The Drawing Lesson
A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw
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4.8 • 9 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Read This Comic and Start Drawing Today! Nominated for a 2017 Eisner Award
For the first time ever, drawing instructor and graphic novelist Mark Crilley brings his easy-to-follow artistic instruction to aspiring artists in the form of a comic book, providing you with a one-of-a-kind how-to experience. In The Drawing Lesson, you’ll meet David—a young boy who wants nothing more than to learn how to draw. Luckily for David, he’s just met Becky—his helpful drawing mentor. Page by page, Becky teaches David (and you!) about the essential fundamentals that artists need in order to master drawing, all in a unique visual format. In panel after panel, Crilley provides lessons on shading, negative space, creating compositions, and more, with accompanying exercises that you can try for yourself. Are you ready to start your drawing lesson today?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This instructional book offers thorough and practical lessons in drawing. The instruction is solid, covering proportion, shading, loose sketching, self-criticism, drawing shadows, and negative space. Each chapter features a drawing assignment. But the narrative framing the lessons is odd: David, a kid, approaches Becky, an artist, in a park and demands drawing lessons from her. Becky obliges, but David becomes insistent for more lessons and slowly infiltrates all aspects of her life to make these lessons happen. Becky protests and makes clear that David is crossing boundaries, but she eventually relents. This creates a sometimes antagonistic dynamic between the characters that seems at odds with what the book is trying to accomplish, not to mention the message of male privilege. The ending attempts to displace the gender concerns but feels creepy. Aside from how to draw, the ultimate lesson might be that kids shouldn't chat up strangers in a park.
Customer Reviews
The drawing lesson
It is so cool sad and happy
Loved It 😍
I Read The Book It Was Very Well Drew And Funny.😋 The Part Moving Was A Sad Part And It Was Even Sadder When David Had To Be Alone.But At Least He Got To Teach Someone Like Becky/Rebecca Did To Him.The Only Part That Was Mysterious Was The Kid Who Asked David To Draw But David Didn’t Know His Name.In Chapter 1 Or 2 Becky Got To Know David’s Name But The Epilogue David Just Helped a Kid Who Was Probably A Stranger But David Seem To Teach Him Anyway.This Book Help Me A Lot.And I Hope The Author Can Like More To Make More.Thank For Reading This And Bye
- Tim Pham
Not 5 star because it's better to own the print version
This is a graphic novel, it is a book on drawing, and it is a touching story and tribute to the author's mentor. The author was inspired by his teacher and this book tries to be that teacher to you.
Even though you are supposed to read the little vignette and do the exercise at the end of each chapter, my girlfriend nearly read it in one sitting, and then finished it when I bought the print version. She said she found the tips immediately applicable and some essential tips (like negative space) and myths (like drawing from reality is not real drawing) are presented in memorable ways because of the story format.
The drawing instruction is modern (post "Drawing on the Right Side"/"Keys to Drawing") methodology and less "classical" (drawing basic shapes and shading and building up from there). So, if you have a strong analytical bent, this instruction will help you overcome your symbol thinking, but if you are naturally more free-form, lateral then you may not get as much from this approach.
The only minus is that it is digital. For things that are so visual like a graphic novel, it is nicer to have a print version, especially because it is easy to keep on the coffee table or lend to friends. However, since the instruction is short, room on a limited physical bookshelf may be better left for something that could be a reference you may come back to again and again. This is not that.