Ed Emberley's Big Purple Drawing Book

I am now 26 years old but as a child, I had at least 4 of Ed Emberley's books and my mother would take my brother and I to the library to check out those we didn't have. I am an engineer but on my way to a degree in Product Design. My brother, while he got a degree in English, was a top student in his art classes. Both of us have used our love and talent for art as adults. The great thing about this book is that Ed gives you the basic pieces but encourages you to be creative and go beyond the book and make the drawings your own. Many other drawing books only show a specific technique or how to draw a certain object which is discouraging and makes people believe that art has to look a certain way. When the truth is, art is what you like and what you make it to be. I believe that creativity is crucial and to be encouraged in our youth. I spent hours and hours with Ed's books. They are great for car and plane trips. You couldn't get us to stop making our own worlds on paper! Shove the computers, handheld games, and game boxes aside and put this in front of your children instead.

Another great Emberley book teaching how to draw by using simple geometric shapes to build anything from pandas, poodles, robots or even intricately detailed pirate ships.

This series of books from Emberly are the easiest books on drawing there are, period. Anyone young or old can learn to draw some great critters and vehicles from these books. All of his Big Color books are great, as is his "Make A World" book. This one is famous for the easy way it shows you how to draw step by step, what appears to be a complex pirate ship. He even shows you how to make yours unique rather than a copy of his drawings. You can be the doodle hero of your class or office after using this book. He does it simply using very simple steps, lines, and basic shapes to start you off. If you want to learn the terminology of what you are doing, and really become an accomplished artist, the next step after these are the terrific Jack Hamm books. If you just want to have some fun, get this book!

This book is incredibly entertaining. From a complex pirate ship to a simple bunch of grapes, these books teach you how to draw a complicated picture in a series of easy steps. It will keep children of every age occupied for hours, as well as adults.

What a wonderful book! I bought this for my four year old daughter who loves to draw and it is a big hit. What is most appealing is the range in level of drawings. From a simple panda to a much more complex pirate ship, I can see my daughter using this book for years to come. Each picture is broken down into easy to follow step by step instructions/illustrations. This technique really built my daughter's confidence in her ability to draw a wide range of things. She is now able to look at an illustration and see that although it may appear difficult, it is really a grouping of shapes and lines. Many of these shapes and lines she could already draw, but was unaware that by putting them together in certain ways she could draw wonderful pictures. I highly recommend this book for children and adults who want to learn to draw!