Anon, what drawing book would you give this Christmas to someone who is learning to draw? One about shapes, gestures, Asian, Western, etc.?
Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged
Probably the Drawing Basics Course™ by Stan Prokopenko, 15% off with discount code
>>7407747If they're just starting out - Fun with a pencil. If they're somewhat serious about it, go with pic related.
Unrelated question how do I delete comments?
>>740775815% off? Wow what a steal! Proko always provides the most comprehensive courses at an affordable price so that money isn't a barrier to accessing high quality resources. It's a fantastic gift to give to that hungry artist in your life that they'll be sure to appreciate! I'm going to go look at their wide library of products right now to find what works best for my [brother ]! Thanks for letting us know!Copy and paste the above statement in the assigned art community and screenshot in order to collect your payment. Submit all screenshots along with the URL of the comment to the ticket queue for verification. Once verified payment will be disbursed within 48 hours.
>>7407747Loomis, Bridgman, and color and light. Those are the must haves first. Then get the rest
>>7407747Depends how old and mature they are, also their goals. Some of these are absolutely way too nerdy and not meant for normies that just want to copy random shit they like online like anime or superheroes. Some books are great if they're digital artists but useless otherwise since they'll never actually "paint" or need colorDo not buy any of these books if you've never looked through them.My recs that you'd have to account for their tastes:>complete beginner, drawing from observationKeys to Drawing - Bert Dodson>anatomy/figureFigure Drawing for Artists: Making Every Mark Count - Steve Huston Bridgman* or Morpho - Michel Lauricella>rendering/drawing techniquesFramed Drawing Techniques - Marcos Mateu-MestrePen & Ink Drawing: A Simple Guide - Alphonso Dunn>compositionDrawing Scenery: Landscapes and Seascapes - Jack Hamm (incredibly underrated and one of the best composition books but they need to be somewhat advanced)>misc.Art book of artist or franchise they liketoshi books are fun to draw from and get inspiration if they're a weeb*I love Bridgman and he's my favorite of the artistic anatomy books for drawing. But Complete Guide is more thorough and has a section on drapery, Constructive Anatomy is great for being cheap and fitting in a backpack for taking to school/college.
>>7407798Forgot to add under figure, very solid book even if you never want to draw capeshitHow To Draw Comics The Marvel Way - Lee/Buscema
>>7407747Books suck. Give them art supplies. A nice (mechanical) pencil. A nice brush. Sketchbooks. Papers. Good ones cost about the same as books.
>>7407747I know you mean well but you're kind of giving someone an obligation to use and get value out of the gift. Personally I'd be much happier if someone made an effort to find out about artists that I like and got me a print or artbook or something. At least talk to the person and ask if they want a course.
>>7407747probably the peter han book, it's just solid all around
>>7407747If you're asking for one with shapes, Asian, Western etc I don't know one that all encompassing. But I would give Michael Hampton's book because they will quickly grok figure drawing, and then tell them to learn portraits on YouTube so that in about 6 months they can have a hobby of sketching people irl.
>>7407747Physical books for drawing are pretty fucking annoyingMy Loomis looks great on a shelf, but it's too big and bulky to carry around and actually use. Give them some GOOD supplies and like, a USB with USB-C with books you think are goodIf its someone you don't mind spending a lot for, a Kindle and load that shit with books
>>7408023>If you're asking for one with shapes, Asian, Western etc I don't know one that all encompassingI was thinking about this too, I don't think there's a single book that's good and covers all this or even some of the things like shapes in a way that's easy to understand. All the best knowledge and tutorials I've seen has been random bits of insight from youtube videos, timelapses, or lectures of Watts/Huston/krenz/random artist gumroads or patreons.There is no book or collection of books I can point to as a reasonable curriculum to go through. Art is so hard to learn and guide people through because of this. Nevermind all the complete waste of time rabbit holes you can go down which have their uses but can easily go overboard with (figure drawing, gesture).
>>7407752The only book you'll need OP. This one teaches you the importance of self reliance and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
>>7407747I like collecting original editions of books that are no longer in print. A really good one for a beginning artist would be, "Practical Drawing" by E.G. Lutz. You can read it online, but nothing beats having it in your hands, and the illustrations are often fuzzy/unclear in the digitized versions.
