How to Draw What You See (Practical Art Books)

I'm an instructor for digital art online and find this book to be a MUST for ANY artist. It has lots of illustrations and simple, well-written explanations! I would recommend it to any of my students who want to know theory and application, from perspective to tones and shading. Everything is in black and white, so you can really see the tonal changes in the renderings.

I liked this book very much as it an illustration on all things: humans, dolls, vegetables, etc. Every good for helping to know how to draw better.

This book was originally published in 1970 and I have used it for years, together with Drawing on the Rigt Side of the Brain, as the basis of the various drawing courses I have taught. It covers the basics of drawing very well and if a non-drawing person follows it faithfully, they will learn to draw. I actually did not mean to buy another copy but mine is quite dog-earred, so guess I will keep the new one. sherry schnepfe

The book covers a lot of areas, but does not provide sufficient guidance for application. After completing the projects, I was disappointed with my efforts and thought I needed more practice until I picked up "How to Draw Heads and Portraits" by Jose M Parramon. I discovered a lot of details were not covered in this book that would have made the difference in my drawings.

If you already owned this book, you need additional. If you don't, pick up something else.

"How to draw what you see" by Rudy De Reyna

I think many students of drawing look for a single book that covers just about the entire scope of drawing. This book is that kind of book. Most books that claim to be a "COMPLETE DRAWING COURSE" do not deliver on the boast. This book makes no boast, but it is the most COMPLETE book giving an overview of all aspects of drawing. This book is very good. It's as close to COMPLETE as you can get.

This book is now into its 35th Anniversary Edition printing, and is one of the longest selling books on the market. It is one of the best general references on TECHNIQUES & MATERIALS.

The figure drawing section is well developed and good for the beginner. The book covers Still Life, Landscape, Perspective and Composition, Lighting, and Materials and various strokes/charcoal, pencil, etc.

The foundation of the methodology in this book is its use of geometrical shapes (cones, cubes, triangles), reminiscent of Luca Cambiosa in the 16th Century. So the author is invested in what is called "the CLASSICAL TRADITION".

The book moves on to more advanced drawing/painting with Wash, Opaque, Acrylics and Ink. It's a good buy at this price, and a welcome addition to the artists shelf. [But if you're into Figure Drawing, also see books by Jack Hamm, and also ***"ART OF DRAWING THE HUMAN BODY"*** by Edgar Loy Fankbonner, "Art of Drawing" -Willy Pogany, "How to Draw The Human Figure" -Famous Artists School, and "The Figure" -Walt Reed] Any of these figure drawing books, combined with "HOW TO DRAW WHAT YOU SEE" makes for an excellent combination in the home library.