Let’s face it: art is hard. How do you draw the other eye without making it smaller or bigger than the other? How do you draw the face shape, proportion the head, or make your horse look like a horse? The list goes on. Sometimes we need step – by – step instructions on how to do something. It’s a whole lot easier than trying to figure it out on our own and gives us more confidence in our work. Plus, you can’t make much progress if you never learn anything new.
I’ve found a neat drawing tutorial series at my library’s juvenile nonfiction section by Mark Bergin, called Step By Step Draw.* They have tutorials on drawing everything from animals to optical illusions and are easy to understand and use.
Although they are probably considered “kid books”, I have benefitted much from reading them. One book, in particular, Step By Step Draw Portraits, has greatly improved my techniques for drawing faces.
Before:
After:
See what I mean?
I have also enjoyed Step By Step Draw 3-D. I checked it out just a couple days ago and its take on perspective is very interesting.
What are some of your favorite drawing tutorial books? Do you find it easier to draw with or without instructions? Let me know in the comments!
*To search for the series, type Mark Bergin Step by Step Draw. As there are lots of step by step drawing videos and books, just searching Step By Step Draw won’t yield the results you’re looking for.