The Art of Drawing Animals: Discover all the techniques you need to know to draw amazingly lifelike animals

by Patricia Getha, Cindy Smith, Nolon Stacey

Learn to draw a collection of cute critters and pampered pets! Featuring an array of adorable pets and majestic wildlife, this exceptional 144-page book offers simple, step-by-step instructions for creating dozens of incredibly lifelike animal drawings. Inside, five talented artists reveal their professional secrets for drawing all the features that are unique to our furry and feathered friends—from wet noses and expressive eyes to thick fur and delicate whiskers. The book opens with essential information about drawing tools and materials, followed by instruction on how to approach a drawing––such as building up forms with basic shapes, transferring a reference, and using a projected photo image. Then the authors demonstrate their unique approaches to drawing through an array of inspiring projects, guiding readers from initial sketches through the detailed shading process to the finishing touches. As readers progress from project to project, they will find a range of helpful topics, such as portraying accurate proportions, creating dynamic compositions, and using colored pencils. Packed with convincing illustrations and expert instruction, The Art of Drawing Animals is a comprehensive and indispensable resource for all artists smitten with the animal kingdom.

Genres: Art, Drawing, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

As a young girl, Patricia Getha spent many summers looking after and showing horses. Drawing played a large role in Pat’s life from an early age, but it was a love of horses that enabled her to master the subject. With formal training in commercial and graphic arts, Pat is proficient in a variety of media, including watercolor, graphite, oil, and colored pencil. She is active in juried competitions and has won several awards for her exquisite equine artwork. A mother of four young children, Pat currently resides in Ohio and works primarily as a commission artist.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Art of Drawing Animals: Discover all the techniques you need to know to draw amazingly lifelike animals
by Patricia Getha, Cindy Smith, Nolon Stacey, Linda Weil, Debra Kauffman

What an excellent book for learning about drawing with these terrific tutorials! There are a variety of authors showing their styles but each showing the reader step-by-step exercises. Most are pencil but some are colored pencil.

As with most art books it starts out with the tools, materials you need, techniques, ways to shade, how to do animal textures, drawing from a photo, and perspective basics.

Then Cindy Smith shows how to draw:
Bunny, kitten, bowling, foal,Doberman pup bear cub, kitten and butterfly, fawn, lion cub, York's pup, lamb, and giraffe calf. ( The fawn is my favorite from here!)

Nolan Stacy shows the reader how to draw:
Cats in a bag, bulldog,dachshunds, kittens, cat portrait, Springer spaniel pup, husky,silver tabby, Dalmatian, Maine coin, Ocicat, and Labrador Retriever. (The pair of dachshunds are adorable!)

Patricia Getha has horses and ponies:
Anatomy &proportion, basic profile study, advanced profile study, polo pony, Arabian portrait, Appaloosa, foal standing, foal cantering, Standardbred Trotter, American Saddlebred & rider, Gypsy Vanner, American Paint Horse, Pinto pony, American Morgan, and Dappled pony. ((Oh, the majestic face of the Arabian!)

Linda Well shows the reader wild animals:
Asian elephant, Australian Barking Owl, tiger cub, Koala, Dingo, and a Kangaroo. (Definitely the koala!)

Debra Kauffman Yaun bring in the colored pencils:
Colored pencil tools and techniques, rooster, Shetland Sheepdog, Gray squirrel, horse, lory, leopard, Maine Coin, Alpaca, box turtle, Red Fox, Bush Baby, and a cow. (The bright red lory bird is gorgeous!)

Everyone is so good and step-by-step! I definitely recommend!