Book: The question & answer format suits what is essentially a hints & tips book rather well. Trudy Friend has a lot of experience both as an artist & as a teacher & the questions she raises have an authentic feel to them. These are things you really are going to want to know, such as, How can I draw twigs & branches that look convincing? or, When I draw hands, how can I prevent them looking like a bunch of bananas?
The book is also nicely organised, with six sections covering Trees & Woodlands, Gardens, Still Life, Buildings, Figures & Birds & Animals & there is also an index so that you should quickly be able to locate what you're looking for.
Within the main sections, each Q&A is given its own double-page spread, with the simple answer at the top
- in the twigs case, twist the pencil as you work using erratic movements that automatically create angles from which other twigs & branches can emerge. The rest of the space is then devoted to examples of how to put this into practice as well as some handy technical hints & tips.
Trudy offers a great deal of very practical, down to earth advice, both in the main sections & her excellent introduction to basic techniques & media, & the book is excellent value for your money.
Book: David & Charles. Paperback. 128 pages. Colour throughout
Tin of 12 Pencils: Set of 12 soft graphic pencils ranging from F to 9B. They are ideal for detailed illustration, figure work & for subtle & expressive portraiture.
Author: Trudy Friend