As a book person, I’m always delighted when I find interesting new art books. Last week, when an art instructor mentioned the Loomis method of drawing faces, I did a quick search and found Successful Drawing by Andrew Loomis.
Loomis’s book is the most detailed instruction on drawing correct perspective that I’ve found. His explanation of how to draw practically any object in proper perspective (using the horizon, vanishing points and placing objects within a cube) is brilliant though impossible for me to fully grasp. So I fear I won’t be putting that into full practice for now.
However, Loomis also shares lots of wisdom about drawing in general. Here are three bits that I like a lot (all page numbers are from the Kindle edition):
“Every picture should have some reason for existence, some purpose behind it. If we can make the spectator feel that purpose we have succeeded further in capturing his interest.”
Successful Drawing, p. 16.
‘Rocking Chair” – V. Nesdoly, 2024
“Before beginning to draw, close your eyes and try to see the subject. Think of what would be happening. Think of the basic idea or purpose of the effort. All this may be called the conception of the subject. Again we need to make thumbnail sketches, even scribbles, until our subject begins to take shape.”
Successful Drawing, p. 19.
“Apple Trivet” – V. Nesdoly, 2024 (I’m not claiming this is well drawn, but I love Loomis’s tribute to the beauty of drawings of common things.)
And my favourite…
“Things that seem so commonplace are really things of beauty. Strangely enough, when they are well drawn they seem even more beautiful, for they have been set apart from the endless multiplicity of nature. A good drawing of a thing can be more interesting than the thing itself, for it concentrates attention on aspects which the layman probably would not see.”
Violet Nesdoly 