Rapid Viz : A New Method for the Rapid Visualization of Ideas

by Kurt Hanks

This book helps people to quickly master the fundamental techniques of graphic art and design using felt-tip pens and plain paper.

Genres: Design, Art, Reference, Drawing, Nonfiction, Business, School

160 pages, Misc. Supplies

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a Design book-club we have at work, and at the time that I was reading it I was also taking a "drawing 101" class for fun on my own. There was so much in this book that resonated with and was similar to what we covered in my drawing class. The main lessons were: draw faster, draw bigger (gestural), draw the frame (contours), and worry about the details later. It reinforced the point that it is much better to start with a rough framing of the whole drawing than a very detailed small component of the drawing. I find that is true with any endeavor, whether it is writing a novel, to drawing a masterpiece, to designing a new product.... its much better to have a rough outline, sketch, or prototype of the whole thing than to have one perfect paragraph, one perfectly drawn blade of grass, or one perfect button. I'm glad I read this book.

[Russ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those very broad drawing books that tries to teach a little bit of everything related to drawing, so if the exercises don't rub you the right way it will probably just be another familiar tour through the basics. There are a lot of exercises in the book, some are small/specific/useful and others are too broad or time consuming per task, so if you like structure this book gives it to you, albeit inconsistently. I especially liked the orthographic shape puzzles midway through the book. The material on ideation and data visualization is also nice, but covered better elsewhere.

The main difference between this and similar books is the suggestion to use tracing paper as a layering/iteration tool, which I never even bothered doing with the exercises I ended up doing. It feels like a drawing book for architecture students but made by a cartoonist, which may either be a nice change from the usual sterility or seem hard to take seriously.

Drawing Ideas by Mark Baskinger is overall a better book with a more professional orientation but with few exercises: if you struggle to create your own practice material from books then Rapid Viz may be a good place to start, just be ready to supplement with other books for the material you bounce off of.

[Zevtra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Главы 1-3 представляют собой довольно заурядный самоучитель по рисованию (впрочем, не лишённый занимательных упражнений). В главах 4-6 ��стречаются интересные мысли о выражении идей графически, а также о творческом процессе в целом.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive and full of interesting ideas. Just need to somehow buy a copy of this book to actually do the exercises.

[George Wang]

http://dschool.stanford.edu/recommend...

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for a modeling and visualization book, but this is mainly about drawing. Tie-ins, of course, but probably better suited to someone who works with Real Things rather than Computer Things.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear instructions. I hadn't drawn since I was a child so this was exceedingly helpful for me to get back into design sketching

[Tricia Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good support text for those interested in visual note taking. Ample exercises to challenge novice to advanced sketch artists.

[Mills College Library]

741.6 H2415 2006

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author says on the very beginning of the book:
"...the learning to visualize of two inseparable images, one on a sheet of paper and the other on the back of your mind."