New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook: Guided Practice in the Five Basic Skills of Drawing (Spiral-bound)

~ (Author) "Pre-instruction drawings provide a valuable record of your skills in drawing at the present moment, a record that will enable you to appreciate your advance..." (more)
Key Phrases: picture plane, erase the crosshairs, date your drawing, Basic Unit, The Perception, Pure Contour (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Millions of people have learned to draw using the methods of Dr. Betty Edwards. Now, in an essential companion to her bestselling classic, Edwards offers readers the key to mastering this art form: guided practice in their newfound creative abilities.

Here are forty new exercises that cover each of the five basic skills of drawing. Each practice session includes a brief explanation and instructional drawings, suggestions for materials, sample drawings, and blank pages for the reader's own drawings. Also provided in this spiral-bound workbook is a pullout viewfinder, a crucial tool for effective practice. While The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain focused primarily on portrait drawing with pencil, this workbook gives readers experience in various subject matter-still life, landscape, imaginative drawing-using alternative mediums such as pen and ink, charcoal, and conté crayon.

For all those who are taking a drawing class, who have already received instruction through a book or course, or who prefer to learn by doing, this volume of carefully structured "homework" offers the perfect opportunity to reinforce and improve their skills and expand their repertoire.

About the Author

Dr. Betty Edwards is professor emeritus of art at California State University in Long Beach, California. She has been profiled by the Los Angeles Times and The Seattle Times, Reader's Digest, Time, New York, and the Today show.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 160 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (October 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585421952
• ISBN-13: 978-1585421954
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,709 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

224 of 240 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointing, November 1, 2002

By	"nickey777" (Rockville Centre, New York United States) - See all my reviews

I loved the video "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" and also the book "The New Drawing on the right Side of the Brain",but this new book is just a new format for the exercises covered in the book and video. There are not 40 new exercises as promised, and actually there are very few new exercises.
I was looking forward to the book to further the skills I developed with new ideas not to redo the exercises I've completed.
It's a great book for someone who never invested time or money in Betty Edwards' book or video, but it's not worth it if you have.

70 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Portable Classroom, July 11, 2004

By	Sarah Dreher (Amherst, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I started out as an insecure, fumble-fingered incompetent -- couldn't even doodle. With the techniques Edwards puts forth, I've been able to learn a tremendous amount about drawing, and about looking at the world (a side-effect not to be understimated). This workbook provides a classroom experience for those who can't find or afford a classroom. For those of us with some experience, it's a great refresher course. I recommend it very highly. In fact, I'm ordering my second copy, for an insecure, fumble-fingered friend.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just bought and using this book, December 2, 2005

By	Karen Malmgren (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book because a few art ladies in my neighborhood meet once a week to work from this book and now I am meeting with them. I have never read any of Edwards other books and am not familiar with her theories. I just wanted to reactivate my art talent.

I have done ten of the forty exercises so far. I have been impressed with how easy it was to just start drawing again. From some of the exercises I get the drift of where Edwards is coming from, but what is more important is the experience I am gaining.

On exercise six are drawings upside down and you sketch them that way; then turn them upright when done and surprise you have an amazing sketch of the drawing you copied. The idea is that you trick your brain into switching to the right side and stop the left side from talking and cluttering up your mind with thoughts such as "I don't do upside down pictures".

If you get the book do all the drawings in this exercise and you will find an interesting thing happens. The drawing you think is the simplest to do and get right is actually the hardest and the hardest is the easiest to do. You can come up with your own theory on that. I have my own. I learned a lot about myself from this exercise when I analyzed my pictures. One thing I found is that I draw things slightly larger than I see them. So go for it and see what happens for you.

I mail ordered all the supplies listed in the book and found that I did not need all the things on the list and could have done without some things and saved myself some money. It is easy to adapt the lessons to your budget if you get creative. Do get the kneaded eraser, charcoal, and number four pencil. You can end up spending over twenty dollars for all the supplies recommended.

I plan to update this review when I am done with the workbook. I give it four stars now because I have not finished the book and the issue with the supply list.