Gene Franks

Another good selection of tutorials for graphite sketching from Gene Franks. My library has several of his books, the larger collections and the oversized but thin subject-based books. I intend to progress through all of them.

This particular one--a decent number of pages of smaller sheets--I would classify as a broader collection. It has still life, animals, landscapes, vehicles, and a person. However, what I didn't expect when I started is that it's Western themed. Wooden barrels, turn of show more the century car, a mountain man's portrait, horses, log cabin, a mesa landscape with sage brush--I love it. Gene Franks style isn't the most compatible to me, and I think the "sketches" are fully-fledged enough to require higher quality paper and pencils. So it's not the most incredible art tutorial book, but it's high in my ranking. show less

The steps in the demonstrations and the subjects are ideal for me. The demonstrations tend to be four steps: 1) outline, 2) detailed outline, 3) light shading to plan where all shading will be and internal lines, and 4) full detail to all lines and full shading. Subject matter is separated into sections for still life, buildings, transport, landscapes, animals, and people. The subjects also aren't the typical bowl or fruit and nude people, but include Native American gourds, a lighthouse, a show more wheel barrow, a hawk on a gloved arm, and a close up of a Victorian woman. The results are detailed enough to have made me work for my success, but still basic enough to feel like I was just sketching.

Easily the best graphite drawing book available at my library. show less

This is a useful, informative book on how to bring a drawing from beginning to completion. I disagree with how he says to hold the pencil, but the rest of the book is useful, and there are some excellent example pictures to draw.

Drawings are excellent. This particular copy, being a paperback (2004 reprint), is a reduction in size compared to the 1991 hardcover edition. But the worst aspect is the tone of the print: overly dark, compared to the original.