Recommend a fundementals course...

[IanStrandberg]

Howdy All,

I have some drawing and painting skills but I'm far from a well versed artist. Lately I've come to believe that I may have "missed a step" in my hodge podge self-training and that its holding me back. I want to rectify that.

Therefore, I am going to go through a fundamentals curriculum. In order to find the right one (or several) I'm reading, skimming and scanning my way through everything I can get my hands on.

Please recommend (link when possible) your favorite books and tutorials which assume that one is starting from ZERO. To say it another way, I'm looking for pre-figure fundamentals. Seeing, measuring, modeling, etc.

Cheers,
Ian

[armando]

Dividing 2D space, dark and light pattern(value), color: http://www.archive.org/details/compositionserie00dowauoft

Also found Heinrich Wolflinn's "Principle's of Art History" helpful in learning about the difference between pieces of art that stress a plane, or depth, whether it's sculpture, architecture, or painting.

Nathan Hale's "Abstraction in Art and Nature". Has useful patterns and things to look for when drawing from life.

[IanE]

There's a wonderful book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain that may just do the trick. Check that out, man.

[IanStrandberg]

Thanks very much! I started reading Dowauft's Composition and I feel it is most promising. I'm working on getting my mits on the others mentioned.

I currently have (among other things) a copy of "A Guide to Drawing" by Medelowitz, Wakeham and Faber. It's a textbook and it *seems* to be pretty good. Any experience with this title?

Ian