Successful Drawing

Andrew Loomis has produced some of the best instructional books in art, especially drawing. Where his other well-known offerings, "Drawing the Head and Hands" and "Figure Drawing for All it's Worth" are all about figure and portrait drawing, this one looks more generally at drawing skills.It covers a lot of theory, and condenses it into illustrations and explanatory texts that you'll need to follow closely if you are to learn everything that Loomis tries to convey. This makes it something that I doubt younger readers will enjoy, but teenage and adult readers, there is plenty of knowledge and skill on offer. About half the book is devoted to perspective in its many forms. It is detailed and exhaustive and thorough, and told mainly through explanatory graphics, but gives a through grounding in the subject. The accompanying texts can be a bit difficult to follow, so perseverance is required. The second half the book is much prettier, with many example drawings to inspire and amuse.I bought this book simply because I have all the other Loomis books - to complete my set. It is a beautiful book, but not quite as useful to me as his other books. Even so, I've read this one but as a keen artist already, I didn't learn a great deal from it.

I have been a fan of Andrew Loomis for many years, and as a professional artist myself, believe his books to be a wonderful starting place for learning to draw. Often artists start by copying things - from pictures or from life. This is great and it is essential for learning how to translate what you see into lines and shades on the paper.What Andrew Loomis does so well in this book is to show you how to draw what you don't see. He explains how to do perspective, reflections and how to understand the way light falls on three dimensional objects and figures. Drawing well from the mind takes practice and confidence. Andrew Loomis will show you the path - it will still be up to you to follow it.This book was written in 1951, and the style of the drawings and some of the text reflect that period in history. However, from a drawing point of view it is a golden era: artists were needed to produce so many of the images for magazines and adverts that they had to be able to draw anything. If you would like to be able to draw anything than this is the book for you.If you are serious about learning to draw then Andrew Loomis's books are worth every penny.

A cracking book.Essential for developing artists.I've recently taken up digital painting. Whilst there are a lot of books on the digital painting, I needed somepractical guidance on the basics. Andrew Loomis's book is just the job.The guidance and examples are quite clear.I also found Jack Hamm's books to be of great interest.

I have to admit, I am a Loomis advocate. He is that all too rare mix of someone who actually knows his stuff and has accomplished with someone who can communicate it and inspire. Beautiful, beautiful work and inspirational. Well laid out and easy to read and dip into.

A Classic.Loomis needs no introduction.A great book if you are interested in drawing.Linear perspective explained better than anyone else.Wonderful.