Diane Cardaci

Step-by-Step Studio: Drawing Lifelike Subjects
A complete guide to rendering flowers, landscapes, and animals
by Diane Cardaci; Nolon Stacey; Linda Weil; Diane Wright
Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster

This book is beautiful! The lifelike images and the detailed drawings, and the clear and concise instructions make this one of my favorite drawing tutorial books, even for beginners! The book starts out letting the reader know what tools and materials they will need then some basic techniques for drawing exercises.

Chapter one is all doggies and puppies! There are instructions and images on how to draw fur of different types then various features of the dog. Then the book gives five very detailed step by step exercises for different adorable canines!
Chapter two has flowers and botanicals. There are directions for drawing various parts of flowers, stems, etc. Then there are nine step by step projects to accomplish!

Chapter three tackles landscapes! There are directions to draw the sky, grass, various trees, foliage, wood, rocks, and clouds. Then six unique and beautiful landscapes are presented in detailed step by step instructions!
Chapter four has wild lifelike animals! There are some tips on drawing from life, using sketchbooks, and fur patterns. Then seven wonderful wild animal tutorials using pictures and directions, all step by step.

This really is a terrific book for step by step tutorial learning! I like them best myself. I don't get overwhelmed and can do bit by bit. At the same time my mind is learning to make sense of the pieces, the form, and shapes.
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book.… (más)

I'm not sure I would call it a book when it has only 40 pages, but it is surely nice reference material for those in their pencil drawing journey. However, read the title properly because this is not meant to teach you how to draw or general techniques when using pencils. It only focuses on helping you achieve well rendered textures for animal skins, fruits and vegetables, trees, clouds, man-made materials, portraits, landscapes, etc.

I would suggest it for those who already know how to draw or at least not very beginner (doesn't make sense to learn how to render a realistic strawberry texture when you can't draw its shape yet, right?). It is mostly a reference guide, with less step-by-step explanations and no troubleshooting section. I would have wished more than 40 pages and lengthier explanations on how to achieve each texture mentioned. I see it suitable as a guide for those already practicing pencil drawing interested in achieving nice and believable textures. If this is your case, this book can help you level up your art and make it look more polished.*I read it as an eARC… (más)