The Successful Drawing

By Andrew Loomis

The illustrator Andrew Loomis is revered amongst artists for his mastery of drawing technique and his clean, realist style. His hugely influential series of art instruction books have never been bettered and Successful Drawing, the third in Titan s programme of facsimile editions, returns this classic title to print for the first time in decades. For over 60 years Successful Drawing has provided a superb resource covering all the techniques needed to master three-dimensional drawing. From the fundamentals of proportion, placement, perspective, planes and pattern, through a detailed examination of scale and the effects and capture of light, to the mastery of conception, construction, contour, character and consistency, Successful Drawing is filled with step-by-step instruction, professional tips and beautiful illustration. Engaging, witty, and wonderfully executed, this is a masterclass for amateur artists and professional illustrators alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clube de Autores
• Release date: Sep 7, 2021

Book preview

Successful Drawing

Successful Drawing

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Successful Drawing

Loomis, Andrew

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ALL DRAWING STEMS FROM ONE OR MORE OF THESE FORMS

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The Fundamentals

Art is really having its chance. The urge to draw seems to have taken hold of many more thousands today than ever before. It has spread across the nation. While many are interested in art as a pastime or hobby, others would gladly choose it as a means of livelihood if they were convinced that their ability was sufficient to provide any real hope of success.

There will always be a certain amount of confusion about what is talent or native ability in drawing and what is knowledge of the craft. Too often, knowledge is construed as talent. On the other hand, drawing that lacks constructive knowledge is seldom successful as drawing. The truth is that we do not see the talent until the means of bringing it forth has been developed. That means is a reasonably accurate analysis and understanding of the laws of nature as they apply to man's vision.

Drawing is vision on paper. More than that, it is individual vision, tied up with individual perception, interest, observation, character, philosophy, and a host of other qualities all coming from one source. It cannot, and to be successful should not, be anything else. Drawing is very closely related to the other creative arts, all of which arc outcroppings of a desire to express individual emotion, to make the other fellow conscious of our inner feelings. We want him to listen or look, and we want his appreciation of what we have to offer. Perhaps we wish to receive admiration for our particular accomplishments. Perhaps we have a message we deem worthy of others' attention. Perhaps we see in such an effort an enjoyable means of making ourselves useful, or providing ourselves with the livelihood that we must achieve in some way.

We who choose art as our medium of expression should realize that it has certain fundamentals from which we progress, just as there arc fundamentals of literature, drama, or music.

Unfortunately, the fundamentals of an approach to art have not usually been so clearly defined for practical study as have those of some other creative activities. Commercial art is a comparatively new profession. However, the leaders in the field are beginning to contribute time and thought to its teaching.

Success in the creative fields is always accompanied by distinctiveness, something that singles one out as an individual and sets him apart from the crowd. One artist can be as successful as another in his use of basic knowledge, without repeating another artist's performance. If there is any way that one man in the craft can really help another, it is by increasing his knowledge of the craft itself, not in the particular qualities of tile man's own work. The knowledge of our craft must be pooled, as it is in the sciences and

other professions, each of us absorbing and in

turn contributing. It is difficult for a man to teach without presenting his own work as an example. But I am certain that in this book, for example, there is much material which the student can apply to his own work without reference to any particular style or technique of mine. Suppose we have two drawings before us. One appeals; the other does not. This one is good, the other had. Why? I believe I can point out underlying reasons that are perfectly understandable. Strangely enough, the reasons are usually not found in art books or taught in classes. The response to drawing is related to the emotions and experience of the individual, and is wholcly apart, so far as I know, from the teaching of art. Yet I do not believe art can go very far unless the artist has some sort of an understanding of this response. An artist can go all his life without realizing why his work does not appeal. Even successful artists may not really know why their work does appeal, though they thank heaven it does.

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THE FUNDAMENTALS

To understand why a drawing does or does not appeal, we must recognize a certain ability that is developed in every normal individual from early childhood through adult life. The term intelligent perception I think comes as close as any to describing this faculty. Tt is vision coordinated with the brain. It is a sense of tightness developed by contact. At some time or other, our brains accept certain effects or appearances as truth, and abide by these decisions. We learn to distinguish one