 "Great Book!!" | 2009-11-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A8D6R48IN2QCV |
| This book is really helping me in my Observational Drawing class. Thank you for shipping it to me so quickly. |
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| "Drawing at age 60!" | 2009-10-24 |
| - Reviewed By chris_books |
I've always considered myself a "left brain" thinker who loves art but had thought myself incapable of drawing. I purchased this book on a whim - and have been utterly amazed by the progress I've made. I know this book works well for total beginners. The author's student samples, and early exercises, are confidence builders - and I personally like the mixture of her own art, student artwork, and drawings of recognized artists (including very early Van Gogh as he was learning to draw.)
Hurray for Betty Edwards! |
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| "fantastic book, great condition, super value" | 2009-09-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3ECPIKNCU88L4 |
| fantastic,easy to understand, lots of pictures and excercises to follow, has helped improve my drawing skills by 100% earning me a HD in my last school assignment |
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 "Changed the way I think forever" | 2009-09-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3HL7LCY05M2EE |
I first encountered this book when I was twelve. At that age, I already had the desire to draw realistically for years. I took a lot of art classes and I was considered talented, but I was painfully aware that I wasn't learning certain things, like how to draw human beings. All of my attempts looked like crude cartoons, not at all human.
From this book, I learned that drawing isn't about learning how to mark up the paper. It's more about learning how to see. This book is capable of teaching you the seemingly unteachable: it will teach you how to see. The ability to see the way an artist sees is very valuable. It will inevitably alter your perception of everything you look at, even when you are not drawing.
It only took a few exercises in this book to change my perception. It's remarkable to feel such a great shift in your thinking in such a short amount of time. I started really looking at my subject, observing and not simply drawing what I thought should be there. For the first time I felt like I was really learning through observational drawing, not merely copying, or recycling the same symbols already in my brain.
So why give it four stars? Well, there is too much writing. You should keep some skepticism about the whole "right side of the brain" thing. Yeah, I know it's in the title, but even book's introduction admits the science is outdated. Unfortunately, the science is a large part of the book's content, so I can't write it off as irrelevant. Bye, fifth star.
My least favorite exercise in the book is the one where you draw the vase that also looks like a face. It's supposed to cause a conflict between your left and right sides of the brain. I did it, believing it was going to work, but I felt no internal conflict whatsoever. Can anyone comment and tell me if this worked for you?
Don't get me wrong; the left-brained right-brain analogy does some good. The theory shows you the difference between two very different types of perception, and that is a very useful thing to understand. My problem is that I'm pretty sure drawing uses both sides of your brain. I'm not a psychologist or anything, but this is what my experience tells me. I don't think it's possible to just eliminate one kind of thinking or the other from your drawing. Your brain shouldn't be at war with itself anyway.
One last warning: If you are already in the habit of observational drawing, you might already be too advanced for this book. If you are still a beginner, frustrated by the lack of realism in your drawings, buy it. |
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| "Excellent for pure beginners" | 2009-09-03 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2WMLTXNR3YVB3 |
| This book is excellent for beginners and slow learners. Ihad taken an art course with International Art Correspondence Schools, you know the commercial on TV that tells you to call in for an art test. Yes that one. Although, I had a good foundation, I still could not draw human faces good, mix colors, or even draw portraits as great as the ones in Betty's book. Granted, her work does not look anything like some of the other artists I've seen, but the book is great for beginners who need to have something to work towards too that is not too frightening and not too intimidating. The bad reviews here on this books are from people who are way way way more advanced than I am, and thus they are disappointed. Rightly so, Betty Edwards's book is not for those who already know how to draw portraits. The right side of the brain concept is unique and there is information that we can't prove or disprove about how the brain works, but alas, the book is not to teach you about how the brain works so much as how to SEE like an artist. Teaching and learning to see like an artist has no right or wrong way of doing it. From my experience it is basically just a made up idea in your head that gets you to actually see what it is you are supposed to draw. If you're a beginner, with a light foundation in being able to draw basic shapes then you will most likely have fun with this book. If you're a primadona, self- flattering, ego-maniac then don't bother with this book. Alternatively, if you're an experienced artist, raking in millions of dollars with your art, but still open minded to learning about a different technique or viewpoint on something then this book may interest you. I have found even the most basic books still give me new knowledge or at least a new inspiration. |
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| "excellent way to learn how to draw" | 2009-07-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1G8DAKTZR04VE |
| I bought the original version of Betty Edwards book back when it was new. In fact, my copy is autographed by her, as I went to a workshop with her at the time. I used the concepts for teaching drawing to high school students every year after that. Now as a retired art teacher, I recently bought this book for a private art student, an older woman herself! She had no experience drawing prior to my instruction. I had her do an upside-down drawing and she was simply amazed at what she could do and we have gone on from there. She loves drawing now...I thank Betty Edwards for her work. |
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