Customer Reviews

Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent book for anyone just starting to learn pen & ink drawing. This is not a step-by-step, draw what I draw, book. It is more a collection of tips & techniques for drawing almost any subject.

The author starts out by explaining each kind of line and what it's used for. Next, she explains value. Ink washes, a dry brush, and a variety of different line types are then used to create contrast and texture.

The design & composition section is great for showing you how to put everything together and what pitfalls to look out for. She also guides you through choosing a subject, finding a good photo to work from and achieving perspective.

Finally, each kind of subject is explained in detail. Some include flowers, landscapes, all kinds of water, and buildings. She also covers many animals including dogs, horses & birds. Human faces & figures are detailed as well.

I got this book after first buying Ms. Nice's Pen & Ink with Watercolor book. This book is also a delight to use. While it does not have quite the appeal of the other book (for me personally since I like and missed the color) it is still a good book for anyone wanting to become more proficient in pen & ink. Since that is what it is meant to do that is the criteria I used to rate it.

There are chapters describing the materials used. Chapters on the different strokes and how different the effect each one has when she shows a ball created with them. There are chapters on value and contrast, composition, landscapes, seascapes, plants, animals and portraits. She shows drawings created only with a verticle stroke for example or only with contour lines or dots along with many more that combine them with other marks. She shows the effect different technical pen sizes have on a drawing. She shows pen & ink combined with ink washes and gives advice on a field sketch kit. And these are only a few of the things this book demonstrates.

On every page the numberous drawings show the humble pen deserves to be respected as a serious art medium in its own right. This book would be a good addition to any artist's library no matter their skill level or subject matter.

You learn more in this book than any art class anywhere. It teachs you more than the art instructor does. It makes you understand art in a more broad range. It teaches you everything you need to know about drawing with pens and ink. You learn how to draw water in motion, landscapes, and many other things. It's very helpful.

Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink is a book for someone who already knows the basic steps to pen and ink drawing. If you wanting to learn how to do Pen and ink drawings her book,First Steps Drawing in Pen & Ink (First Step Series) is a much better choice.

Claudia Nice always does a fine job with details and examples. In comparison to her pen & ink with watercolor books, this one is a little boring. If you are really interested in using pen & ink as a medium, then this is a good book. If you are looking for reference material and drawing examples with intructions, then I recommend a different Nice book.

I had a couple of books that covered the subject of Pen and Ink drawing, but none were as easy to follow and helpful as this one. The pictures in the book are simply to die for. She shows you exactly how she creates line, shape and form with ink. There is also an explanation of the tools you will need (not much and not expensive really) to do this kind of work. If you are looking for a good instructional book on drawing with pen and ink I highly recommend this book. However, beware, your paints may dry up in their tubes as you get addicted to doing pen and ink. Fun stuff, the author writes in a way that is easy for anyone to follow.

I love the step by step instruction and the real life examples. With no formal training I can sketch the way I always wanted to.

You learn more in this book than any art class anywhere. It teachs you more than the art instructor does. It makes you understand art in a more broad range. It teaches you everything you need to know about drawing with pens and ink. You learn how to draw water in motion, landscapes, and many other things. It's very helpful.

Very thorough directions for various pen and ink techniques. Really breaks down the process into easily understandable steps.

I wasn't sure what book to purchase after finding so many to select from, but I think this books gives a really well rounded look into the art of ink drawing. I have to admit, I never really read the book, I learn by looking, not reading, and this book was informative for someone like me. Just looking at the drawings made it easier to understand various methods of ink drawing.