Book Review: The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

Coincidentally, one week before I bought the book at the bookshop, there was a student asking for 5 copies. This is a very popular title that frequently pops up when people ask for recommendation on books that teach drawing. Reviews on Amazon are overwhelmingly positive, which is not a surprise.

This book not only teaches you how to think (and not think) when drawing, but also teaches you the techniques to draw. In short, it teaches the approach and the techniques. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain works on the premise that the right side of the brain is more suited for drawing, and teaches you how to engage it for drawing purposes.

The different chapters are on contour drawings, negative space, sighting, portrait drawings, colors, light and shadow. At the end is an additional chapter on handwriting art. There are easy step-by-step exercises to follow along. Results will be visible but all the exercises must be done. Perfection requires more practice, of course. The techniques can be easily applied to challenging tasks like drawing foreshortening or a realistic portrait.

One thing I noticed on online art forums is, beginners generally like the book. Those who have been drawing for a while say that left & right brain thing is more marketing and drawing is just about focusing. The thing is, this book provides the basic techniques to get people started. And yes, I did read everything and went through the exercises, which aren't really too hard.

This book is highly recommended to beginners learning to draw.

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