In the past week I have posted a few times about drawing from life vs. drawing from photos and about planning a composition.
Well, I was doing a search to possibly add a link to one of my favorite books on this subject, "Creative Illustration by Andrew Loomis" and I found something even better - the entire book online:
http://www.fineart.sk/loomis/page_01.htm Yes, some of it is text and is somewhat dated. It was written in the 1940's but the truths and the advice on design and drawing are still valid today.
Besides the works of N.C. Wyeth, Norman Rockwell and Howard Pyle, this book had the greatest influence on steering me toward a career in illustration. And although it is written as a guide to the aspiring illustrator, much of the design and drawing advice can be applied to the design of any pictorial representation of life.
If you have never read any of Mr. Loomis's books I highly recommend this one, as well as his books on figure drawing. Many of the drawings look rather dated, due to the style of his work, which is a reflection of the fashions of the time. But that does not take away from the fact that this man could draw very well and knew how to simplify the process in a way that makes it very easy to capture the movement of the subject with just a few lines.
It is a good read, and along with the fact that it is online for free, the price is right. Also this book is hard to find in its entirety unless you can find an original printing. In reprints they seem to edit out a lot of Loomis's writings as well as some of the drawings. I hope you all find at least some of this useful.
For you fans of Sargent, this site also has a gallery of drawings by J.S. Sargent.
http://www.fineart.sk/sargent/page_01.htm Enjoy
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