Art of Basic Drawing: Simple step-by-step techniques for drawing a variety of subjects in graphite pencil (Collector's)

Filled with easy step-by-step instruction from a variety of artists and a wealth of inspiring images to study and admire, The Art of Basic Drawing shows beginning artists how to draw everything from flowers and still lifes to landscapes, animals, and people.

You’ll find plenty of helpful tips on choosing the right tools and materials, fundamental drawing techniques, developing value and shading, and setting up an effective composition, as well as important information about the influences of perspective, balance, and texture. Detailed examples of animals, people, flowers, and landscapes will help guide you through the most challenging aspects of drawing almost anything, from basic shapes to realistic details.

Some included pencil drawing projects are:

• Strawberries
• Bottle and bread still life
• Flamingo
• Elephant
• Giraffe
• Horse
• Siberian Husky puppy
• English Bulldog
• Clouds
• Desert landscape
• Half Dome, Yosemite
• Woman in profile
• Man in profile
• and many more!

With a striking new design and refreshed, easy-to-understand instruction, this comprehensive drawing guide is the perfect first step for beginning artists. Follow along, step by step, as professional artists reveal their drawing secrets. With practice, you’ll soon be able to capture amazing realism in your own pencil drawings. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

The Collector's Series offers approachable, step-by-step art instruction for a variety of mediums and subjects, such as drawing, oil, acrylic, watercolor, cartooning, calligraphy, and more. Perfect for beginning artists, each title features artist tips for drawing or painting anything and everything from people, animals, and still life to flowers, trees, and landscapes.

• ISBN13: 9781633228320
• Publish Date: 3 March 2020 (first published 1 September 2005)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Walter Foster Publishing
• Edition: Revised Edition
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 128
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Art of Basic Drawing is a tutorial technique guide for graphite pencil drawing for the beginning to intermediate artist. Due out 3rd March 2020 from Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback format.

The layout follows the familiar Walter Foster tutorial format. An introduction covers tools and supplies and is followed by a short and easily accessible general drawing tutorial and an introduction to texture and perspective. There's a good subchapter on blending, texture strokes, and pencil techniques as well as a short intro on how to compose a drawing and developing forms.

Each of the chapters includes several start to finish projects illustrating the concepts and techniques from the chapter. The tutorials are grouped roughly thematically: still life, animals, landscapes, and people/portraiture.

This is a very basic book but full of good technique and will provide some useful takeaways for the majority of readers/artists. This entire series is worthwhile and will be a valuable addition to the artist's home library. The material is at least partially compiled from previously published work; one of the contributors (Walter T. Foster) passed away roughly forty years ago.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.