Keys to Drawing (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The art of drawing is an act of uncanny coordination between the hand, the eye, and the mind..." (more)
Key Phrases: sighting strategies, lls pattern, full tonal drawing, Vincent van Gogh, New York, Kathe Kollwitz (more...)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A painter, teacher and illustrator, Bert Dodson is the author of the best-selling North Light book, Keys to Drawing. He’s illustrated more than 70 children’s books and worked as an animation designer for the PBS series, Intimate Strangers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (August 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891343377
• ISBN-13: 978-0891343370
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,250 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Architecture > Reference
  #3 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Instructional & How-To > Drawing
  #3 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Instructional

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

350 of 352 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best how-to book on drawing -- bar none, December 1, 2001

By	Michael K. Smith (Gonzales, Louisiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

In high school, my best friends were the Artist and the Musician (I was the Writer), and while I learned to produce something approaching music, I was never able to draw anything recognizable. I never wanted to paint in oils or acrylics, or anything that advanced; I just wanted to be able to create good representational drawings and sketches. This apparent artistic inability has been a deep annoyance to me for more than thirty years -- aggravated by all the people who insisted that "anyone can learn to draw." Unable to find a class for adult beginners anywhere, and being the autodidact type, I've tried to teach myself from how-to books. I've read through dozens of them and have spent serious time trying to learn from at least five or six, but none of them turned out to be very useful, at least not to me.

Then I happened across Dodson's book and everything changed. He doesn't spend the whole first chapter describing the tools you need. He doesn't launch into a zen discussion of the "is-ness" of art or play amateur psychologist. He just tells you to sit down, cross your legs, and draw your feet -- and he explains, in very simple terms, just how to go through the process. Look, hold, draw. Look, hold, draw. And it works, it really does. I'm sure all this is old hat to you artists out there, but Dodson is exactly the sort of teacher I've been looking for all these years! There are about fifty exercises on methods and techniques throughout the book and I'm taking my time with them. After three months, I'm about a quarter of way through the book, and my sketch book is looking pretty good. I've learned to restate rather than erase, and I'm getting along just fine with two pencils (HB and 4B) and a Micron pen. I cannot recommend Dodson's methods too highly to anyone who, like me, just wants to learn to draw!

190 of 195 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I started to draw, May 11, 2000

By A Customer

I loved to draw as a little girl until my grade 5 art teacher held one of my "creations" up in front of my sister's class (she was very talented) and said, "can you believe they're sisters?". I was crushed and other than in art class, I never picked up a pencil again.

Fast forward 20 years where I see Bert Dodson's book "Keys to Drawing". I remembered how I used to love to draw and bought it on impulse. I started at page 1 and progressed through the book. The day my sister (the artist) walked into my house and seeing the drawing I was working on said, "nice drawing of Louis Armstrong" was one of the best moments of my life. By the way that was a drawing of Satchmo I was working on.

What I learned from Bert Dodson was that drawing is mostly about technique which anyone can learn. Although my masterpieces will never hang in a museum, they do hang in my home and my husband is very proud to have them there.

If you've always wanted to draw but thought you had no talent - buy this book. You will surprise yourself.

101 of 102 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible and thorough, September 13, 2000

By A Customer

I looked over and purchased KEYS TO DRAWING on the recommendation of one of the reviews here. I don't have the resources or time for an art class, but I like to sketch for a few spare minutes a day. The book is perfect for someone like me.

Dodson teaches the basics with an emphasis on relaxation and creativity. You really learn how to think about drawing. His exercises are designed to help you master skills (composition, proportion, shading) rather than the perfection of the end result. Oddly enough, the end result of all of these lessons are more perfect drawings!

Now that I'm finished with the book, I still go back mentally to each of Dobson's lessons to help me through the challenges of creating drawings, and I still work on the exercises. To me, this more than earns a 5 star review.