Ariane, Beloved Captive

The book arrived within a couple of days, in excellent condition. I am continuing to study it and believe the author knows what she's writing about. As I continue to read and do the exercises I have real hope that my drawing will improve.

This book gives you several simple ways to avail yourself of the right side of yur brain, and they really work. There are interesting exercises throughout, and you can gauge how you are improving. Very well written in that no words are wasted, and there is meat in every paragraph. Alongside the text are interesting and/or inspiring quotes. Maybe you will begin this book the way I did, unable to draw anything beyond a stick figure, and become someone who can draw a hand you would think you could reach out and shake if you wanted to. Wonderful book, and it has inspired me to try to take my "art" further. As an aside, I am seeing more in nature, and I'm still just a beginner.

As I began reading this book, I expected to find one thing but soon realized it contained much more. I remember crying when I did the drawing exercise. I struggled as I tried to draw joy and other abstract concepts, but when finished I was astonished when I turned the page and realized others had made drawings very similar to mine. In an instant, I felt united with humanity and the tears flowed. (And I am not teary person). All of a sudden I understood how great art touches us so deeply, with out regard to our financial status or ethic background.

This book is as much about understanding "how and why all of us have the ability to draw but can't" as it is about teaching anyone to draw. If you are an older begginer this is a must, not only it teaches you how to tap into your natural drawing ability but it tells you why you STOPPED drawing. I always understand things better when I know why it happens or doesn't happen So if you ALSO want to feed your INTELLECT as much as your artistic talent get THIS book. If you just want mindless excercises and learn to draw by practice then get "Complete Idiot's guide to drawing," (no pun intended) by Lauren Jarrett, Lisa Lenard. The Idiot's guide pretty much copies concepts and methods THIS book puts forwared but without the detailed explanation and science behind it, specially if you are young and/or don't want to read too much. The method is the same and it WORKS.

Since the first time I read this book in 1983, I had the wish to express my gratitude to Dr. B. Edwards, because this book made great difference in my life. Through understanding better the process of realistic drawing I have improved my self in many ways. Learning to really see is a way to grow inside as a person, in all senses. That book has marked my passage from adolescence to adulthood (I was 22 then. At the time I was attending Massachussets College of Art in Boston, and heard about this book listening "All Things Considered" at National Public Radio, rigth after I bought it at the Harvard Coop). It also opened my self to accept what we do not explain, to have faith in God. I'm artist living and working in Northeast Brazil,city of NATAL, where I have a studio. I work mostly with acrylics and watercolor, but my strongest media of expression is freehand drawing... Thanks for sharing my feelings, Love Flavio Freitas