Starting Drawing - Art class

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk

Starting Drawing offers a coherent introduction to the fundamentals of drawing for complete beginners. It explains the principles behind producing marks, lines, shapes, and tones, and shows how materials such as pencil, charcoal, and ink differ in practice. The book guides readers through practical exercises and projects based on observing everyday objects, addressing key challenges like line, tone, and space, and progressing from tonal studies and measurement to mixed-media techniques. Readers also learn how to organize a workspace, choose equipment, and develop their own drawing style through sustained practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages62

Reading Time1 h 35 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Tonal techniques

Introduction

Using charcoal

Working with ink

Recommended kit

Basic equipment

Organizing a small space

Projects: Tonal drawings

uZCLASS I JASON BOWYERKen Howard StartingDrawing Drawing is both an art form in its own right and thebasis of other media.To paint wellyou need to beableto draw.Fortunately the ability to draw is inborn-practically anybody can be taught how to do it. Starting Drawing explains the principles of drawing tothe complete beginner.It takes you through the basicmaterials,showing how to become familiar with thediffering qualities of pencil,charcoal and ink.Bygiving various practical exercises and projects based onobserving objects tobe found in the home,it guidesyou through the problems of line,tone and space.These will enable you to develop the skill to produceboth drawings as the basis for paintings and fine worksthat are a pleasure in themselves. The Author Jason Bowyer is a practising artist who teachesdrawing to amateur artists and to art students.He hashad several exhibitions and received various awards,including the Elizabeth Greenshield Award(1983)and the Daler-Rowney Award(1986)at the RoyalAcademy Summer Exhibition. f6.95 Net UK JASON BOWYER Series EditorKen Houard B LOOMSBURY To Claire and Craven Cottage All rights reserved:no part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying or otherwise,without the priorwritten permission of the Publishers. First published in 1988 byBloomsbury Publishing Limited,2 Soho Square,London W1V 5DECopyright Swallow Publishing Ltd 1988 Conceived and produced bySwallow Publishing Ltd,Swallow House,11-21 Northdown Street,London N19BN Editors:Alison Leach and Catherine TilleyArt director:Elaine PartingtonDesigner:Jean HoyesPhotographer:Tim ImrieStudio:Del and Co.Printed in Spain by Mateu Cromo Note:Throughout this book,American terms are signalledin parentheses after their British equivalents the first timein each section they occur.In frame and artworkmeasurement,height always precedes width. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Bowyer,Jason Starting drawing.—(Art class). 1.Drawings-Manuals I.SeriesI.Title741.2 ISBN0-7475-0127-0 Contents Foreword by Ken Howard 4 Tonal techniques 28Dark to light and light to dark 29Introduction 6Using charcoal 30Working with ink 31Tonal theatre 32Recommended kit 9Basic equipment 10Organizing a small space 13A charcoal drawing 34Sitting and standing to draw 13A drawing in pen and wash 37Stretching paper 14 Materials,equipment and the workspace 8 Projects:Tonal drawings 34 Mixed media techniques 40Basic line techniques 16Mixed media line techniques 41Lines in pencil 17Mixed media tonal techniques 42Lines in dip pen and brush 17Further ideas 44Working from observation 18Looking at straight lines 18Looking at curves 19Window-partial view 47Looking at crumpled paper 19Window-full view 49Further ideas 51Measurement techniques 20Drawing an object sight-size 22Producing a study 53Drawing a group of objects 24A walk with my sketchbook 55Further ideas 27The river 58 Project:A window in mixed media 46 Measurement and proportion 20 Project:Using a sketchbook 52 Index 60 Acknowledgements 60 # Foreword ‘Why have I never seen that before?"These words were said tome many years ago by a man who had paused on his way towork for a few moments to watch me draw.Although he madethat journey through the same landscape every day,it seemedthat for the first time he had seen the view that had been beforehis very eyes all along.This process of opening people's eyes isone ofthe great values of drawing and painting. In addition to opening other people's eyes,it is equallyimportant to open one's own eyes.Drawing is a way of seeing.By that I mean drawing from nature actually makes you seenature,it opens your eyes to the world around you. Drawing,like writing,has a grammar.Just as writing ismade up of the letters,words,sentences and paragraphs,drawing is made up of marks,lines,shapes and tones.Whenwe are young we lea

FAQs

What does Starting Drawing teach beginners first?

It begins with advice on materials and organizing a work space, then explains how to make marks and develop basic understanding of line, tone, and space through practice.

How does the book help readers improve their drawing skills?

It provides step-by-step guidance and practical exercises and projects based on observing objects at home, covering common issues such as line, tone, and space.

Which drawing materials are emphasized in the book?

The book focuses on pencil, charcoal, and ink, explaining how to work with each and how tonal and mixed-media techniques build on these fundamentals.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk