Cover Image: Drawing: Landscapes with William F. Powell

Drawing: Landscapes with William F. Powell

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Member Reviews

I've never been one to draw landscapes, because I didn't really know how. But I wanted to learn, and this book was really helpful. I've always drawn people and animals, but now I can draw landscapes as well.

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This book is a great reference guide to have on hand, in the classroom or studio or to take with you on the go for drawing landscapes. It can help you. build confidence when you're not sure about the best techniques for representing landscapes, perspective in buildings and landmarks, and how to approach a landscape drawing if you've never tackled one before.
Step by step instructions, and handy tips throughout. This is a great series for budding artists, I also really like the one about drawing with coloured pencils.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview this book for a review.

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This was a short but full of tips book on drawing landscape. Every step by step projects started from basic geometrical forms and then you were taught how line and shade everything in order to get it to a final stage. Great landscapes in graphite.

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This is a very short book so it only gives a cursory glance to instruction at the beginning (which is not necessarily bad --as many art books give too much space here IMO. This is a standard type of art book that jumps from a fairly simple picture to a more complex one without much instruction (which unfortunately I do not care for) however I will say they really tried to cover as much ground as possible in such a short book, showing many different landscape types.

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Drawing Landscapes with William F. Powell is a new title in the Learn to Draw Step by Step series. Due out 3rd March 2020 from Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 40 pages and available in paperback format. This appears to be a reformat and re-release of material first released in 1997 with the same title by the same author.

The titles in this series are all formatted in a similar manner and this one is no exception.

A short general introduction (10%) covers tools and materials including pencils, paper, blending tools, etc. The intro is followed by a group of non-specific tutorials on graphite techniques, shading, light, shapes and perspective. The following tutorial chapters are specific for different subjects (landscapes) and include specific tutorials: clouds, rocks, trees & branches, etc, leading to some full studies. There is also a very abbreviated tutorial on rendering some surfaces and finishes. It should be noted that the style of these renderings is very retro/traditional in a style which was popular in the early to mid 20th century, much of that popularity springing from the art of Mr. Powell himself.

I like these tutorial booklets, they're inexpensive and full of useful info for artists looking for improvement in their own work. It's nice to see them getting a re-release for a new audience of artists and learners.

Four stars - for what it covers and for a very short tutorial guide, it does the job admirably well.

Disclosure: I received an eARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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This is a short golden gem for drawing landscapes. I love art books by William Powell and this one does not disappoint. I love the helpful tips and suggestions as well as the talented artwork. I highly recommend this book as a reference and I have already pre-ordered it. I love the tips for drawing tree with in the foreground as silhouettes and creating the illusion of mist in a waterfall. The tips for realistic water and adding reflections is excellent.
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

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Step-by-step instructions with a lot of detail on drawing practices. Focus on textures really worked with some of the most difficult things when drawing landscapes (stones, waves, clouds, etc) to help someone really become a better artist

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Do you need help to learn to draw landscapes?
In his book "Drawing: Landscapes with William F. Powell. Learn to Draw outdoor scenes step by step" the artist William F. Powell states: "You can discover beautiful landscapes almost anywhere—in your vacation photographs, at local parks, and even in your own backyard! ... with a little practice, you’ll be able to apply your newfound skills and draw your own beautiful masterpieces!" The steps that he deems necessary to get from the preliminary sketch to the completed work are exploring how to choose suitable subjects, creating a sense of depth through perspective, and utilizing various points of view. The readers will also learn simple techniques for developing trees, clouds, rocks, water, and shading methods.
The book is one of the 40-page books from the "Drawing ... step by step" series for beginners, published by Quarto Publishing Group - Walter Foster. The Book contains fifteen chapters, starting out with the basic information about tools & materials and shading techniques before diving into the specific step-by-step teaching that is needed to draw landscapes, such as surfaces and textures, composition, clouds, or trees and bushes.
The book presents itself with great graphics and design. Tips and additional instructions are included throughout the book. They are a great help for the budding artist. It is helpful and inspirational for beginning (and advanced) artists who are wanting to draw landscapes. It would make a nice gift and I would recommend it for them. Readers need to be aware that it is a basic book, index and information where the needed materials can be bought are missing. It is also important to know that the book only touches drawing with graphite pencil, drawing with colored pencils is not included in the book.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#DrawingLandscapesWithWilliamFPowell #NetGalley

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Quarto publishers are my favorite publishes lately because; thay publish books with wide spectrum and practical usage.
And they create easy to read beautiful books aimed at a particular aspect of mental faculty.
This books is to be read after reading similar book by Quarto which teaches basics of drawing.
This one expands horizons of learners further as they try to draw difficult landscapes.
A good drawing educator with simple and practical tips.
Aspiring and artists who are just warming up should get a look at it.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review.

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I'm a beginner with sketching landscapes, and this book was an excellent primer on the finer points of sketching a variety of landscape types. It focuses on using shading and minimal details in precise ways to give the illusion of light in a full detailed landscape. I found it to be at a perfect level for an artist who has general experience with sketching and does not need specific instruction of basics like shading (though it does include a couple of instructional pages on tools and basics), but is new to landscape sketching. I especially appreciated how in-depth the author went on different ways to create the illusion of light and perspective, two of the trickier elements.

However, I wish the book gave more opportunity to practice the tips it describes, as I would have benefitted from more detailed practice pages on a few of the more complex tips. It conveys instruction in only a few steps, so some of the finer points can be lost on the reader. With minor expansions or additional instruction, this would be a perfect beginner book on landscape sketching.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for accepting my request to read and review this book.
I have recently started drawing and painting again and found the instruction of this book helpful in improving my landscapes. The directions don't necessarily start at the very beginning of the drawing, but the steps are so easy to follow that it isn't a problem. This instruction guide is a welcome addition to my art book collection and is a book that I have gone back to reference several times over the last few weeks. I think artists from beginner to intermediate will find this guide to be helpful.

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Drawing: Landscapes with William F. Powell by William F. Powell is a useful guide to help you learn how to draw landscapes. It gives illustrations to help show you the steps as well as providing tips here and there to offer assistance.

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This book is a handy guide for the people who want to learn how to sketch. I've usually not been drawn to books about sketching but rather watching videos as ro really see the technique but this book is really nice to flip through and read about how the work is done.

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"Drawing: Landscapes" is an art instruction book on drawing landscapes using graphite pencil. The finished drawings are more like detailed sketches than highly detailed drawings, but they still look very nice. There is enough instruction that this would be appropriate for a beginner. The author started by describing the various tools and materials, various shading techniques, how to create various textures, and the basics of composition and perspective. He then provided step-by-step details on how to draw clouds, rocks, trees and bushes, buildings, mountains, deserts, creeks, and waterfalls. He ended with two step-by-step projects: Half Dome in Yosemite and Grand Falls in Yellowstone. I'd recommend this short book to beginners at drawing landscapes.

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Short and sweet, but with enough detail for beginners. The step by step direction is helpful for the visual learner. It's a little short on written direction, which could be problematic as the steps are BIG. Still, the encouragement and tips are spot on. I can't wait to get this in hardcover or paperback.

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Another nice drawing book from them. Some nice tips and examples to draw. Good for those who like to draw and want a few tips to help you get better.

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Good short step by step book addressing most of the natural features that form part of various landscapes. The instructions are not broken down completely, but there is enough there for even a beginner to have a go at. Plenty of variation and very good examples and illustrations. A good reference book to keep on your shelf.

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Brief but perfectly thorough introduction to anyone who's either good at drawing or pretty much a newbie like me. Will definitely be trying these techniques out as they seem pretty straight forward and easy. Perfect, as I've been meaning to try my hand in drawing again!

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