Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice

This is a beautiful book with lllustrations & text describing the Atelier system in simple & inspiring language. It covers the history, how the student learns and also, probably more importantly, it covers the different aspects of the teaching system. It wouldn't be for a beginner or those not really interested in 'serious' & classical figurative,art, but for those interested in learning all those aspects of art teaching that we were in danger of losing in the C20th century, this is a 'must'. As an artist & art tutor of over 30 years I find it inspiring, not overwordy and very relevent in terms of advocating the point that art can be taught, and that there are principles the serious student should at least be aware of if not learn consciously. I enjoyed and shared this book with others and will continue to enjoy it.

As with the other books in this series ( all of which I have read) it is presented to a high standard. It is thoroughly researched. Each chapter is carefully narrated. You will learn an immeasurable amount as you work your way through the book. Like the other books that Juliette Aristides has authored I am of the view that this book will be of greater benefit to someone who has been drawing and or painting for a while. Such a person will have experienced some of the issues that arise in doing art and the book will give perspective to and invaluable assistance to such a person. It may appear more academic and not so interesting to someone who is picking up a pencil or paint brush for the first time. Reading these books caused me to reflect on maybe travelling to the art school Juliette Aristides teaches at just to experience first hand her ideas and skills. I highly recommend this book and the other books for someone who is an artist and wants to understand more of the traditional school of realism. This book is hard back and great value. It is a good reference book to keep on the shelf after reading it.

I found books by Juliette Aristides at the local library but they are so good and useful that I bought this one and another to have for reference over and over. Years ago I used the Betty Edwards books to begin a process. In those books, the idea of sight measurement was introduced very late. It was because students complained that it was boring. Juliette Aristides introduces the idea in three ways and stresses the importance of learning it early. I couldn't agree more. Training the eye and mind to see proportions would seem intuitive but anyone who has tried to learn to draw knows otherwise. Juliette makes this much easier to grasp. It has made all the difference in my enjoyment of drawing. Her other book with the DVD shows demonstrations of the sighting method and other ways to "scaffold" objects to make drawing accurate.

This book is not in of itself a Classical Drawing Atelier. And I believe many people mistake the title to mean that it is an instructional art book. This book is not a drawing course, although it has a few short instructional exercises at the end. Aristides has written a lovely book about Atelier studio practice, its history, roots, and current pedagogy. This book is going to be most useful for a student who is trying to decide what sort of education she wants to invest in or for atelier students who want to know more about their program. I take courses (as I can afford them) in the atelier mentorship style from one of Aristide's students (Eduardo Fernandez). This book was helpful for me to understand what I should expect as a student so I could get the most out of the program. After reading about the program, I decided that this was the sort of studio practice I want to learn, and I have doubled my efforts to save money for taking more courses and I plan to eventually enter a full time program like Atelier Aristides.

Is a great book for learning skills...to greater drawing and compositions....

I own all of Juliette Aristides books Classical Drawing Atelier, Classical Painting Atelier, Lessons in Classical Drawing and Lessons in Classical Painting. After spending ten years studying design, I have yet to find any books that are better than this series, and for those that want to learn more about the atelier movement and classical art training, you won't' find a more qualified teacher than Juliette Aristides. Because of the Modern Art movement of the 20th century, most of this information was lost. However, because of artists like Juliette Aristides, Myron Barnstone, Dot Bunn, Gwendolyn Stine, and many other highly skilled artists, this information is finally being revived. Additionally, for those that want to learn more about Dynamic Symmetry, I recommend purchasing the books Classical Drawing Atelier and Classical Painting Atelier. Juliette talks about the golden section and design using the 14 line armature of the rectangle as well as all the root rectangles.

I've been drawing now for about 2 years (classical drawing) And the most difficult thing for me was to find a book that would show me the direction to take in figure drawing. Juliette Aristide's book was one of the most beautiful and useful books that I've ever had in my life. There are a lot of pictures, a lot of information and explanations. It really shows you what it is to draw a classical figure and it explains many kind of things in the art of drawing, light, shadow, form, etc. If you are really looking for improving your artwork, I would recommend you this book. There is nothing else in this book but the chance to learn a few tricks that would change completely the way you used to draw. Of course, the book doesn't come with the desire for art or the patience. But with perseverance I know this book will become one of your favorites in your book collection. "Every mistake in life is register as improvement."

L’ho adorato! Pur essendo un libro molto discorsivo, ti porta a crearti un procedimento pratico e direi quasi “scientifico” su come impostare tutti gli step da seguire per la creazione di disegni ed opere d’arte. Mi è piaciuta molto l’organizzazione del testo e degli argomenti, pulita, semplice e schematica. Il libro ti spiega come si approcciavano nel passato al mondo del disegno, gli studi preliminari, le nozioni di base a cui attenersi e le tecniche senza tempo a cui fare riferimento per riuscire a creare opere visivamente belle e tecnicamente corrette e ben bilanciate. Adesso so cosa devo fare per impostare un disegno nel modo corretto 😍 L’ho studiato tutto d’un fiato in una sola settimana, e pur essendo in inglese, è un linguaggio veramente scorrevole e comprensibile. Credo che acquisterò anche quello sulla pittura! Lo consiglio!

Juliette Aristides is a teacher who beyond means is dedicated to her craft. Not only is this book beautiful, it is deeply instructive. Initially I had read reviews of this book and gave it a pass, happily getting her other books. A reviewer had said something in the line that this was an armchair book. Nothing could be further from the truth, I will probably have to read it at least three times to grasp her understanding of classical instruction. Notwithstanding, the artwork in this book is stunning. This book digs deep into the dedication of classic artists worldwide who gave everything for their craft.

非美術・非デザイン系出身です。 万年筆で、スケッチ、ドローイングを楽しみはじめました。その際に参考にしたのが、本書籍でした。 眺めて写すだけで1年程度で添付くらいは描けるようになりました。 優れた指導書だと思います。

Magnifica novela. Extraña, sentida, poética y triste. Muy bien escrita. Hay que estar atentos a esta gran escritora

I like this book very much, though it wasn't quite was I was expecting when I placed my order. I thought it would be very much a hands-on, 'how to' book, and was briefly disappointed when I realised that it wasn't. The disappointment faded when I realised that it was much more. In my video 'flick through' you'll see that the book is full of beautiful drawings. Just looking at some of them is an inspiration. However, the bulk of the text in this book is to do with theory. The book has around 140 pages, and the series of 5 practical 'lessons' begins on page 124 - That should tell you something! Here's a fuller idea of what to expect: After a short summary of artistic training methods from early days up to the 21st century, the book launches into "Timeless principles". There's a chapter each on Design, Line, Value, and Form. The chapters on Design and Line give a good idea of the book's approach. In the Design chapter, a lot of time and space is devoted to the 'Golden Ratio' (and spiral forms derived from it) in nature and art. Fascinating stuff if you've not encountered it before, and it may forever change the way you look at some old master paintings. The chapter on Line relates not to the quality of the drawn line on the page, but rather to the 'unseen' lines which underlie a picture's composition. The following chapters on VALUE and FORM also mostly deal with theory, and while the book doesn't loose sight of how theory must eventually become practice, beginners may find themselves occasionally scratching their heads and wondering 'But why do I need to know all THIS stuff? I just want to learn to draw!' The following section 'Timeless Subjects' devotes a chapter to each step of the classic atelier method: First, copying master drawings; then drawing sculpture; then the figure; and finally portraiture. Then, in the short final section, we get five short lessons based on each of these: Drawing a sphere; copying master drawings; drawing a cast; a figure; a portrait. To sum up, some of the people who buy this book will feel that it contains 'too much information'! I admit, that was my own first reaction. But really, unlike the step-by-step 'how-to' books, this is one that you'll keep going back to - and as you grow as an artist, you'll find more in it each time. And on top of that, the drawings make it a beautiful book just to open and browse!