Rating: 
Summary: 100% effective techniques, 0% fluff. Excellent.
Review: "WOW YOU DREW THAT?! hahaha, yeah right, no way. You did? Come on.. Really? You drew it yourself? Oh my god. I cant believe it. Youre like - a genius or something. Wow."This is an actual real life reaction I had the other day from a friend after three months or so of practicing the lessons in this amazing book. She could not believe how quickly I had learned. Of course, once I showed her the book, she believed it right away. Why? because this book is all about achieving results. The BEST results for the most amazing realist drawings, period. There is no filling up space with needless extra pictures, no flaky artsy prose about something or other which doesnt help at all, like ive seen in other drawing books. From page 1 till the very last page you LEARN, and you learn FAST, so fast you will surprise yourself with every drawing. Today I have come to Amazon to order How to Draw Color Portraits from Photographs and How To Draw Flowers and Nature from the same author, Lee Hammond, and I tell you, I cant wait. I used to be a computer nerd with no creative side whatsoever. Thank you a million times over Lee for transforming my life! I only wish you included some sort of email address with your book so I could tell you this directly.
Rating:
Summary: A great place to start for any inspiring artist
Review: About 2 years ago I decided I wanted to find some way to express myself artistically through sketching or painting. In order to give myself the best chance for success, I thought I would look for the BEST INSTRUCTIONAL book I could find... this was the book I chose and it turned out to be a great choice! Lee's techniques really do work and many can be applied to other mediums. I still do pencil portraits based on what I learned from this book, (my family and friends crave them!) but also have expanded my work to include watercolors. I guess the best thing I learned from this book is that artistic skills CAN be learned!
Rating: 
Summary: I want to personally thank everyone who is buying my books.
Review: As an author, your greatest joy comes from knowing that people are enjoying the books you have written. As an artist, and instructor, it is an awesome feeling to know that people enjoy your work enough, to want to do it too. My art is for all of you. Without showing someone else how to achieve the same results, my work wouldn't mean as much. I want to thank all of you who are buying my books, and finding the same joy in your art as I am. What an incredible way to spend our lives, creating lasting memories through our artwork. Please watch for my new books, on colored pencil techniques, which will be relased in the spring!!! Sincerely, Lee Hammond
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Great book! If you have even mediocre talent as an artist GET THIS BOOK, too. In one week of using this particular book, my skills as an artist have greatly improved. You'll be seeing my art for sale on Ebay soon all because of the lessons learned from this book. Thank you, J.D., for a really great selection of books.
Rating:
Summary: Bought his other book "Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil"
Review: Great book! If you have even mediocre talent as an artist GET THIS BOOK, too. In one week of using this particular book, my skills as an artist have greatly improved. You'll be seeing my art for sale on Ebay soon all because of the lessons learned from this book. Thank you, J.D., for a really great selection of books.
Rating:
Summary: it IS a very giving book
Review: hiþ,þ
I am pencil drawing for a long time since I was 15ýþ.þ
In the last few years I have felt my drawing level had come to a stopþ.þ
it made me stop drawing because I felt I didn't get the results I wanted from my ýýdrawingþ.þ
I could not find a simple how-to-draw book with step bt step examples as i wantedþ.þ
I wasn't expecting much when I purchased Hammonds' bookýþ.þ
I have the book for 2 months and my drawing has changed extremely.ý
I think it's the best way to improve my technique and to draw exactly what I see in my ýýimagination.ýþ.þ
that is my main goal and i think I could achieve it with hammonds' helpþ.þ
buy it if you want to improve your technique. this book won't change your talent as an ýartist but would change your technique extremelyýþ.þ
Guy
Rating:
Summary: Thank you Lee Hammond
Review: I am a children book illustrator and have been teaching drawing for a few years. I have included Lee's book in my lessons during the last year and my students loved it. The instructions are so clear and the illustrations are incredibly life like. When I first showed them the book their reaction was something like: "Wow Incredible - but we can't do anything like that". We worked slowly with Lee's many guidelines and instructions and sure enough my students achieved the "Incredible". Thanks Lee for all your lovely books.
Rating:
Summary: Second-to-None
Review: I came to Amazon.com many times anticipating purchasing this book. I chickened out over and over. Finally, with my back against the wall, I decided to give it a try. Now, my portraits are fabulous! They have improved by 200%! I can't say enough...I used to draw and shove my drawings under the bed or in the back of a closet. Now I'm not ashamed to have them framed. And the framer and others in the shop always praise my portraits. I'm now taking orders for portraits. Thank you, Lee. I'll be ever grateful to the teaching structure of all of your books. I'm now developing my own style. Now, all we need is a book using this style of structured teaching for those of us who need that extra piece of knowledge in paint portraits... Much Gratitude!
Rating: 
Summary: Hit or miss....
Review: I first stumbled on a guy's website whose tips were generally taken from Lee Hammond's book. While waiting for the book to arrive (which surprisingly took a while from Amazon) I had already developed my style from the guy's tips so Lee Hammond's book didn't help me improve. The technique works. I have had countless oohs and aaahs from friends and family to prove it. However, I had to make adjustments for the suggestions I didn't like, for eg, she suggests using a tortillion, I used cotton wool and cotton-buds, she suggests 2B graphite lead, I ended up prefering 4B or charcoal because 2B isn't dark enough and graphite reflects light. A big caveat, if you don't like the idea of using grids to replicate from photographs, then this book is not for you. I wasn't particularly impressed with the artwork shown in the book either. But I will say that it's an idiot proof technique. If you've always wanted to draw and never thought you could, this technique just goes to show that talent isn't required to produce lifelike sketches. As a starter guide, it's not bad.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing, even for veterans!
Review: I have been drawing now for years, even though I'm at the mere age of 16, and I've always thought my drawings were good, and the progressed normally as my age did. I read thorugh this book for only an hour or so, after completing a portrait from a magazine, I then took his instruction, and re-drew it, the results were incredible. Whether you're a first timer, or a veteran pencil artist, you will improve with this book.
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