Book Review: The Big Book of Drawing

By Sandy Amazeen Dec 22, 2011, 1:58 GMT

If you want to solidly get into drawing, you could not encounter anybody better than András Szunyoghy. His decades of experience as an artist and tutor predestine him for the creation of a basic rulebook for the learning of this old art. In a similarly playful and systematic manner, he succeeds in instructing in the big fields of drawing in four legs.The lessons contain step-by-step instructions in picture and text ...more

This stunning book is nothing less then a comprehensive drawing course that will appeal to beginner and expert alike as it explores all aspects of the subject. The first eight chapters introduce prospective artists to thinking about shapes, how to measure subjects, the use of plotting grids, different drawing techniques, grayscale and more. Whether your interest is refining portrait techniques, learning to draw trees, landscapes, clouds, townscapes or plants, the vast amount of information presented here far exceeds what is found in the typical drawing book. The “Mammals” chapter alone is worth the $30 price tag as it begins with equine anatomy and proportions, both moving and at rest. Next comes lions, assorted antelope, deer, elephants, dogs, and more, each developed in fine detail including rather humorous caricatures relating human composition to animals.

If you or someone you know has ever wished to pick up a pencil or a piece of charcoal and draw a decent rendering of a favorite subject, run to the nearest bookseller and grab a copy of Szunyoghy’s latest book. Not only does he go into just the right amount of detail on each subject, Szunyoghy then shows a range of common mistakes and how to correct them. Every technique is carefully illustrated by excellent drawings. There are several drawing books on the market but not one comes close to this outstanding volume, especially with the included bonus of a compact drawing grid and gray scale.