Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice

While most of the material is very elaborately done in this book. She's far from achieving photo-realism. There are a few drawings in there that are obviously idealized. If you want a more realistic aproach to drawing, you may want to sumply go with some of the old masters books.

On an up note, her idealization is very well done, but she really should stick to whats there and possibly work a bit more on the subtle details that would push her to photo-realism.

You can learn to draw very well from this book. The techniques he proposes are sound. The one thing lacking is that this is not the end all be all book of drawing books. There are others out there that surpass this book.

This is a deep book, a kind of survey of essential drawing topics for the artist student, beginning or advanced. My impression is that Ms. Aristides covers the curriculum of her Atelier, explaining the theory behind the practices and learning accomplished there. At any rate, what she discusses she treats thoroughly and thoughtfully with valuable insights. For instance, I have read a number of excellent books on drawing, but hers is the first that defined for me the different meanings contained in straight lines verses curved lines. For me, a key insight. So I think the true value of this book, in addition to spelling out what her students do and learn, is the key artistic wisdom Ms. Aristides shares out of her experience and expert skills.

This book explains how the skill of making classical art is tought from master to pupil(s) in the style the old masters did.
The photos of the drawings and exercises are very inspirational. In the end of the book there are several do it yourself exercises. But one who reads the book is aware of how to improve his or her artist skill in a thorough way simply by reading what miss Aristides has to say.

A wealth of knowledge,experience and fortitude has gone into the development of this artists' essential guide to the attainment of high art.
The crucial need of the artist to configure the subject correctly is aspired to in this book, and the pictures are superb. The methods used to obtain high standard preliminary (and necessary) rendering of the subject is covered in this book and is really a valuable guide to anyone considering joining an atelier program prior to their commencement.
As well it is valuable for anyone wanting to appreciate how perfection is obtained- albeit the 'truth' of art.
An excellent resource and Julitte Aristides lengthy career has gone into its' making.
I can wait for her Classical Painting book also to be published reportedly some time later in 2007.

Yet another opportunist example of the terribly rampant photorealism today which has nothing to do with classical art. The authors work and premise is a joke in its attempt to connect later 19th C. methods with Classical ones. Photo realism began in the 2nd half of the 19th C. with gimick methods such as the Barge, mentioned in the book. (ther's a reason why they look like black & white photo negatives). Its all a scam and while artists like Bouguereau, who sometimes painted from photos, actually had some legitimate classical training (eroding quickly in his time), the fact is no one today does because it doesn't exist. The cast drawing section in particular is totaly incorrect because proper, classical drawing prior to the mid 19th C., has to do with delineating and emphasizing form not throwing a light on something and copying the shadows with pretty, airbrush-like, rendering techniques - this in turn produces paintings that look like poster illustration. Artists following these methods while claiming their relattionship to classical training are ignorant quacks - they all follow this system because its easy to do and teach but they have unfortuanely decieved themselves as well as their students. Most all academy collections of casts today are of terrible, diluted quality anyways. Students would do much better by studying museum sculptures and the "form drawings" displayed in "Michelangelo Drawings" by Hugo chapman, I believe found here on Amazon. You'll clearly see that's he's focusing on 3-D design and structure - drawing "through" forms, not merely doing external renderings. I'm a painter tryng to study the LOST art of classical drawing/painting and want to help set the record straight.