Amazon.com

Filled with great ideas and enthralling art activities,Young at Art introduces parents and caregivers to a fascinatingworld that Montessori teachers will find wonderfully familiar. AuthorSusan Striker created the delightfully different Anti-Coloring Bookseries and now turns her considerable talents to explainingconcepts of child development in a manner that all of us can enjoy. Shepassionately believes that children can use artistic tools and methodsas gateways to all forms of learning, from vocabulary building to earlymath skills and improved dexterity, and cautions parents to rethink theway we look at art materials. Pipe cleaners form wire sculptures farmore detailed than their typical role as bug antenna, and toddlers canhave a better experience painting with only one or two colors than theywould with an entire palette that instantly turns a muddy brown.Including a wide range of group and individual activities for all ageranges (and even songs to sing during cleanup time), this book is apriceless addition to an art-loving family. Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Parents of toddlers NEED this book!!!!!!
I think this book is so important, it has so much info in it that I just didn't know. There are a lot of things I was doing that are actually the wrong thing to do, and I consider myself a pretty intelligent, well-read mom! Who knew I shouldn't offer her a huge box of crayons, or draw with her, or tell her that her drawing looks like a house?? Who knew she should have access to painting every day if possible? Who knew how directly early scribbling relates to later reading and writing competence? Please get this book. It's a revelation.

You Must Read This If you Have (or will have) a Toddler
I just read this book yesterday and it really enlightened me to the reality that even though my daughter is just 20 months, she is starving for self-expression! It makes sense... she can't make noun-verb sentences, has a limited vocabulary, and I'm one of the only people who understands her struggled attempts at communication. So that's why she's been coloring all over the wallpaper!
This book was great for me since I am artistically illiterate. I have had almost NO art education, and I don't know the first thing about how to teach ANYTHING to ANYONE. This book has simple, easy steps that I can follow... dumb things that I wouldn't know unless someone told me, like, Give your child one crayon at a time so she doesn't get overwhelmed.
The other thing I liked about this book is that the author is sensitive to the reality that many of us may not have a large budget to spend on art supplies. I went to the craft store and bought everything I think I need to get started... crayons, paint, brushes, play-doh, I even splurged and got the 80-weight paper like Striker suggested... and spent less than EIGHTEEN DOLLARS!!

Enlightening.
I wish I had had this book when my child was two. It guides the reader through the mysterious world of children's art. Basically, Striker explains that preschool children should not be "taught" art; rather, they should be allowed to experiment avidly with art materials. When given the opportunity, children use art materials to express themselves and pass through stages of mark-making that are vital to later reading and writing skills. My only complaint about this book is that Striker makes such a strong case against interfering with the natural learning process by, for example, suggesting imagery or otherwise rushing a child into the next stage of development, that it is guilt-inspiring for those of us who made some of these mistakes in the past. However, she gives the reader many concrete suggestions for appropriate art activities so that we can make up for lost time. They include the five basic art techniques: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and collage. The author explains how these mediums can be presented so as to promote the child's own discovery process. This is a very valuable book for parents, care takers, and educators. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

QUESTION - Visual Arts "different" as an academic pursuit?!
The answer: I think so. The author changed my way of thinking about the subject of what is plausible in arts education in our time. The apprearance of total artistic freedom from judgement as formulated by postmodernists, yet the intrinsic nature of how the academy/school affects an artist, is seriously examined by Elkins.

This book is amongst the first to pragmatically question some of our common misunderstandings about the methodology involved in teaching the visual arts. The reason for this maybe due in part to modernist and postmodernist intellectualizing of art (e.g.-the endless pages of ink spilled in history books about content free Minimalist paintings and Conceptual Art). Elkins really does an marvelous job at collecting the evidence that studio art teaching and learning is fundamentally different in goals from more conventional subjects such as the sciences, languages and even music...yet, artists should have a somewhat rounded education.

To the authors credit, the book avoids the idealistic view of the arts, dispenses with the RomanticEra cliches of " the gifted talent" or "starving artist" or "outsider art" and deals with THE pragmatic reality of art instruction. Elkins' surveys are about the historical roots of art instruction: the Medieval workshops, the Renaissance guilds,the Baroque academies, and the 20th c. Bauhaus School are compared and contrasted with one another.

THIS comparison of instruction models is EXCELLENT!

The assumed historical 'reality' of the types of artists each system was capable of producing serves as a spring board for discussions on how philosophical discourse influences the instruction model. The book addresses the question of "what body of knowledge is central to the education of an artist?" Is it life drawing, technical and mechanical skills or is it a selected reading and immersion in the liberal arts(i.e.- should an artist have a classical education w/ emphasis on Greek literature -or- postmodernist and shifting in emphasis related to an artist's native culture?_)

Elkin's book fully illustrates the very real world dilemna that students interested in the visual arts face when choosing between "art schools" and small "Liberal arts colleges." "Art schools" tend to only be interested in art, with a myriad of opportunities to be exposed to the art world, with little if any exposure to core general education courses. Paradoxically, the art schools are also places where one is likely to find the latest art theory in deployment despite an 'art school'student populace that MAY NOT have the educational background to engage in meaningful discussion with instructors. The situation is the exact inverse with students at "liberal arts colleges" (and the university in general) where the student is academically armed, yet, is enrolled in significantly less demanding studio courses. "Liberal Arts colleges" and art departments of universities,while providing excellant general education for an art student -most barely engage in the issues of making Studio Art much beyond the dilettante level. Elkins makes a very fine point of emphasis on what is either impractical or too obscure to teach about art in the general curriculum of both classroom enviroments-i.e.-such things as art that uses obscure techniques, extremely radical and/or conservative methods. He deals with that rarely mentioned art class phenomenon- "the critque"- where the student presents thier work to the class to be analyized. Elkins illuminates 'The critque' of art schools (and studio art departments) in a manner that should deal with every sort of postive and negative experience that could be siphoned from such an ordeal.

Essentially the heart of "Why Art Cannot be Taught" is to illuminate what works and what makes 'sense' to teach in the pedantic school environment about art. Elkin's thesis ("that art cannot be taught") is a descriptive interpretation of the reality that art education like 'true art', the 100%creative stuff, is something unique and irrational that can't be easily duplicated at the whim of educators. A must for anyone that has interest in the peculiarities of being a student of the visual arts!

all art students and profs should have to read this
The author details art instruction through the ages and discusses the question asked in the title. Art and artists would be so much better thought of by society, and art istself would improve, if the ideas in this book were taken seriously. It is a DEEP book, not for casual reading.

Insider Conversation
Chatty and irresistable, rather than being the harsh polemic that the title might suggest, this volume is a multifaceted discussion of the issues involved in teaching and studying art in a studio environment. Anyone who has ever lived through a studio critique will find the book hard to put down. Like Elkin's earlier work, "What Painting Is," it will make any art-student readers wish that they could study with him at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Despite the provocative title, Elkins has very little interest in transforming arts education. Rather, he wants to point to both the virtues and the pitfalls of critique-based evaluation, and to get both teachers and students to appreciate just what a mysterious and irrational process it is to attempt to teach/learn the studio arts.

The author is an insider speaking candidly for other insiders -- the audience for this valuable and intelligent essay may not be huge, but within that group, it will stimulate many electrifying conversations. ... Read more

Book Description

This innovative book helps readers develop a personal philosophy and an artful approach to teaching.This text uses the premise that teacher choices set the stage for a balanced approach to art education that considers the child, society, and the curriculum.This book provides information regarding artistic development, artistic behavior and methodology for developing curriculum across the developmental spectrum. The reader is directly addressed as each chapter presents recent research along with important concepts to understand, focuses on different aspects of art education, and outlines advantages and challenges of making the suggested choices, and also includes suggested activities so readers can act upon content.For art teachers at the elementary or secondary education level or students studying to be art teachers. ... Read more

Book Description

Now beginning artists can get all the drawing help they need in one convenient place.

Bestselling author Lee Hammond is known for her clear, basic methods for drawing nearly any subject. This giant book brings together the best projects from her other titles into one super-sized guide. Readers will find: - Popular subjects like people, animals, flowers and nature - An encouraging "You Can Do It" section - Clear step-by-step instructions to guarantee success - Chapters on choosing materials and mastering basic techniques

This entire book showcases realistic, appealing artwork that's truly achievable. Anyone can find creative success with Lee Hammond leading the way! ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring a detachable fold-out color wheel and clear guidelines, this unique book solves the problem of muddy blends, taking the guesswork out of mixing clean watercolors every time.

While the color groups of a standard wheel are shown, this wheel goes much further, organizing pigments into five categories: transparent nonstaining colors; semi-transparents; opaques; semi-opaques; and whitened and blackened colors. Detailed text explains how color groups interact, some resulting in dull blends, others producing luminous, transparent effects. Readers are treated to abundant examples, step-by-step exercises, and analyses of work by several of today's outstanding watercolorists ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Transparency vs Staining Power
Ohhh, so that's why that color mix only went to a gray scale instead of black! Kosvanec gives great tips on the juicy wash; now my $300 worth of paints actually have color. Well worth the price. Be sure to read this book; don't just look at the pretty pictures. I'm still laughing about the quote, "If tube greens were people, I'd beat them up."

Mud or magic--Kosvanec steers you safely through
Watercolor is notoriously tricky. One moment, colors gleam from the paper like jewels. The next moment, a touch of the brush to a color yields nothing but muddy results. The mixing of the pigments is a true science mixed with art because the colors are actually chemicals that interact not only by reflecting light on their own, but also by interacting with other pigments, and reacting with the paper as well.

What to do when you want a particular color effect? Well, you can refer to this book. It has a color wheel organizing the pigments according to how they mix with each other to form secondary tints. Kosvanec gives examples of mixing greys, browns, intermediate tints that are guaranteed NOT to result in a blob of disaster on your painting. He gives quotes from famous artists who reaffirm the problem; one dab of just the wrong color and disaster results. He also includes some fabulous paintings, not only his portraits of native Americans, but those of other well-known artists.

I can't wait to try out Kosvanec's mixtures and suggestions on my next painting. I know I will be referring to this book over and over again.

Great book.
Helpful for anyone interested in transparent watercolor - worth the investment!

Sparkling Watercolor
This is a great book if you really want to understand why some color combinations work and others don't. Mr. Kosvanec has developed a color wheel that goes beyond the standard color wheel. The book's color wheel is a fold out and is perforated so it may be torn out and used easily. This new wheel deals with the actual pigments and their characteristics used in the majority of watercolor paints.

He divides the paint into nonstaining:transparant & semitransparant - staining:transparant - opaque & semiopaque and finally whitened & blackened colors. The book then shows in detail the results of mixing these different types of pigments to achieve luminous paintings or why some mixed together usually result in "mud".

There is a chapter that analyzes both some of his own and guest artists' paintings for their color mixing & pigment choices and why they worked. There is a chapter on water-to-pigment ratio and keeping colors clean. There is a chapter on achieving luminous grays and another discussing various types of paper from different manufacturers and how this too can change the results of a watercolor. He shows in one chapter the difference student-grade paints make compared to artist quality.

Throughout the book there is a wealth of detail and illustrations for the book to be a joy to read simply for generating ideas. This book is not really geared to be a beginning watercolor book. But if you are ready to go beyond the many beginning watercolor books available then this book will not disappoint.

No more mud when painting
James Kosvanec is a wizard. His understanding of transparent color is wondrous. Before this book I struggled with inconsistent results. My first painting after reading this book was clean and every color sparkled. If you want consistent results get this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Absolutely amazing!!
Writing will never be the same for many children. The world of charcoal pencils is changing, for the better if i could shout it to the world i would scream i love this pencil set, buy it you won't be dissappointed!

Great for beginners
My son is pleased that he finally has different types of mediums to use, and a book to show him how to utilize them properly. He is looking forward to using it, soon after he is done with all the video games from Christams! He is only 8, but has a great eye for detail, and I think this is definitely a good starter for his mature senses.

An AWSOME book-kit!
Defenetly a true inspiration. This book will show you apreciation for your sketching and its importance. And it shows you love for the materials. Ever since I got this kit I followed the book and I've learned to look at my surroundings the way it should. I liked this a lot! the materials that come with the kit are great. ... Read more

Book Description

"This is a revelatory book. . . . The juxtaposition here of 19th-centurykindergarten work with the work of Braque, Klee, Mondrian, and Frank Lloyd Wrightwill make you gasp." —The New Yorker

Now in paperback, this is the first comprehensive book about the original kindergarten, arevolutionary educational program invented in the 1830s by German educator FriedrichFroebel. Using extraordinary visual material, it reconstructs the most successful systemever devised for teaching young children about art, design, math, and natural history. Thebook also includes a searching exploration of the origins of modern art in the earlychildhood experiences of some of its greatest creators. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

fresh perspective on the Froebelian "gifts"
A thorough tracing of the ideas and uses of materials (gifts/occupations) in the early kindergarten movement. The juxtaposition of pictures of the kindergarten exercises and manipulatives with the adult abstract art of 20th century Cubism, Constructivism, and architectural planning is stimulating and thought provoking. This book is both delightful reading and browsing, and intellectually fresh in probing connections between childhood experience and adult art expression. The respect paid to Froebel is also gratifying. Many books in education leave the impression that he was an irresponsible dreamer and was a victim of lifelong misunderstanding and harrassment. This book acknowledges the personal and political problems he experienced without making them a focus of the text. Professionals in child development will find this a rewarding reading experience.

Not a great read
This book on the repercussions Froebel's invention of kindertgarten had on artistic sensibility does an excellent job of tying its premise to quotations and examples from artists of the period in which these effects would surface. However, it's not a great read, and once you accept the premise, the book becomes an exercise. None of the comparisons were all that astounding. As an aside, this book probably contains the best interpretation of the term "zeitgeist" I've ever seen in print

Sheds new light on the importance of Froebel's creation.
Although everyone knows what kindergarten is, so few understand how it came to be. Brosterman carefully shows the reader the background and takes us on a tour of Froebel's "Gaben" or educational "gifts." The book is gull of gorgeous photos of the games which Brosterman has been collecting over the years. Fascinating is his research which connects the creations of Kandinsky, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, etc. to their childhood exposure to the then revolutionary educational activities. This book is informative and beautifully photographed. For all elementary teachers, parents, school libraries and everyone who has ever wondered about kindergarten. As a Froebel family member, teacher, and art dealer I found the book exceptional at all those levels

The definitive study of Froebel's kindergarten
The kindergarten is ubiquitous, but how many of its former pupils really know how it came about and what philosophies it is based upon. Norman Brosterman lovingly and meticulously studies the background of this 19th century invention, spurned by conservatives, embraced by those who wanted child-centered education for their young children, and which influenced 20th century painters and architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Kandinsky, Paul Klee and many others. Brosterman leaves no stone unturned . Through carefully written text and rich photographs of actual educational games ("Gaben" in German) by Kiyoshi Tagashi, he explains the goal of each "Gabe", its aesthetic value and then illustrates for the reader how these influenced a generation of artists who had been schooled with them. As an educator, gallery director, and Froebel descendant, I can say unequivocably that Brosterman's book is perhaps the best book written about Froebel in this century. Surely it is the most thought provoking book about art history that I have read in a very long time ... Read more

Book Description

Learning in and through the arts can develop complex and subtle aspects of the mind, argues Elliot Eisner in this engrossing book. Offering a rich array of examples, he describes different approaches to the teaching of the arts and shows how these refine forms of thinking that are valuable in dealing with our daily life.

“Not since John Dewey has an American author written about art, education, and the creation of mind with such power and sensitivity.”—Michael Day, International Journal of Arts Education

“A primer for the future. . . . This book will serve as an inspiration for those needing the language to convince policy makers and curriculum developers of the value of the arts in education, while also serving as a vehicle for illustrating the educational aspirations the very best education can offer.”—Rita L. Irwin, Journal of Critical Inquiry Into Curriculum and Instruction

“[Eisner] has composed a text that is as insightful and inspirational as the educational research he envisions.” —James G. Henderson, International Journal of Education & the Arts

Elliot W. Eisner is Lee Jacks Professor of Education and Professor of Art at Stanford University.


... Read more

Amazon.com

Printmaking in the Sun introduces a revolutionary new printmaking technique known as the solarplate method, first developed in 1972 by one of the book's authors, Dan Welden. He had begun experimenting with light-sensitive polymer plates in place of traditional metal plates, which frees the artist from exposure to poisonous lead fumes. To make a solarplate print, one creates a piece of artwork on film, overlays it on a solarplate, and exposes the film and plate together in the sun. The drawing is transferred to the plate, which is then developed in ordinary tap water. The resulting image appears in the same orientation as the original drawing. This book exhaustively covers the techniques of solarplate printing, describing how to use the proper equipment and materials, prepare relief and intaglio images, make and print relief and intaglio plates, expose your work to the sun, use digital images and photogravure, and work with color printing. The book is generously illustrated with color and black-and-white solarplate images by accomplished artists, as well as clear step-by-step illustrations depicting how to prepare and process your images and plates. The book also contains a comprehensive glossary, selected further reading, and list of suppliers in the United States and Australia. The innovative techniques described in Printmaking in the Sun form an enormous resource of versatile, imaginative applications. Artists of all levels will appreciate the fluidity of creative expression inherent in such a simple and immediate process. --Mary Ribesky ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Good artist, lame book
This is the first book I've bought on anatomy-for-artists and I just decided to buy different one. Although it's obvious that Jeno knows human anatomy and can draw well, the book has failed to answer many of my questions. For example, one of my biggest concerns is proportion and the differences between male and female proportion, but the book is lacking in these areas.

The section on "differences in male and female proportion" is vague and only has a couple crude illustrations to go by. The only side-by-side comparison of male and female proportion was a male and female torso viewed from behind.

Another thing that I didn't necessarily care for was that the women seemed a little out of proportion. The illustrations of women in this book seem a little manly. They're a little too muscular and a little broad-shouldered. I hope the author was drawing from live nudes, because these aren't "ideally proportioned" women (or attractive, or average...)

Finally, I don't like the format of the book. All you have to go by are his vague scientific descriptions and his drawings. This is like the opposite of what I want in this kind of book. For one thing, if your audience consists of artists, don't write over their heads and force them to learn a bunch of medical terminology just to keep up with your text. That made me want to move on to other books. Another thing that I find really obnoxious is that the only visual reference is the author's drawings. What I want to know is what the parts of the human body really look like, how they're connected, and how they measure up to each other. I already know how to draw and some photographs would've been nice along with the drawings. Also, if you need to draw any body organs like the brain, don't look here.

There are better books on anatomy-for-artists out there.

Up to this point it probably sounds like I didn't care for this book at all, but I do see where I could be useful for people who draw from models. For people that have a live nude model to work with, this book will give you some insight as to what is going on beneath the skin and make you more anatomy-aware in your artwork. That's why this book gets three stars, which I'll have to admit has to do with it's low price.

Terrific learning tool!
I am learning to sketch and have this and another book of the same title. Despite the shared name, what a world of difference inside!

This is a detailed guide to human anatomy for an artist at any level. It teaches you both the physical and mechanical aspects of the body inside and out -- from what bones and muscles look like to how joints fit together and move, and what the resulted motion looks like. It also looks at all the different elements of the body, whether large or small, from several different perspectives, and from inside to out. The images are both highly detailed and natural.

In addition, all the images in this book are beautiful sketches done by a great artist. Rather than showing glossy photos (like the other book I have) that do not reveal the same kind of details an artist might, this book shows how a pencil and paper might be used to create acurate anatomical images. I find the various plates in the book not only helpful in illustrating what the body looks like, but also how one might depict it.

All in all, this is an extremely well-put together book for its purpose.

An anatomy class standard
This book was the standard text for the anatomy class I took in art school and it's obvious why. Every part of the anatomy an artist would have to know to draw figures convincingly is shown. And the figures are not idealized, but realistic. They have some fat to them, just like most of us do. There are plenty of anatomy books out there if you want idealized or superheroic figures, such as the Dynamic book series by Hogarth. But if you want to be able to draw figures the way they really look, study and sketch from this very thorough book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

40 Year Friendship
I bought this book almost 40 years ago. I was surprised and pleased to see that it is still "thee" book. Everytime I get stuck for help, I go to this book. Now I am planning courses to teach pre-school teachers in Japan. "Thee" book is open once more. Any chance it is available in Japanese? Thanks Lowenfeld and Brittain!!!

Meeting with the Titians
As I finish my final weeks as an art education major, I have tried to complete a reference guide for some of my friends that I will be leaving behind in my department. Other than books by Dr. George Szekely, Viktor Lowenfeld's book "Creative and Mental Growth" stands as the 'bible' for the educator, period. Art isn't "frill" or "elective classes" to children, it is the way of life. Without the understanding of how children view their world and how it does bend toward creative expression, a teacher is simply stumbling around in the darkness. In this stumbling a teacher may find a light switch from time to time. However, join the rest of us with the "torch" of post-modern education with Mr. Lowenfeld's book.

an essential text for all art teachers
This was one of the few required texts in my art ed classes that I did not sell back at the end of the term, and the only text which i still refer to 10 years after graduation. It contains valueable information for any educator who wants to ensure the creative growth of their students. It also includes a wonderful chart of children's artistic development. I've highly recomended it to every student teacher I have trained. ... Read more

Book Description

Artworks for Elementary Teachers serves elementary education majors with little or no prior background in art. It provides introductory experiences both in knowing how to create art and how to respond to it. The four areas of study in discipline-based art education—aesthetics, art production, art criticism and art history—are covered thoroughly and include the latest in state and national standards. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good ideas for your students
I love the thought of this book -- an art book for teachers who may not know much about art, but are planning on teaching art to their students.It's a great idea, and the book covers a great deal of information in a thin volume, from the principles of art, to the schools of artists and their works, to methods used to create art, to visiting the museum.

The book also contains suggested projects for your elementary school art students, as well as jumping-off points for discussion and activity.I only wish the book had even more ideas, but perhaps that is another book!

If you are a teacher who wants to teach art, but doesn't know much about it, and doesn't know where to begin, I suggest beginning with this book.It's a crash course not only in art, but in teaching art to elementary students and instilling a love of art within your students. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Slender but D`Amelio really packs it in!
"PERSPECTIVE DRAWING HANDBOOK" by Joseph D`Amelio

Amelio really packed this book with well-illustrated covering of Perspective in Black & White. Better still, D`Amelio manages to keep text down to the bare essentials, preferring to illustrate the point rather than describe it. Fascinating. Nicely put together, and very concise at 96 pages. I really liked it.

Suggested retail at $8.95 this is a good reference, and eminently affordable. It seemed quite deserving of FIVE STARS for making an obscure subject clear to the general public with a direct, no-nonsense approach.

Indespensible perspective reference:
D'Amelio has laid out the basics of mechanical perspective drawing in easy to follow steps with clear illustrations. Readily adaptable to instruction for the general audience and eminently practical with illustrations for many basic and more complex perspective problems, the text is well organized as well as intertaining. I have used this text to teach perspective in high school drawing classes for 15 years. ... Read more

Book Description

From the author of the classic Human Anatomy for Artists comes this user-friendly reference guide featuring over five hundred original drawings and over seventy photographs. Designed for painters, sculptors, and illustrators who use animal imagery in their work, Animal Anatomy for Artists offers thorough, in-depth information about the most commonly depicted animals, presented in a logical and easily understood format for artists--whether beginner or accomplished professional. The book focuses on the forms created by muscles and bones, giving artists a crucial three-dimensional understanding of the final, complex outer surface of the animal. Goldfinger not only covers the anatomy of the more common animals, such as the horse, dog, cat, cow, pig, squirrel, and rabbit, but also the anatomy of numerous wild species, including the lion, giraffe, deer, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, elephant, gorilla, sea lion, and bear. Included are drawings of skeletons and how they move at the joints, individual muscles showing their attachments on the skeleton, muscles of the entire animal, cross sections, photographs of live animals, and silhouettes of related animals comparing their shapes and proportions. He offers a new and innovative section on the basic body plan of four-legged animals, giving the reader a crucial conceptual understanding of overall animal structure to which the details of individual animals can then be applied. The chapter on birds covers the skeleton, muscles and feather patterns. The appendix presents photographs of skulls with magnificent horns and antlers and a section on major surface veins. Incredibly thorough, packed with essential information, Animal Anatomy for Artists is a definitive reference work, an essential book for everyone who depicts animals in their art. ... Read more

Book Description

Aspiring cartoonists of all ages can begin drawing a repertoire of characters from the moment they follow the wide-ranging yet simplified lessons that fill these instructive pages, written and illustrated by an all-time best-selling artist/teacher.

This complete course, covering both comic strip and animation techniques, begins with lessons on basic cartoon body shapes and facial features. Included are helpful comparisons between the real versus the cartoon head, a smile chart, and various ways to draw the most popular and expressive cartoon eyes and mouths. Next come lots of typical body poses, how to draw action lines, slow/fast movement, cartoon hands, fun hair and clothing styles, backgrounds, and cute cartoon pets. Excellent directions also focus on helping beginners to find and develop their own cartoon style. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great basics in cartooning
I am an aspiring comic artists. First, a word of note to beginners in cartooning or art -- drawing is HARD. Not everybody have the gift or the vision to make professional style art. If you are a beginner, I highly advise you to take a drawing course in a local college. The face-to-face interaction and feedback is invaluable. You *can* learn to draw from reading a book, but not at a very fast pace.

I picked up this book because I was really bored and wanted to learn something new. I mainly draw in the Marc Silvestri and Top Cow studio style. This is a good book that starts you off with the basics, using simple geometrical shapes and then altering the shapes. Then it slowly adds the details. This is as SIMPLE as it can get! If you cannot even get a good feel from the get-go of reading the first couple of pages, you will have a hard time finishing this book or moving on into other drawing style.

Mastery of this book can give you a good boost in moving on to other drawing fields such as anime, comics, and realism. If you have a fairly good grasp of art, this book is not necessary, unless you want to try dabbing in cartoons. The basics are pretty much there if you want to draw your own comic strips. The rest is just practice.

This is an excellent reference, beginner or not
I found this to be an excellent learning tool and reference for cartooning / animation. He clearly states step by step with many examples, and almost all the art in the book has the rough "circle" sketch going to the full cartoon final (in color). The color illustrations are excellent, the perspective and clothing tutorials are well-done and easy to understand.

A reviewer below stated that he didn't even specify how to erase the guide lines, and was confused and didn't think that this book was for a beginner. I highly disagree. Page 10 "Creating a face from a basic head shape" specifically states at the bottom to erase your guide lines at the end. If you can follow instructions, you can learn from this book.

I use this book to supplement the Flash cartoons I've been working on, and in fact, instead of taking pencil to paper, I have followed all his guidelines drawn directly into Macromedia Flash (with a Wacom Intuos2 graphics tablet). When it says to "stretch" a ball shape, no problem, all done digitally, all quite simple. Even someone who can't draw a straight line can benefit from this book if they use it in conjunction with Macromedia Flash to learn to create cartoons.

Excellent reference and learning tool, I'm going to the store today to purchase three more of his "how-to" books.

Plenty of drawing concepts and techniques inside one book!
I'm impressed with all the information that one book like this covers. This book doesn't teach you how to put your pencil to the paper to draw shapes other than explaining the concept of what needs to be done, but there isn't a substitute for practice.

I too started cartooning as a hobby(not too far from 29 years of age myself) and have always been frustrated and gave up whenever I attempted to learn because it seemed too hard. This book is excellent! If you aren't worried about "how" to draw the basic shapes and want to know "why" and "what" is needed so that you can practice the "hows", this is the book to be without.

I had immediate results after only practicing for a couple of hours. You have to take the time to practice and use your eraser (can't get lazy). The human mind is fussy with drawings. It's never a challenge to spot badly-looking art, but learning what you did wrong when you finally get it right is what teaches you how to be a good drawer. Practice! Practice! Practice! Your eraser is going to be your best friend, better get used to it. This is the book to have if you want to learn as much as you can about cartooning in the shortest time. The coloured illustrations are fun to learn from as well.

The more advanced parts of the book dealing with more detailed drawings will also be a good transition if you ever want to go into comic book style drawings.

NOT a beginning book at all
I bought this book as a "non-artistic" person who decided to try and "learn to draw" at the age of 29. I never was really into drawing (since I was always so horrible at it I never enjoyed trying.) When I asked an artistic friend, he mentioned that "anyone could learn". OK. I thought I would give it a try. I bought "CARTOONING FOR THE BEGINNER". Guess what? After spending HOURS trying to do a "basic toon head" and giving up I asked my artistic friend. One sentence and a 10 second description told me. (Add lines to the circle, erase the old instead of trying to free-hand draw the shape). Instead of sound advice, and TELLING the person HOW to draw, you are met with a set of "toon hands" stretching the drawing, with no mention of any further instruction other than "start with a circle, stretch it out, squash it" without the details on HOW to do it the easiest way. This book is more of a "Look what I've done!" to other artists than an instruction book. The artwork looks nice, but I have to wonder if the author REALLY wants to teach drawing (or knows HOW to teach) or just sell dozens of "how-to draw XYZ books" with have few differences than the pictures in the book being displayed.

If I were the author I would be embarrassed at this extremely poor attempt (if thats what it was) to teach drawing.
The only reason I give this book a "2" rating is because of the interesting pictures inside. But I'll spend my money elsewhere and find a REAL book on how to draw next time.

This book isn't really for beginners.
Although this book was somewhat helpful, it seemed to be a mere summary of knowledge, and not exactly in the proper order; if you were to follow this book from front to back, you would get lost pretty quick. Hart doesn't go into detail, nor does he explain anything. He just assumes you "get it," so if you truely are a beginner, this book won't help you much as far as drawing cartoon characters. ... Read more

Book Description

Designed as a supplementary text, this book helps students of art and art history better understand contemporary art by engaging them in the study of criticism and the practice of critically considering contemporary forms of art. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A straight-forward introduction to art criticism
A wonderful book. Boy, i was dragged through galleries and museums by my parents throughout the 60's and 70's, seeing things I thought interesting, some beautiful, some scary, some outright nonsensical. I never got to understand nothing, though I felt the impact of "the better stuff". Mr. Barrett does a wonderful job in being sincere and easy to understand as he, with impressively up-to-date examples, puts forth the meaning behind those formulae of formalism, modernism, post-modernism and the like. He carefully introduces techniques of criticism which are acknowledged as "best practices", but always underlines that other avenues will take us to excellence, too. I definitely appreciate what he covers under the "feminism" and "multiculturism" headlines, cos when we get to see it, we rarely have the nomenclatura to understand it properly. This is not just a book for someone who in earnest wants to make a living off "criticizing art", but for anyone young (in mind) enough to set out on the adventure to enjoy, understand and recommend contemporary art with some kind of vision for the betterment of mankind. The art, Mr. Barrett tells us, is all there - it's now up to us to make something with it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Did Ellen Levine attend PS 177 in Brooklyn from 1946 to 1954
Was Ellen Levine in my elementary school class? If so, we are both authors of many books. We're both 57 or so. If so, you were my friendly classmate at PS 177 or D.A. Boody JHS. Is that you, Ellen? If so, a warm hello from a grandma of five who also writes a lot of books, a history buff, and was also born around 1941. If this is another Ellen, then just ignore this message.

Keep on writing those wonderful books. They are helpful and make the world a smarter place. Mrs. A

essays_@hotmail.com ... Read more

Book Description

This instructional book approaches the figure organically, showing readers how to observe its basic shapes and subtle nuances through practical exercises and lessons in the art of seeing with a painter's eye.

Step-by-step demonstrations in contour drawing teach how to capture the overall essence of the human form, then lessons in gesture drawing emphasize the body's linear rhythms in various poses. Painting techniques progress from silhouette to three-dimensional forms through clever uses of light, shadow, color, and value. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

excellent course in drawing people
This book begins with a couple exercises intended to improve your ability at drawing people with pencil. All of these are ones I've utilized before in college art classes. These are followed by several exercises intended to improve your ability at drawing people with watercolor. All exercises focus on quick drawings. His paintings often use exagerated colors, to simplify the reader's task of figuring out what is happening. Together, these exercizes (and a lot of practice) are bound to greatly improve your artistic ability.

Even if you prefer to do slow detailed paintings, the quick paced exercises are an invaluable tool to improve your ability to draw people.

Excellent place to start painting with watercolors...
I just recieved this book today. I read most of it as soon as I got it. And then I started painting right away. The directions are simple and easy to understand. And each lesson will give you satisfaction as you complete it. This book concentrates more on abstracts, shapes, and colors. If this is the style you are looking for this is a great place to start.

Colorful, sketchy and loose style
In general there are very different styles of portraits or figure painting, from very photographically detailed and accurate to rough sketches. This book is about a kind of very rough watercolor figure sketches with strong and varied colors. The colors are exaggerated and more of expression than accurate "true" ones. Some like this style and some don't, for those who like it this book is a gem!

For me that like the more naturalistic figure it is still a source for inspiration even though I won't copy his style.
I can recommend the book, not as your first or only figure painting book, but as your second or third, it will spice up your collection.

As a side note, the book is printed with a paper/ink combination that smells so bad I have had to let it lie for a while before I can read it... That part of the impression of the book is not worth even one star :-)

An interesting and inspiring book
I was captivated by this book when I first flicked through it. The striking pictures of naked women probably helped but Charles' unique style really is what captivates. For example, one of my favorite pictures is of an old man fly fising. This book inspired me to first reproduce some of my favorite pictures from the book and then to do a series of paintings myself -- a good learning experience. The book is well illustrated (of course) and layed out, and would be a great tutorial in watercolor painting and/or painting people (clothed or otherwise). Charles also wrote a similar book on painting flowers (not of interest to me) and an older less colorful book on painting portraits -- which I was fortunate enough to pick up cheaply and new in a second-hand store. This book is the best of the three though.

Excellent Watercolor Figurative Instruction
Mr. Reid has a unique style which I love but which may not be for everyone. His book will be most useful for those chosing to emulate his style but will also be very informative for those following a different style. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

very comprehensive
I am currently in Figure drawing 2 and this book is a wonderful help. I have few figure drawing books that I feel compleatly happy with and this one is the best. It shows you how the masters worked with simple shapes, line, value, mass, and anatomy to represent the figure. It breaks up the chapters into body parts and each chapter deals with that specific part. By presenting works of master artists and disecting them you understand how the human form works and can be expressed. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in drawing the figure, especially beginers.

A masterpiece of life drawing tuition
Mr Coyle has done great justice to his old mentor Robert Beverley HALE with this magnificent book. The lessons are based on Mr Hales teachings on the techniques and thinking of the great master drawers, and not only are the examples all master works, but innovative use of coloured line overlays makes sometimes difficult concepts abundantly clear. The real point of this book, as with all R.B.Hale books, is that YOU can learn to think in the same highly visually intelligent way as these greats of the past, and learn to apply that thinking to your own creations. BRAVO Messrs Hale et Coyle!

Yoda personally teaches you the secrets of the Force.
Robert Beverly Hale's three books on Artistic Anatomy should be owned by every beginning and professional artist. Beverly Hale shows the reader that to become an adept draftsman,it is best to learn from the drawing masters of all time. Beverly Hale also tells the reader how the best figure draftsmaen,from daVinci to Degas,learned from the works of past great masters.

Reading and learning from Robert Beverly Hale's three books on Artistic Anatomy is like learning the ways of the Force from Yoda himself. ... Read more