58th out of 137 books
—
101 voters
The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
When Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was first published in 1979, it hit the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks and stayed there for more than a year. In 1989, when Dr. Betty Edwards revised the book, it went straight to the Times list again. Now Dr. Edwards celebrates the twentieth anniversary of her classic book with a second revised edition.
Over the...more
Over the...more
Paperback, Third Edition, 291 pages
Published
August 30th 1999
by Tarcher
(first published 1979)
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This book is a double-edged sword: On one side you have this immediate almost magical improvement in your drawing, on the other hand it's not good for long term improvement.
My first drawing after reading just a few chapters, blew my mind away. It was a self-portrait and I could not believe that I had drawn it. After all, it takes months of practice not reading of a few chapters from a book to improve drawing, right?
The downside is that you only learn to copy what you see in front of you. You don...more
My first drawing after reading just a few chapters, blew my mind away. It was a self-portrait and I could not believe that I had drawn it. After all, it takes months of practice not reading of a few chapters from a book to improve drawing, right?
The downside is that you only learn to copy what you see in front of you. You don...more
I've had several abortive attempts to learn to draw and paint over the last ten years. Part of the problem is that I become frustrated at how difficult it is to draw accurately and in proportion, and invariably put away my pencils and sketchbooks after a series of failures. And then, a year or two later, I try again, with a new how-to-draw book and vigor, only to repeat the process.
Recently I unearthed my box of accumulated art supplies and drawing books, and noticed the orange spine of Betty Ed...more
Recently I unearthed my box of accumulated art supplies and drawing books, and noticed the orange spine of Betty Ed...more
Masih takut menggambar? Atau tidak percaya dengan term kebisaan menggambar itu sendiri? Jangan khawatir :) Bahasan terpenting dalam buku ini adalah: SEMUA ORANG BISA MENGGAMBAR. Idenya seru, dan dengan teknik yang juga seru. CUma modal satu hal: latihan. :D.
Bocorannya tekniknya: instead of latihan menggambar wajah orang dengan modal cermin atau selembar foto dengan cara konvensional, hari ini coba latihan sketsa dengan modal selembar foto wajah siapa saja di tangan anda. Caranya? Ambil kertas, p...more
Bocorannya tekniknya: instead of latihan menggambar wajah orang dengan modal cermin atau selembar foto dengan cara konvensional, hari ini coba latihan sketsa dengan modal selembar foto wajah siapa saja di tangan anda. Caranya? Ambil kertas, p...more
This is a workbook that goes with the main text, The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain . It has more exercises than the main text (40 exercises, in fact). This workbook has minimal explanation compared with the main text-- the latter delves a great deal into brain hemisphere function and ways to access those parts that are best for drawing, whereas the workbook only focuses on actual drawing. So I think of the main text as the "teacher text," this workbook as the "student text," and the...more
I’ve just finished reading a A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future – essentially a series of book reviews on books the author found interesting and in which he hopes to be able to draw together ideas in those books into a bit of an overarching theory. He wasn’t quite successful, but he did remind me of this book and that has to be a good thing.
I read this book about ten years ago at a dark time in my life when I had just separated and moved out from the ex-wife. I had never b...more
I read this book about ten years ago at a dark time in my life when I had just separated and moved out from the ex-wife. I had never b...more
Coincidentally, one week before I bought the book at the bookshop, there was a student asking for 5 copies. This is a very popular title that frequently pops up when people ask for recommendation on books that teach drawing. Reviews on Amazon are overwhelmingly positive, which is not a surprise.
This book not only teaches you how to think (and not think) when drawing, but also teaches you the techniques to draw. In short, it teaches the approach and the techniques. Drawing on the Right Side of th...more
This book not only teaches you how to think (and not think) when drawing, but also teaches you the techniques to draw. In short, it teaches the approach and the techniques. Drawing on the Right Side of th...more
Oct 15, 2009
Sarah
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who feel they can't draw
Recommended to Sarah by:
Art teacher
This is the book my art teacher used to teach us when I was in my early teens. It's actually got some good ideas in there, with alot of jargon that I didn't understand (and didn't really care to, you don't miss much). Looking back, I appreciate some of the lessons I learned from it. Even if you think you can't draw, give this a chance! Forget that you think all your drawings look like a kid's, and try it, it really was good for me.
The main idea seems to be that we draw what we THINK we see, not...more
The main idea seems to be that we draw what we THINK we see, not...more
I’m still going through this book so I will write up a more complete review in time but I will comment on what I think of it so far.
Betty Edwards seems to express herself quite well in the way she teaches and the methods she uses to bring an absolute beginner from nothing to actually having a chance at art. She focuses so much on activating the creative side of the brain, or the right side of the brain. In order to do that, she teaches you how to train your eyes to see properly and then drawing...more
Betty Edwards seems to express herself quite well in the way she teaches and the methods she uses to bring an absolute beginner from nothing to actually having a chance at art. She focuses so much on activating the creative side of the brain, or the right side of the brain. In order to do that, she teaches you how to train your eyes to see properly and then drawing...more
My son and I are currently working through this with the accompanying DVD and workbook. I've never drawn from life before (only from two-dimensional photographs), but already a few lessons in, I've been doing so (see images below, which were done in an 8-day period)! Progress is impressively rapid with this method. I've never had more fun with a book! We're using this as a homeschool art curriculum and will continue to use it through the 2012-2013 school year.
I think of this main text as the "te...more
I think of this main text as the "te...more
Aug 06, 2011
Heather
added it
This book was recommended to me by an art teacher.
Yes, I was fascinated by art, love photography and crafts. But felt I was unable to competently draw. I had given up even trying to draw, even though I had enjoyed art and drawing as a child.
I love the realization that everyone, even you and me, has the ability and talent to draw - to be artistic. This book will help you to connect with this side of yourself that is often dormant or hidden.
This is a wonderful journey into the brain! Read the boo...more
Yes, I was fascinated by art, love photography and crafts. But felt I was unable to competently draw. I had given up even trying to draw, even though I had enjoyed art and drawing as a child.
I love the realization that everyone, even you and me, has the ability and talent to draw - to be artistic. This book will help you to connect with this side of yourself that is often dormant or hidden.
This is a wonderful journey into the brain! Read the boo...more
This is probably the best book you could read to improve your skills at drawing. The key being that this book teaches you how to 'see'. In order to draw with accuracy it is necessary to let go of your preconceived notions about what things 'should' look like and using symbols to represent features rather than observing what is actually there. This book is an amazing tool for learning how to work with your own brain and become really observant and powerful artistically. I have seen it make a huge...more
I had an art class that used this book as one of the textbooks. It immeadiately changed the way I viewed things. It was one of the pivotal books of my life (I ought to include that as a tag.)
When I home-schooled my then suicidal teen daughter and sat her down with this book, she flipped through it for 15 minutes, and started drawing as if she had been taking lessons her whole life. She found a talent she didn't know she had (and several others, but not because of this book.)
I highly recommend it...more
When I home-schooled my then suicidal teen daughter and sat her down with this book, she flipped through it for 15 minutes, and started drawing as if she had been taking lessons her whole life. She found a talent she didn't know she had (and several others, but not because of this book.)
I highly recommend it...more
I actually had to read this book for a class of mine, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author, Betty Edwards, teaches how anyone can learn how to draw, and I love that. I have learned a lot in all of my art classes and studies, but I learned even more from her. I hate how people think that art is merely a talent that only certain people have. That mode of thinking is completely false and Betty Edwards explains why it is false. Art is not just a talent given only to those born under the right sta...more
Frankly, this book's method has all the hallmarks of pseudoscientific snake oil: breathless testimonials on the back, anecdotes in the first chapter, and its own made-up lingo (it's easy to draw when you're in R-mode!). I picked it up because I'd heard lots of good things about it, because I could stand to be a lot more creative, and because I couldn't draw to save my life.
It's true that the author is prone to wax poetic about the drawing process; at one point, for instance, she suggests you dra...more
It's true that the author is prone to wax poetic about the drawing process; at one point, for instance, she suggests you dra...more
This was the first art instruction book that made perfect sense to me. I can't praise it enough. If you can only read one art instruction book In your life, then pick this one . Follow all the instructions and do all the exercises to get the full benefit because , practice is what makes you grow as an artist. Then if you can get Betty Edwards book Drawing on the artist within and the work book that goes with drawing o the right side of the brain, you should be totally equipped with all the instr...more
This is really a book most people will need to go through with a group or in a class, because it's a workbook, and you really need to *do* the exercises. Since it's hard to keep on track with a program like this on your own, some sort of scheduled class is the way to go. Having said that, the book is very helpful and points out clearly what's up with all our angst over drawing. It was helpful to me to discover that I wasn't the only one in 7th grade or so who couldn't draw what I wanted to, and...more
هذا كتاب باللغة الانجليزية رااائع جدا ،،
يحاول أن يجعل المرء يتصل بالجانب الأيمن من دماغه ،وهو الجانب المعني بالفن والإبداع ،،
رحلة عبر العقل ومحاولة لتعلم طربقة التفكير في الفن ،،
فيه تمرينات ممتازة لبعض الرسومات والتقنيات الأساسية في الرسم مفيدة جدا خاصة للمبتدئين ،،
أنصح به لكل مهتم ،، وهناك نسخ الكترونية على الشبكة ،،
I purchased this book at the recommendation of Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind as a way to practice my creative "right brain" skills. While the whole left brain/right brain idea seems too simplistic, it is a useful construct in this context for understanding the obstacles that hinder drawing. We tend to interpret what we see through verbal constructs rather than seeing what is actually there. Edwards presents a number of exercises to help one overcome those mental blocks and draw what we see.
Thi...more
Thi...more
I just finished working through most of the exercises in this book.
I am skipping "Ugly City Corner" and the Pastels exercise. I am comfortable with negative space, and I don't want the mess of using Pastels; hopefully I can take an Intro to Art Mediums course later, where I can make a mess in someone else's classroom. I'm also anxious to get to the next book in my drawing course...
I'm skipping the chapter on handwriting too; my handwriting is neat and legible unless I'm in a tearing hurry, so I'...more
I am skipping "Ugly City Corner" and the Pastels exercise. I am comfortable with negative space, and I don't want the mess of using Pastels; hopefully I can take an Intro to Art Mediums course later, where I can make a mess in someone else's classroom. I'm also anxious to get to the next book in my drawing course...
I'm skipping the chapter on handwriting too; my handwriting is neat and legible unless I'm in a tearing hurry, so I'...more
I found an improvement in my drawing after reading this book and doing the exercises. If nothing else, the idea that drawing is not a matter of manual dexterity (according to Edwards if can write decently, you can draw), it is a matter of how you look at objects and interpret it on paper was a boon. It made me stop thinking that I couldn't draw, and I couldn't learn to draw. I mean you must be able to learn to draw; think back to the days when an "accomplished" lady had to be able to speak Itali...more
This book is one of my favourite books because of the way drawing is so artfully described. The psychology behind it was fascinating. The experiments and the exercises were extremely well explained. I already knew how to use these methods when I started this book, but to any novice, I’d definitely recommend this book. It shows that drawing isn’t an obscure talent given to few. It is just a new way to see, and to understand what you see. It is interesting to read, well structured, and will defini...more
This is a perfect book for an absolute beginner. I expect it would be useful to parents and art teachers as it describes possibilities for students who are not talented or for painters/sculptors who want to return to drawing again, a real confidence booster. Exploring negative form/space and format boundaries is vital to the outcome one struggles for as a visual artist. I am not sure the sketches come across as creatively (ie presented) maybe block coloured backgrounds for a little pizzaz ?? oth...more
I am glad I read the book and would recommend it to anyone like me. I started pencil drawing about three months ago and have never had any drawing instruction previously. After spending about three weeks with this book, practicing for about 2-3 hours a day, I am now at a skill level where I feel comfortable (dare I say proud) to show my drawings to my friends. I am no longer afraid (out of embarrassment) to sign up for classes with the Art Students' League!
The reviewers are right. This is a wonderful book in teaching you how to see, and then how to draw. Essentially, to be able to draw is not about the skill of the hand but the ability of the eye to see.
The exercises help you learn to see:
1)edges (contours)
2)negative space
3)perspective and proportion and using a basic unit as measurement
4)light and shadow
5)wholeness
I think it is important to do all the exercises as it did give me a little more confidence. These are 5 essential skills, and as we m...more
The exercises help you learn to see:
1)edges (contours)
2)negative space
3)perspective and proportion and using a basic unit as measurement
4)light and shadow
5)wholeness
I think it is important to do all the exercises as it did give me a little more confidence. These are 5 essential skills, and as we m...more
I still refer to this book regularly. It stimulates drawing, doodling, serious attempts to not only draw, but why draw, why is there a genesis, a middle and an ending to a drawing and how does/do each support each other. Grandchildren get more out this in its simplicity than do adults in its complexity, yet both sides are essential to acquire a skill and an empathy for drawings, those who draw and why they draw. Most of all its focuses each of
Great book! If you've always loved the art of others but didn't think you had the talent, think again. The premise of this book is that everyone can draw...we just have to learn to switch to our right (creative) side of our brain, instead of the left (logical), which is mostly used. I loved the exercises in here; they're great to have kids do too, so they don't grow up thinking they can't draw (like most of the rest of us falsely learned).
A great book on how to take your time and draw what you actually see. I really enjoyed the exploration of L-mode vs R-mode thinking and what that means for your drawings. My only complaint—and it's a result of what you're doing—is that each chapter might end up taking you two to three hours to get through because of how long each drawing will take. I guess that's not really a complaint because it's so enjoyable, but more of a warning.
I've always wanted to be able to draw, or paint, or be an artist. I read this book and started working through the exercises. I became discouraged when my drawings continued to look like an early elementary student with no talent and my elementary school-aged daughter's drawings looked like a talented artist's drawings. Despite my shortcomings, I am able to look at objects differently, breaking them down into manageable sections.
Wow. What a neat book. I have taken art appreciation courses in college and I have taken the traditional "draw whatever the heck you want" classes in high school. So, I don't have any training per se. I draw, but I never really read art books because I worried that instruction would take away from the spirit of my message--if that made any sense. But, I like my little kid wanna-be surrealist drawings and Edwards was never blatantly anti-any form of art, so I went along with it. Edwards is really...more
Apr 03, 2008
Randy Lacelle
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who has failed at drawing before
Recommended to Randy by:
found it in a bookstore
This book was very helpful to me when I began to really draw. Betty convinces you that you can draw no matter what... maybe part of it is that placebo effect but that never worked for me before :P
Anyways she has alot of good information in the book, she also has some exercises I found helpful in forcing your mind to study a image and each part of it in concordance with other parts to attempt to more accurately depict your drawing. In other words it helps your image stay as close in proportions t...more
Anyways she has alot of good information in the book, she also has some exercises I found helpful in forcing your mind to study a image and each part of it in concordance with other parts to attempt to more accurately depict your drawing. In other words it helps your image stay as close in proportions t...more
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“Over the last forty years, many educators, decision-makers, and even some parents have come to regard the arts as peripheral, and let’s face it, frivolous—especially the visual arts, with their connotation of ”the starving artist” and the mistaken concept of necessary talent”
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