Product Description
Pencil drawing is fundamental to the visual arts and pencil can be a wonderfully expressive medium. In this inspiring book, Gene Franks shares his knowledge and shows by example how to bring out the beauty in ordinary things. Each of the projects is broken down into manageable steps that will lead you through the process of drawing and expand your own artistic expression.

o Find out about the materials you'll need, the basic hand positions, and how to set up a work area

o Practice the different pencil strokes for shading and showing texture

o Learn how to make and use a grid for establishing correct proportions

o Discover the basics of perspective and value drawing

o Follow 13 step-by-step drawings to create still lifes, animals, landscape, people, and more ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not a book for someone getting back into drawing
Maybe it was just me, but I didn't feel the book provided adequate instruction for getting beyond the line drawing stage.It's way too advanced for a beginning artist or someone trying to get in the swing of drawing again.

Great value!
Really happy with transaction.Received exactly as described.Would purchase from this vendor again!

Great Learning Book
The last time I had drawn a figure was as a 10 year old boy. That drawing was of Abe Lincoln. Now, at the age of 37, I decided it would be fun to draw with a pencil again. This book was the first one, I bought this year,and am I glad I did. It leads you step by step the process of drawing alifelike figure, from fixtures, to animals, cars, barns, etc. Aftercompleting my first drawing using the book, I was amazed at the result, andso is every one who has looked at it. I completed the second drawing withsimilar results, again, of a quality we could hang n our home and be proudof. The book tells you what pencil type to use, how to use it, with plentyof examples. If you are after a step by step book, that will give youlifelike results, I highly reccomend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
A revised and expanded tenth anniversary edition of a best-selling guide designed for parents and teachers of children of all ages presents easy-to-follow lessons for building artistic skill and for using drawing in other scholastic subjects. Simultaneous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Good Introduction to Drawing
This book is a great introduction to drawing. I used this book for me to learn how to draw and found it to be very useful. Thank you Mona for a well written book.

Children's drawing
This is the book my mother taught me to draw from growing up, and now I can use it to teach my own children. Anyone can draw!

Wonderful book for instructors
I have been using MOna Brookes method for over 20 years . My students come away from a few lessons drawing on their own at home. I am able to "weed them away" from me so they become independent artists of on their own! That is proof this method works.

Art Book/Drawing w/ Children
Very inspiring, colorful resource material for kids & their teachers, parents.
A great find, arrived in great condition & in a timely manner.

Drawing Novice
I am excited to start this book with my 5 year old. She loves to draw. I can't wait to see if the book's suggestions actually work... ... Read more

Product Description
Author/illustrator Ralph Masiello explores the world of dragon lore, from the mystical Australian rainbow serpent to the revered imperial dragon of China.Just follow the steps in red to create your own mythical, magical beasts. Extra bonus steps in blue show how to add realistic scales and more advanced details. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An Excellent Resource for Budding Artists and Dragon Aficiandos
This addition to Masiello's drawing series is more advanced than his Ocean Drawing Book and is probably better suited to the 8-12 age range.Along with his detailed step-by-step drawing instructions for eleven kinds of dragons, he provides some historical and mythological information about each dragon, including by a nice map showing the geographic locations where stories about them originated.He also supplies a bibliography for further reading.

This ambitious book instructs the reader in drawing dragons using several styles of artwork, including a realistic style (as much realism, anyway, as can be expected from a mythological creatures) as well as Mayan, Thai, and Chinese styles of representation.For budding artists or dragon aficiandos, this is an excellent book for fanning the flame.

My son loves it!
My son is 10 years old and first found this in the library.He loved it and wanted a copy of it for himself.

Ralph Masiello's Dragon Drawing Book

The book I received was in great shape.I will definitely order from this site again in the future. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

This book is all right.
As a seasoned life drawing artist, I felt obliged to write a review of this book, considering it has been highly rated in the other review. This book is all right for its price, but far from excellent despite the fact that works were done by the old masters. The reason, I think, is most of these drawings were done to serve as preliminary studies for oil painting projects by the old masters. Readers have a chance to see the works of the old masters to, as in my case, be inspired by the fact that excellence is a reachable commitment to any of us. I have seen better.

old master life drawings
This book is an excellent and accessible resource for students.It has clear reproductions to analyze and draw from at a very low price.While, the entire genre of master drawings can scarcely be touched with only 44plates, a nice selection of drawings has been chosen.I recommend it foranyone beginning their collection of fine art books, students, or someonewho wants to give the subject a try without blowing a bundle on an artbook. An excellent resource!

old master life drawings
This book is an excellent and accessible resource for students.It has clear reproductions to analyze and draw from at a very low price.While, the entire genre of master drawings can scarcely be touched with only 44plates, a nice selection of drawings has been chosen.I recommend it foranyone beginning their collection of fine art books, students, or someonewho wants to give the subject a try without blowing a bundle on an artbook.An excellent resource! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

A Wonderful Souvenir of a Great Show
This is one of the best show catalogs that I have ever seen. The reproductions of Bronzino's masterful drawings are exceptionally accurate and vivid. Anyone interested in drawing should have this book!

Beautiful book
Gave this book as a gift and he just loved it. Would buy it again as a gift.

Masterpieces of drawing...
Beautiful drawings in a beautiful book: worth every penny and a fine - perhaps necessary - addition to your art reference library.

I can't be more specific (sorry Amazon!) as art, by its very nature, does not lend itself to specificity. Just look and you will see...

exciting discoveries of neglected Bronzino drawings
Agnolo Bronzino (1503-72) was the pupil, assistant and probably the lover of Pontormo. He was also the court painter for Cosimo I de' Medici. Today this mannerist artist is primarily remembered for his elegant portrait paintings; his drawings are seldom featured in the many exhibition catalogues that I have encountered. Thus it is a rare treat to encounter a volume that showcases his entire known output of drawings.

There are 60 drawings executed by or attributed to Bronzino presented in this superb Metropolitan Museum catalogue. 26 of these are in the possession of the Uffizi Museum in Florence. Bronzino's drawings, primarily figure studies, were executed as preparatory sketches for paintings. The works are generally of exceptional quality and interest; one is left to wonder why they have received such scant attention in the past. Although they might not approach the originality and standard of the great drawers such as Rubens, Raphael or Michelangelo, Bronzino's efforts are not far behind.

Additional to the drawings are 62 unannotated color reproductions of Bronzino's paintings and tapestry designs. The standard of the color reproductions (mostly life sized for the drawings) are exceptional as is the general printing and paper quality. The essays and annotations are by authorities on Bronzino. Three cheers to the Metropolitan for a wonderful publication.

Bronzino on paper: better than Bronzino on canvas.
This book is the catalog for the current show at the Met in NYC, which is the first exhibition ever devoted in the US to one of the masters of Mannerism in XVIth-century Florence. It is probably one of the best publications put out by the museum in recent years, both for the high-quality illustrations and for the scholarly text.

59 drawings by, or thought to be by, Bronzino, are studied here (his nearly entire known production) and the high point of the book is its explanation why they are thought to be by Bronzino himself and not by other contemporary mannerist artists such as Pontormo. The book also enables the reader to discover a master draughtsman, an artist who used the line as an unequalled means of expression, an artist much more impressive in these small works on paper than in his often pompous court portraits of the rich and famous of the time. ... Read more

Product Description
Figure drawing is the most essential--and the most difficult--of all skills for the artist to learn. In this book, Bruce Hogarth, one of the founders of the School of Visual Arts in New York, introduces his own revolutionary system of figure drawing, which makes it possible to visualize and accurately render the forms of the human body from every conceivable point of view. 300+ drawings & diagrams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Best Book On the Subject!
Dynamic Figure Drawing is undoubtedly the best book on the topic.Along with the quality of the book,the level of difficulty is also 5 stars-maybe more.I've drawn every page of this book 3 times in a row(I dare you to try that)and I'm still perfecting the material,but if I had to be back where I was when I started the first time I'd feel overwhelmed.As a teacher Hogarth used the techniques in this book(and his others)to train many of the talented professional comic book artists of the 1970's.So obviously it's not impossible to learn the material but it is difficult and intimidating until you decide to put in the PRACTICE it requires to master his techniques-there is a logic to it.Figure drawing from memory is the most difficult and important aspect of original art,but once you master it everything else in art becomes easier to learn(and less time consuming).This book focuses on a difficult but not impossible subject.So if you're an aspiring comic book artist,3-D computer artist,or animator this book will get you there.And if you're self taught you're going to have to work even harder.

Not worth your time, especially if you're trying to learn.
Hogarth tends to really dazzle novices, and possibly with good reason. There is no denying that his figures have unbridled dynamism, and there is certainly power and majesty in his figures. But that's pretty much all he's capable of delivering.

Pick up this book if you're interested in adopting Hogarth's style, but certainly not if you're looking for a decent reference book for more difficult poses that models can't generally hold. Even a cursory knowledge of anatomy will cause you to wince at the distortions and exaggerations Hogarth forces his figures into. Hogarth can make his figures work due, no doubt, to his years of perfecting and honing the style. Students and amateurs will find themselves frustrated and angry at the misshapen and warped figures they'll produce under the tutelage of this book.

Sadly, Hogarth is a niche artist. He does one thing well and has been fortunate enough to cash in on it with a dreary series of "Dynamic" titles, all of which are more or less equal wastes of your time. Even if you're interested in drawing art for comics, you'd do much much better to pick yourself up a copy of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics than waste your money on Hogarth.

Excellent artist resource
This book is perfect for both 2 and 3 dimensional artists. Should be on every figurative artist's bookshelf.

A must have
If your an artist or just enjoy good art. Then one of Mr. Hogarths books should grace your home.Place it next to your Frazetta and Vallejo books.He is truly one of the best.

Art Anatomy with a Twist
Dynamic Figure Drawing approaches the study of the human form from a unique point of view. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to capture the human form in motion. Whether you are an illustrator or into classical art, this volume will give you a new appreciation of how movement relates to musculature and the dynamic use of perspective to create energy and tension in your art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

NOT Worth The Money!!
I am really glad I checked this book out from our local library before buying! It is a tiny book and not at all what I was expecting! It is not worth the price that they are asking and not something we will be adding to our book collection!

I've Gotten Spoiled
The book looks intriguing, but I won't even consider buying it until I can look inside it and/or read some other people's reviews. To the publisher, please give us the ability to look inside. ... Read more

Product Description
A practical course in pen and ink drawing, this helpful guide includes a comprehensive survey of the best pen work in existence. A wide diversity of styles are presented--from loose sketches to rich, engraving-like studies. Works from all periods include drawings by such masters as Dürer, Holbein, Doré, Gibson, Rackham, Pyle, Beardsley, and Klinger. An excellent reference for students, this book will also help illustrators and commercial artists further develop their own styles. 161 figures.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Long Winded Essay
Of the numerous books I've read on the subject, this is by far the worst. It's basically 200 pages of the repeatious advice to study the work of the great masters - but don't copy their technics or styles, just develop your own. The illustrations found in this book are so small, you literally need a magnifying glass to study most of them.
If you are looking for some instruction in how to develop your own composition, technics, or style, you'll find books like "Rendering In Pen and Ink," or "The Technical Pen" much more beneficial. Both have numerous full page illustrations of works by the "masters". If you're a beginner, or simply want to doodle, I would recommend some of Clauda Nice's books.

Good Review of Pen Drawing Styles
This is a good review of pen drawing, but the pens and materials mentioned are much out of date.The drawings in the book are excellent, but they are rather small.A larger book would have made viewing the drawings easier.It is difficult to appreciate the illustrations when they are so small.On one page the author places several pictures, smaller than postage stamp size, next to one another to show the different styles of the artists.This is a great idea, but with the size being so small a lot is missed.

The text is good, and it does explain a lot about pen drawing; however, the artists mentioned are gone and it isn't easy to show modern styles (1970 forward for example) when the book itself is from early in the 20th century.The text also explains how to get a job in illustration; but this advice is ancient and the magazines it speaks of are no longer around.Too bad, because they were great magazines.

A good book with a lot of good advice on illustration with pen and ink; however, a lot of it is out of date and the size is too small to make really good use of the drawings shown.

Review of The Art and Techniqu of Pen Drawing
Before I bought this book I had absolutely no experience in ink drawing, but had always wanted to try it out.Upon receiving this book I began reading it and checking aout all the different drawings in the book.I have been practicing a lot and I found this book very helpful in explaining different techniques that help to make your drawings more realistic.i would definitley recomend this book to anyone wanting to learn to draw with ink as alternative to pencil drawing. I personally find ink drawing much more enjoyable.

Splendid illustrations, very interesting text!
This little, inexpensive book is a paperback republication of the 1927 "The art of pen drawing". It is, then, a bit quaint, but in a good sense. It is the kind of art guide that nobody writes any longer: very well written, witty, entertaining, a bit "aristocratic". Not just one of the many, dry, step by step art books that are way too common nowadays. On the other hand, this also means that as a guide this book is not really too useful, especially for beginners.

The MANY illustrations are awesome and worth more that the book's price by themselves. It will be a very welcome companion on my bookshelves to the "bigger" and even more impressive Guptill's "Rendering in pen and ink", which you really want to own if you like ink. It's a pity that there are so little art books out there with good collections of ink art, which I truly love.

I am really happy I purchased this little precious paperback. Highly recommended if you love ink. ... Read more

Product Description
The newest title to date in this growing art instruction series summarizes basic art principles for art students and ambitious amateurs, and then presents several dry-medium projects for them to complete. The projects are presented in order of increased difficulty and are supplemented with advice and practical suggestions for achieving professional-looking results when drawing with the dry media of charcoal, chalk, and sanguine. ... Read more

Product Description
Learn how to turn what you see into masterful, expressive art. With the practical instruction and advice in these pages, you can develop the skills necessary to draw fine portraits in the realist tradition.

In The Art of Portrait Drawing, skilled artist Joy Thomas passes on to you the lessons she has gathered from generations of the world’s greatest artists. Learn about the golden mean, the traditional three-color portrait, the secrets of proportion and more methods used by the Old Masters and today’s best artists alike!

Inside you’ll find:· An introduction to every commonly used drawing medium, including charcoal, Conté and graphite· An illustrated overview of the history of portrait drawing· Time-honored methods for drawing accurately· Insights on how to capture not only the likeness, but also the mood and essence of your subject· Advice on posing a subject, setting up lighting, choosing the right tools and composing effectively· 9 in-depth, step-by-step drawing demonstrations to develop your skills and your confidencePortraying the human face is the ultimate expression of art. Use The Art of Portrait Drawing as the road map for your artistic quest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The Art of Portrait Drawing
I am self taught and one of my passions is sketching and painting portraits. It's great to have good guidlines to observe.I'm also handicapped so attending classes is not a feasible option.

Therese

Nothing more than a showcase for the artist
I was hoping this book would give new insight into drawing portraits but it has no additional info comparing to other books of the subject. This is almost nothing more than a picture gallery for step by step process. I was very dissappointed for the lack of intormation - not the talents of the author. The measuring was covered very lightly considering it's the most importrant aspect of getting the features right. Posing-chapter gave no other info except how to get the model turn their head to the direction the artists wants. No advice on light or composition other than the golden ratio.
The book is not entirely useless but I'd say this book is ok for a beginner. It doesn't go into depths of the subject so there's little to learn for someone who already possesses some knowledge of the matter. This book is not worth the money - go to a portrait course if you really want to learn of the subject.

Fabulous!
This is a great book for the newbie and intermediate. Those that have not found there style or zone yet. I notice that as you become better you adopt your own style. But it's still always good to get tips from a true pro like Joy Thomas. The DVD that is sold separately, is a great resource because what she describes in the book is not always easy to visualize. This book reads like you are sitting down in a classroom with her. This book is well worth the buy.

A "Must Have" book
The "Art of Portrait Drawing", a hard cover beautifully printed book, is a fine addition to any beginning or intermediate artists library. Joy Thomas is a highly skilled artist and the book is filled with "hands on" demonstrations and practical tips on approaching this subject. Personally
I find portrait drawing/painting to be an extremely challenging and intimidating task. Indeed there are many "celebrity" artists in the top galleries who couldn't paint a good portrait if their life depended on it.
While this book may not be the definative work on Portrait Drawing, it is very well done and well worth the investment.

Sound Advise for the Intermediate
The author works from life and covers most the kinds of things you'd want to know about successful portraiture. The step-by-step was most interesting to read as she takes you through a process and how to resolve some issues you may run into. It doesn't offer a lot to beginners because she assumes you know how to see and do basic drawing and toning. I'd say this is a book for the intermediate artist who needs to reenforce existing knowledge with some very useful tips you probably never thought of, particularly for drawing from life.

I only have a few small critical things to say here. Although she reviews some basics on composition such as the golden ratio, she doesn't actually seem to practice them much in her examples. For example, she shows you how to "center" the head and says the "full face" portrait is the most common. Well I've heard alot of arguments against centering and full face views so it seems a contradiction to talk composition then not practice it in reality. I believe the 3 quarter view is most common, and you do not want to center the head for reasons I can't give here because it is too detailed. But perhaps she didn't want to overload the reader with composition theory since that's a much more complex issue.

But this is very worthwhile to read and she seems to have done a great job with the structure and language of the book. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

STUNNING
WOW-- Amazing drawings beautifully reproduced.Many drawings take up a full page.This will serve as a reliable reference for master draftsman drawings.Very inspiring.No artist's library should be without it!!!!

delectable drawing collection
This is one of the most beautiful catalogues of a private collection of drawings that I have had the pleasure of encountering. Jean Bonna states that "grace and harmony" are his main criteria for selecting a drawing. These qualities are abundantly evident in the examples selected for the Metropolitan exhibition. Many of the great practitioners of the art are to be found in this assemblage. As the title suggests, all the important periods from the renaissance to the era of impressionismare covered. Mr Bonna has a great collector's eye and, given that he has mainly assembled his collection in the last 10 years, he must have deep pockets.

The New York Times art critic wrote of a "candy box display of natural crowd pleasers". In my humble opinion, most of these drawings are of much greater substance than this belittling description implies. The color reproductions are exceptional and the expert annotations are exemplary. A must for any drawing enthusiast.

Wonderful show with a wonderful catalog
The show at the Met was beautiful! I visited several times just to catch another perspective from the many wonderful drawings presented. The catalog is well-produced with good reproductions and text that showcase the incredible work. Amazon offered a terrific price on the catalog. I highly recommend this book for people who love drawing and respect it in its own right as a complete form of expression.

... Read more

Product Description

The first book in the Comickers Art series, Comickers Art: Tools and Techniques for Drawing Amazing Manga explores the various drawing tools and art techniques necessary to create successful and authentic manga. This book will teach you how to use pencils, markers, brushes, and software to create all styles of manga, and features the manga artists who best use each of the key techniques. Four color finished work from each of the featured artists is also included to inspire.

Customer Reviews (6)

Just to look at, get some inspiration
It has nice printing of all the works bot is not actualy TEACHING something, good to look at, but not quite what I was looking for, I wanted more intructions, tecnical knowlage, not just looking at the nice work someone else acomplished.
It gives a good advice on what to buy do... unusual material and popular one in the artistic medium.

meh....
I was very excited to get this book, hoping to learn to color better.However the instructions were pretty useless considering how bad the translation was... I can only guess from the picture what the artist is doing..... this is quite frustrating... very....The only redeeming quality is the beautiful artworks contained in these pages.My advice is - if you're seriously trying to learn to color don't get this book, or if you can decipher the cryptic english get it!I really wish I know Japanese!>sigh<

Great condition book
I was surprise to find the book in great condition.This book have wonderful Asian illustrations and it guides you with what art mediums to use. This book is truly for artist and fans of Manga art.

Beautiful
This amazing book increase artists' knowledge by informing them of varies materials that artists can use.It provide wonderful instructions and illustrations.I'm speechless at the detail.I recommend this to anyone who is interested in art (or generally anyone).

Great book for "advanced" beginners
For the title of my review...I believe it helps to know who this is good for.This is based soley on my own personal view of my ability, so that you may gauge it for yourself.

I am a self taught artist and believe I need no further skill development in many areas of artistic creation.That said, Comickers Art is a great book and worth the money I paid for it.

This book covers the basics of many materials, styles, procedures and methods.It is great information for those who already have a good foundation in artistic talent but are always on the lookout to learn the ways of others in hopes of being more efficient, or just learning new ways.

Comickers Art books are for refining skills and knowledge and is not meant to teach you how to draw.These books showcase beautiful and genuine artwork and talent from the east. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

All artistic production may be appropriative
"Drawing on Art" is on the ROROTOKO list of cutting-edge intellectual nonfiction. Professor Judovitz's book interview ran here as the cover feature on May 5, 2010.
... Read more

Product Description
Japanese manga is simply the coolest form of comic book drawing out there. It’s also the basis of anime cartoons. With this comprehensive manual on mastering the art, you can join the fun and create fabulous images and stories. Capture poses, action, and fighting; depict clothing and accessories; give pages a good flow; divide panels up well; use computer enhancement; and more. Not a step is missed!
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

There are better books than this
Whilst this is not the best Manga drawing book I've bought, it's certainly doesn't deserve the scathing report by Rebecca Lynn. So he used someone else's art for the cover, I would assume he got permission to do so, and maybe she should rethink her statement about Manga and Anime. Manga is comic books, Anime is basically animated Manga.IMO Ben Krefta has tried to fit too much into 142 pages. There are much better books on the market to teach you to draw Manga. Hikaru Hayashi has some pretty good books in his How To Draw Manga series, and I like How to Draw Manga - Ben Dunn.Like some other reviewers, I thought the the pages on hands, eye's noses etc, were quite good, but the other subjects were too shallow. The article on colour and photoshop, for instance, doesn't even scratch the surface and was quite frankly a waste of paper. Colour is a very indepth subject, that requires a lot of study to get right, and Photoshop, takes a lifetime to learn. I bought the book for idea's,I liked some of the figures, and to that end, it suits me fine, and is welcome on my bookshelf. Oh and I forgot to mention, "all the art is copied", or words to that effect, by Ms Lynn. Ben pays tribute to two artists who contributed to his book, so all copies, I think not!

Not worth buying
Now when looking at this book, do not be fooled by the cover!!! I sure was. This book is suppose to be the art of drawing manga, but to tell you the truth, this book looks more like crappy manga characters. This illustrations on how to draw the heads are very mis-shapen and poorly drawn. Do not buy this book! It is not very helpful to beginners, the only thing that is helpful in this book would be the eyes, mouth, and hands. If you need a book to show you how to draw correctly, I would recommend "Manga techniques character design for beginners vol 1 &4, and more how to draw manga vol 1 the basics of character drawing. I highly recommend those three books. They can help you with character expressions, eyes, and examples of hair styles. The books that I recommended does not have any nudity at all, so it is perfect for those who are offended by nudity. So all in all, do not buy the art of drawing manga!! It is a waste of money!!

Why do copiers make money?
This book is terrible. Not just for the art, but for the fact that all of the artwork--including the cover--is copied. The main cover image is from a pinup poster from the Anime series, Noir. The only thing the artist changed were the colors and the hand, which was holding a gun in the original poster.

I don't see why anybody should support artists who rip off other people's hard work and dedication. When I saw this book on the shelves at the bookstore, I immediately recognized the design having seen the poster a week previously and pulling it back out to double check when I got home.

And why is this called "The Art of Drawing Manga," when this is drawn from Anime, and the 'teaching' in the book is all "How to Draw Anime," not manga? If the artists doesn't even know what 'manga' really is (how to draw sequential art, panel layout, build story, toning, speed line techniques, etc) then this book is far from informative. Take a life drawing class at a local community college. It's cheaper and more worth your time.

Very good
Compared to some other manga books outt here, this is probably the best Western book. Not only do the drawings look like Japanese manga, but there's some handy PhotoShop tips. Definately for those wanting to get into the world of manga!^_^

Excellent for beginning and intermediate manga artists
Out of the four "how to" manga books I bought this one was by far the best.The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because some of the examples and guidelines still look a little americanized.
Even so, after twenty minutes I had great sketches with my first try.I highly recommend this for anyone trying to get started! ... Read more

Product Description
Can’t draw a straight line? Or maybe you love to draw and want to hone your skills. Either way, this kit gives you everything you need to become the next Picasso! In addition to a complete set of drawing tools, this kit provides lessons on the drawing techniques used by great artists, and it also features step-by-step drawing projects that will increase your skill and pleasure in the art of drawing. With a 6-inch artist's mannequin that can fully pose, textured drawing paper, portable sketchpad, 5 specialized pencils, smudging and erasing tools, and pencil sharpener, this unique art kit is designed to help novice and seasoned artists alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cheap mannequin
I got this mainly for the portable mannequin - something to take with me on my travels. But the springs keep it way too stiff, so I have nearly an impossible time of posing the darn thing. The Art S Buck anatomical figures are _much_ better. In all, it's a nice _idea_ for a set, but the quality leaves something to be desired. Turns out this product was made in China.

Just Doesn't Do Enough
Going by the word choice and layout, it's clear this book is designed for someone who is no older than ten, however the instruction is written for someone who's had years of experience.

The writer will say something like, there are four basic shapes: the cone, sphere, cube, and cylider. He will then show you those shapes and tell you to draw them, but he won't give one hint of instruction on how to do it. The whole book (all 40 pages of it) is just like that.

I gave it 2 stars because the author takes the tone that you really can do this, and the book comes all the tools you'll need for the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Open this book and enter an imaginative world of drawing, where you can learn to create fantastic works of art, step by step! Inside you'll find a collection of awesome projects, from radical skateboarders to adorable pet portraits. Just trace the patterns at the back of the book to get started. Then follow the steps to learn exciting new techniques with wax crayons, oil pastels, and colored pencisl! Full of colorful illustrations and simple instructions, this book makes learning to draw an ultra-enjoyable adventure! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

For young children
As I have grandchildren who like to draw and they are at various ages, I found this perfect for one of the younger ones.I will send it along with drawing and painting supplies for one big surprise.The book came right on time and in excellent condition. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

An Invaluable Resource !
The original drawings for G&G furniture were often just rough ideas and nothing more than a starting point - typically, they did not accurately represent the finished piece. Bob Lang's book fills that gap with measured drawings of several original G&G pieces.
If you are a serious student of design, measured drawings are an invaluable resource.A feel for the balance and proportion of a design is essential in understanding that design. Nothing does that better than good 2-D elevations.
Bob's book provides much more information than just the measured drawings though. For the G&G enthusiast, it goes a long ways in furthering the study of Greene & Greene furniture.A must have!

Darrell Peart
author of Greene & Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop

Great Greene & Greene Reference
I am a retired old guy who has developed a real love for the Greene & Greene style furniture.I build furniture for family and friends and almost all pieces have some or all of the Greene Brother's styling.This book has a good narrative about the Greene Brother's, quality photos, and outstanding detailed plans.If you love Arts & Crafts furniture design, this book must be on your shelf for ready reference.

Greene & Greene for the master craftsman
This has to be the most beautiful book in the series of Arts & Crafts style shop drawings from Robert Lang, and I have them all.I have to say, almost every piece in this book is one where you have to decide that you are going to devote between 6 months and a year of your life to making.I have not yet made this committment, but I already see how reading this book has influenced some of the details on my other work.Gorgeous color plates of these masterpieces are included and everything is printed on archival quality glossy paper.Drawings are clear and descriptive text is concise and well written.Overall I recommend this to any student of Greene and Green (and Peter and John Hall, the craftsmen who actually built most of these pieces for them!)

Shop drawings book review
This book is a welcome add to the many showing the arts & crafts furniture designs. The text and drawings are first rate and guide you through the designprocess. The author certainly has done a complete investigation to put together this fine review of the many arts & crafts furniture era.

What it says it is
"Shop Drawings" is little more than it says it is.It would have been nice if it were more but it doesn't claim to be.If you have a background similar to Mr. Lang's as I do with drafting, then there is all you need to reproduce the Greene and Greene designs, at least from a dimensional stand point.You will however need to figure out the details on your own or reference some of the magazine articles on reproducing the Greene and Greene furnature.As Mr. Lang states in his book, it's not a how to guide.It's still a very good and informative book however and one you will want if you have visions of building some of this unique furnature. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Unique
What sets this book apart from other cartooning books is that the author does not stop with a drawing lesson.This book truly does attempt to cover plot, story lines, etc. so that a child can create a comic strip of his or her own.This book also helped me understand what goes into creating a comic and the different types of comic strips that are out there.A worthwhile investment for any child interested in cartooning.

My son loves this book
My son just turned 11 this week. He likes to write his own comic strips and loves jokes. We saw this book at the library yesterday and he hasn't put it down since. He has already drawn several of the characters and made up a few of his own. He is outlining all of the characters for his own comic strip. I went on Amazon to purchase this book for my son so that he could have a copy of his own.

Discourse Structure for Comics
What I love about this book is the very explicit process given for making a strip.Kids can learn how to draw cartoon pictures from lots of books about cartooning; but how often do you read about story formula?This book helps a young writer add a sidekick, outsider or antagonist to his main character, asks specific questions to define the characters ("How would each character react to someone cutting in line in front of him?") and even outlines steps to make a joke.Roche's book would make a great textbook for a 6th or 7th grade class.My 11-year-old loves it.

comics for older kids
This book has great ideas and suggestions.I feel it is more suited for the older kid to the adult.I liked their ideas, but there are many steps involved.Art for kids...I am not sure what age group they consider a "kid" to be. The book has great illustrations with tons of instructions.

A Great Book!
I just finished the book and it was great. It starts with the basics and logically takes one thru the creative process of making a comic strip. The combination of Roche's words and pictures drive his ponts home. You really get into the sample strip he creates in the book. I would recommend to any budding artist or cartoonist. ... Read more