New Edition of Drawing Made Easy

My favorite beginning drawing book is available again after being out of print for a long time. I posted about it a year ago.

First published in 1921, Drawing Made Easy taught millions of people to draw, and it’s the one that taught me. Now Darren Rousar, a prominent instructor of academic sight-size drawing has brought it back into print.

Drawing Made Easy uses a sensible approach. Each drawing begins with simple, easy-to- comprehend shapes and proceeds to details last, essentially the same method used in the 19th century academies.


Each drawing is presented in a series of straightforward and memorable stages. The subjects are people, animals, flowers, and charmingly antique trains and cars.


The beginning student—either child or adult—progresses to fairly challenging subjects by the end. That clover would be difficult to get right without the analytical method that Lutz presents. This new edition also includes a few key chapters from Lutz’s intermediate book, Practical Drawing, which covers the proportions of the figure and the management of light and shade to produce form.

When Mr. Rousar asked me to contribute the foreword to this edition, I was thrilled. Here’s what I wrote (click to enlarge).

If this post sounds like an ad, it is! I would love to share this book with people who want to learn to draw, whether they are adults or children. You can order a copy directly from me by sending a check payable to "The Dinotopia Store" for $14.95 plus $3.50 shipping ($18.45 total).

Mail to The Dinotopia Store, PO Box 693, Rhinebeck, NY 12572. (USA residents only, NYS residents, please add sales tax). Here’s an order form you can print out and send.