The Art of Drawing [Paperback]

Willy Pogany (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 27, 1996

Provides a complete drawing system and includes hundreds of illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Madison Books; Rev Exp edition (June 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568330596
• ISBN-13: 978-1568330594
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book has both practical instruction and inspiring style, September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Drawing (Paperback)

This book, by deceased illustrator Willy Pogany, is, along with Jack Hamm's book, the best one on drawing the human head and figure. The book covers perspective, shape, and figure drawing in step-by-step practical fashion. Also included is an inspiring section of Pogany's own sketches of fanciful worlds and creatures. This book makes you want to practice and practice the steps, so that you too can create your own lively characters and scenes.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on the art of drawing ever!, June 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Drawing (Paperback)

Willy Pogany is one of the great classic masters of illustration; yet he does not hesitate to patiently take the student from the very beginning steps of drawing to the most advanced figure exercises. With very few words, and many excellent pictures, Pogany reveals the secrets of art and drawing. And even if you never follow the lessons, the pictures alone are worth the price!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Drawing-- I Like it!..., September 22, 2006

By 

"extreme_dig_cm" (Chicago, Il USA, Amazon.com Fan!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Drawing (Paperback)

...yet it took a long time for this to really grow on me. It looked a little *too* basic at first!

Reasons to buy this book: 1. Beautiful, *clear & simple* figure linework & shading; and 2. It's 120+ pages, filled with 100% pure pencil drawings for beginners.

Why do I like it? It's all about the clear & simple figure linework & shading. Including a brief introduction to perspective, the basics of figure drawing here are *really* rock-solid. His excellent drawings of women & children really stand out, and are the highlight of the book for me. The earliest copyright in my copy is 1972, but it was originally published way before that, as Willy Pogany actually lived between 1882-1955. A book doesn't last this long without reason(!). When you have linework & shading as clean & accurate as often seen here, the technique can be applied to any drawing style at any time. It's certainly helpful for life drawing in general, and that's something that never gets outdated (at least not quickly!).

Similar great books for beginners: George Bridgman's Heads, Features and Faces & Constructive Anatomy; Jack Hamm's Drawing the Head and Figure; Andrew Loomis' Drawing: The Head (HT197); and Barbara Bradley's Drawing People: How to Portray the Clothed Figure. All, at the time of this review, available here on Amazon! And for intermediate artists: see Loomis' Figure Drawing For All It's Worth.

P.S. There are 2 versions of this book right now: The Art of Drawing by Madison Books, and then Drawing Lessons reprinted by Dover. They have the *exact* same content, except that Dover for some reason has considerably worse printing quality in Drawing Lessons. Get the Art of Drawing instead!