emilystrybos's review
slow-paced
4.0
I read this for a comics and graphic media class as an introduction to the process of drawing comics. Lynda uses her own personal experiences with comics as well as many different drawing exercises to teach that everyone can draw, no matter their ability. She is similar to ratatouille in that way, "Anyone can cook" becomes "Anyone can draw"
nickfourtimes's review
4.0
1) "how old do you have to be to make a bad drawing?"
2) "Structure and plot have a spontaneous core that is too easily forgotten when we believe we must know what we are drawing before we can begin. If you open the way for them, monsters will surprise you and this is a reason to draw them. One of the hardest things to remember is to keep certain doors open to unknowns. When you are lost, there draw monsters."
3) "If I asked you which character was drunk, who would you choose? Who just got fired? Who is feeling bloated? Who is experiencing painful urination? How can such specific mood-states show up in faces made by eight different hands? No one intended to make any of these people, yet here they are with specific dispositions. Who creates a comic? The person who draws it or the person who sees it?"
4) "Changing methods every week will make this daily practice a companion. In the way certain friends make you see the world in a different way, and the way certain companions make the world more alive, the daily diary will wake you up."
5) "It can be helpful to build a story in fragments that tend to knit their own connections.
When you read your story over you may be surprised by things that seem to link up with no conscious intention on your part.
This is an alternative to the method of outlining a story, planning our characters' actions, and knowing the ending before we begin.
It doesn't matter how great the plot is, if the only thing moving it forward is logic and duty to the outline, deadness sets in.
Stay alive!"
6) "Everything good in my life came because I drew a picture. I hope you will draw a picture soon. I will always want to see it.
XOX
LB♥"
2) "Structure and plot have a spontaneous core that is too easily forgotten when we believe we must know what we are drawing before we can begin. If you open the way for them, monsters will surprise you and this is a reason to draw them. One of the hardest things to remember is to keep certain doors open to unknowns. When you are lost, there draw monsters."
3) "If I asked you which character was drunk, who would you choose? Who just got fired? Who is feeling bloated? Who is experiencing painful urination? How can such specific mood-states show up in faces made by eight different hands? No one intended to make any of these people, yet here they are with specific dispositions. Who creates a comic? The person who draws it or the person who sees it?"
4) "Changing methods every week will make this daily practice a companion. In the way certain friends make you see the world in a different way, and the way certain companions make the world more alive, the daily diary will wake you up."
5) "It can be helpful to build a story in fragments that tend to knit their own connections.
When you read your story over you may be surprised by things that seem to link up with no conscious intention on your part.
This is an alternative to the method of outlining a story, planning our characters' actions, and knowing the ending before we begin.
It doesn't matter how great the plot is, if the only thing moving it forward is logic and duty to the outline, deadness sets in.
Stay alive!"
6) "Everything good in my life came because I drew a picture. I hope you will draw a picture soon. I will always want to see it.
XOX
LB♥"
shea_proulx's review
5.0
At a time when I didn't know how to move forward, this book helped me delight in drawing again. It's a recipe for wonder and enthusiasm. Everyone needs this.
sawyerbell's review
5.0
With each book, Barry further refines her thinking and teaching. I loved reading this and will continue to practice the exercises--not only the art exercises, but also the way of thinking and noticing and being.
wombatjenni's review
5.0
Everyone who's ever thought that they're not "good enough" to draw or write should read this book and do the exercises. It's just so cathartic to do something so innately human - to create - without feeling the pressures of being good at it. Lynda Barry is a master in guiding your inner critic to shut the hell up.
(Everyone should also read her Syllabus for similar reasons!
(Everyone should also read her Syllabus for similar reasons!
gordonj's review
5.0
Every time I read a Lynda Barry book it makes me want to start drawing. While this book has elements of her previous books (Syllabus and What It Is) it's interesting to see how Barry's thinking and teaching is evolving. This is a must have for anyone who wants to draw or write but doesn't know how (or where) to start. A terrific resource for artists and authors alike.