Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain [Hardcover]

Betty Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1989

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.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 254 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; Rev Sub edition (May 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087477523X
• ISBN-13: 978-0874775235
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unlocking your creative abilities., February 10, 2005

By 

L. Power "nlp trainer" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (Mass Market 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.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will improve your drawing immensely!, June 15, 2004

By 

J. Danielson "jd11757" (austin, texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (Mass Market 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.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SECRETS REVEALED!!, August 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (Mass Market Paperback)

An acquaintance who is gainfully employed in the graphic arts commented on the sudden improvement in my drawing from scrawls to something distantly resembling art. He asked what I had been doing to improve and I told him that I had been following the course of instruction in the book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards.

"Oh", he replied. "That b**ch."

Apparently, Dr. Edwards is attaining a status among some professional artists similar to TV's infamous Masked Magician. She has DARED to lay open for all to see the very process by which the artistic eye and mind can dissasemble something (a face, a landscape, a still life) and reassemble it on paper. She has opened up the world of drawing to all of us. She has given all of us the means to express ourselves in a way that we had all believed belonged to a privileged few. And for that, her work is admired by millions and reviled, understandably, by a few.

Inspiring so much passion at BOTH ends of the scale is quite an accomplishment.