This book was interesting & I would have rated it 4 stars, but the spacing was off in the book making it incredibly difficult to read. I finally gave up & just looked at the pictures. If they would fix the problems it appears to be an interesting book!

I have been drawing since I was little, (very much a hobby not a profession!) and majored in Commercial art in high school. This book was truly helpful and fun, easy to understand but not condescending to beginners. This was really well put together, accessible to all ability levels and a book that could be used in schools or for those of us who sketch for fun at home. Kudos to Felix Scheinberger for a job well done.

As a painter I am always open to discover and experiment new, creative ways in order to develop my abilities. That's why I was interested in this book that in the title suggested a deliberation from too strict drawing, a common problem to many painters. The text is great, as it treats every aspect of free sketching without any worry for the outcome, suggests materials, techniques and the right set of mind. So it'd be perfect only if the the illustrations were not so bad. Dare to sketch is the title and in fact the author does not practise any control over the drawings and sketches. Some are OK, so I must presume that he actually can draw when he wants it, but too many are IMHO quite horrible, as they were of a person who simply has no idea how to draw or were made with the blind contour tecnique, one of the practises he suggests. For me it is a big handicap, as I must see beauty in creating art, but maybe for others, especially for those that can't draw but simply want to scribble, will be OK.

When I was first learning how to use watercolours, I read Scheinberger’s earlier book Urban Watercolor Sketching and found it helpful. While I keep a mini watercolor set in my bag, I rarely pull it out to sketch. This is odd as I have no difficulty pulling out a regular notebook and taking notes anywhere.

I was excited to receive an eARC of this new title and Scheinberger has done it again, he provides useful tips to help one get past the blank page and find freedom in sketching. While I have my own tricks for overcoming the first page in a new notebook, I like the tip of not starting anywhere near the first page and not sketching each page chronologically. This book covers everything: choosing a sketchbook, tool basics, and how to sketch everything from people to time.

While you may not want to learn to emulate Scheinberger’s style, there are many useful tips for developing your own while sketching urban and natural settings. There are tips for how to apply color. There are even ideas for how to incorporate digital media to your sketchbook. I look forward to seeing how this book helps me Dare to Sketch.

I have come to art late in life and am filled with self doubt. Can I paint? Can I draw? This wonderfully illustrated book has helped me immensely to have the confidence to just have a go.

The author gives great advice from what equipment you need to how to go about being sneaky so people don't know they're being sketched. He offers advice on composition, being unafraid of mistakes, using colour, collage and putting yourself into what you draw.

This isn't a book to take you step-by-step through each mark you make on the paper. Rather, I found it a permission slip to draw what I see, what I feel about what I see, and to experience the joy of creativity and maintaining a visual diary of my life.

I loved this book and I'll definitely read more by this author.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

(This will be published in my blog on 18/9/17)

Net Galley gave me an ebook preview of Dare to Sketch, in return for an honest review.

I didn't think of this as a guide as much as a collection of tips. I enjoyed seeing pages from the author's sketchbooks. I liked how he explained about contour drawing. Not just what it is, but why it can improve your drawing in the long run. I was hoping for more things like this or more conrent in general. What was there was good.

It was so short, it almost felt like reading a long blog post. I'm not sure who would benefit most from reading this. My first thought would be absolute beginners who've never done much drawing, but then I think they would be looking for more tutorials. Maybe someone who already draws or paints, but never really used a sketchbook before. Then I think maybe it would be too simple for them. I think perhaps it would be best for people needing some inspiration to get started!

For as long as I could remember I wanted to be an artist and that is what I studied growing up, however I’ve somehow ended up as a data analysist. I’ve continued to draw, but over the years the amount of art I’ve produced has withered to very little as my free time has been whittled away and inspiration dulled.
I requested the ARC for this book as I’ve been meaning to get back into art for a while and I must say that this wonderful book has inspired me and reminded me of my love for art.
Felix Scheinberger is an amazing artist with such effortless talent, his work is a pleasure to behold and his advice is incredibly useful. From materials to subjects, his advice is simple, effective and easy to follow.
I’d say that this book is useful for someone such as me who has previously studied art, but it would be perfect for beginners who would definitely gain a lot from reading this.
This isn’t an in depth look at art, methods and history, it is advice, guidance and encouragement – which was more useful to me than the dry books I studied in school and college. I absolutely loved this book and would wholeheartedly recommend it!

A comprehensive beginner’s guide to drawing. It is full of tips, advice and inspiration. I wish it had more illustrated tutorials.

This book wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but in many ways it offered more.
While I was required to spend over a year drawing and shading before I was allowed to take up a paintbrush, I haven't drawn much since. And because it is evident that my painting has suffered for the lack of drawing, I vowed to take a small sketch book and pencils in my purse with me everywhere. My thought is that anytime I have a few minutes of down time, instead of pulling out a screen of some sort,, I would pull out a sketch book and draw whatever was around me - my goal is to do at least one a day.
This book offers much more than the tips on process I was looking for. I had never envisioned something as complex as taking a small watercolor set along to color in drawings or using ball point pens or sepia for drawing. A lot of this still seems more involved than the pencil sketches I intended, but it really opened my eyes to more possibilities for my little project than I could have imagined,
The best thing, though, is the book gave me a different way of looking at sketching. While I have no natural talent, and my work shows it, I love doing it. Somehow after reading this I'm less self conscious about the quality of my work, how realistic it looks, and have a better appreciation for enjoying a sketchbook as a sort of diary for myself,

I loved this book. The lack of rules and the 'Just Do It' approach was really appealing. Excellent for all those perfectionists and those of us frightened of a pristine blank page. I enjoyed the vast variety of illustrations and doodles, and also the stories of where and why they were done, Full of really useful hints and tips (but in a very encouraging way). Brilliantly put together and pitched at just the right level. Loved it - Thank yoiu

I loved this book! It is not an instruction manual on how to draw classically, although it does cover some "quick and easy" techniques that will help you capture a moment or scene. Readers will find it very freeing.

A friendly, inspirational guide for anyone who wants to sketch but doesn't know how to get started. Just about everything is covered--how to overcome inhibitions, tools, locations, types of things to sketch, and even some cautions. Lots of artwork accompanies the text. Unlike some books that overwhelm with art to the detriment of the text, the included sketches are truly useful. It's like being handed an established artists personal notebook to look through while they help you get started.