You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less

I nearly overlooked this book because it didn't have a fancy artistic cover, unlike many other art instruction books. As an adult with no formal art training, no perceived drawing "talent" and looking for a first instruction book to help improve my infrequent doodling, I was also rather skeptical of the book's cheesy title claim of teaching someone to draw in 30 days. Then I noticed some before and after drawings by other reviewers, and after also considering titles like "Keys to Drawing", "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" and "How to Draw What You See", I decided to look beyond this book's cover and give it a go myself. The book has 30 lessons, and while it's taken me over 30 days, I'm very glad that I started with this book. The step-by-step lessons are clear and easy to follow, there's no complicated theory about technique etc. that could easily put off an absolute beginner. Most importantly, you see immediate results very quickly... By the end of lesson 2, my stack of spheres was already getting compliments! Since then I've realised that the lessons provide a really good primer to some basic drawing concepts - shapes, shading, foreshortening, perspective... and the fact you can reproduce a drawing similar to the author's by following the steps is a big confidence booster. Personally I found that this newfound confidence was just the encouragement needed for me to progress... This book will not teach you to draw realistically or become a master of portraits, but it does teach you how to draw basic pleasing images. I like the author's lighted-hearted happy style and it's been one enlightening lesson after another as I discovered I could draw things which I couldn't before. Since starting this book, I also got my hands on "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" and "Keys to Drawing", and remain satisfied that this book was the right one to start my drawing journey with. A great book for an absolute beginner.

Of the "how-to" art books I have, I think this is the best one for an absolute beginner. The authors tone is engaging and encouraging and each lesson builds on the previous to introduce various skills, for example foreshortening, shading, perspective, etc. A few of the critical reviews complained that the drawings are "cartoonish". By and large, that is a fair commentary. However, that doesn't mean they aren't useful exercises. And the principles taught serve as a solid foundation that can be applied as you develop higher level capabilities. Personally, I enjoyed the student example offered after each lesson. They demonstrated how the principles taught in the lesson can be applied in a variety of ways. I found trying to reproduce some of them myself to be a useful exercise. If you're an absolute beginner who thinks you can't draw at all this book is a good start to changing your mind. It won't turn you into a fabulous artist, any more than learning to write a coherent sentence will turn you into a best selling author, but it will give you a foundational skill set and some insight into the artistic experience. If one wants a more detailed and advanced book, I'd suggest Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. In addition to teaching techniques, that book discusses the psychology of drawing and why learning to draw is of benefit to anyone regardless of their profession. You can learn to draw realistic representations from that book. However I think it would be to daunting for an absolute beginner. I'd suggest starting with 30 Days. Then, if you want to develop further, more on to Drawing on the Right Side. Or I suppose you could look at both simultaneously, reading some of the theory and background in Betty's book while developing the basic techniques Mark teaches. In any case, pick up a pencil and get going.

The lessons in this book are very simple. Sometimes they're all you have time and energy for, and on the days you want to do more, they're just enough of a hook to keep you motivated and press you to challenge yourself. The actual information in the book so far (I am only about a week in) is very basic, but it does get more involved later, and anyway, learning to draw is really about consistent practice. So this book really is effective in helping you learn to draw, mostly because you never end up looking at the blank page, wondering, "what do I draw now?" My main criticism of the book, oddly enough, is that there IS important information in the text itself . . . but it's really buried in hyper-informal language that I sometimes need to be really deliberate about reading through. So I find his very casual style to be more distraction than anything, and I believe the book could be BETTER EDITED. However, I would definitely recommend it (and have recommended it to personal friends) for those who want to get started drawing.

Mi hijo siempre ha pensado que para dibujar hay que nacer con talento, pero este libro demuestra que no, que todo el mundo puede si se le explica cómo. Las lecciones se pueden seguir con un nivel de inglés medio sin problema. Son breves, concisas e invitan a la creatividad. Enseña los principios del dibujo de formas, sombras, perspectivas, etc. Es increíble pero desde el primer momento el estudiante se siente capaz. No es el típico libro de copiar, sino más bien de aprender y aplicar lo aprendido. No es magia, sólo conocimiento y práctica. Una vez aprendido se puede pasar a dibujar todo tipo de dibujos, de personas, animales, objetos... Pero para eso es recomendable utilizar otro tipo de libros más específicos. Pero si quieres aprender y te crees un negado, dale una oportunidad, te gustará.

En un principio dice que son lecciones como de veinte minutos pero más adelante te dice que les dediques unas tres o cuatro horas a ciertos ejercicios, de ahí en fuera es muy bueno para entender lo básico del dibujo, además de que el autor te explica las cosas de manera bastante clara y amena. Si tienes un nivel en inglés de medio para arriba creo que puedes entenderlo sin muchos problemas. Lo recomiendo.

If you have ever wanted to learn to draw then the book for you. I’m 60 years old and wanted to draw. This book starts with the basics but it teaches you how to really draw using step by step instructions which build on each other. It’s the best instructional guide I’ve ever used.

I used to draw an exceptionally long time ago. However, I always wanted to get back to it, but I would just stare at a blank page. It was not working for me. I purchased multiple books to get me started and finally found the right one. In all fairness, I started with colouring books until I got the confidence to dare to do more. This book will take you through simple activities that you can use to create your own masterpieces after just a few short lessons. The approach used to teach encourages students to experiment and be brave. As an educator, I can attest that this is a phenomenal textbook for any learner. After each lesson, students are challenged to a bonus activity that allows them to use the concepts learned. The writing and explanations are straightforward and fun. I just enjoy reading the instructions, as the writing is friendly, humorous, and feels directed right to you. It is like the after sees your fears and apprehensions and provides encouragement and advice to overcome it. This book not only got me started to draw again, but it provides you with sound fundamentals from the first lesson. You learn to draw properly. I like to complete the lessons in pencil and challenge myself to use coloured pencils and introduced colour to complete the bonus activities. Attached images are copies of bonus activities I completed within the first few lessons. The book exceeded my wildest expectations. If you have kids or friends interested in drawing, this is a phenomenal resource to complete the classes together. I highly recommend this book.

Don't get me wrong, I am said to be pretty good at drawing. I can take a drawing from someone else and produce a very good copy of it. I adore art, both doing as well as viewing and collecting. It is my number one hobby. I purchased this book because what I do need is help with creating my own unique pieces. I have a lot of ideas of what I want to do but lack the courage to start them off. The book arrived so fast that I thought someone collected it from the warehouse and drove it round to my house. I ordered this at 9pm on a Friday evening and at 10am Sat it was in my hand. I started lesson one that evening and roped my 8 year old into it too. Despite the initial moaning and complaints he soon got into it and we sat there drawing the circles and giving them dimension and I have to say the effects of the lesson are so swift that you literally notice your talent improving by the minute. I learned so much in just a single lesson that I could not wait to get on with the rest of the book. Now every time I have a spare minute I shoot off to my drawing desk and start a new lesson - even if I cant finish it - at least getting it started is the objective of the day. Mark Kistler produces a superb introduction to the art of drawing and his approach is fascinating as well as extremely easy to follow. The improvement I have seen in just the first few lessons has left me astonished and I cant but help wonder where my art will be by the time I finish the book. I recommend this book for anyone from a person who has never before drawn anything right through to a good home artists. There are superb tips on creating depth in your drawings and I reckon anyone apart from perhaps professional artists will gain something from this book. There are courses out there costing £750 for 2 weeks which will teach you the same as you will find in this book for a fraction of the cost. If you are serious about taking your drawings to teh next level then this is for you. The only drawback I can think of at the moment is why has he not written more books like this. He has written quite a few books for kids and 3d drawing which seems to be his forte but I think this fella could easily produce more books on all the other forms of drawing right down to getting detail to work for you. It might look like an idiots guide book for artists but believe me it will be a well worn book on your shelf if you get your hands on it. I even sit and read it when I cannot draw - for the tips and suggestions. Well worth the £8 investment