Drawing for the Absolute Beginner

If the idea of drawing makes you nervous, this is a reassuring place to start. The early chapters cover pencils, erasers, paper and how to hold them, then move to the basic skill of seeing shapes and values: how light falls on a simple sphere or cube, and how to render it with gradual shading. Each concept comes with a short exercise, and the tone throughout is warm and patient.

The later chapters put these skills to work on perspective, proportion and composition, and then on a series of complete demonstrations: still lifes, landscapes, buildings, animals and people. Every demonstration is broken into small stages with pictures, so you can follow along and see where your drawing differs. The book focuses on realistic graphite drawing rather than expressive or cartoon styles, and the coverage of figures is necessarily brief.

It will not turn anyone into a master, but it builds solid foundations and confidence, and many readers find it the push they needed to keep a sketchbook. Pair it with a pad of paper and a few minutes a day. About 128 pages in the North Light paperback.