Hammond - Lee hammonds all new big book of drawing: Beginners Guide to Realistic Drawing Techniques

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In 1993, I lost my father, William Hagen. At that time I was publishing my very first book, Drawing Portraits from Photographs. He did not live to see the book in print. I dedicated that book to him and made a promise to him in my heart that it would become a best-seller. And it did.

This book is dedicated to my mom, Dorothy Hagen, who passed away while I was in the process of writing it. I had the great honor of having her at my side at many of my book signings. It is my goal to make this book a best-seller as well as a tribute to her. Mom was a constant inspiration to me with her easy approach to life. She was the one person who was always there for me. Thanks for being my mom. This one is for you.

Bill and Dorothy Hagen, my angels of inspiration

circle template or compass

colored pencils

craft knife

drawing paper

kneaded eraser

mechanical graphite pencil

pencil sharpener

ruler

stick eraser

stump or tortillion

Welcome to the All New Big Book of Drawing! I couldnt be more excited about this book for it takes all of my expertise about drawing and combines it into one fun, project-filled book. After almost forty years of teaching, I have developed some great tips to share with yousome of which I havent revealed before.

If you have ever dreamed about becoming an artist but have not had much practice drawing, this is the book for you. It will slowly guide you to producing your most successful drawings yet. Practice on your part will be extremely important, but the lessons and projects in this book will give you everything you need to succeed. Just follow the material in the order that it is presented, and youll get fabulous results.

The first half of this book is all about drawing with graphite. This is the foundation for all of the other mediums, so everything you learn about graphite will transfer to future techniques you may want to try. Step-by-step projects will help complete your drawing knowledge and make you proficient in drawing a wide variety of subject matter. Even if you have my other graphite books, the all-new projects will still provide plenty of practice for improving your skills.

The second half of the book explores drawing with colored pencil. It takes the basic theories of capturing shape, form and likeness that are covered in the graphite section and applies color theory to them. The simple step-by-step projects will guide you towards drawing realistically with colored pencil in no time.

This book could easily be called a bible of drawing. Use it as your go-to book for any drawing questions you may have. I hope you will love it as much as I loved creating it for you!

Many students have told me that they initially feared taking one of my classes because they didnt know how to draw. But imagine if you were afraid to take a new language class because you didnt speak that language already. Isnt that the very reason youd want to take the class in the first place? If you want to learn to draw, you dont have to know anything in advance. You just have to want to try. I can show you how.

Drawing is really quite basic, and its theories are very repetitious. Once you learn a few of the basic techniques, you can go on to draw just about anything. It all boils down to three simple procedures:

• Accurate shapes
• Understanding light and shadows
• Drawing tones that match reality

My mantra in my classes is: Get it darker! Many fear the depth of tone required for a realistic drawing, so they end up with a weak, monotone study that lacks depth. Shadows can be quite dark, so learning to love drawing dark is necessary for realism.

My other mantra is: Slow down! Dont rush the project. Often the difference between my own work and my students is not in the skill level, but in the time I am willing to invest in each pieceespecially with colored pencil. Be prepared and willing to work at it for a while. The more time you invest, the better the result will be.

Come along for a fun and creative adventure with me. Just take the projects one at a time, dont jump ahead, and I guarantee you will be very pleased with the outcome.

You CAN do it!

Swan

Graphite on smooth bristol

14" 11" (36cm 28cm)

There is nothing that cannot be drawn with graphite. No longer should it be considered a preliminary medium for another form of art. Graphite is an art form in itselfit can produce quality pieces suitable for framing, showing and selling.

Once you have learned the blending techniques for realism and come to understand the effects of light and dark on the forms, all subject matter will be within your reach. Practice is the key to developing your skill. The more you practice with various types of subject matter, the better you will become.

Frog

Graphite on smooth bristol

14" 11" (36cm 28cm)

Graphite has always been my go-to medium when it comes to art. It was my first love when it came to learning basic drawing techniques. Because I am self taught, it was the easiest medium to master. Its also the most portable and clean medium, so it was convenient when I was raising my children.

In the 80s, I developed the Lee Hammond Blended Pencil Technique and started teaching it to small groups. Like me, the students found graphite to be the easiest medium to control. By the 90s I was hookedand writing books about it. This technique has changed the way people draw.

This section of the book will make you proficient in graphite drawing. Even if you have previous experience, the projects will give you additional skill and understanding. I hope the illustrations will inspire you and prove that graphite is not just a tool to be used for preliminary sketching, but is a fine-art medium in its own right.