Rating: 
Summary: A Draw-er's Resource
Review: A staple for drawing students of all experience levels. Prolly the best instruction in book form. Not a technique book. Learn from the Masters themselves, via one of the great Drawing instructors of this century.
Rating:
Summary: Hale is a Master teacher
Review: As an artist that did not go to art school, I have constantly searched for instructional books only to be disappointed in finding stupid books written for people who are not serious about art and have no discipline. All of Hale's books, especially this one, are supremely intelligent and extremely insightful. after reading his book you'll gain insight to judge good drawing from a bad ones, a skill every serious artist should strive to have. Hale will help you see drawing in a new light and send you on your way to growth. Since he uses drawings by artists such as Raphael, Tintoreto, Rembrandt and Rubens, you'll be learning from the masters themselves, not from some mediocre artist. The only negative about the book, if it can be called a negative, is that after 100 drawings you want more. I learned more from this one book than through all the art books I have read before, and more than almost all the art classes I have taken, put together.
Rating:
Summary: Best drawing book available.
Review: I can't say enough good things about this book. Robert Beverly Hale was considered one of the past century's greatest instructors of drawing and artistic anatomy. This book shows why he is held in such high regard. It provides numerous examples of old master drawings with Hale's penetrating insights regarding why the drawings are great. A master teacher discussing master drawings - it doesn't get any better than that! Remember, the old masters themselves used to copy master drawings when they were students learning how to draw. Follow their example. This book also has a wonderful section on artistic anatomy. Anatomy is very important, and can't be stressed enough. It provides the foundation of all good figurative art, whether it be drawing, painting, or sculpture. This book, besides discussing and analyzing master drawings and what makes them great, also provides the best introduction to artistic anatomy that I've seen.
Rating:
Summary: Best drawing book available.
Review: I can't say enough good things about this book. Robert Beverly Hale was considered one of the past century's greatest instructors of drawing and artistic anatomy. This book shows why he is held in such high regard. It provides numerous examples of old master drawings with Hale's penetrating insights regarding why the drawings are great. A master teacher discussing master drawings - it doesn't get any better than that! Remember, the old masters themselves used to copy master drawings when they were students learning how to draw. Follow their example. This book also has a wonderful section on artistic anatomy. Anatomy is very important, and can't be stressed enough. It provides the foundation of all good figurative art, whether it be drawing, painting, or sculpture. This book, besides discussing and analyzing master drawings and what makes them great, also provides the best introduction to artistic anatomy that I've seen.
Rating:
Summary: For the serious artist
Review: I found this book to be an exceptional and invaluable resource for the serious artist. Robert Hale has a keen sense of analyses that will bring to the conscience mind all of the subtle nuances that make the difference between pretty pictures and great art. The illustrations are poignant examples of stunning classic works from old masters. The text covers the basic essentials such as compostion, effective light, using tonal values, line, perspective and anatomy. Overall a rewarding investment.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Introduction to Drawing the Figure
Review: Mr. Hale's book has been invaluble in understanding figure drawing. He uses wonderful examples from the great masters. At times his commentary seems snobbish but if you can get past that then you will learn a great deal. I would highly recommend this book to anyone (novice to intermediate) interested in drawing the figure.
Rating:
Summary: Not a "how to"; but a reference book
Review: Robert Beverly Hale's "Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters" certainly deserves 5 stars. It even comes at a 5-Star price; but I must point out that it goes into the details of anatomical drawing for those wanting to see what the Renassaince Masters saw when they drew. It is not an elementary "how-to" book for those learning to draw the figure. No student should not be without this reference, to be informed of the great masters.
Rating:
Summary: Not a "how to"; but a reference book
Review: Robert Beverly Hale's "Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters" certainly deserves 5 stars. It even comes at a 5-Star price; but I must point out that it is essentially a reference book of master drawings rather than a "how-to" book for those learning to draw. It is not, per se, an "instruction" book on "how-to-draw". With that proviso, I would not be without this reference, if I wanted to be informed of the great masters.
Rating:
Summary: Not a "how to"; but a reference book
Review: Robert Beverly Hale's "Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters" certainly deserves 5 stars. It even comes at a 5-Star price; but I must point out that it is essentially a reference book of master drawings rather than a "how-to" book for those learning to draw. It is not, per se, an "instruction" book on "how-to-draw". With that proviso, I would not be without this reference, if I wanted to be informed of the great masters.
Rating: 
Summary: Know your anatomy
Review: This book is very funny. The authors message is that you must know anatomy to draw figures and the old masters knew more than we do today. Interesting viewpoint but he fails to fully convince this reader that anatomy is the most important thing to drawing well.
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