Barber Barrington. The Fundamentals of Drawing Techniques. A Course in Artistic Excellence

Arcturus, 2012. — 250 p. — ISBN: 978-1-84837-818-6, 978-1-78828-316-8.Anyone with a little persistence and the desire can learn to draw well - this is the starting point for The Fundamentals of Drawing, a practical and comprehensive course for students of all abilities. Opportunities for practice and improvement are offered across a wide spectrum of subjects - still life, plants, landscapes, animals, figure drawing and portraiture - and supported by demonstrations of a broad range of skills and techniques, including perspective and composition.The methods used in The Fundamentals of Drawing have been practised through the centuries by art students and professional artists. They are time-honoured and proven. Barrington Barber brings his invaluable expertise as a working artist and teacher to the task of showing you how to use them effectively to create successful drawings. No matter what your level of expertise, you will find his clear approach encouraging and his way of teaching inspirational.To get the most out of this book, you will need to be familiar with the basic drawing practices I introduced in The Fundamentals of Drawing. If you have used that book, or feel you know enough without referring to it, welcome to the next interesting stage of drawing. As with the first book, this one is aimed principally at still-aspiring artists who have done a lot of work and want to develop their skills further.
If you are still using the exercises in the last book as practice tools, that’s very commendable. In this book, I aim to encourage you to look more deeply into the art of drawing and to bring a more investigative approach to what you do. Such an approach teaches us not to be put off by difficulties, because they can be overcome with a little persistence and a lot of practice. If you are now drawing quite well and have proved your ability to yourself, it is quite easy to improve, even if the further steps you must take appear to be difficult at first.
So, the first lesson of this book echoes recurring themes of the last: practise regularly, and don’t mind making mistakes in the process. Mistakes are not bad so long as you correct them as soon as you see them. You will find that assessing your ability will help to make you more objective about your work. However, this new knowledge won’t come to you overnight, so be patient. And remember: the time you spend altering your drawings to improve them is never lost - that is how you will improve your skills.
Making contact with other people who are also trying to become better artists will help your progress, too. Drawing is not a private exercise but a public one, so do show your work to other people. It may not be to everybody’s liking and you may have to swallow criticisms that dent your pride. If this happens, look at your own work again with a more objective eye and see if those criticisms are justified. Of course, not all criticism is correct. But usually we know when it is, and when it is we should act on it. Your best critics will be other students of art because they speak from their own experience. If you know any professional artists, talk to them about their work. You will find their advice useful. Go to art shows and galleries as often as you can and see what the competition is up to. The experience will help to push your work further in the right direction. Notice your own weaknesses, try to correct them, but don’t ignore your strengths. And while you build on success, try to eliminate the gaps in your knowledge and expertise. Above all, don’t give up. Steady hard work often accomplishes more than talent.
What you will discover.
In the following sections we will be looking at all sorts of drawing; some you will be familiar with, and some will be new to you. Many of my examples are close copies of the work of first-rate artists, who provide a wealth of ideas and methods that can be learnt from. Some of the drawings are my own and hopefully they will also teach you something. In considering the drawings of master artists and how they were done, I have tried to relate them to our experience of drawing and suggest ways of improving your abilities.
Topics such as anatomy and perspective are looked at in some detail, as is the difficulty of drawing movement. Detailed on the facing page are the major themes running through the book and how they can help you develop your drawing skills. Included in this Introduction also, just as a taster, are examples of drawings that exemplify the major topics we shall explore.Drawing from the Masters.
The Experience of Drawing.
Form and Shape.
Assessing What Works.
Studying Life from Nature.
Extremes of Expression.
Styles and Techniques.
Art Appreciation.