Customer Reviews

Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters: 45th Anniversary Edition (Practical Art Books)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As an artist that did not go to art school, I have constantly searched for instructional books only to be disappointed in finding stupid books written for people who are not serious about art and have no discipline. All of Hale's books, especially this one, are supremely intelligent and extremely insightful. after reading his book you'll gain insight to judge good drawing from a bad ones, a skill every serious artist should strive to have. Hale will help you see drawing in a new light and send you on your way to growth. Since he uses drawings by artists such as Raphael, Tintoreto, Rembrandt and Rubens, you'll be learning from the masters themselves, not from some mediocre artist. The only negative about the book, if it can be called a negative, is that after 100 drawings you want more. I learned more from this one book than through all the art books I have read before, and more than almost all the art classes I have taken, put together.

This wonderful book by R.B.Hale is one of the most profound works ever written concerning not just classical life drawing but also the principles underpinning all good drawing. I am a working artist,illustrator and drawing teacher who studied at one of the few really good traditional art schools in the world (we did nothing else but draw and paint the figure, the plaster cast and still lives), and this book was recommended as a worthy text. At first I ignored it because of one silly remark old Robert Beverley makes on the first page where he states that he supposed that there is no one living today who could draw as well as the worst artist included in his book. I felt that this was absolute codswallop, and still do, but once I gave him a chance to speak he completely changed my understanding!

Many people feel that if you can copy something exactly as you see it then you are an accomplished artist. This might be true in this era where drawing is hardly the number one subject in school. The beauty of Hales book is that he expounds the subtle and brilliant secrets of masters of the past, most of whom came from a time pre-camera, when drawing and consequently painting was a true science, a deep and profound study of 3D form, underlying anatomy, exquisite subtleties of tonal light CREATED IN THE ARTISTS HEAD and not neccessarily what was seen ( real light moves constantly anyway!)

So, if you are a dedicated and passionate art student or artist who is prepared to humble yourself and really learn to draw, then this book and indeed all of R.B.Hales books including his 'Artistic Anatomy' with Paul Richer is for you. Please feel free to write to me with any questions regarding classical drawing.

I can't say enough good things about this book. Robert Beverly Hale was considered one of the past century's greatest instructors of drawing and artistic anatomy. This book shows why he is held in such high regard. It provides numerous examples of old master drawings with Hale's penetrating insights regarding why the drawings are great. A master teacher discussing master drawings - it doesn't get any better than that!

Remember, the old masters themselves used to copy master drawings when they were students learning how to draw. Follow their example. This book also has a wonderful section on artistic anatomy. Anatomy is very important, and can't be stressed enough. It provides the foundation of all good figurative art, whether it be drawing, painting, or sculpture. This book, besides discussing and analyzing master drawings and what makes them great, also provides the best introduction to artistic anatomy that I've seen.

I found this book to be an exceptional and invaluable resource for the serious artist. Robert Hale has a keen sense of analyses that will bring to the conscience mind all of the subtle nuances that make the difference between pretty pictures and great art. The illustrations are poignant examples of stunning classic works from old masters. The text covers the basic essentials such as compostion, effective light, using tonal values, line, perspective and anatomy. Overall a rewarding investment.

Robert Beverly Hale's "Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters" certainly deserves 5 stars. This book is so profound in its depth that it beggars all comparison. There is virtually nothing like it in the world of publications on the subject of drawing human anatomy. When other art books use language like:

"ULTIMATE" or "COMPLETE GUIDE TO" ...you can be sure that its just fancy-shmancy marketing language. When Robert Beverly Hale's book is described this way, it is the simple truth. This is, in every sense, the ultimate. When you open it and see on pages 22 through 25 the rough sketches by Luca Cambiaso (1527--1585) you will know what the "classical tradition" is.

It even comes at a 5-Star price, meaning that the books price is not excessively marked up.

An indication of this book's status in the world of art can be found by the fact that many art schools throught the world use this book.

I must point out that it goes into the details of anatomical drawing for those wanting to see what the Renassaince Masters saw when they drew. It is not an elementary "how-to" book for those learning to draw the figure. This is for the student of human anatomy as it ultimately came to be represented by the Masters of human anatomy. No student should be without this reference, to be informed of the great masters. There really is no other book quite like it on the market. Robert Beverly Hale is the final word on the classical tradition.

Three instructors encompass the classical tradition on drawing the human figure; Robert Beverly Hale, Stephen Rogers Peck, and Jack Hamm. Their books are unsurpassed.

This book is a great analysis of past masters drawings. It basically breaks down what is good about the masters techniques. Also, there are some really well thought out chapters on drawing basics as they apply to figure drawing. Definitely worthy of having for a serious artist who draws just about anything.

The only issue I had with this book was the condecending use of the word "beginner" spread throughout the book. It really isn't necessary to insult students while trying to convey a message. But most artists have developed thick skins anyway if they have much experience so it is not something to prevent you from having this book. My drawing has improved just reading this book.

Length:: 0:20 Mins

Drawing Lessons From the Great Masters is an art book that teaches by looking at the art fundamentals used by great art masters themselves -- Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rodin, Goya, Rembrandt, among others.

There are 100 master drawings analysed by Robert Beverly Hale on the fundamentals such as line, light and planes, mass, position and thrust, and anatomy. These are all figure drawings. Each illustration is printed full on one page with a certain section selected for analyzing on the next. The commentary is simple and concise, providing great insight to what these artists were thinking. Many of these pieces are really sketches but when you realised the thought put behind every stroke and what the artist was trying to show, you'll instantly be enlightened.

At the end of this book, even if you can't draw yet, you'll be able to identify the difference between a good and bad drawing. And when you draw, you'll remember the principles.

This is a really useful and inspirational reference book, great for beginner to advanced artists.

Robert Beverly Hale has also authored Anatomy Lessons From The Great Masters, which uses the same teaching style here but focusing on anatomy drawings.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

Mr. Hale's book has been invaluble in understanding figure drawing. He uses wonderful examples from the great masters. At times his commentary seems snobbish but if you can get past that then you will learn a great deal. I would highly recommend this book to anyone (novice to intermediate) interested in drawing the figure.

this is a wonderful must buy book by robert beverly hale , renowned art teacher,his understanding of the works of the great masters is truly astounding. what you can get from this book? all artists who wish to become masters of drawing the human figure can find a system to grade yourself for your entire lifetime compared to the great masters.that means you will never be easily satisfied by your own work, and you have the luxury of studying from a vast collection of drawings from almost all the well- known figure artists of the last six hundred years.each artist has his own strength and weakness . hale has very intelligently pointed out the strengths but misses out on the weaknesses thats where you got to have many more books on anatomy and drawing to cross refer and also finally you have to try identifying these strengths and putting them down in your style while doing life drawing or imaginary drawing. you have to understand that we are at an advantage compared to all the artists featured in this book(even though hale would like you to beleive otherwise) because of the vast resources available to us in the form of great master works and anatomy books ,medical and artistic.buy this book and chart the path to great figure drawing. finally i beleive that its possible to acheive unparalled success at figure drawing through regular training in a systematic manner.anyone with any questions can email me .im an animator and an advanced student of figure drawing.

Robert Beverly Hale's drawing books are some of the first one I go to on my shelf when looking for drawing advice. Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters is terrific book to get a handle on the mental aspects of drawing.

This book is a little more generic than his others, focusing more on a general approach to drawing and a very basic overview of anatomy.

The primary truth Hale mentions that many students fail to realize and some other drawing books skip over is that drawings aren't supposed to be a copy of real life. They're just symbolic depictions of life.

If a limb needs to be moved to make a better drawing, or if the entire lighting plan needs to be redone in your head, do it. The model is just the initial suggestion on which to base a drawing.

Where Hale's books shine is that he uses old master drawings for his examples. Basic art concepts such as conceiving body forms as basic geometric shapes to help control and simplify details are much easier to understand when you can see it in a Rubens or DaVinci drawing.

I will admit that some of his advice (like buying bones to study anatomy) may sound a tad odd. But you should remember that this book is 20 years old and draws on teaching experience for 30+ years before that. However, other than that the lessons in this book are just as important and relevant now and when they were first written.

I have a ton of drawing books, (almost literally) but this and Robert Beverly Hale's other books are some of my favorites.