Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After almost 10 years of having this review up (and getting a wide variety of responses for it) I thought I'd rewrite it and consolidate my thoughts, and so have done a complete overhaul of this review. ;-) First, I'll give these disclaimers: 1) IF YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY *CERTAIN* THAT YOU ARE ONLY AND EVER GOING TO BE A LIGHT HOBBYIST: Then this might be an acceptable book, though I still think "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards or "Keys to Drawing" by Bert Dodson are better. That's because they teach you how to draw more freely, and because even though you may *think* you will never take your art more seriously, things can change in ways that you don't anticipate. And if they do change, and if you only ever followed what was in this book, you may end up regretting it, very bitterly, later. 2) IF YOU INTEND TO STUDY THIS BOOK ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER GOOD BOOKS AND FOLLOW ALL OF THEM EQUALLY: Then again this book might not be so bad, because other books (like the aforementioned Betty Edwards and Bert Dodson books) will show you better and more well-rounded techniques, so at least you can make an informed choice about what path you want to follow. 3) The author seems to be very enthusiastic about art, and also seems like a genuinely nice person. That shouldn't be underestimated. If she gets people interested in art, that isn't a bad thing, but again, refer to #1 and #2. There are other far better books that will give a more well-rounded introduction to drawing. If you like this book, fine, but please expose yourself to other techniques, unless you are completely certain you're never going to be anything other than a light hobbyist. With that out of the way, my reasons for giving the book 1 star still remain. First, some of the drawings are not very well drawn. There is a drawing of a bald person (in profile) that is simply awkwardly done and anatomically incorrect. Other drawings show similar lack of proportion and anatomical correctness. (I haven't seen the newer edition of this book, who knows, maybe the drawings have been improved.) The example artwork can be overblended, flat, and with unattractive features like each tooth outlined too heavily, so the portraits have people with ugly, somewhat dirty-looking teeth. A few portraits did look okay, however. (I liked the Ryan White portrait.) The blending pencil technique: This has become heavily overused, especially among newbies, and is the only method taught here. Additionally, it's not demonstrated well here. Some of the blending is flat and unattractive (like the too-dark lines between people's teeth). Many more experienced artists will remind the newcomer that blending graphite like this *because* you haven't learned the other ways of rendering pencil is a big mistake. In other words, don't decide to only do blending, just because you've never become comfortable drawing with pencil any other way. Look around you; you'll see all sorts of drawing and sketching techniques out there. Blending seems "easiest," which is why beginners often use it. That's no reason to stick with it for forever! The grid method: Used by old master artists to transfer their sketches to a larger surface. But the old masters didn't use the grid to copy photos. The old masters did know how to draw freehand, and from life. (And even if you think that some of them didn't, there are plenty of artists living *today* who can. So there's really no reason to think that drawing freehand is beyond your ability. It's a skill that you can learn, and books like the Edwards and Dodson books can teach you that skill.) Or, to put it another way, using the grid occasionally, or using it when you're a new artist and gradually moving past it is one thing. Using it all the time, for every art project, is treating it like a crutch. This book rationalizes excessive grid use by saying that the old masters used it (which is a misrepresentation of their use of the grid.) Thanks to books and tutorials like this, I personally know of many artists who never learned how to draw without it, which means they in essence *can't* really draw (freehand). This can potentially lead to lots of problems and perhaps some embarrassment. Non-artists expect us to be able to draw something right on the spot. The thought that some of us are unable to actually draw never crosses their minds. And, many teachers will expect students to work from a live model. Those who only copy with grids will not be able to keep up. There are a lot of situations where being too dependent on the grid can come back to haunt artists. So in conclusion, if you take pride in your work and someday dream of being better, AND, *if* you have difficulty drawing without the grid or are uncomfortable drawing unless you can blend your pencil strokes, then you're creating a problem for yourself. Don't let your pride or your fear of failure prevent you from moving from the comfort zone of grid+blending graphite.