Learning to Draw: A Creative Approach

by Robert Kaupelis

Teachers, students, and amateur artists will all benefit from the advice of this esteemed educator and fine artist whose book, as described by a colleague, is "a cause célèbre for art education, not only because it meets the urgent professional need, but also because it combines artistic, aesthetic, and instructional considerations in a way which is significantly different from any other text."
Encouraging teachers and students to use his suggestions in ways they feel most appropriate, the author (an expert guide and teacher) offers sound advice on methods and techniques for artists at all levels. Using the lessons and methods he employed over the years as an instructor, Kaupelis focuses on solving the problems common to many illustrators, among them successfully developing perspective, contour and modeled drawing, and drawing from memory and projected images. A splendid blend of instruction, analysis, and insights, this volume—one of the most widely read art instruction texts—deserves a place on the shelves of instructors and serious students of art.

Genres: Art

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1950

Reviews

[Myka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best "learn to draw" book on the market, in my opinion. The author bases his techniques on many years in the classroom and his writing has the intimate, uncomplicated air of good teaching. The lessons themselves are concise, well-illustrated, and focused on the development of individual artistic taste and talent. The book distinguishes itself by his last point. Other drawings guides linger on the emotional aspects of art and feel more like self-help books; little actual progress is made. Others devolve into rigid instruction on methods and analysis, presenting cookie-cutter aesthetic as "good drawing." This book does neither and thus achieves both ends-- good technical improvement in the user's own style and reflecting her interests.