2008-03-26 A good tutor

There are tons of books about various painting techniques out there, but it's surprising how few books about the basics of learning to draw there are. The ability to draw realistically is the bedrock from which an artist should build, and BB has produced a work here that could take you from a fumbling amateur to an accomplished artist (IF and only if you are willing to put a lot of time in).

What I like about BB is:
He is himself a very talented artist (witness his own excellent imitations of various artists to illustrate their different techniques) but is happy to spend time teaching the rest of us
He uses only his own drawings throughout the text
His books are actually enjoyable to read of themselves, even if you don't bother completing a single exercise
He recognizes the essential importance of endless practice over so called "natural" talent.

Happy drawing!