Creative Illustration

The value of this book can only be expressed through its own words.Let one example stand for many:'Light changes when we are sketching. During one sitting we may have many varying effects. How often the sun starts out bright and the sketch is under way. We try to state the effect. Then the sun goes under and stays under. The only thing to do is to set the sketch aside, for if we continue it will not have the same aspect, nor will it be true to the fundamental approach to values. Start a new one, smaller if the time is short, and wait for another sunny day for the other.'As you can see, within the space of only six sentences this author manages to summarise the whole gamut of our fallen human condition. Moving, at once sagaciously and gracefully, from the daunting curtain-raiser that could come right out of Ecclesiastes ('Light changes fast when we are sketching' - indeed, a crisper account of all life's transience and all the actions of man being inherently 'hevel' has not been offered in all the twenty-two centuries that have whizzed by since the time of that spiritual father of all modern men), through examinations of uncertainty and contingency of all our perception ('During one sitting we may have many varying effects'), the mirages and illusions that we are so prone to following down rabbit holes ('The sun starts out bright and the sketch is under way'), the futile endeavors that we waste the majority of our lives on ('We try to state the effect'), the bleak or even outright mournful outcomes of all our head trips ('Then the sun goes under and stays under'), the bleak surrogates and compromises that we are so often forced to accept ('The only thing to do is to set the sketch aside... Start a new one, smaller if the time is short'), to the vicious circles of illusions and false hopes that we are forever condemned to in our endless self-deceptions and confabulations ('... and wait for another sunny day for the other.').I would strongly urge the publisher to consider liberating this and other such gems that the book can boast of from the dead weight of the work's original, and by now totally outdated, purpose (to instruct budding illustrators), dropping out all the illustrations (except, perhaps, for the nudes - they may be left as subtle reminders of the barren vanities of the flesh), and printing it in a format more suitable to the work's true nature, that is to say as a treatise of existentialist philosophy and a powerful literary account of disorientation and confusion in the face of an apparently meaningless and absurd world.And, just in case you are still not convinced that everyone interested in the pursuit of wisdom should regard this as urgent reading, I offer you another example:'So all things have a value between black and white. All things have a value according to light and shadow. All things separate from one another within our field of vision because of values. So we can begin with these value shapes, stated as flatly and simply as possible, and practically devoid of modeling and surface detail.'Where else have you seen theistic cosmogony, anthropology, and moral philosophy expressed with such prudence and economy, and yet such unfathomable depth?

It's been a long frustrating search but finally I have found the teacher I've been looking for in this book.For the past 30 years - I have gone to various art classes, obtained an A-level in Art and then taught myself to use various mediums but I got to a point where my skills didn't improve much and I hit a wall. After much thought I decided to go to art school to do a part time foundation course which was meant to take 2 years to complete. After 1 year I quit and went back to full time work and resolved that traditional art classes don't exist anymore. I have never really come across a teacher that would teach the fundamentals of good art practice and the foundation course made up my mind to stop in my search.Then a couple of weeks ago after reading the reviews for this book and doing illustrations in my spare time - I decided to go for it and get this book. Best decision I ever made. The writing is clear, honest and concise plus his drawings illustrate his point. It delves into perspective, tone, imagination etc. As I read each page I can now see what was holding me back. I wish I'd come across this book all those years ago and perhaps I could have saved some money.I will still carry on as a self taught artist but now I have a teacher guiding me through. Great book!

Exactly as described. Book in excellent condition. A great reference for any artist.

I'd heard that the Andrew Loomis estate didn't want to republish these books & that has always been a great disappointmentI was overjoyed when I saw these titles & even more so when I received my copy of this bookit totally exceeded my expectations, just the size alone was more than I expected. I giggled like a little school girl when I opened the box & saw itI can't wait to get the other four & maybe you'll [ie amazon] will get "The Eye of the Painter" too - what about his mysterious 7th book???if you're learning art & hopefully teaching yourself then you can go no wrong with buying these five books by Andrew Loomis, in fact you won't have to bother with anyone or any thing else, as professional artists that make a good living from art have told me "they won't teach you this in any school"

I'll try to keep it short and with content other reviewers haven't said:Beautiful layout and a really well made book. Thought it may have been more budget due to being an old reprint.Content is wonderful (read the other reviews). It does show it's age. The style of the writing particularly is old American English. And it was before the psychology of short and sharp paragraphs with lots of spacing so expect nice big chunks of prose with which Mr Loomis articulates ideas. I personally prefer it this way. It adds a certain charm and conveys the authors meaning very clearly.

I've got all of Loomis's books, and I reckon this one is the weakest of them, not because it is in any way lacking, but because illustration has moved on hugely since this book was written. There is much to learn from Loomis's technique, but his other books offer that knowledge better than this one. Having said that, it's a very handy resource if you happen want the look of the period. The chiselled men and the demure females have that glamorous film star look, of course, and Loomis puts that across excellently. The graphics are some of Loomis's best. 21st century illustration is a different world, and much of it is handled in computer-based illustration packages. As a thing of its time, this book is a wonderful thing, and it goes well with the other books in the series. I have it mainly to make-up my Loomis set.