How to draw - graphite - ART BOOK REVIEW From Line to Life - Mike Sibley - review by Jason Morgan 

A month late adding my opinion - sorry! Establishing the darkest value first does a lot more than just exposing the available value range - although for that alone it's invaluable. I confess I've never understood the "start light and build it up" school of thought. To me that signifies a lack of a good mental image of the final work; a hazy or non-existent plan or goal; and, more crucially, the need to constantly rework the entire drawing. Establishing that first dark means you have something to balance all other values against. As those other values naturally fall into place between the initial dark and the white of the paper, each area can be drawn to completion. There is no need to return to previous areas of drawing and, as a result, its freshness and clarity are maintained throughout. Many thanks for taking the time to produce such an in-depth review, Jason.

I bought this book when it first came outm. It was a pretty big expense for me, by far the most I have spent on any drawing book in my rather large art instruction library. I'm disabled & not able to take classes so my art instruction has been purely online & by book or dvd. I use this book constantly and have never once had a moment of regret over it. It is loaded with instruction that is easy to locate. Every time I think I have used it up I find something new. It is beautifully illustrated & very clearly explained. I think that it saves you a lot of time because he shows you the ways to create , for example, texture that he probably spent months figuring out. This book has been the most inspirational & informative book I own in drawing. It does not cover much in portraiture but you won't need it to cover any specific "thing" to draw because it teaches you to draw everything. If you want a book that simply gives you drawings to copy then this is not your book. This is not a book for someone that just wants to be able to add a doodle on a greeting card. This is a serious instructional book that is enjoyable to read. The drawings in it are amazing & while someone not really into drawing may feel that it is overwhelming, those that draw know what is involved in creating a drawing with this much detail. Those are the people that will be inspired by this book that I have learned so much from.

GREAT review Jason, going to check out his book! wow! Thank you :)

Hello, is there a particular book you would reccomend for drawing human hair? Thank you.

Thank you for this review, it's brilliant! For the simple reason that you really showed off the book, while at the same time being open about who it is not for (me, probably. Though I wonder: How long would it take to draw just the dog, without background? Should save a lot of time...) Now I'll go visit your web site 😀

I agree about this book. It is easily the best book on graphite drawing I have ever read, and that's compared to probably 10 or 15 other books. His information on different materials, some of which I'd never heard of, is great. And the section on burnishing/layering is absolutely invaluable. You will have a brand new respect for the humble pencil after reading this book, that's for sure.

Quite simply the best book on drawing I have ever read. I have been fortunate enough to have attended some of Mike’s courses and needless to say highly recommend these. He is a fantastic guy with a wealth of artistic knowledge and he is quite prepared to share this with his students. He is also very humble which is refreshing from someone who is that talented ; he quickly puts his students regardless of ability at ease and along with his charming wife ( she provides excellent refreshments and working lunches ) they make the perfect hosts. I cannot praise this professional artist enough and can guarantee satisfaction to any artist regardless of ability who buys this book and or attends one of the many course he runs over the year in different countries. Phil Guernsey

Wow Thanks for this review! I have this in my amazon list for at least 2 years but was never sure it was worth the asking price. Thanks for the in depth review and your thoughts.

What are good books for still lives with graphite pencils?

100 to 200hrs working on one drawing? ahaha yeeeeeeeeeeah, I def have not the patience for this type of artwork either xD

I'd like your perspective on a debate I've seen among graphite artists which relates to the use of 'value anchors' (a.k.a., 'tonal anchors). Where do you stand on the issue? Some people are firm believers in the idea of laying-down the darkest areas first (maybe even in charcoal) and then calibrating all mid-tones, etc. accordingly. Supporting arguments include: (1) darkest areas are hardest to correct, so it's better to find the mistake early, well before the piece is nearly finished, (2) the value anchor serves as a reference for defining mid-and light-tones, ensuring continuity, (3) it encourages artists to be brave when employing contrast to avoid having a piece appear 'flat' and 'washed-out,' etc. I've heard others argue that: (1) starting light and getting darker provides more control and is more 'correctable' than vice-versa, (2) the dark anchors on an otherwise plain page are distracting and discordant, (3) anchors may smudge if not properly sealed with workable fixative, (4) a lone dark anchor on the light page makes them look darker than they are, affecting calibration of other tones and could result in the whole piece becoming darker, (5) anchors can result in distortions in the surrounding features as attempts are made to align the surrounding strokes with the anchors, etc. It looks like the author of this book takes the second approach and builds layers gradually and repeatedly. It even appeared that he left some of the darkest areas for last. This is generally how I work, but I wanted your thoughts.

Hi I went on your on-line classes for beginners. The description says that " This class is for artists who have a little knowledge". Now, to me "artists who have a little knowledge" means that some knowledge is there. I have literally zero knowledge and I cannot be called artist of course, so I am wondering if that course can be for me too. Also, I live in a developing country where the material is pretty scarce and I do not think I will be able to buy all the pencils you describe, for example. In any case I need to learn starting from A hoping to eventually get to Z, but I am not sure your classes start from A. Can you please better explain me how does it work? Thank you

hi..my name is Andreea...i wonder if Mike Sibley translated his book in italian?