Customer Reviews

Mark Kistler's Draw Squad

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
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This book is for EVERYBODY. Elementary school children will take to it with no reservations or inhibitions; Kistler knows how to prepare and motivate his readers to just dive right in. Adults (I am 44) will discover that the ONLY prerequisites for learning to draw fluently are a few 3B pencils, a cheap sketchpad -- and Kistler's book. The lesson/exercises could not be more easy, painless, or fun. If you go through the entire book as I did -- once you start, it's almost impossible to stop -- you will have accumulated an impressive collection of well-drawn doodles, sketches, vignettes, illustrations -- and at least one gigantic mural. And YOU are the artist.

Kistler doesn't teach you merely to "copy" figures, he gives you insanely simple projects that become a kind of alphabet / repertoire for assembling a larger, more grandiose project, and then he exhorts you to go and do just that. And you do go out and do it, because now you can.

You don't just learn to draw objects, you acquire the ability to visually invent, create, generate and connect pictorial ideas and expand on artistic themes. By the time you get half-way into the book, you begin to see your dining room wall as a nice place for your own "Guernica" mural or "Historical Pageant of the Milky Way Galaxy". By the end of the book, you understand why Michaelangelo couldn't just paint the Sistine Chapel beige with a roller and quit at five o'clock.

RDB

As a fourth-grade teacher who was never very good at art, I always found teaching art to be very difficult. Elementary school teachers aren't provided with any real curriculum, and the majority of ideas out there in books and teachers' magazines are simplistic cut-and-paste busy work that don't really teach any art concepts. Then I found this book! This is incredible! My whole art program is set up around this book! It teaches art concretely and step-by-step so that the most art challenged students (including myself) are able to learn from it! The kids love it, and its great for teaching mathematical and geometrical concepts like shapes, angles and terms. I couldn't recommend this book for any teacher (or child, or parent) more! You and your children will draw great pictures, even if you are as bad at drawing as I am!

If you are looking for a place to start learning to draw, and the books you have seen before only make it harder, your search is over. Mark makes it easy for anyone at any age to get basic drawing skills, the building blocks you need to get started. He teaches the skills that other books make seem complex, without the stress or making it go over your head. His way of teaching is simply the easiest method a person can have to start drawing. And if the books are good, his old show on PBS and his videos are even better. Mark makes drawing so fun kids beg to use the book again and again. He does not start by intimidating you with the completed project, in fact you don't always know what you are drawing until you are done. He takes you one line, circle, or square at a time and before you know it you have a fun drawing. I also reccommend you try the books from Ed Emberly, or check my lists on Amazon for kids that want to learn to draw, or be a cartoonist or animator.

I am an parent volunteer/Art Docent in a rural public school; I present art lessons to a fairly rowdy group of fifth-graders. This book makes it a breeze! Some if these kids (sadly) were already afraid to draw. "I can't draw" they told me. "I'm no good at art." How tragic! But with the help of this book and weekly 1/2 hour sessions, these kids are drawing like mad. They are proud of their creations and can't wait to show me their "practice creatures".

I plan to buy 3 more copies of this book to place in the fifth grade classrooms. These lessons are so simple, the teachers could pull out the books and Poof! instant art lesson. This makes a great Class Reward...a productive way to spend that stray 1/2 hour. The kids are learning but are having a blast!(I'm learning right along with them!) If only all learning could be this painless.

Kistler's step by step journey through the acquisition of drawing skills offers constant positive reinforcement and builds self esteem.

The alphabet of drawing skills learned rather painlessly, will be a source of joy for a lifetime; but the attitude of tolerance and acceptance which permeates the work is a basis for a happy life.

I bought this book for myself, because I have never felt very good about my drawing skills, even though I have been doing art work for quite a few years. The effect has been more than I had hoped for. I like my art better. I am planning to continue with another drawing course when I finish Kistler's work.

Do read all the reviews here. They are very useful in describing various aspects of this book. Anyone who has time to spend with children and would like it to be quality time will enjoy using this book.

Mark Kistler could have written this book just for me. I quit taking art after 5th grade because the teachers didn't seem to grade fairly (how can you grade art?)

The point that Mark Kistler makes is that often teachers give a kid a pencil and paper and say "go ahead -- draw something". But they wouldn't give a kid the checkbook and pencil and say, "go ahead, balance it." Not unless they had given the child some basics of math and an understanding about what checkbooks are, do, and represent. Mark Kistler's Draw Squad teaches you the basics of art and then he shows you how to put them together to make some cool pictures. (Actually, he gets you drawing in the first lesson, not just "practicing your scales")

He gives you a self test so you can compare your before and after work. He also shows some wonderfully inspiring samples from other Draw Squad Members (people studying Mark Kistler's method -- and graduates of his course). I noticed that he not only teaches you fabulous cartooning he also introduces you to 3D and Eshcer-like artwork that you too can learn to create. (You should see what he teaches 8 year olds to draw.)

The Draw Squad encourages the participant to build a fanciful world of high tech and futuristic cities, unibears (teddy bear with a horn on its head) or to make up new creatures. Mark Kistler has broken the steps to learning to draw into bite sized chunks and gives you specific goals. Instead of saying, " go home and practice this,"(sort of a nebulous request if you ask me) he'll say "see how many tables you can stack on top of each other in your drawing. The current record for most tables stacked is ...".

Mark Kistler uses humor and wacky slogans to help break the "creativity crunch". He feels that often our young people tend to digest way too much TV and don't learn to strengthen their own creative skills (I personally fear that my beloved internet may be seducing young minds in the same way). This is why he comes up with comically ridiculous phrases to help the children (largely who his audience is; even though kids at heart like me can really relate)"draw outside of the box". If the children follow his lead and combine unexpected phrases or images or ideas, then they are exercising their creativity and making themselves better problem solvers (and better artists) in the process.

Mark Kistler's book is a must buy for parents or teachers who want to give their children confidence that they can draw. It's also a must buy for 5th grade art dropouts like myself. I use the computer to generate art but with the help of Mark Kistler's very fun, and inspiring and organized teaching method, I feel like I can create my own artwork instead of relying on using clipart.

PS If you're looking at other drawing or cartooning texts read this one first then go to How To Draw The Marvel Way by Stan Lee

PPS Teachers will find about 40 pages of advice from Mark Kistler and other teachers on how to go about using his lessons in their own classroom. This is a very friendly and approachable text.

I bought this book for my teenage twins and found myself drawing up a storm. Learn the very basics of drawing, starting with circles and boxes, shading and perspective. We spent many very enjoyable hours and it gives children a sense of accomplishment. This is my number one gift this Christmas for children of all ages.

A must have for every child. I have given this book to every child I know. The simple lessons help build self-esteem. Children see immediate improvement in their drawing skills.
I also find it helps lubricate the imagination and creativity. Parents drawing along with their children will be pleasantly surprised at their own results. Fun for everyone.

I got this book for my 11th Birthday, I had been watching Mark's television show religiously, and, having such a great step by step interpritation of the TV series made it even better, I absolutely love this book as well as all the others my Mark that i have, signed of course, they're all just great books, I'd recommend them to parents even if the kids aren't into art, it's a great way to encourage self esteem and positive thinking!

Mark Kistler's "Draw Squad" was my gift to my niece on her ninth birthday. She is a crafty young lady, always coloring and drawing. When she opened "Draw Squad" for the first time, I could see her interest in it. Along with this book, her gift included a sketch pad, pencils and sharpener, a gum eraser and a sturdy notebook with pocket folders to store her drawings. (I checked out the simple supplies that Mark listed for beginners). The first gift that she picked up after opening all others was this book. She followed the step by step instructions and drew a rabbit within minutes.
"Draw Squad" will be used for several years as a learning tool and a reference book. It brings out the hidden talent in all of us.