In my opinion the two Best Books for people wanting to learn how to draw - by a very long way - are:
- Keys to Drawing by: Bert Dodson
- The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by: Betty Edwards
However Which is the best book for people wanting to learn to draw? Click this link to get to the new "duel" module which I've introduced on my drawing books site - so you can now tell me whether you're a huge fan of Bert's book or a complete devotee of Betty's! Choose your side and leave your comment!
I'm sure that your comments will be invaluable for those coming to the books for the first time. I know I loved hearing about your views when we looked at favourite drawing books 3 years ago when I ran a project reviewing drawing books
Enjoy!
another two that i really liked as a beginner are - nick meglin's - drawing from within and sheldon borenstein's - see, feel, trace, draw it.
ReplyDeleteGreat question, Katherine. I would offer two suggestions. At one end of the spectrum, I would recommend every drawing book one can get one’s hands on. Whether by positive or negative example, there is something to be learned from all of them. (The Drawings of Heinrich Kley, while not actually a how-to book, never fails to get me jump-started)
ReplyDeleteAt the other end, I suggest tracking down one of the text books from the old Famous Artist’s Schools, and following the advice “you learn to draw by drawing”. Well, now that I’ve given it away, you don’t even need to find the book! That and “you learn to paint by painting” are still the best advice I’ve ever found.