First Lessons in Drawing and Painting

This book (formerly published as Still Life Drawing and Painting) is the definitive step-by-step welcome guide to those who are serious about pursuing artistic drawing. In roughly 100 pages, nine carefully crafted sections and over 800 illustrations and diagrams, the author covers the basic and not-so-basic concepts, elements, skills and techniques you need in order to produce realistic still-life drawings of everyday objects. His topics include picture elements, space division, composition, depth, textures, values, light and shadow, etc, all of which are explained in detail for a wide variety of mediums like pencil, watercolor, pastel, chalk, graphic pens, oil and acrylic, etc. As an added bonus, the author introduces us to abstraction in art. He also teaches us how to analyze other artists' work and understand which techniques went into their creation. By studying this book as if it were a textbook on a course, doing all the exercises and reviewing each section afterwards, I have steadily improved my craft in just over a month. My drawings no longer look amateurish or sloppy, and they have been constantly rewarded with praise from my friends and family. If you are new to drawing, buy this book as your introduction to the craft, you'll reap the rewards of working on solid principles as you get into deeper and more specific kinds of drawing. If you are a seasoned artist, buy it to review what you know and discover new techniques and new mediums. Its masterfully organized content, clearly written instructions and pleasant visual style will make your learning experience most enjoyable, and the invaluable concepts, lessons and techniques will make your art look professional right from start. --Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

"First Lessons in Drawing and Painting" is a great way to begin your quest of becoming an accomplished artist. This book will help you understand how other famous drawings and paintings were "built", by focusing on the creation of Still Life. Jack goes through many lessons in both drawing and painting, such as how to create space and depth in your drawings, working with values, keys to good composition, light and shadow, basic painting techniques, working with a pen, etc etc... If you have no idea what all of this has to do with good artwork..., then I'd highly suggest starting right here. After you learn the basic formula, Jack take you step by step through a realistic chalk drawing, creating texture, an intro to abstraction, and even teach you floral drawing and painting (you'll learn how to draw realistic roses in here as well). I bought this book after I had already purchased Jack's other four excellent books, this was a mistake on my behalf. I became frustrated when I reviewed my drawings as they visually reminded me that I was 'still a beginner'! So, I bought this book. I've only had this book a week and already my lack of experience is becoming harder to trace, it also helped to boost my self-confidence when I re-read Jack's books and re-tried the excercises. Conclusion: I've learned from my mistakes, so you can save yourself unnecessary frustration. This book is a great easy to follow starter book for the aspiring artist, I'd really consider this book trying to take on figure drawing, landscapes, etc... all of Jack's books will help indefinately, but this book makes you both visually, AND mentally prepared for them!