From: Bud Plant Posted: 07/15/08
In case you don't recognize the author, Nick Meglin is a former instructor at Joe Kubert's School of Visual Arts in New York City. AND--he's the former editor of Mad Magazine. He was there when all the finest artists worked on Mad, and he hung out with the likes of Frazetta, Torres, Wood, Davis and all the gang.This is a distillation of everything he's learned about drawing and sketching, including excercises to release your inner artist. He includes examples by 45 contributors, from old masters to contemporary artists. The feel of the book is inviting and very readable, like sitting down with a highly respected artist for a long evening conversation, accompanied by his own and other's drawings. He encourages you to take risks, use your intuition, develop your own style, and find subjects everywhere you go. It's a fine book and one that you probably won't spot in most stores, since there are so many how-to books out on the market. It can easily get lost in the multitude but it should not be--this is a must-have for any aspiring artist. It's a new edition, so clearly it has done well enough to warrent a new printing from a highly respected new publisher, Northlight Books, who specialize in the how-to area.