Keys to Drawing

This is my absolute favorite of my 10 drawing books! This is a timeless classic, and is full of wonderful ( and sometimes...humorous ) illustrations. This book will have you saying: "Oh, yeah....why didn't I think of drawing THAT?"! It is full of wonderful drawings, in pencil, pen and ink, wash and ink, charcoal, black and white photos of pastel drawings ( or pastel paintings ). Did you ever think of just stretching out and looking at your feet, and shoes....and drawing THEM!? How about the sleeping family dog or cat?? Those make wonderful models? How about your jacket thrown over a chair....a work of Art?!! You will learn how to measure with your pencil, how to use your pencil or maybe even your fingers to line-up parts of your model...or even a the landscape that you may be looking at. Learn the importance of lighting from different angles, your viewpoint from different heights, learn balance and rhythm and harmony as components in your drawing process. You will NOT learn of your drawing materials options and choices in this book, though, get one of the other books for that. This book makes drawing both serious...and JUST PLAIN FUN! It is 221 pages, complete with lessons or projects for you to work on, on your own, or could be used for Classroom work. You just can't go wrong with this book if you use it as intended, this is a Classic and a KEEPER!! I would say that this would be for a very talented beginner to a more intermediate drawing Artist, to an advanced Artist. Ages would be from early High School on through College ...plus. IF you could only get two books I would say this one and the Complete Drawing Course by Ian Simpson. Buy, learn from it and ...ENJOY this book!

Shipped in a sturdy mailer , great quality

The Introduction This book, is probably the best drawing book i've ever read. Not only does he cover so much, but Bert Dodson also goes into detail with out boring the reader to sleep (unlike drawing on the right side of the brain) If you used amazon.com's online reader and see some drawings that look childish inside, don't let those discourage you. I was discouraged by those and immediately saw a new light when I actually READ the book. Many books that have fanciful pictures haven't covered NEARLY as much as Bert Dodson's book. I am ordering his other book, Keys to Drawing with Imagination: Strategies and Exercises for Gaining Confidence and Enhancing Your Creativity The Meat Keys To drawing covers things like, "Drawing what you See NOT WHAT YOU KNOW". Drawing from our minds or knowledge tends to be the problem with us. Humans have perspective filters that cause us to assume that we already KNOW how an object looks. So, as a result, when drawing, we tend to mix these "perception images" in with what we're actually seeing. Our minds dont take in as much information and detail about the subject as we think it does.This area of drawing from one's mind is a huge setback with many people, who eventually feel sure that they absolutely can't draw. This Book also covers topics like restating (a form of not erasing, but simply drawing a new line over the mistake), self critiquing (not having a negative dialogue with yourself, saying things such as, " That foot doesn't look right!" or " I never draw eyes good!"), the light source (learning how to tell where a shadow will form, how light affects and object, and "mapping" to assist in capturing light easier), the power of squinting (to flatten objects around you, and make them more manageable),negative space, merging shapes together, proportion (how to make something look exactly like you see it, extremely helpful techniques to make an accurate drawing and to make sure your subject will fit on the page, all done with tools you already have) and so on... really, there is lots more! (all of which I thought weren't going to help me the least bit in improving my drawings, but actually improved me and gave me as much insight as if I went to college and took a whole art class!) Still Unsure? Read on! Has anyone ever read those get rich quick books that always promise they know ways to make you rich, but always disappoint anyway? Well, keys to drawing is definitely the opposite. He, Bert Dodson, breaks these steps down clearly, with no shilly-shallying, no over stressing of a point. Some artists or authors have a hard time explaining themselves and can run on and on but him, oh he definitely knows what he's talking about. More Books I'm only thirteen so please excuse the lame review and just hold my word to it. I drew little people who were far from realistic, but with this book, along with Carrie Stuart Parks book ([ Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces ) I can already see drastic differences in my sketches!. I would also recommend Lifelike Drawing with Lee Hammond . But lifelike drawings with lee hammond or secrets to drawing realistic faces probably do not break the steps down as easy or have as much detail as Bert Dodson because the authors tried to squeeze so much things into the book without putting much detail for each subject. Purchasing this Book The book is about the size of a textbook with less pages. (REALLY BIG) and I got my own (new book btw) for a really low price because I don't buy from amazon, i buy from the sellers within the amazon website.

Having recently rediscovered a love for watercolor and colored pencil, I decided that my drawing skills needed improvement if I were ever to achieve my dream of going to places and painting what I saw. At home, there are many substitutes for drawing talent. For instance, it is a simple matter to trace the lines of a photograph displayed on a laptop and then transfer the tracing to good paper. This is not possible in the field: hence the need to learn to sketch. Like many drawing books, Dodson is about getting past formulae for drawing certain objects to developing a general set of principles for drawing anything. By formulae, I mean the tendency to reduce drawing certain objects down to simple patterns. For instance a triangle on top of a square is a house, a circle on top of a rectangle is a tree, and so on. Dodson's strategy, like most other drawing books, involves reducing objects to constituent shapes, and then drawing them. In this fashion, you can, in principle, draw anything, and represent what you actually see rather than an archetype. This is all good stuff and very helpful. The difficulty comes in some of the crazy exercises Dodson suggests to get there. While many are on the mark, some seem to be of little help. For instance, there is a chapter on the "handwriting" of the artist. By handwriting, Dodson means the particular style each artist employs in drawing. He presents a number of different styles and then challenges the reader to copy one of the pictures in the artist's style and then to independently execute your own piece in that same style. Copying can be a fine tool for learning, but, coming as it does in chapter 2, it makes little sense for a beginning artist to try to mimic the style of, say, Matisse, when he or she has not yet developed her own style in any respect. This rather scattered approach mars what is otherwise a solid introduction to drawing.

Completely in love with this book! So much so, that after borrowing from the library I had to get a copy for myself! The book is over 200 pages with 8 different sections on topics such as: the drawing process, artist handwriting, proportions, illusions of lighting, depth and texture, pattern and design, and finally drawing and imagination. I was looking for a book to assist me with drawing and sketching because I am trying to improve my watercoloring so, I was going back to the basics. I started on other selections (Drawing From The Right Side of the Brain for example) and found them either too bulky in text or technique. I've made it through 3 sections and already I feel as if my skills in sketching and drawing from what I see have improved tremendously! Like a lot of books on drawing it does focus at first on getting past the jump into the flow as an artist through several exercises that then become habit. What was really nice for me were the various "projects" in each section. Basically you are given an assignment after reading through some technique / self - analyzation based writings with specific instructions including materials, times, and the focus for the project. At the end of every section there is also a self-critique where you evaluate your progress on all the projects through a series of questions and a wrap-up page with the "keys" to that chapter. I can't wait to draw more and improve my skills with this text and I'd recommend it to anyone, no matter the skill level or medium because of the elements it teaches.

I've got a fair pile of art books stashed around my home, and Bert Dodson's "Keys to Drawing" jumped to the top of the pile almost instantly once I'd opened the Amazon shipping box and I'd had chance to flip through a few pages. Dodson doesn't bog you down with learning how to hold a pencil or asking you to draw lines and circles you are later told to erase. He has respect for his readers, and it shows. It also bounces right back to him; Dodson has the amazing ability to make what looks impossibly difficult, possible. Right at the beginning, you start drawing SOMETHING, and that approach continues throughout the book. He shows you the importance of line and shading by asking you to draw what initially seemed to me to be way beyond my capabilities -- but once I simply followed his instructions [I expect he'd call them "suggestions"}, I suddenly discovered that I'd drawn something that has line and shading and the beginning of a personal style. That,in turn,creates in his readers instant feelings of capability in an area where you may earlier have fallen flat on your face. [Yes, I know that's an awkward sentence, but you get the idea.] I started tinkering with the book last week [Tuesday, 6/2/10 to be precise] and by Friday Dodson had me emulating Van Gogh -- and I was 1) doing a very decent job of it, and 2) I realized that in just DAYS he'd taught me to do things that had flummoxed me for years. The only area where I continue to be flummoxed is his system of determining perspective. I doubt that this is a difficulty he created in the way he suggests one determine perspective; I think that in this particular area we simply think in different ways. Which, in the end, turns out to be a good thing, because I realize that already, he's taught me to do things I never thought I'd be able to do in pencil or in any other medium. I've also picked up his newer book, "Drawing with Imagination", which is utterly wonderful, and once again, Dodson knows how to push all the right buttons to get you thinking about ordinary things in very UN-ordinary ways. I really wish I could just leap instantly into that book, but I wanted to see what he'd published earlier to get a better "feel" for the way the man teaches, so I purchased "Keys to Drawing," and it's been a revelation. I'll finish "Keys" before I move into "Imagination," and not be unhappy about it, because I already know this man is GOOD. To be precise, I think the man's a genius, and were I male I'd tip my hat to him. I really can't say enough good things about this book, and what I'll say to others will be simply: "Buy this book." Once you do, you'll discover that you've launched yourself out into a marvelous adventure. Because Dodson has chosen to boldly go where no one has gone before.

LOVE BERT DODSON'S COMMAND OF THE TECHNICAL SKILLS AND NEEDED TO DRAW, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THE NEED TO CONVEY TO THE STUDENT HOW TO VIEW/EVALUATE/CREATE THE OBJECT ONE IS TRYING TO BRING FORTH ON PAPER & WITH PENCIL AS AN ACT OF ONE'S INDIVIDUAL CREATIVE NOTIONS. DODSON HAS INSTILLED IN ME A MORE FLUID PERSPECTIVE IN MY WHOLE APPROACH TO CREATING A PIECE OF ART. HIS IS A COMPOSITE APPROACH BLENDING ONE'S CREATIVE DESIRE/VISION WITH A SOFTER PERSPECTIVE (APPROACH) TO APPLYING TECHNIQUES/SKILL SETS WITH AN OPEN MIND TO TRYING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, AND NOT BEING AFRAID TO BACKUP AND TAKE A "REDO MOMENT" TO TRY ANOTHER NEW ANGLE. ARTISTS OF ALL STRIPES HAVE TIME & AGAIN PLAYED ON AN IDEA, ONLY TO EXPAND & CHANGE PERCEPTIONS ON WHAT A PROJECT SHOULD MORPH INTO OVER TIME. THIS MAY EVEN BE A WHOLE EXERCISE WHICH CAN LEAD TO MAJOR GROWTH TRANSFORMATIONS, EVEN THAT MAY DRIVE A TURN INTO NEW PATHS, AND WHICH MAY LEAD ONE BACK TO A PRIOR POSITION BUT WITH NEW ENERGY & INSIGHT TO A NEW CONCLUSION OR GOAL. Thanks Bert! for feeding my hearts desire to move in a more informed direction, and with the hope and excitement of a renewed journey in the world of Art. 02birdog - Oscar-Deuce over & out.

Excellent book

If you could buy only one learn to draw book, buy this one! It will revolutionise how you draw. Having always loved art, I went through 3/4 of my life believing I was crap and that I couldn't draw. This will give you the confidence to realise that like anything, drawing is a skill that needs practising and (b) you shouldn't care what anyone else thinks. And most importantly, anyone can draw, given the right instruction and given confidence. I like how in part of the book, you see student examples of a hand and realise when you have a go, you are up there with them in creating a nice first ever and achievable drawing of your own hand. I really love the idea of learning to draw the outline of things and leaving the mistakes in as part of the process of capturing what you want to draw. Money well spent! I don't care if no one likes my drawings. The point is that I love them and this book gave me the confidence to accept my own work and be happy with my standard. And for the bad reviewers, maybe it's not everyone's style. I love pen and ink and sketchy watercolour paintings. I drew one of these with a stick from the garden. I like to see all my mistakes. It's about progression and learning to sketch before moving on the the bigger stuff. This book teaches you the foundations or keys to drawing. It teaches you how to develop your own style or handwriting. If you want a quick drawing program that teaches you how to copy someone else's style rather than loosening your hand up, creating your own handwriting or just giving you confidence, maybe look else where. The problem with many other books is when you realise you cannot aspire to being as good as the artist that produces them because you just haven't been taught all the skills or these book skip vital drawing skills. Additionally you have to keep practicing. These artists have been doing art for years. This book does not skip those steps! Good luck.

I searched the web for "how to draw, for beginners" and this book was on everybody’s top lists, so I bought it. I thought that there was going to be step by step tutorials on how to draw, but its not. I don’t even know what this book is all about. For me as a beginner, it didn’t give me anything at all. Waste of money!"

Great learning tool

対象物との視点の位置から、始まり自分の靴、人物・静物・日常の生活物 巨匠のコピー（マティス・ゴッホ・ドガ・モランディ・コルビッツ） 各種のペンでの表現の違い、人物の顔の比率から全身の比率 パース・テクスティアの違い、パターンとデザイン、フレーミング 画面でのバランスと形、ドローイングの基礎が223ページで掲載されている。

Buona guida per disegno spontaneo. Con molto esercizio e un po' di lettura di possono ottenere risultati notevoli. Consigliato. Una piccola nota, l'edizione inglese é molto migliore per qualitá di stampa di quella italiana (abbastanza scadente).