but also for all artists. He writes and draws to enhance what he is teaching so that it is not even noticed by the reader that he is being taught. I have met Scott and he is as entertaining and funny in person as he is in his book.



5. Great book for beginning comic artists. You will not be taught technical details for how to draw or lay out panels, but you will be shown how to pace comics, shown some basic face anatomy in the context of emotion, given a few inspirational tips on choosing characters, and so on. Probably an interesting read even for people who aren't sure that they want to get into comics.

5 comments about The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America.

1. Highly informative, slightly esoteric, and entirely relevant, Hajdu's case study on the hysteria surrounding crime comic-books at the dawn of the Cold War left me with far more questions than answers. While this generally is a sign that an author has breached the innermost walls of my cerebrum and forced me to question my previous held assumptions regarding a given topic, Hajdu's impeccable research and wealth of knowledge was simply too much to handle. When I first purchased the book, I was under the assumption that I would be getting a comprehensive look at the hysteria surrounding the comic-book industry as a whole. Not so. Hajdu's research is extraordinarily focused (essentially the decade following WWII), yet highly effective. Those looking for a bit of easy reading need not apply. But I digress...
   As a twenty-three-year-old, it makes perfect sense that I would find Hajdu's book rather esoteric. Simply put, I never experienced any of the comic-book burnings or public hysteria cited by Hajdu. But, that does not leave me ignorant of the reactionary elements central to the hysteria surrounding potentially "damaging" aspects of youth culture. As I read this book, I couldn't help but be reminded of the "parental advisory" stickers gracing my generation's compact discs, or the on-going debate surrounding the influence of violent video games on the minds of our nation's "impressionable" youth. Let's not forget the censorship imposed by retail outlets like Target or Wal-Mart, who have effectively banned CD's containing "objectionable" lyrical content from their shelves. So what's the bottom line? I think there's fertile ground for a sequel...



2. At various times, Americans have chosen to believe that comic books create juvenile delinquency and encourage all kinds of immoral behavior by corrupting the young, as described in the book with a questionable basis, Seduction of the Innocent. The Ten-Cent Plague describes a free-wheeling industry that entertained youngsters and people in their twenties with anti-establishment themes and stories.
   
   Despite little or no research to support these views and the Supreme Court upholding the First Amendment, legislators listened to a few psychiatrists and church and scout leaders who believed otherwise and put stiff penalties on those who put out the most popular comics (especially crime, horror, and romance). Distributors and newsstand dealers didn't want to go to jail over comic books, and they knuckled under to the pressure. Publishers quickly began to go broke. The industry tried to save itself with a rigid self-censorship code that made comics bland and did little to restore sales. Hundreds of comic titles died, and many talented people left the industry under a dark cloud.
   
   Mad Magazine was one of the few survivals, and only because it converted from a comic book to a magazine (which wasn't subject to the same penalties).
   
   It's a chapter in American history that few know about or understand. David Hadju does a solid job of describing it. I was a child during most of this and was aware of the protests against comic books, but didn't realize what the effects were.
   
   This book could have been quite a bit shorter and punchier. I was disappointed that so many simple events (like a comic book burning) were treated in such detail. It was a little ho hum after awhile.



3. I found this book totally fascinating. Not only does it discuss the social history surrounding comics in the 40's and 50's but you can also see some parallels between the traditional culture's reaction to comics back then and the reaction of some to video games today. (There as some big differences though that will prevent the anti-gaming types (Jack Thompson, etc.) today from doing the damage Werthiemer (sp?) and his crew did back then.) I think anyone interested in social history, comics or video games will enjoy this book.



4. It's no surprise to readers of David Hajdu's previous works that he knows how to research and how to translate that research into insightful, well-woven prose. He has a knack for finding unforgettable characters and telling their story in a compelling narrative. The book is laced with information gained from numerous in-depth interviews.
   
   The story of the comics is itself incredible. The author clearly has a bone-deep knowledge and love of comics that can be seen in the biographies of the various creators and in the controversies they engendered.
   
   But what most attracts me is that Hajdu provides a new reading for the social history of the 1950s, a new, intriguing way to understand contemporary culture. What a fascinating book for comic book fans. I just hope people seriously interested in contemporary American culture and history will read the book as well.



5. Hajdu does a good job of writing about the hysteria directed against sequential art (to use Will Eisner's term) in the 1940s and 50s. He does a good job of portraying just how destructive the forces of censorship can be when certain cultural factors come into play. Things may be much better today, but after reading this book, I can't help but think that another big campaign of censorship against comics and other media is right around the corner.
   
   If this book has a weakness, I think that it's that Hajdu doesn't say much in this book about the present state of the medium of comics or ways that fallout from the 1950s crackdown on comics has continued to affect public perception of the medium. Still, I think that this is a must-read for all comics fans. One especially sobering part of the book is a long list of writers and artists who never worked in comics again after the 1950s crackdown. It's very sad to think that the silencing of these writers and artists may have deprived the world of some brilliant work and that some of these people may have reached the same status as Will Eisner or Jack Kirby if they had been able to continue working in comics. Just thinking about it makes me want to write a big check to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

5 comments about Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion.

1. A good book that talks about dressing and differenct color combinations, dressing based on your individual bodyd/face shape with illustrations.



2. Alan Flusser's DRESSING THE MAN is the one book you must have if you want to dress professionally, and if you desire to know the history of proper male adornment in the twentieth century. Interestingly written, information-rich, and chock-full of wonderful photographs of well-dressed men, this tome is a volume to which you will return again and again. Flusser pays careful attention to skin and hair color and how they affect a man's appearance in tailored garments, and he thoroughly discusses garment style and detailing. Interesting chapters on shirts, ties, shoes, and accessories round out this informative and visually appealing volume. DRESSING THE MAN is an appropriate book for both the novice dresser and the mature elegante.



3. For a fashionably-clumsy man like myself, this book has enabled me to take a step forward and look sort of like the consultant that I am (or at least portray myself to be).
   
   The book is elegantly photographed with men of elegant dress, including classic actors such as Gary Cooper, Fred Astaire and the poster-child for perfect dress, Cary Grant. You'll also see princes and dukes dressing to keep the proper air, and see old men (Signor Barbera and Ralph Lauren) maintaining their distinguished appearances as they grey by dressing well.
   
   But this isn't merely a picture book, although any book on dressing well must lead with pictures. It contains a chapter on everything - shoes, ties, the suit, shirts, socks, business casual (13 in all, and each on a narrow subject). Matching color to your complexion, eyes and hair is a subject that many men struggle with, and he has a chapter dedicated to that.
   
   This is a formal and classic book - not one for the passing trends, although business casual is covered.
   
   Anyone who needs to be in a situation where they need to be well-dressed - businessmen for key meetings, gentlemen at weddings and perhaps most especially, job interviewers, should keep a copy of this book on their dresser.



4. A book that does an excellent job of not only explaining classic men's style, but also gives numerous pictorial examples and explains the historical basis behind the rules. This is a must-have for men who are interested in improving their style or simply to keep as inspiration for those who like to look good. While it may not turn you into George Clooney or Cary Grant, this book will certainly help its readers to project a sophisticated, professional image.



5. Replete with photographs of many famous actors wearing the garments, textures, colors, or combos under discussion, this book lays out rather systematically not a theory but an attitude and way of seeing clothing.
   
   I saw it by accident in a library, opened it up and decided to check it out. The scales of sloppiness and pride in "schlumpitude" fell from mine eyes as I read it cover to cover.
   
   One of Flusser's strengths is his ability to communicate his vision without dictating exactly what you should wear. He claims that his attitude can apply to all styles of dress, though he clearly favors conservative styles. In the end, I do believe him in his claim to ultimate neutrality.
   
   When a windfall came my way, I decided that I was going to spend $36.00 of it on this book, and I am glad I did.
   
   It is a great book, probably destined to be a classic. I dress differently and much better than I used to, all by free choice. That's the genius of the book.
   
   The end.

5 comments about From Hell - New Cover Edition.

1. From Hell is kind of confusing for the first four or five chapters. You really don't have too much of a clue what's going on and who every character is. However, after the first murder, it really starts to weave all of the confusing parts of the first few chapters together and make sense of them. Alan Moore does a great job of showing what the Jack the Ripper murders might have been like, and also showing what the man may have been like himself. The ending wraps everything up quite nicely, and is really profound. From Hell is just more proof of why Alan Moore is widely considered the best in the business.



2. Like many, I knew the vague outlines of the Ripper murders. They occurred sometime in the mid-to-late 1800s in England, the victims were prostitutes, the crimes brutal beyond comprehension, and the perpetrator never caught or even identified. To this rather shallow appreciation, I applied Alan Moore's' "From Hell." I can now say definitively that I know much more about Victorian England - its mores and technology, its deference to royalty, its odd groups, its appearance and the way its lower classes struggled to survive. Whether I know more about the Ripper is another question.
   
   From the scattered shards of the case, Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell have put together a near-masterpiece. They weave a quasi-plausible tale that enmeshes royalty, Masonic orders, mad doctors, the easy women of the West End and grinding poverty. That the story is 90% supposition and 10% fact is no matter. Once inured to the gritty and gruesome story telling, the reader is propelled by the tale's drama and pathos. The book employs dozens of real-life characters, including William Gull, royal physician; Netley, his slow-witted coachman; William Sickert, the struggling painter; Abberline, the dogged investigator; Prince Eddy, weak-willed grandson of Victoria. But Moore and Campbell's most noble work is in limning the sordid lives of the victims. Constantly in debt to their landlords, they sell themselves for a few pence - either in a back alley up against a fence or in an out-of-the-way horse stall. The reader often encounters them -- the two Marys, Elizabeth, Annie and Catherine -- chatting with friends, enjoying a glass and fighting with their live-ins. No longer are they merely nameless victims of a brutal and fascinating (probably male) maniac, but women with histories, fears, aspirations and loves of their own. This willingness to acknowledge the personhood on the victims of crime is by itself a great contribution to the story.
   
   Moore and Campbell pull no punches. Expect full nudity, turgid genitalia and sexual frankness where it is called for. Expect equally frank depictions of the savage butchery of the murders themselves. Also expect a conspiratorial approach that ought not to be taken as the final word on the story behind the murders in Whitechapel. The deluding rantings (whether of the authors or their characters) about Dionysian priests, sacred architecture and Masonic deities ought not to be taken seriously as historic. But they do give the book much of its creepy fascination.
   
   The book's main limitation was in its artwork, whose often borderline artistic quality sometimes made the action hard to follow. Thankfully, the art was rendered in black and white. This made its goriness more tolerable, but made it difficult to determine what was going on - what was that black mass being pulled out of a body? The story, too, had its problems. Killing the women was easy to understand, but the mutilations, even under the aegis of being the ritualistic actions of a psychopath, made less and less sense as the horrors progressed and did not fit the facts very well. The perpetrator was mad, yes, but madness has a logic that was sometimes absent from this tale.
   
   Toward the end of the book, a prose section allows Moore to provide the reader with a lens into his approach. He evidently took his information from the many books that have sprung up about the case, many of which sound pretty fringy, if you ask me. And that's before Moore applied his sinister magic to them. Moore is frank about inventing dialog and scenarios to fill in the gaps in the corpus of factual evidence. A little bit of research will show the determined reader that Moore bent many facts way out of shape to fit them into his thesis. This does violence to the truth, something I do not normally condone. But the flip side is that the reader becomes acquainted with the late Victorian era in a way whose verisimilitude (outside of the farfetched conspiracy) is shockingly persuasive.
   
   Taken for what it is - a mostly imaginary retelling of an all too real tale of bloody murder, "From Hell" is enormously entertaining and compelling. Read it if you have the stomach for large doses of humanity at its most bestial and the ability to swallow conspiracy theories with a grain of salt.



3. Moore and Campbell have delved deeply into the story of Jack the Ripper, to present a version of what might have happened, based on what they knew and discovered in the research.
   
   While odd looking to start with, the artwork seems to fit the squalor of the times once you start reading, and the density of the work is pretty impressive.



4. Thick as a phone-book and often difficult to navigate. 'From Hell' is a comic that demands a lot from the reader and not is possible to finish over a single visit at the restroom. But it will yet be a highly rewarding experience for whoever who dares to give it a try.
   
   In one of his most ambitious works Alan Moore gives his version of the still unsolved crimes of Jack The Ripper. Stories of the police, the prostitutes, citizens of London and the killer himself are neatly meshed together with a enthusiastic analysis and ideas that appears very realistic though most is fiction. Comics are rarely seen as intelligent or complex as this.
   
   Eddie Campbell's drawings has this raw and unpolished look that suits the story just perfect and he makes a great deal of portraying the locations, the people and the gruesome killings in details. The killings are extreme and not for the weaker but they naturally also plays an important part and should certainly not ever be left out.
   
   Now, just imagine the enormous research both must have done for this book!



5. i made the decision to purchase each of the 10 books individually. only needing #'s 8 and 10 i DO NOT regret my decision. the individual 10 books are WAAAAAAY cooler than the one volume with the whole story in it. it means you get 10 covers with 10 different paintings... cant get cooler than that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 comments about Landscape Painting Inside and Out: Capture the Vitality of Outdoor Painting in Your Studio With Oils.

1. Kevin MacPherson has written a wonderful book. As an artist I am constantly trying to perfect my paintings, and this book is a great tool. If you are wondering "Should I purchase another art book?", the answer is YES to this one.



2. This book is very interesting; I have many art books, and this one gets you to thinking. It offers many ideas about how to go about creating better artwork (including using the computer, creating great value studies, use of color, etc.). A beginner or advanced artist would benefit from this book. This artist's work is beautiful. The book is well written, contains great content, and deserves "five stars." RMD



3. This guy knows his stuff and conveys his ideas superbly with great examples to support his recommendations. I respectfully disagree with his comment in the book "that while copying a picture may require great skill, it is not art. With the fabulous digital technology available today, we students of art can freeze that moment in time that we all wish to capture. Painting with passion comes from within and can be stimulated in various ways. An excellent book for any artist's library.



4. I love Kevin MacPherson's books and this one is no exception. They are clearly and concisely written and illustrated. I consider his books "Must Reads" for new artists.



5. This book will answer all your questions about painting outside and in. A real must have.

5 comments about Keys to Drawing.

1. Over the last six month I have been buying a number of instructional book on drawing/sketching for reference. I have found this one to be one that I continue to go back to to review approaches to getting started. I would recommend it as a good guide for a beginner -- either to drawing or to starting with charcoal and graphite.
   
   Leon



2. i like the philosophy of this book..not only concentrating on technical details, which is boring for someone like me who only takes drawing as a hobby. also, this book is not too general. there is some essential points stated in each chapter, with fun 'project' accompanied, to provide concrete example and opportunity to practice. quite good!



3. Although the artwork in the book varies in beauty, the teaching is superb. And that, after all, is the most important thing. I've been drawing for nearly half a century, but these keys have pushed my drawing to an entirely new level. How these little secrets evaded me for so long is mysterious! Pity I didn't have this book when I was a kid. My life might have been very different.



4. I am an artist who allowed herself to put the responsibilities of life before her passion. I have been trying to rekindle my passion for drawing and painting after twenty years of " I'll make time tomorrow" excuses. I originally began drawing as a small child and fine tuned my skills in school with an instructor who used the Betty Edwards approach, so i tried using her books to "get back into art". Well, i love her approach, but the scientific instruction of how and why to draw are interesting, but reading about all that takes time away from what makes great art- simply just doing it. Keys to drawing was exactly the kick in the pants I needed to stop reading about art and start creating again. This book gets you drawing right away and gives you so many exercises and so much encouragement to just draw. I love the illustrations in the book because they are not perfect, they are real and show you the process of creating a drawing instead of making you feel intimidated by professionally drawn finished products, although there are a few of those. The author gives you permission to make mistakes, actually encouraging you to do so in order to find your own style and get over yourself and just have fun.I highly recommend this book to All age groups and level of artist.



5. This is a freeform drawing book that teaches draw what you see and not what you know, using the language of lines and shapes and not the language of things (very much like Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain).
   
   Chapter 1 covers the drawing process and reviews the main points in a bulleted list at the end. Chapter 2 discusses the "handwriting" of famous artists - most interesting and enlightening. Chapter 3 covers how to draw figures and faces - here it does teach about foreshortening, finding midpoints, and taking measurements. Chapter 4 covers how to use light and shadow to model shapes. Chapter 5 covers precision drawing principles: how to create depth, eye level and vanishing points (one and two point perspective), unusual perspectives, ellipses. However, it's more of an overview rather than a "how to." Don't rely on this to learn precision drawing. Chapter 6 covers textures. Chapter 7 discusses composition (pattern and design). Chapter 8 covers imaginative drawing.
   
   This is an excellent book to learn freeform drawing - I'm not sure what's better, this book or the "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain", but I think I would still like to have this in my art book library.