Drawing Concepts by Diane Cardaci, Ken Goldman, William F Powell, Carol Rosinski

Drawing Concepts (Step-by-Step Studio)

by Diane Cardaci, Ken Goldman, William F Powell, and Carol Rosinski

There’s no need to spend hundreds of dollars on drawing workshops and classes. For a fraction of the cost, this book offers all the fundamental information beginners need to kick off their creative pursuits in pencil! Inside,four accomplished artists offer insight, tips, and helpful demonstrations that illustrate important art concepts and techniques. Step-by-Step Studio: Drawing Basics features in-depth instruction on composition, value, creating textures, using and manipulating photo references, and more. Readers will also find an impressive and varied selection of step-by-step projects to re-create, from animal portraits and traditional still lifes to charming landscapes.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

4 of 5 stars

Share
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Step-by-Step Studio: Drawing Concepts is is a tutorial and technique guide for drawing and rendering subjects aimed beginning to intermediate artists. Previously published in 2009, this reformat and re-release is due out 16th March 2021 from Quarry on their Walter Foster imprint. It's 144 pages and will be available in paperback format.

This volume has a similar format to the other familiar (and beloved) volumes in the series. The introduction covers tools, materials, some texture techniques, and some general drawing info (very basic). The following chapters contain the tutorials, arranged thematically: tonal studies and shading, composition, textures, and individual skill building exercises. Each of the tutorials contains step by step line drawing from basic outline to finished drawing. I felt some of the steps hopped over a lot of intermediate refinement, but all-in-all they're followable and clearly illustrated.

I could see this booklet, bundled with a good graphite drawing set making a superlative gift for a young artist up to adult age. The drawings are detailed enough to look quite professional, but not so extremely advanced that they would frustrate a keen beginner.

Four stars. I love that there are high quality tutorial books available from this classic art-publishing imprint and that reprints are readily available to a new generation of students.

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

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 March, 2021: Finished reading
  • 5 March, 2021: Reviewed