Loved it. The ideas, clear illustrations, and finished artwork make this book a pleasure.

If you've wondered about recent trends in drawing and illustration, Ward's book is a treasure trove - from sketchbooks to architectural sketches, everyday objects, to figure drawing with various mediums ... you'll find it here and have fun following the lessons.

Interested in pursuing the basics? Here's a great start.

Modern Drawing provides plenty of knowledge and techniques on how to start drawing with the author mainly focusing on using watercolours to colour the images once drawn.

There are 7 chapters in this book, starting with the Introduction which covers Supplies, Drawing Basics, Mark Making & Line Work, Keeping a Sketchbook and Drawing on the Go.  The Mark -Making section shows different techniques from Stippling, Hatching and Crosshatching, providing details on gradients and shading in each style.

Adding Colour explains tools that can be used (the authors favourite is watercolours so this is the mainstay of her explaination) and colour techniques.  The colour techniques provides details on the colour palette and how certain colour complement each other on the colour wheel.  

The book provides details on how to draw everyday objects and life including: 

Animals
Architecture and scenery
People & Figures
Plants & Foliage
There are plenty of pictures to follow and I really liked the people and animal drawings, putting in gestures to bring them even more to life.

I found this book very useful as when my daughter wanted to start her drawing again, I was able to recommend ways to look at objects and build up images using ovals, squares and rectangles which she found useful and we drew some footwear using this method which worked quite well. We also discussed where eyes should go on a face when its drawn as this was also covered in the book.

A lovely book, with comprehensive text and guide lines to get the most out of your artwork. A anyone wanting to learn or brush up on their drawing skills,

Chelsea Ward starts by telling she presents herself by telling her name is Draw written backwards. Nomen is omen, certainly for her. This book is filled with practical advice on how to draw: still lifes, architecture and scenery, people, plants, animals. How to add colour to your drawings. All the instructions are very practical and Ward pours from her own experiences.
However, I was left with the feeling that the book was a bit short and was missing something. It would probably be best for a total beginner, searching her way of drawing.

A good book for beginners like me. Simply techniques to helps you get started and understand the basics. Even if you think you can't draw there is good exploration on a variety of styles to get some basics accomplished.

I tucked into Modern Drawing to pick up a few new ideas and brush up on my drawing principles and techniques. The book is a step-by-step guide to drawing but a little basic for my needs. Highly illustrative, it has a lot of demonstrations and tips making the techniques easy to understand and action. Every key element of drawing from materials to perspective is discussed and shown. It really is a great starter! The one part I did really appreciate was Chelsea's challenge to draw every day, to make it a habit - this is one principle I can, and plan to, apply! I also really enjoyed the way in which she mixed her media - pens, pencils, watercolours - they come together to build a beautiful artwork!

If you are looking for a book to build your confidence, walk you through the basics and make art fun, don't hesitate to get this one! Five out of five!

So recently I moved, and I knew that due to this move my paints and painting gear would be packed up for months...but I need to do art or I go a bit mental. So, I decided to pick up sketching again, after something close to a decade, however I needed a refresher, and lucky for me this book came up on Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this book, it acts as a wonderful refresher or a guide to someone totally new to sketching, covering pencil, pen, colored pencil (including water color pencils which was nice) and inks. I like how it uses everyday objects and shows the steps including the different way to achieve dimension with both pencil and inks. Also the book itself is very pretty, as an instruction in art should be!

Amazing book that helps even beginners like me learn to draw. The images are amamzing. I learned a lot about art and drawing from reading this book. Very nice instructions.

I found Modern Drawing: by Chelsea Ward book fun with illustrations throughout this book. It has chapters on adding colour, People and figures, Still life and everyday, Architecture and Scenery. Plants and Animals. I found this book easy to follow with clear instructions on how to draw items, with pencils, ballpoint pens, fountain pens etc Then add colour to your drawings.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start drawing more than just lolly pops for trees and stick's for people,
Its a very good book for beginners and novices.

I received a Digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster in exchange for an honest review.

This book introduces drawing to the novice but is also interesting for the more advanced hobby artists. I especially liked the detailed guides to drawing animals. I've tried it and might not have had an instant success but the cats I've drawn look more like cats than they used to before.

I'm recommending this book to anyone who wants to start drawing more than just stick people, or who wants to get past the immobile objects.

I enjoyed this useful and comprehensive overview of drawing which leads the beginning artist through step-by-step instructions on how to draw everything from plants and animals to architecture and scenery.

A good book for beginners and novices. This book has some really good tips and techniques to help you start drawing.

I loved this book, as an amateur drawing addict I found the playful explorations in this book quite influencing and encouraging. This book made me wish I had more time to draw and explore my skills! So creative.

Modern Drawing is a fun and well presented introductory text. It looks at all aspects of drawing, including media choices and technique, and incorporates everything from still life to landscape to portraiture. With such a broad spectrum, it naturally only skims the surface in each topic, but it is still an excellent starting point for those new to art who are looking to dabble in different areas before they discover their niche. The book is beautifully laid out, with a perfect balance between text and illustration, and it would be an excellent addition to the library of any budding artist. 4.5 stars.

Modern Drawing is a great art book for both beginners and novices hoping to get some great and helpful advice on drawing. In many ways it was very similar to the drawing class I had in college, covering many of the basics and other essentials most intro classes would cover. Though I do feel compelled to point out that the author has quite a bit more humor than any of my instructors ever did (which is saying something).
Chelsea Ward covers a lot of ground on quite a variety of subjects, it’s actually quite impressive. Her introduction includes suggested supplies, the bare bones basics of drawing, how to maintain a sketchbook, and even tips on how to complete a drawing challenge (which are quite fun, for the record). She also covers the basics of color theory, drawing architecture and landscapes, people, plants, and animals. There are only a couple pages per specific subject type, but it’s enough to give one a great head start and isn’t overwhelming in the slightest (something that I find can happen with more technical guides).
Some parts of the lessons here stood out to me more than others; I was impressed by the inclusion of tips for completing a drawing challenge. That’s something I’ve never seen in a drawing guide before, and I found the idea oddly sweet. I also adored the succulent drawing section, and they’re a passion of mine. And finally I couldn’t help but notice that the section on architecture was the same size as the section on chickens. Please tell me I’m not the only one that found this adorably hilarious?
This was a great guide on the whole. Perfect for beginners or anybody hoping to get a refresher on all of the basics. The fun and light tone of the tutorials helps keep it engaging, which is greatly appreciated. I hope Chelsea Ward comes out with more guides, especially more advanced drawing ones. I would love to see that.

I loved this book. I reconnected to the drawing techniques and I learn new techniques that I can apply in my freelance painting. I recommend this book to any level of artist.

This book did a great job and breaking down the very basics of drawing and expanding into more intermediate levels. They go over all of the different tools and platforms you can use to make your drawing creations. This book gives wonderful tips and examples.

I'm a mixed media artist into all sorts of art like drawing, painting, etc. I look at many books to learn more techniques. I quite liked this book for many reasons. It has lots of sections to cover a variety of topics. It starts with supplies, some simple techniques to start. Then it goes into details for different type of drawings like architecture, people, animals, plants, etc. It also talks about adding colour, which is a nice addition. It's easy to follow. It also covers variety within sections. How to draw a cat from different angles, or a building. I think both beginners and people who draw already can benefit from this book.
My only criticism is I wish there was more landscape and nature, and maybe more content in each section.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and I'm sure I'll benefit from it more.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting a copy in exchange for an honest review.