How to Draw: an innovative way to learn art

Learning to draw can be difficult and frustrating without the proper guidance and tools. This drawing book, written by eighth-grade student Emily Dow for a class research project, was created to motivate and educate artists of all ages and experience levels through an inspiring, informative, and structured method. Incorporated within this book are confidence-boosting facts and practice strategies, as well as educational theory and exercises. Some of these include the different types of drawing, using the right side of the brain to improve accuracy of artistic observation, and information and exercises on Betty Edward’s Five Basic Skills of Drawing, which are all vital skills to the process of learning to draw from observation and imagination. The book’s content was obtained through research specifically conducted for the purpose of improving artistic spirit and skill. The book also includes nine step-by-step tutorials on how to draw people, animals, and objects in nature, for practice and guidance. These are designed to be easy to follow for beginners in order to build confidence, but also contain intermediate skills, such as shading, that can be learned and developed within the theory section. The quick and precise process presented within this book progressively guides artists through learning and using the basic foundations of drawing to allow them to come out a more skilled and confident artist within a short period of time.