/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

[Anonymous No.1942745]

whats /ic/s opinion about this book?

[Anonymous No.1942749]

Read the sticky

[Anonymous No.1942752]

>>1942749
this, also keys to drawing is better

[Anonymous No.1942776]

Read through it but can't remember much. It's about drawing what you see and not what you think you see.

The introduction is weird though. See, Betty is interested in this pseudoscience of the right side of the brain being creative for some reason. It's a nice gimmick for the book, but she seems to see her work as a contribution to neuroscience. You can tell that her pride has been slightly wounded now that the theory is proven bullshit.

[Anonymous No.1942782]

Not OP, but I literally just checked this out from my library because it was the only book they had on learning to draw that wasn't "how to draw manga ____s" by Christopher Hart.

Just now saw that it's suggested reading for the sticky, but it seems like other books are more favored than this one. Should I read through it or just skip straight to Loomis?

[Anonymous No.1942809]

>>1942752

I second this.

[Anonymous No.1942829]

>>1942782
You should read it. But don't take the brain bits too seriously

[Anonymous No.1942855]

>>1942782
just don't parrot the brain parts of her explanation, it's fucking lunacy.

[Anonymous No.1942898]

Right/Left brain division is based on the study of 16 individuals who had their major connective nerve hacked apart to alleviate the symptoms of severe epilepsy. Which the neurosurgeon warned people against misinterpreting he results, which people did anyways. 16 people whose brains are screwy are not a good representation of the whole.

There are different areas that handle different tasks, it's getting them all working together which is most important.

[Anonymous No.1942906]

>>1942752
Thir'd

[Anonymous No.1942908]

>>1942745
Great book. You don't have to read the whole thing. Betty Edwards is a wonderful art teacher. Never got to the brain parts, because I'm here to draw nigger. But I don't think /ic/ has any more clue about psychology than Edwards.

[Anonymous No.1942917]

To sum up my opinion on the book having read both the first version as well as "the New" edition, I think she teaches 1 thing and one thing only. How to look at things. She mentions "the sight" of an artist and she isn't wrong. Artists process what they see differently and she mentions a global thinking process in the ladder book. Which is a good revision. So in the end she doesn't really stick with the left brain right brain theory, which is actually a credit towards the positive on her end.

That one lesson is pretty helpful and lovely, but, it's nothing that will help you in doing anything but copy still lifes. So you will still have to learn construction, color theory, shape theory, light interactions, how to express textures, design, all of it. It is a good starting point. But to be honest, it's a kind of shitty starting point. You are much better off starting out with Dynamic Sketching with Peter Han. Here's the link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgDNDOKnArk

I think you need to know a bit about yourself and your skills as well as how you are best able to learn a subject before you go into it at all. Just do your best and always do what is necessary without trying to cut corners.

>So tl;dr
This book is meh at best
Nothing to burn a building down about (unless you're into that kind of thing)
Nothing revolutionary

[Anonymous No.1943262]

>>1942752
I also recommend keys to drawing also has useful text while right side has only pseudosience

[Anonymous No.1943273]

>>1942745
the actual division of tasks is a real thing, it's just not a physical thing.

if you have a problem with pseudo-science just replace 'right-side of the brain with' 'non-verbal tasks' and 'left side of the brain with 'verbal tasks.' and bingo bango bongo it's nearly all 'real science' as if that mattered.

almost all introductory drawing books will feature some explanation of this division because it's very important to drawing and especially optical drawing. they just use their own terminology, i've even seen a coupla books from the 1800s which do.

betty edward's book is a very good introductory book, in terms of teaching it has no equal and it teaches the important stuff. which is the concept of "the artist's eye", sighting and measurement. as well as some useful stuff about materials and media and all this.

[Anonymous No.1943320]

It's a decent book for what it's worth but Jesus fuck, Betty Edwards pads the shit out of it. It's worth going through if you're extremely green but with a grain of salt as with anything.

[Anonymous No.1943880]

>>1942745

Please find in this pic my notes, written as I was going through the book.
I read it entirely once while taking those notes, then I read it again, avoiding the garbage as per my notes and doing the exercises.

It could help you to know which pages contain exercises and instructions, and which ones contain Buddhist quotes or funny stories about the mysterious, outdated and romantic Right Brain.

Hope it will help.

[Anonymous No.1944051]

Greg Capullo credits it for being crucial in him going pro.

Paul Smith says it's a piece of shit that is irrelevant to non-referenced drawing.

[Anonymous No.1944127]

>>1942745
Believing all of her ideas of neuroscience won't make you a bad artist, but it will make you sound like an idiot. All of her theories about the sides of the brain are bullshit, but they come from truth. All the exercises are designed to get you to use the right side of the brain, which is apparently the creative side. Completely untrue, but the exercises do help you get into a mindset which is completely essential for art.
The main difference between art kids who grew up to suck shit and art kids who turned into prodigies is the discovery of this mindset. Its things like dispelling symbol drawing, learning how to see with an artist's eye etc. If you're even half competent at art, you'll have found this point. It's for absolute beginners only. If you're drawing things that look like an autistic man's Sonic drawings, this book is absolutely for you and will improve your skills massively. I only advise you skip to the exercises and ignore Edwards' ramblings.

[Anonymous No.1944176]

>>1942752
As a total beginner should I read drawing on the right side of the brain first or is keys to drawing basic enough? Is there anything I should read before keys to drawing at all if my drawing skills are near nonexistent?

[Anonymous No.1944192]

>>1944176
Choose either of the two - doesn't matter which one - and both books are exactly meant for those with zero drawing skills. Just plow through them doing all the exercises and don't worry too much :)

Draw erry day!

[Anonymous No.1944198]

>>1943880
Thanks anon!

[Anonymous No.1945256]

>>1944192
they have the book and the workbook
is it better t just get the workbook and go through the exercises or get both?

[Anonymous No.1947937]

does anybody knows where I can find this book:
Sketching from the Imagination: An Insight into Creative Drawing

tried fucking google, but no fucking luck

[Anonymous No.1947943]

>>1942745
Reading it along side this.

In fact, if you're planning to start drawing read this, and if you have not read this book yet - read it.

[Anonymous No.1947944]

>>1947943
*Read it along side this.

[Anonymous No.1947959]

Are the Watt's Atelier videos somewhere online? Or are they just impossible to rip?

[Anonymous No.1947961]

>>1947959
sorry, wanted to make a new thread.

[Anonymous No.1948073]

>>1947959
>>1947961
lmfao