“The impulse to draw is as natural as the impulse to talk. As a rule, we learn to talk through a simple process of practice, making plenty of mistakes when we are two and three and four years old — but without this first effort at understanding and talking it would be foolish to attempt to study grammar or composition. It is this vital preparation, this first mouthing of words which mean actual things, that parallels the effort a student should make during the first years of his art study.

There is only one right way to learn to draw and that is the perfectly natural way. It has nothing to do with artifice or technique. It has nothing to do with aesthetics or conception. It has only to do with the act of correct observation, and by that I mean a physical contact with all sorts of objects through all the senses.

…and that is just the beginning of the introduction. Nicolaides’ The Natural Way to Draw is one of my favorite books, of any sort, of all time. Holding guidance that can be repeated and repeated until they are ingrained into process. This book is not only useful for those who are crazy about learning to draw; it is a great read for anyone who enjoys investing themselves in their craft. Originally published in 1941, this book still stands as a solid benchmark in drawing instruction.

“The Limitation of Preconceived Ideas. In learning to draw, it is necessary to start back of the limitations that casual information sets upon you. Preconceived ideas about things with which you have no real experience have a tendency to defeat the acquiring of real knowledge.”

How money is that? These statements are written with the clear purpose of teaching you how to draw. Those deep implications that are swimming around in your head after reading are just a byproduct of being true…in that deep, philosophical sort of way.

In the eighties there was another book that came along and blew away the drafting world: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. When I was a sophomore in college I was talking to my roommate who was an art major; and I expressed how it would be cool if I could draw. His response was perfect: So Learn. He explained that anybody who is not legally blind and has decent control over their motor-skills can learn to draw. I didn’t believe him. He told me to get Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, and a week later I realized he was right after I went from the drawing level of a five year old to a place I thought impossible when I started. So I kept drawing. This book is a nice practical guide to getting started, giving exercises and breaking down very well the process of drawing. Nicolaides takes you the rest of the way.

-John P.

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