Keys to Drawing

Keys to Drawing from Bert Dodson originally published in 1985 is a classical guide to the drawing process. He explains the basic fundamentals of drawing through this book.

Concepts like proportions, light, depth, texture, and composition are explained lucidly in this book. What distinguishes this particular book is that the author explains the concepts not just as a set of instructions but rather as a concept, one which we could base upon to build further. The fundamentals in which the artform of drawing and painting is made clear to the reader.

His understanding of the artform makes him feel that straddling – or basing your art on the contradictions of all sort makes it the best. It could range from drawing freehand to control hand, to include ambiguity and clarity, being simple and complex, all at the same time in the picture. He believes art essentially falls somewhere in between these opposing ideas and paradoxes.

Many of the fundamental concepts like straddling and repetition with variations which are explained in this book extends out the simple drawing process into other fields of art and life. Though drawing is not to be approached as a set of specified guidelines, these keys from Bert Dodson when absorbed in to your drawing process, helps you create a more complete form of artwork.