Edwards uses the latest in brain research to explain how anyone can learn to draw more accurately and creatively. This edition contains a new illustrated section in color, several fully revised chapters, new sample drawings, and a new section on handwriting.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Betty Edwards is professor emeritus of art at California State University in Long Beach, California. She is the author of The New Drawing on the Right Side of the, the world's most widely used drawing instructional, which has been translated into thirteen foreign languages with U.S. sales of almost three million copies. She speaks regularly at universities, art schools, and companies, including the Walt Disney Corporation and the Apple Corporation.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
100 of 101 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book years ago, and it taught me how to dramatically improve my drawing skills.
I believe people who are blocked from drawing well will get the most from this book. More accomplished artists may benefit as well by understanding better how the process works.
It shows you how to look at things differently, and uses different techniques to enable you to bypass your left (logical) brain, and access your right brain, (your subconscious mind), hence the title.
Instead of using left brain- right brain theory to describe this, in my view the more correct description would be to learn to access your subconscious mind which functions at a deeper level, while reducing the way in which your conscious mind interferes with the creative process.
Your brain has four levels of consciousness, beta which is normal waking state, alpha which is a relaxed meditative state such as when you are about to go to sleep, theta which is a deeper state associated with creativity and light sleep, and delta which is deep sleep.
Normally, your brain shows shows some activity at all these levels. Artists and other creative people are able to access the creative mental state more easily.
Here is an example of how the process works.
If you try to draw a chair you may have a definite idea in your logical mind of how a chair should be, so when you draw you are thinking 4 legs, a seat and a back. You know all the legs are the same length, and therefore you may draw that way.
This can interfere with you doing a good drawing, because each leg from an artistic viewpoint is longer or shorter depending on the distance from your eye, so you have to learn how to use your vision to see it differently.
This can interfere with you doing a good drawing, because each leg from an artistic viewpoint is longer or shorter depending on the distance from your eye, so you have to learn how to use your imagination instead.
In this book there is a picture of something such as a chair or a person's face, and you may draw it as it is. You can also use a picture from a newspaper or magazine. This represents your current skill level.
Now, turn the picture upside down and draw the picture upside down. As you do this drawing, you may notice that you are producing a more accurate copy of the picture. This is because you are now using different skills. I was amazed at the results. This is so simple to do. Try it yourself and discover how easy it is.
There are other examples and illustrations to show you how to see pictures differently, and use space, light and shade, optical illusions and so forth.
As you become more experienced you will learn how to use your new skills automatically. I particularly enjoyed using pictures of movie stars, turning them upside down, copying them, and then doing it again right side up.
I have referred several people who would love to draw well to this book. If you are not as artistic as you would like to be, and were to follow the exercises in this book there is no reason your skill level should not improve dramatically. Naturally, the more you practice, the more you improve. If it worked for me, it can work for you. This is pretty easy.
Imagine drawing anything you want to draw completely accurately, and with incredible detail, subtlety and nuance just like a professional artist. This potential is just a few clicks away. If it worked for me, it can work for you, as my natural drawing was ability not good.
I believe people who are blocked from drawing well will get the most from this book. More accomplished artists may benefit as well by understanding better how the process works.
It shows you how to look at things differently, and uses different techniques to enable you to bypass your left (logical) brain, and access your right brain, (your subconscious mind), hence the title.
Instead of using left brain- right brain theory to describe this, in my view the more correct description would be to learn to access your subconscious mind which functions at a deeper level, while reducing the way in which your conscious mind interferes with the creative process.
Your brain has four levels of consciousness, beta which is normal waking state, alpha which is a relaxed meditative state such as when you are about to go to sleep, theta which is a deeper state associated with creativity and light sleep, and delta which is deep sleep.
Normally, your brain shows shows some activity at all these levels. Artists and other creative people are able to access the creative mental state more easily.
Here is an example of how the process works.
If you try to draw a chair you may have a definite idea in your logical mind of how a chair should be, so when you draw you are thinking 4 legs, a seat and a back. You know all the legs are the same length, and therefore you may draw that way.
This can interfere with you doing a good drawing, because each leg from an artistic viewpoint is longer or shorter depending on the distance from your eye, so you have to learn how to use your vision to see it differently.
This can interfere with you doing a good drawing, because each leg from an artistic viewpoint is longer or shorter depending on the distance from your eye, so you have to learn how to use your imagination instead.
In this book there is a picture of something such as a chair or a person's face, and you may draw it as it is. You can also use a picture from a newspaper or magazine. This represents your current skill level.
Now, turn the picture upside down and draw the picture upside down. As you do this drawing, you may notice that you are producing a more accurate copy of the picture. This is because you are now using different skills. I was amazed at the results. This is so simple to do. Try it yourself and discover how easy it is.
There are other examples and illustrations to show you how to see pictures differently, and use space, light and shade, optical illusions and so forth.
As you become more experienced you will learn how to use your new skills automatically. I particularly enjoyed using pictures of movie stars, turning them upside down, copying them, and then doing it again right side up.
I have referred several people who would love to draw well to this book. If you are not as artistic as you would like to be, and were to follow the exercises in this book there is no reason your skill level should not improve dramatically. Naturally, the more you practice, the more you improve. If it worked for me, it can work for you. This is pretty easy.
Imagine drawing anything you want to draw completely accurately, and with incredible detail, subtlety and nuance just like a professional artist. This potential is just a few clicks away. If it worked for me, it can work for you, as my natural drawing was ability not good.
45 of 48 people found the following review helpful
By J. Danielson
Format:Paperback
I read this book, and later took a course based on this book. In fact, the book was really all I needed. For anyone who thinks drawing is a talent you have to be born with-check out the drawings by Van Gogh included in this book. It seems Vincent was in despair and was going to give up art, until he read a book on drawing (but not this one!). The author gives a before and after example of Van Gogh drawings. The difference was amazing, and clearly shows that drawing is a skill you can learn, no matter how inept your drawing is at first. Do the tasks in this book, and while you may not draw as well as Vincent (or you may), you will be pleased with the improvement you make.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
"Drawing? No, no, I can't draw. That's the job of artists." Isn't this what most of us say when someone talks about drawing or art? What we don't say is that we also have a secret wish that we can draw like an artist. If you are one of these people, grab this book and you will be amazed by what you can draw by following the author's assignments. She really teaches us how to SEE what's in front of us, rather than by our preconceptions. You learn not only how to draw but a new way of seeing your inner self: being creative and artistic -- something you always are but you didn't believe that you were before reading this book and doing all those drawing exercises
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Use this Book to See Differently
While my initial motivation for reading this book was learning drawing techniques, my more compelling reason for sticking it out and completing it is how these skills are helping... Read more
Published 7 hours ago by michaelnwct
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding
The information in this book has improved my ability to draw what I see. Improvements became obvious as I followed the suggested drawing exercises.
Published 9 days ago by Loretta Ramseyer
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent book
This book has become my guide in learning that I infact can draw. I was fortunate to have attended a class that used this wonderful book as our guide. Read more
Published 13 days ago by MikeHolder
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does Amazon have a warehouse down the street from me or what?
This is perhaps the 6th time that I have ordered from Amazon late afternoon one day and received the merchandise within 24 hours! Amazon should be called amazing instead. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Luanne J. Panacek
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic and a Must Own For Any Artist
This book is a CLASSIC. It first came out in 1979 but the fact that it has been updated (most recently in 2012) has kept the information relevant to the new discoveries about the... Read more
Published 18 days ago by Lucas Pickford
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drawing made accessible
Truly mind expanding. You think you can't draw? Wrong. You don't need to learn how to draw. You need to learn how to SEE. This book tells you how.
Published 21 days ago by richard werber
5.0 out of 5 stars
revisited
I used this book in college but dropped the class and lost the book. I just purchased it on my kindle and I am sorry I don't have the paperback anymore. Read more
Published 26 days ago by L Keene
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cannot believe I still had it in me
This book is amazing. I am not going to write a page review because it simply doesn't need to be that long to describe this book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Elrasoul
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very interesting!
A good book for of any adult age. Helpful in understanding how our thinking works. It's also written in terms that are easy to understand.
Published 1 month ago by Betty Young
5.0 out of 5 stars
I can draw
A teach in a class , that I was interpreting , recommend this book she said she used it since she was four. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Erin k Williams
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