A collection of simple sketches and finished drawings for the beginner by the marine artist, John Hamilton. Projects include rural landscapes and maritime scenery, with notes on achieving the effects of light and shade, depth and distance, movement and reflection.

Further Detail

From the bare essentials to cities and towns--that's where this complete drawing guide will take you! Too often, untrained artists take on projects for which they're not yet ready. Naturally, frustration and failure follow, and the aspiring creator gives up--forever losing the pleasure of making beautiful, finished drawings. And that's a shame, because it can be so easy to produce satisfying sketches. Guarantee success by following these gentle steps, designed especially to boost the beginner's confidence. Start out with only the most minimal amount of equipment--a pencil, a sketch book, a sharp knife, an eraser-and by trying out first strokes with a pencil. This familiarizes you with your equipment and gives you a tension-free method for practicing shading. Move on to simple sketches of household items and exercises to achieve lighting effects. Practice perspective, still lifes, and larger settings. Go outside to gardens filled with fruit and flowers, and building exteriors. Eventually, you'll try full landscapes-choose simple ones for your first efforts!--and complex, detail-filled pictures. Studio Vista 128 pages, 400 b/w illus., 11 3/4 x 8 1/4.