Pencil, Ink and Charcoal Drawing

Book excerpt: This original compilation gathers together four of Charles X. Carlson's finest art instruction books and presents them in one comprehensive volume. A well-known artist, author, and teacher, Carlson offers clear, uncomplicated methods of drawing for aspiring artists at every level. Chock-full of step-by-step illustrations, this compendium expertly covers the fundamentals of drawing figures, portraits, still-lifes, and landscapes for a wide variety of mediums. An all-in-one guide for art students, it includes: Simplified Ink, Pen and Brush Drawing opens the door to a number of drawing techniques, including spattering, stippling, cross-hatching, accented strokes, and the use of chalk and crayon. Simplified Drawing teaches artists the ABCs of free-hand drawing and features the basic principles of an object's construction using the easy "block method." The Simplified Essentials of Charcoal Drawing discusses charcoal materials and how to use them, and includes various techniques of charcoal drawing with application to cast, life, and outdoor sketching. Simplified Pencil Drawing presents the various methods of pencil drawing, step by step, while building students' knowledge of the subject and encouraging them to develop their own individual pencil techniques.