Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: Book Review and Tips for Success
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- Опубликовано: 4 фев 2025
- In this video I give an overview of my experience with this book (two books, really), whether it's worth the money, and the secret about the book that I discovered as I worked my way through it.
If you're interested in an in-depth discussion of the book chapter by chapter, please take a look at this playlist: • Drawing on the Right S...
I'm a portrait artist and I highly recommend this book it's a closest thing I've ever found to how we artists actually think.
That’s really reassuring to hear. I found the book insightful.
As a former professional artist, I would add that a great deal of proficiency is achieved by showing up and applying yourself over time. Training your eye is like exercising a muscle.
That’s such a good point.
Sorry english isn't my first language. What do sou with showing up and applying yourself overtime? Ty
@@fitnfun1 “showing up” means to practice regularly day after day. It is as important as receiving instruction from an outside source. You will learn by trial and error through repetition.
great
Practice makes perfect as well as in any skills wanted to develop...
Within 2 days of buying the book and doing the initial set of exercises, I could actually draw. I always thought I couldn’t draw because I have no talent. The book teaches one how to see. I began to see everything with an artist’s eye. My watercolor painting improved dramatically as well. Beyond drawing and painting, the book made me see the world differently and I’ve come to enjoy my travels much more.
That is so cool to hear! Is your work available online somewhere that people can take a look?
HOW MUCH TIME FOR EACH EXERCISE PLEASE
@@rafiquesoomro1130 In the exercise book, it tells you approximately how much time each exercise should take. The times vary from as little as five minutes to as much as an hour. Many of them take approximately 30 minutes.
Levi, how many chapters a day should one do? Beginning chapter 1. 😊
@@staceygrimes4107 oh, I would say one chapter per day is plenty. You have to give yourself time to absorb and practice.
Thanks for taking the time to share that info Levi. It was fun seeing your improvement in your self portrait.
That was so helpful! Espetially because I'm still in the beginning of the book and I was just planning the "right moments" to try the exercises
Your voice is a perfect pitch and speed for such a tutorial.
Good intro! Workbooks often are just superfluous. The workbook for this book is worthwhile. I'm awaiting it in the mail. You helped me decide to make that choice. Thanks for the series, helps people get more comfortable with it.
I had this book long time ago, but thanks to you now I wouldn't have a hard time reviewing it again...🤗🙏
This is so amazing! Thank you so much for this video series. I just bought the book yesterday, but didn't even realize that there was a workbook! I will be ordering that for sure and checking out all your videos! Thanks so much! Also, your voice is very calming and soothing, and you make this program seem very user-friendly 😊
It’s great to hear that the videos are helpful. I hope you have a great experience working your way through the lessons. If I can do it, anyone can!
Just started reading this book and found your videos!! So glad you’re still active and posting ^•^
I’m glad you are liking the videos. The hardest part for me has been staying on a consistent schedule with my practice. It took me far too long to work my way through the book. I hope you enjoy your experience with it.
The best book every new artist should use to lay a solid foundation for their future hobby or profession. Thank you for the great review, love it!
Hello! You did really really well on your self portrait , I seen the first video you did with your face even then it was good you should have seen my hand,I tried to draw lol you did good on that too even tho you had work shortly after, thank you for taking the time out to share and explain the book . I look forward to my journey and your videos as an assistant to Ms.Betty
Thank you for this video I really appreciate it. I used to love drawing as a child and I never lost the love for it, life just got in the way but I want to get back into it now and this seems like the perfect book to help me with this and thank you for your insight into how you feel about it. And by the way you said you advise us not to feel you have to blow anyone away with the efforts we make and you don't feel you're blowing anyone away with the art you were doing but I can tell you now watching you draw and seeing the finished product I am blown away by that drawing you were doing. If I could get myself to that standard I'd be a very happy woman. Well done. Keep up the good work. I'm really impressed and that has sold me on this book. Now I'm going onto the other videos to know more. But I will buy it. Thank you and God bless you. Susan 👍💖🙏🙏🙏
Wow, thank you very much. I wish you luck, and I’m confident you will do great because you are approaching the endeavor with a good mindset.
@@LeviJonesArt Thank you Levi that means a lot to me. Thank you for your kind words I will do my very best. And I aim to do all I can to get as good as you are. That's not jealousy or envy, that's pure admiration. I ordered both books almost straight away after seeing your video. 54 euros it costs here but watching your video it will be worth it. Along with the advise you gave. I know it's a good buy. My nose wil be constantly stuck in it. I'm looking forward to getting both of them now. Much love and God bless Susan xxx👍❤🙏🙏🙏🤗
Love your tips! They're very encouraging. Thanks for the video!
I am trying to up my drawing skills too! Will check out your videos...what a great idea
I wish you luck!
Great tips. I haven't gone past the third skill (perceiving angles) and now I wanna go back to learning the lessons of this wonderful book. I miss drawing.
Definitely give the book another try! It obviously doesn’t cover everything you need to know to make a masterpiece, but I think it’s a good place to start (or restart).
@@LeviJonesArt it is.👍🏽
Thanks for this review! It’s very helpful and exactly what I was looking for.
Ayy man that portrait look great!! inspired to try this book
Thanks for this video! I’m getting into drawing and the book is helping me🙌🏾🙌🏾
The tips are gold!!!
Just found you. Have the book and just ordered the work book. So looking forward to your videos.
Fantastic! I hope the videos help.
@@LeviJonesArt me too. Looking forward to seeing all. Thanks so very much
Muchas gracias por tu tiempo y consejos.
Muy amable, un saludo
Thank you for putting this out!
hey, are you coming back? I know your journey with drawing on the right side of the brain is over but drawing is a skill that can always be improved and i like the feeling of growing alongside some on this planet, somewhere, at sometime. If not for the purpose of showing progress, for the purpose of potentially making a community and career while showing yourself doing something your interested
I am coming back. I have started a new course, and I hope to have my first video on that out soon. I really appreciate your interest!
Thanks for your review! I just bought the book this weekend
I'm excited for you! The book doesn't teach everything there is to know, but I think it's a great start, and it put me in a less anxious mindset when approaching the task of drawing.
Did it help?
This knowledge has become somewhat of a lost art. I was introduced to drawing on the right side of the brain as a young child and a talented artist. I did the exercises and even experienced feelings of intense euphoria from stimulation of the right brain. I stopped drawing years ago and started studying math and science but also started playing guitar A LOT. I recently think I may have stumbled back into right brain euphoria when I play guitar and sing at the same time. It is similar as drawing because speech is also a left brain activity but music and creativity is right brained. Im not sure how to describe it but it is an incredible feeling to play and sing highly technical guitar music like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Billy GIbbons of ZZ Top. I think it is highly a right brain activity.
Just started reading this book on screen (cuz I can't get the paperback version). Thanks for making this video. It helped me a lot and please do make a video on how to make a viewfinder.
I’m glad the video helped! Here’s my video on making a viewfinder: ruclips.net/video/8VBc3lO6vLc/видео.html
There are others out there that are more detailed, I think.
@@LeviJonesArt thanks a bunch dude ❤️❤️❤️
Magical. Thank you Levi.
Hello! Is this good for beginners?
It’s a fantastic book for beginners. It might be a little too basic if you have some previous high level art instruction.
Helpful. The book can be pretty hard to understand. I’m a strong artists but drawing has always been my weak spot though. I think it’s spacial
It’s always encouraging to me when I hear that the videos are helpful. Thank you!
Hey so which materials from her list were actually a must?
You can do more than half the exercises with just a #2 pencil, an eraser, and the picture plane. Some of the later exercises ask you to use a charcoal pencil and pencils with a softer lead. I bought a set of pencils for $5 at the craft store that sufficed. A couple of the very last exercises called for India ink and brushes, which cost about $10 all together. I didn't use any sort of drawing board or any sort of special paper. You need a mirror for the self portrait, but you can use your phone in selfie mode if you don't have a small mirror. I hope this helps!
@@LeviJonesArt ofc thank you!
I’m wondering if this could help with digital art like on an iPad, can I read the lesson and apply it to my iPad or no ?
Hmm… maybe. I haven’t drawn on an iPad before, but the process in these courses involves a lot of erasing and a fair amount of blending, which I assume is doable with a tablet. The courses also focus a lot on pencil selection based on feel, which may not transfer as directly to a tablet context.
Will I need the instruments and tools that Betty Edwards sells on her site? (ProportionFinder and the AngleFinder, large and small viewfinder, mirror with red filter and different sized drawing templates)?
I would just start with a regular no. 2 pencil and some paper, and just add tools as they become necessary for an exercise. Starting simple and just adding tools gradually will keep you from getting stuff you don’t need, feeling overwhelmed, or breaking the bank. I hope that helps.
wonderful thank you Levi very inspiring and very R mode !
Someone I'm teaching just finished this book a couple of days ago, but some aspects of their seeing skills are a bit lacking. They are still very shakey on grasping the concept of negative spaces, and their ability on light and shadow needs work too .
How would I get them to improve on these, in the form of work outside of the exercises, so they can apply this new knowledge into their own drawings? As a bit of context, they like drawing cartoons and video game-related things, and not much of a portrait painter. Also, being able to apply the stuff they already learned pretty well is a must too.
They have are on holiday in a couple of days that will keep them away from drawing for a long while, and they're scared of letting all that info they just learned fall out of their head, so I want to prepare them to at least do some exercises that can reinforce that memory, and also give them something to do while not being able to use a pencil.
Wow, you sound like a dedicated teacher. I’m no expert, but one exercise your student might try to deepen understanding of negative space when they don’t have a pencil or paper is to take closely cropped photos of simple subjects using their phone, then use the markup tool to outline and color in everything that is not the subject of the photo. Here’s how you use markup on an iPhone:
-Open the photo you want to markup in the Photos app
-Tap Edit
-Tap the Markup button, which looks like a circle with a pen in it
-Tap the Add button to choose a Markup tool
Select a tool, like a pen, highlighter, or pencil, and choose a color
-Start drawing on the photo with your finger or an Apple Pencil
-Tap Done twice to finish
One really simple “seeing” exercise I’ve learned is to look at a subject, then squint hard enough that the subject becomes blurry in your vision. This blurriness will help make clear which areas are lighter and which are darker. I hope this helps with the shading issues a bit.
@@LeviJonesArt oh nice! I might ask them if they own an iphone, or some equivalant, and make them do that! Thanks!
@@LeviJonesArt believe that might help, if they didn't get that kind of tip from the book.
Hey where do I order the book from? I need the book as well as the instructions guide that comes with all the supplies. Cannot seem to find it anywhere. Please provide a link. Thankyou
www.drawright.com/merch-horizon is the author’s official shop. You can see all her books on her Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/Betty-Edwards/e/B00B5HRI4S/ref=ntt_aut_sim_2_1
On the DRSB website they suggest a kit with angle finders and proportion finders etc in it. Wondering if i need all of that as i live in Australia and shipping costs more than the product and i cant seem to find any artist outlets here that have them. What would u suggest are the "have to have" and what can I do without other than pencils and erasers of course. thanks for the review.
My approach was to start with the bare minimum, printer paper and a pencil, and only acquire new tools as the exercises call for them. A lot of the tools as you move on are fairly simple and you can even put them together yourself with basic materials. I hope this helps.
But I don’t understand how is it a self development book you didn’t clarify that point? In what way? I would appreciate an answer as I’m trying to decide.
In my experience, people go to self-help books to try and improve something about their personality, character, and behavior. Going through this book, and simply focusing on improving a skill, such as drawing will force a discipline on you and hold you to a standard that will change a certain aspects of your personality, character, and behavior. In this way, it is a self-help book without explicitly marketing itself in that way. It’s just kind of a quirky take I have on the material after having gone through it. I feel like other parts of my life improved when I was holding myself to the discipline of following the lessons and practice exercises in this book.
@ thank you so much for sharing, that’s very insightful 🙏
Hi I just ordered the workbook with the blue cover curious if you know if there are differences in the content with the different book styles, ordering online I couldn't compare them
Hmm… that’s tough for me to answer because I haven’t had a chance to compare different version. My guess is that different versions of the workbook are pretty similar to one another. I got the sense that the main revisions over the years had to do with discussions of theory and of brain science rather than the exercises.
@@LeviJonesArt thank you for responding. Hopefully it isn't much different, it won't be here for about a week but I'm looking forward to your videos as I go through the book, I think they will a motivator
How does this book compare to The Artists Way? I'm on Week 11 of the Artsits Way and after giving myself a short break, I'm considering working through book as well
You know, I’ve never read The Artist’s Way, even though I’ve heard it recommended many times.
I was looking online at the reviews it has a lot of Threes And 3.5s A lot of people say it's not really good for beginners and they didn't really learn anything or it doesn't really teach you how to draw if you're a beginner
The book has found such a large audience that I think there’s bound to be some natural variation in how well it works for those who try it. I would say it’s not the right book for people who want to become professional artists. And it may just not click with some learning styles. I found it useful, but I’ve also sought instruction from other sources to supplement what I learned. It was a good gateway for me, starting from zero.
@@LeviJonesArt yeah that's what most people were saying too like it's a good book but you have to supplement it with others because it can hinder your process. I might read it at some point though
How do you know if you already drew of this way before reading the book? I haven't finished it yet, but I've got to the part where it says I should've felt the switch by now and I haven't felt anything.
For me, it was a switch in confidence. I wasn’t so afraid to start making marks on the paper. And I didn’t feel so “tight” and stressed as I worked on something. I’m not sure if that helps answer your question.
@@LeviJonesArt not at all but it gives me peace. I guess I have to trust the process instead of constantly seeking to the moment that she describes in the book. Thanks
Hello ,i have a question? today a friend offer me the exercise book ,but i dont have the initial book ,can i improve just with the exercise book or i must have to buy the book? ,sry for my english ty for the video
I think the exercise book on its own could be enough to get you started, but you’ll have some gaps when it comes to the underlying theories. It doesn’t hurt to try!
@@LeviJonesArt ty very much !
What was "the secret"?
The “secret” (to me) is that this isn’t just a book about drawing. It’s really a self-help book that leads you to a new way of seeing and interacting with the world around you.
Do you need both books? Or is the lesson book okay enough?
The lesson book is enough. It has exercises in each chapter, and the exercise book is just an add-on to make it all self-contained.
Is this book for portraits only or also for landscapes and still life?
It’s for drawing pretty much anything.
@@LeviJonesArt thanks. I'm more interested in landscapes, not interested in portraits at all actually 😅 Do you think this book is right for me? And do the exercises in the book teach landscape/nature drawing too?
One of the best things about the book is that it gives you tools to observe and draw pretty much anything, regardless of the subject matter. So I would say it’s with a look even if you never intend to pursue portrait work. I’d also say that if you gain the skills to draw a convincing portrait, you’ll be able to do landscape drawing well also.
Hi. I cannot see anything about perspective or landscapes or animals etc in the TOC. I am not into portraits and a total beginner. Is this going to be worthwhile for me?
Thanks
Thanks 4sharing your great tips and advice 😂
Why I stopped drawing as a child? Because I kept failing. Artists assume others see the world around them the same way they do, and I don't. I'm not dyslexic, but I need an art instructor to accept that I can't see proportions, then draw them. Instinctively, I solve complex math equations in my head that others can't perceive, and I accept that people don't see the world the same way I do. I wish artists did that.
I think it would be interesting to see your drawings and perspective
Proportion is definitely the hardest thing for me to get right. The online drawing course I'm taking right now spends a lot of time focusing on triangulation techniques that teach you how to reproduce proportions correctly. I do think it's a skill that can be learned. The course is Drawing Basics from Vitruvian Studio.
@@LeviJonesArt Yes, I agree drawing is a skill that can be learned. However, art teachers seem absolutely incapable of understanding that I can't draw, nor can I draw a straight line (neurological issues). Whenever I try to compensate by using a tool, art teachers keep saying not to use it, thus setting me up for failure. After I explained my problems with Visual Measuring Proportion using a pencil to one potential online art instructor, she kept dismissing my issues by saying 'But it should work.' Again, I can't take being dismissed.
I see what you're saying. In the end, I think all of us have to figure out what works for us individually. There are too many methods out there to incorporate them all, especially when some contradict the the others.
@@LeviJonesArt get a proportional divider
So you're telling me to not let Perfect become the enemy of the Good.
You nailed it. That’s exactly what I’m saying.
I phukin love art all praise be to the almighty
I'm here because I know literally zero... why is a picture of a plane important?
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_plane
@ thank you… that’s terrifying!
this video needs an epilepsy warning fr