Product Description
Updated to include the latest information on materials and brands, Color Drawing is a dependable guide to the techniques of illustration and their uses. Included are tips for achieving difficult effects, and material on color theory, composition, and preparing finished presentations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Study of Perspective
This lovely book and another that I purchased are an asset to my collection in the study and teaching of perspective.

WONDERFUL book!
I have a copy of the first edition of this book and am still mesmerized by it.When it first came out, everyone I knew at design school who bought it felt like the information and techniques had given them an out-of-body-experience and it quickly became THE book to own, learn from, and emulate.Anyone who buys this book and applies the material and techniques will become better at drawing, rendering, and creative presentation methods...it is a sure-fire way to achieve "star power" in your office and in front of your clients!

awesome resource
great book! Out of the dozens of hand rendering guides I looked at, this was by far the best and the easiest to learn from. It tells you what pencils, markers, and tools to buy to achieve certain effects, and gives you step-by-step rendering instructions for tons of different types of materials and lighting situations. I highly recommend this- in fact, it should be mandatory for interior design students!

Outstanding book
It's really hard to say too many things about this book. Even older editions of Color Drawing are great, but this newest one goes above and beyond the call of duty. In an age when a lot of books get re-released as new editions with few substantive changes, Color Drawing breaks the mold by updating the techniques with current technology (i.e. Photoshop). It's great to see that the author and publisher realize that pure hand-drawing and rendering is quickly becoming a thing of the past and that the practitioners of today and tomorrow need to have excellent computer skills too. This book is full of very useful tips for combining Photoshop with hand drawings to create great effects. So even if you have an earlier edition, do yourself a favor and buy the new one anyway because you will learn a lot.

Color Drawing: Design Drawing Skills and Techniques for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers, 2nd Edition
This is an excellent resouce for the study of rendering.After detailing the elements of color and design, it describes, step-by-step, how to achieve many finishes both interior and exterior.It is both instructive and informative. ... Read more

Product Description
A handbook which reveals how artists can enhance their skill with coloured pencils, and contains advice about tools, studio space, paper and other surfaces, preliminary sketching, the impact of colour, pencil techniques, advanced techniques, and how to create textured surfaces and landscapes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great beginner instruction
I needed a quick review in the use of colored pencils. I borrowed several books on the subject from the library and this one was the most comprehensive so I bought it.

The VERY best
PERFECT! A very comprehensive cataloging of all you need to master colored pencils. Ideal for the beginner and intermediate, even advanced!

Colored Pencil
What I have read so far is very helpful with my own colored pencil drawings.I am trying to establish my own technique and with Poulin's steps of applying color and textures I am able to.

Great book
Excellent artwork in the book.Don't judge the artwork by the cover, or even the back.OPEN IT, the work gets better.

Don't let the title fool you either.The author/artist even says in his introduction that he is offering you a "...'GLIMPSE' into the versatile and vibrant medium..."He is basically wanting to show the reader that colored pencil can render high value artwork just as those created in oil.Just getting the recognition it deserves.So, that is where the artist/author is coming from.

It is not a step by step book or how to draw book.He explains some techniques and gives alot of verbal information about each work presented in the book.He gives you things to think about when you start to approach your own projects, as would a college art instructor.But gives you the freedom to create your own and be an individual and expressive.Instead of step-by-step how to do the exact artwork in the book, he shows you how to do your own artwork, and inspires you to do so.Much of the work in the book is his, but he does show other artists work as examples as well.There are many subjects covered which is great.The best way to like this book and learn from it, is to really READ it and study it.

He is guiding you, not holding your hand.So beginners, don't buy this book.

Sorry, but Just Not Worth It...
I've drawn casually for years, but when I finally got around to buying professional grade colored pencils, I wanted to learn specifically how to use them as a media. This was the first book I read on the subject, and it was a sore disappointment.

The author is a good artist, but the book does very little actual teaching. As someone else mentioned, it shows a lot of pictures of artwork and tells that they were made using certain techniques, but it never shows how to do it yourself.

What really bugged me was that there was a huge section just on the author's personal workshop--how he built it, what materials he used, even copies of the blueprints! How many casual art students are going to build their own studios, including tables and countertops and shelves and cupboards? It's obvious that the author is proud of what he did, and he has every right to be. But, he might have done well to write a separate book just on how to build and furnish your own studio, rather than wasting space he could have used to give instructions on how to draw with colored pencils.

Between that and all the examples of artwork with no instructions, it really seemed like the book was written more to show off the author's accomplishments, rather than teaching new artists. It might be better being read by someone who already has plenty of experience with colored pencils, but I wouldn't recommend it for beginners.

If you're looking for good instructional books, try Drawing and Painting with Colored Pencil: Basic Techniques for Mastering Traditional and Watersoluble Colored Pencils along with Colored Pencil Solution Book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Colored Pencil Artist' Pocket Palette
Great book for those who work with colored pencils.It helps take out some of the guess work with color mixing.My art teacher recommended this book if one could find it--I got lucky on Amazon.com.It was a true 'find'.The book, although used, came in excellent condition--you could not tell that it had ever been used.

excellent art companion
Her books are terrific for choosing colors and mixtures. This particular book is quite expensive due to out of print status. If you can find it and are using colored pencils, buy it!!

Very useful book
Wonderful book on mixing colored pencil colors. This is difficult information to find in other books. It is layed out very nicely and any colored pencil artist would find this to be very useful. ... Read more

Product Description
Take Your Colored Pencils Out of the Box . . . and Combine the Best of All Mediums!

Creative Colored Pencil Workshop is your guide to exploring a new world of artistic possibilities. Following clear, step-by-step demonstrations, you'll try your hand at a range of exciting techniques that blend colored pencils with all kinds of dynamic mediums, including:

• Watercolor
• Gouache
• Acrylics
• Ink
• Graphite
• Oil pastels
• Metal leaf

From highly realistic art to more abstract representations, you'll learn how each medium and technique can accommodate virtually any artistic style or subject. Creative Colored Pencil Workshop gives you the best of both worlds: the fluid spontaneity and speed of mixed media and the control and precision of colored pencils. Mix it up, and see what happens! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Colored Pencil Workshop
Book was listed as "New" but has a couple of dings on bottom corners and cover is a rubbed and scratched. This is a very comprehensive "workshop". Great art work, love the way the pages are set up. The spiral binding makes it easy to work out of when you are following the tutorials. 52 exercises for combination with other dry and wet mediums with colored pencil.

OK
The best thing about this book is the design. It's been beautifully done and is a draw for purchasing the book. However, I was disappointed in this publication. It's really an overview, skims the surface nicely, but that's it. OK as a jumping off point.

excellent instruction guide
This instructional book on colored pencil techniques provides artists with enough indepth information to create the colorful burnished drawings or adapt colored pencils into a variety of mixed media works.

Combining colored pencils with other mediums
Was Creative Colored Pencil Workshop a good workshop? Absolutely. Hershberger and Huff state the purpose of their book is to teach more people how to combine colored pencil with other mediums and to encourage experimentation. From my perspective they were successful. I've had great fun experimenting; I was pleasantly surprised at the use of acrylics with color pencil--love it! This book gave me the push I needed to see more artistic possibilities.
In a fun, friendly, easy to follow style, the book provides exercises that artists at varying levels will find beneficial. It provides a great introduction to nine mediums in addition to demonstrating the combination of colored pencil with those mediums. The beautifully designed, colorful book is full of tips and techniques. The Surfaces chapter is a nice overview whether you are using colored pencils or another medium.
If you love your pencils because of the fine detail and realism achieved but wish you knew a way to speed things along and still get those beautiful results, give Creative Colored Pencil Workshop a try--all possibilities exist in the unknown!

It is okay
It is okay. It has a lot in it but it has not given me what I wanted. I like the way Ann Kullberg illustrates her books. She doesn't have mixed media but with colored pencil in itself she makes it very visible in what to do. This book is a good book but not as exciting as some others. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Most highly recommended
I cannot understand the dismissive one-star review and wonder whether we are reviewing the same book!This attractive book has nearly everything in a compact space that one could ask for:discussion of both watercolor and dry pencils, paper types, tools, techniques and procedures, color, and more.It also discusses using pencils with other media, which is helpful:pencils are particularly well suited to being used with other media, yet other pencil books I've found so far treat pencil work in isolation.

Included is a gallery of beautiful, striking examples of pencil art to inspire readers, and each of these works has a paragraph discussing their main features.

In addition, there is a gallery of subjects for the reader to use as photo references, a wide-ranging, nicely balanced group of still and action pictures.

I also like the fact that the same reference photos are drawn by two different artists (Jane Strother being one of them), so you can see different interpretations.An artist can be more or less abstract and free in using photos or painting scenes, and this book is helpful in pointing the way.It is not in the least anti-realist, but neither does it see blade-by-blade photorealism as the only valid artistic response to a scene; the fact that pencils can make fine marks should not put a brake on our imaginations.

I have a few colored pencil books, and each has its merits.But if I could have only one, this would be it.In that way, this wonderful resource for artists deserves to call itself a "bible."

The Colored Pencil Arist's Drawing Bible
This was a gift to someone else. However, it was purchased on the basis of the author,Jane Strother

the colored pencil artist's drawing bible
Jane Strother has much to offer.Many examples of her own loose pencil work show great wit, liveliness and lightheartedness - sadly lacking in most pencil artwork we see in art magazines.She covers a broad range of techniques very well and color theory in good depth.This is a good companion volume to "The Encyclopedia of Coloured Pencil Techniques".My complaints - would have preferred page size to be larger and could have done without the entire section of photographs offered as subjects to draw.

This bible is no Bible
Even for a beginner this "bible" falls short. Save your money and time. I've been painting in colored pencil for 2 years and my hope was for this greatly anticipated "bible" to consolidate all styles and techniques for me.This book does not deliver in presentation and detail.Most examples appeared flat with no emotion or drama.Overall the examples were weak, amateurish representations that were of no help.Too many pages were committed to mixed media treatment of backgrounds and too little to execution of subject matter. Photographs of subject matter were used as examples but few examples of artwork were represented.There were very few step-by-step demonstrations included.This book might be helpful for beginning colored pencil artists, however, the best colored pencil refernece books I've found are by Kullberg, Gildow, Kutch, Steinberg and Borgeson.For techniques and how-to's, I refer often to Borgeson, Gildow, and Kullberg.Consider using a book by one of these colored pencil artists. ... Read more

Product Description
The 15th anniversary paperback version of Creating Textures in Colored Pencil includes fundamental instruction on materials and tools; basic techniques; over 50 complete step-by-step demonstrations for textures including flowers, fruits, vegetables, leaves, wood, earth, water, humans, animals, glass, porcelain, shiny metal and more. You will also enjoy a gallery of large finished art from a well-known author. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great Transaction
There is alot of good colored pencil instruction and examples in this book.It is worth a try.

The Purpose Of This Book
"THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK is to get your 'creative juices' flowing by painting interesting,
realistic textures with colored pencil,
then applying what you glean to develop exciting and unique colored pencil paintings."
- Gary Greene
[from the front flap]

An Excellent Reference!
I was doing a very detailed colored pencil painting as a gift, and desperately needed a book which contained outlines regarding techniques on creating specific textures.I did not want an "ego book" which only showed an artists works and a tiny bit of "how to," but I also did not want an agonizing this-is-how-you-draw resource.

This book covered all the bases for me.Though I agree with previous reviewers in that I wish it had been a little more detailed in its presentation of instructions, the success I still achieved from the pages was still more than I had had with any other book in my colored pencil library (the exception being Ann Kullberg's Colored Pencil Portraits which is truly the master work for me).

Despite its lack of a detailed step-by-step, you can't go wrong with this book as a reference material.The information presented about burnishing and the use of solvents was a lifesaver for me and my own colored pencil work.I consider it the best quick and handy guide out there for overcoming troublesome textures.

Lacks detail.
This book is supposed to be for beginners, however, it barely touches on the basics (a mere 20 pages). It does contain a 100 pages of examples of textures, but the instructions are practically non-existant. It does give you a list of colors used to achieve the look, but the book does not explain why these colors are used. This makes it difficult to adapt the instuctions to work for a different color flower, for example.

A MUCH better book is "Colored Pencil Solution Book". I bought both, and the "Solution" book has a very extensive explanation of techniques and how colors work (Such as, when applying a color from the opposite side of the color wheel on top of another, it will neutralize the bottom one, making it grayer and more muted. Layering green on top of red, for example).Colored Pencil Solution Book

Gives good basic techniques for drawing in coloured pencil
I have a Bachelor degree in drawing and had no problem getting the hang of any drawing tool except for coloured pencils.Several years ago I took a class specifically on drawing with colour pencil and was disappointed when the teacher told me that I'd have to settle for a light layered application of the pencil on paper so as not to develop wax bloom--what I wanted out of the pencil was rich, vibrant colours, not something washed out.I put down my Prismacolours and resigned having to use them to colour in my anatomy colouring book, not for actual drawing.

That's why I was encouraged when I found and read my way through "Creating Textures in Colored Pencil".The author mentions the use of burnishing to build layered colour so it is rich and vibrant, as well as the use of solvents.He also mentions different coloured pencils, like water-soluable pencils, which I normally would use not for drawing but for fine touches on my watercolours, and oil-based coloured pencils.After reading this book it feels like a whole new world of drawing has opened up to me, in addition to my use of graphite, conte crayon, pastels, and of course what I already do in paint.

Incidentally, the author addresses dealing with wax bloom by spraying the drawing with several layers of workable fixative--I've also heard that wiping the bloom with a paper towel will remove the cloudiness.

Mr. Greene includes several examples of items to draw, including step-by-step instructions with colours mentioned.I'm sure those would be great for the beginning/intermediate student to build up skills and confidence; that sort of thing doesn't appeal to me as I'm used to grabbing tools and drawing from life.

I think this is a great basic book on how to handle the medium.As for handling textures, I thought some were very well done while others were not as realistic as I would like.It has very nice full colour reproduction and is very easy to read. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide designed to provide an introduction to the range of pencil media. It includes water-soluble coloured and graphite pencils, water-soluble crayons, wax oil crayons, oil pastels and the ordinary coloured pencil, and with step-by-step instructions, explores how they can be used. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

more like an endorsement for Caran D Ache...
I bought this book hoping to get new ideas for colored pencils, as well as information on different kinds of pencils on the market. While this book shares some techniques and ways of using colored pencils, it unveils itself more as an endorsement for Caran d ache pencils, which happen to be one of the most expensive colored pencils on the market.The first two chapters of this book talk about supplies and materials needed, and for each one the author suggests buying Caran D ache colored pencils, water soluble pencils, pastels, fixatives, graphite, etc.It made me quite nauseated. I would have liked to know more about different brands of colored pencils available, strengths and weaknesses.This book made it sound as if it would not be worth investing in colored pencils unless you bought Caran d ache pencils, pencils which were much to expensive for me at that time in my life.(However, having tried some different brands, I can honestly say that Derwent makes a better coloured pencil, at a fraction of the cost as well.)This book is definitely not "for all".I do not recommend it.A much better book is "Painting with Water Soluble Colored Pencils", this book goes into detail about different brands available, pros and cons, and even offers color swatches comparing different brands, and much more about technique.

Don't judge by the cover
The pictures inside kinda suck, some is okay.It is not worth explaining in detail.It's too basic and mostly outdated.Colored pencil has come a long way since this book.There are many more techniques to better achieve the likeness you are trying to achieve.There are better books sold by better artists too.

It's just unnecessary.Some books are good for life, this is not one of them.

Color for beginners
This book, which I bought in hard back, is somewhere to begin drawing with color, and allows you to grow without outgrowing the book.Very nice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Okay, But A Bit Outdated
An illustration student, I got this book thinking that it would prove useful for all types of techniques. However, not only is a lot of the information outdated, most of the methods are given only a few pages of description. I was most interested in what he had to say about gouache but there were only one or two pages dedicated to the medium.

Honestly, I was going to say that this book is a good idea for people who have very minimal knowledge of the subject, but it's such a quick introduction that I think anyone, even beginners, would do well to pick up a more in-depth manual. It definitely doesn't deserve the title of "Bible".

Basic techniques and rather amateurish work
I applaud the author's willingness to give back and to share, because I know writing books is generally no very lucrative.However, the techniques in this text are all merely snippets of tricks and tips that are far outdated and provide nothing in the way of practical application.If tricks and tips is what you're after, you'd be better served with Encyclopedia of Illustration Techniques or one of the Parramon titles.And the art itself is, I'm afraid to say, rather amateurish.I read in the intro that the author is a professional illustrator.And if that's so then I would be a bit embarrassed at the student-level work published in the text.If you are looking for real-world, meat and potatoes illustration instruction there are many, many titles better suited.Every medium and every possible genre are well represented here on Amazon.Skip the "Bible".Because it definitely isn't.And considering its hugely misnamed title, in light of the quality of the information provided, I felt it was only fair to other readers to give this book the lowest possible score.

Damn near indispensable
I got this book many years ago, and I still use it today. It's definitely one of the best, if not the best art book I've ever gotten. These are the old school techniques, prior to digital art. I'll admit that digital art is amazing, but I would not recommend throwing away all the old materials, as you may be able to discover a technique that no one else is currently using.
This book is very practical and dense with valuable information. I highly recommend it.

Not what I was needing.
As an art book, this book is very good, but I was looking for tips on how to illustrate a book. The title led me to believe that it was covered in the content, but alas... not so. There are some helpful sections of different type of art mediums and an artist or art student would find it very helpful.

old and crappy
This book is a bit outdated now.
The author of this book currently has a brand of his own paints and materials.He's so caught up on materials and your hands, that he doesnt teach to use your brain or eyes.He's one of those types that's obsessed with finding out the "secret" Maroger medium, the ratio of oil:pigment in old masters paintings, etc.
I dont know how anyone can think that using Raphaels' paints will make you paint like Raphael.It's like putting on Jerome Bettis' football pads and thinking you'll weigh 265 and run faster than a cheetah.It's not going to happen.

He's also big on slavishly copying photographs.I guess that's how a lot of illustrators think, though.

Compare this to books by the golden age illustrators; like Loomis, Rockwell, Leyendecker. . . even guys like Hogarth.They focus little on materials and "techniques," and teach more about learning to think and see.


In the end, you have to realize that Michelangelo could have painted the Sistine ceiling with a mop and a bucket of mud, and it would have been just as well done.Learn the basics of materials (which you can just find online), and find someone who will teach you to think. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A "Best of Colored Pencil" with How - To's
The best way to describe all the books in this series is a "Best of Colored Pencil" but combined with a short how-to essay showing how each featured artist approached the painting. The approach of the book was simple. A group of artists were each given one of three landscape photos and then asked to create a colored pencil painting using the photo as a reference.

The variety of interpretations was inspiring. One entry particularly delighted me. One lady must have seen her landscape photo as a reminder of China or Japan. The resulting landscape she created from the photo took on a beautiful Oriental quality. Each artist listed the materials they used, the colors used and most had a few step-by-step thumbnail sized photos of the pictures in progress as well as the final painting in larger format. I most treasure it simply because the creative responses to something as simple as the same 3 photos lead to so many different results. Books like this are invaluable for helping to inspire creative ideas - especially if you're suffering from "blank page" syndrome. My one and only wish is that it had been longer...it's that good. All in all, a very worthwhile book to own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awesome art from colored pencils.
I couldn't believe these works of art were accomplished using only colored pencils. There are over 200 full-color illustrations. These were the winners and honorable mentions from the 1995 annual International Colored Pencil Exhibition. The illustrations range from fine art to commercial art and from portraits to abstracts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

I can't believe this is colored pencil.
Nice examples of what the medium can do.There are some extraoridnarily talented Colored Pencil artists out there.Nice for inspiration, or just admiration.Full color from cover to cover.

Excellent
Very good works in this book.Great for developing ideas of your own.There are a few step by step instructions, but it is mainly just pictures of artworks by various artists.Some of the work in this book is fantastic.The book is a bit expensive, I suggest getting it from a library first to determine if you really want to buy it.

Colour Pencil at its best
The book collects a very good portfolio of composition by colour pencil techniques. I chanced upon his book while looking for references for pastel painting. Both techniques can share some of their common paintingtechniques since they are direct and do not need time for the compositionto dry.

The meticulous detailing in colour pencil techniques is very welldiscussed in the book with steps by step examples given to illustrate thebuilt-up of the composition. This helps the beginners with techniques andhelp build up their competency and confidence through its detailedbreakdown of sequences and techniques. It's alomost like having a tutor whois not physically present but the teachings effectively conveyed.

Igreatly recommend the book to all beginners and intermediate painters whoare keen to develop further into the techniques of colour pencils. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume provides start-to-finish instructions for drawing birds that help readers to break down complex images into an assembly of easily rendered shapes. Advice is also provided on fine details such as anatomy, colour, markings, beaks, feet and feathers, and about the five elements of shading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

EXCELLENT BOOK.I LEARNED A LOT.
I am giving this one five stars due to the fact, that in my case, I learn quite a lot.This is always a good thing.Like Lee Hammond's other wonderful books, this one is filled with good, solid information, probably geared more for the beginner than the advanced artist.With this volume the author explores the use of colored pencils, their use, technique, graphing, verithin pencils, prismacolor pencils, blending with studio pencils and water pencils.If you are interested in color and not the actual drawing of the bird, then this one is for you.Like all books of this nature, it certainly will not fulfill all needs but it will provide quite a lot of very good information.I am glad I have it in my library and turn to it quite often.I note that some of the reviews here state this is a good book for beginners, others indicate that in may not be.This is a difficult call to make, as everyone brings different levels of skill and expierence to the table.For myself, I would say that most individuals could learn much from this book and it is well worth the money.Highly recommend.

Excellent drawings
The drawings and the use of colored pencils is awesome.However, She does not explain how to draw the bird, or how to apply the colors. There are some examples shown, but not for the blue bird, or cardinal.You have to figure it out on your own how to apply the colors for these.

Love Lee's artwork
Another fabulous book by Lee Hammond. I like her style, not only does she instruct, but she shows you how the work looks completed using different types of colored pencils which is great.Great job. I also have some of her other colored pencils books and love them all. ... Read more

Product Description
An artist can create an astonishing range of hues, tints, and textures using colored pencils. This volume of Running Press's Encyclopedia of Art Technique Series demonstrates how to fully explore the potential of this remarkable medium. Covers the characteristics of various kinds of pencils and assorted techniques. Over 200 full-color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great condition, good timing.
Very pleased with book and condition is great.Received in short time and very pleased with dealer.Good one to buy from.

I really liked this book
Oh, I'm sure that there are better books out there, but I like this book. I'm a beginner, and I am learning all of the time. Everytime I open this book, I learn something new. I agree with the reviewer who said that if it was art that was in question, then he/she would have bought a book on artwork. This is a book on colored pencil technique. IMHO, If you rate it for what it is, it's a very good book. .

The Encyclopedia of Colored Pencil Techniques
Here is another must have book in your library for new and novice artists using colored pencil as a medium. This book defines all you need to know, and shows the user the proper techniques. Learn all the new langugage from the pro, on what is what in colored pencil medium.

Not that good
This book has good tips on color pencil drawing but it lacks on detailed information for truly beginners.Wrong orthography is a problem on this book.It is not worth more than the sales price.

Expand your pencils
I have been using Prismacolor pencils for many years and over that time, developed my own techniques, but I found the ideas and examples in this book to be great. I have been dabbling in the techniques I learned in this book and combined some of them with my own. Drawing some things had always been a struggle for me to get "just right," but after seeing some of the detailed examples, I now do them without thought. My favorite discovery in this book was learning to get rid of or hide my mistakes instead of my previous method of just scraping the entire project and starting over.

As for the reviews about the art work, well, they didn't bother me. I wasn't buying a book of art, I was buying a technique book and I found the drawings inside to do a good job of showing off each technique. I also enjoyed that the artwork was taken from various artists because it gave a better sampling of what is possible.

As a recreational sketcher, my husband also enjoyed browsing this book and playing with some of the ideas. Even his notepad doodles now show some signs of the shading and erasing effects that he picked up in this book.So, you don't have to be a serious artist to get something out of this book.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to get the most out of their pencils or explore new coloring techniques. ... Read more

Product Description
Step by step, Lee Hammond shows artists how to create colored pencil portraits that only look as though they were difficult to draw. With Hammond's simple colored pencil techniques, artists can translate photos of their favorite people into colorful, lifelike portraits. She covers every aspect of drawing portraits - from creating a 3-dimensional look to rendering every facial feature so that it looks "right." step-by-step instruction makes learning easy; instruction is based on simple, easy-to master techniques, such as layering and burnishing; standard color recipes help artists achieve realistic skin tones; inspiring before and after examples demonstrate the dramatic difference; Hammond's instruction makes ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

The best book ever!
Wow! What a fantastic book! Lee Hammond tells you exactly what pencils, paper, all tools to use to create the most awesome drawings. My prints from what I have learned from her are now selling, thank you Lee! She teaches so well in her books that it is almost like you are sitting in a classroom with her! I VERY MUCH recommend this book! It is the so good!

aweful!
I don't know how I couldlearn from an artist who cannot draw herself.I can't understand anyone who would want to.

If the art work is terrible, it is not a motivating factor to want to buy it.I looked through it at the library, I saw the cover and knew.But, the saying, "don't judge a book by its cover.", well I went ahead and looked.The cover does show what is in the book.Bad art.

The work is very flat and inaccurate in proportion.There is no life to these portriats.This artist has slaughtered the beauty of what drawing people is about.This is worse than any amateur art I've seen.

I'm surprised that the reviews are so good.I guess those who gave good reviews have not compared this book to other good works by much more experienced artists.You can learn beginning drawing from good artists.Just because you are a beginner, doesn't mean you have to learn from a beginner.If you are serious about portriat drawing, it is advisable to learn from an artist who is better than you are.

You could always look at Ann Kullbergs portriats in colored pencil, which is also for beginners, and is much more motivating to want to learn from.I am now beyond those as well, but her book was my first colored pencil book.It started me on my path to more creative colored pencil ideas and wanting more colored pencil books from other artists as well.My suggestion is to just stay away from all of Lee Hammond's books; they are all very terrible.

Great technique
I found this book perfect for the kind of colored pencil work I wanted to do.It is great for learning how to burnish and improving on individual colors and features of the face, however, a host of other techniques outside of burnishing are not much mentioned.I would not recommend this book for beginners learning to draw but rather artists already familiar with the basics who want to pick up another medium.Of the 12 or so colored pencil books I've read, this is definitely in my top two.

.
"People who thought they couldn't draw - but after learning from this book the work was pro quality. "This reviewer has managed to stuff portraiture into a neat little shake and bake package.

Of course their art would look "pro" if a teacher is behind you correcting each line out of place! However,creating portraits of people, by yourself is something which requires practice, hundreds and hundreds of hours. I don't think it is fair to say that this book will make beginners, "pro". That is wishful thinking and a total belittlement of art! I have to agree with the first review, the art does look mediocre. It would probably suit a beginner, but obviously disappoint someone a little more skilled.

It would help if the author was a good artist.
I've created (and sold) countless portrait drawings and paintings through the years, and I love drawing portraits. I was expecting that with all this good feedback, this book would be something special. I was appalled.

I'm sorry, but the drawings just weren't very good. There was one portrait in particular (of a young African American boy) that was truly warped. The features mishapen, the rendering, shading and color were all off. Actually, all the artwork in this book is rather amateurish. Some of the artwork was a little better, but generally, it was decidedly mediocre. The colored pencil techniqe isn't good either. I confess that I lose respect for an art instruction book when the art examples in the book are rather bad.

And then there's the "grid" thing, which is the *only* drawing method taught in this book. Sure, it is a good learning aid, and is useful in many ways. But other drawing techniques (like freehand drawing) should be learned, so that the artist can have some measure of freedom and flexibility. The grid method is way too limiting to be used exclusively. It can almost be something like a "crutch", if an artist never moves past it. (Always having to draw those squares, squares, squares on everything! Yikes!)

That's why it's too bad that this book only covers the grid method. Most artists will discover that as their skills develop, they will eventually want to start drawing from life, (or eventually even draw things from their imagination). They'll never learn any of that from this book. Get Betty Edwards' drawing book, if you want to learn more about how to *really* draw. This book doesn't cover a fraction of it. And for colored pencil techniques, get Bet Borgeson's fabulous colored pencil books. She's absolutely marvelous.

I'm glad that this book helped other people, and I'm sure there must be something good in it (though I couldn't see where. I guess I was too blinded by the mediocre artwork). But there are FAR better drawing and colored pencil books out there. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes techniques and provides exercises for drawing with pencils and colored pencils and also for using oil pastels. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Drawing & Painting With Colored Pencils by Stefan Birker [Paperback]
My complaint is with the Akron Public Library Bookstore who sold me this product.The condition of the book was outrageous.The book REEKED with cigarette smoke and itwas damaged at the spine and written in.To add insult to injury, the book, which I paid shipping for came with postage due!I seem to recall having paid for shipping.I do understand that when you buy a book second hand you can expect some surprises.Here I went to Oz looking for the Wizard and found the bumbling old snake oil salesman.I will never order from this particular vendor again. ... Read more