The Draw Anything Book

I love the retro look and easy steps of this vintage art instruction book. French artist Robert Lambry published these lessons nearly a century ago in a weekly children’s paper. Using simple lines and shapes, Lambry shows how to draw almost anything — from people to animals, plants to food, buildings to vehicles, and more. Also includes practice pages and prompts to inspire beginners and experienced artists alike. Now, with THE DRAW ANYTHING BOOK, I can finally become an artist!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 08 Sep 2020

Grateful to the Quarto Publishing Group - Quarry and NetGalley for the early copy, in exchange for my honest review.

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Quite simply, "The Draw Anything Book" is a workbook that seems designed purely to give the reader confidence in themselves and their abilities. It starts out with very simple exercises that gradually become more and more complex. If you work your way through from the beginning, the skills and techniques don't seem quite so daunting. Every budding artist should own a copy of this book.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

A wonderful primer on free hand drawing that has stood the test of time. The lessons in this book are short and provide ample opportunity for practice on the pages facing the instructional text and illustrations. The book doesn't over-complicate the subject, making it accessible even to youngsters. If you are looking for an activity to share with a youngster to expand their creativity beyond the world of screens, this book fits the bill.

The Draw Anything Book is a tutorial guide to drawing a multitude of fun small objects. Due out 8th Sept 2020 from Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in paperback format. These tutorials appear to be collected from the one page lessons by Robert Lambry and translated from the French 1920's-30's edition.

The book contains numerous deceptively simple tutorials which cover a huge number of drawing exercises listed in the table of contents grouped roughly thematically: lines, angles, curves & lines, developing an artist's eye to break down objects and render them on a piece of paper, symmetry, axes, proportions, masses, perspective, and many more. The bulk of the book is pages and pages and pages of very simple line drawings which -anyone- can do. There are numerous numbered step-by-step tutorials which also contain a facing practice page to try out the tutorials.

One of the most brilliant aspects of this book is in showing the would be doodler how to combine and build on simple elements to produce a deceptively simple cohesive piece of art which looks very complex. I've been using doodling as an awareness/mindfulness exercise and it really does work. These are cute and good fun.

This would make a really fun rainy day activity for younger kids to, well, adult age. They're appealing and whimsical. This would also be a great resource book for anyone wanting to up their drawing-with-young-kids game.

Four stars

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The principles of drawing is evidently timeless – judging by the fact that the author created the contents of this book in the 1920s to 1930s!

Charming line drawings take up almost all the space with a smattering of text. I like that the right-hand side of every spread is left blank with prompts for you to practise the concepts that are introduced on the left-hand side.

Beginners will find much to help them to draw well - using shapes, angles, curves and symmetry. This is the first time I came across the concept of symbolism of lines and it is endlessly fascinating to me! I find that the information on proportions, perspective, gravity, masses and volume too brief to be fully understood. I would have appreciated more pages on those concepts.

Thank you Netgalley and Quarry Books for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I will definitely be owning this book for the fun of drawing. As someone who cannot draw anything, especially a straight line, but have always wanted to, this book is fabulous. Detailed drawings and techniques to get you to drawing all kinds of things, along with a space on the same page for you to practice. If you can already draw, it might not be right for you unless you want to learn new techniques. I also love the vintage look of the pages. Explains techniques that many newbies to drawing would not know but need to know. Great book!

This wonderful step-by-step book is for any beginning artist who wants to learn how to draw. The instructions are clear, drawings are engaging, and simple to learn in a progressive manner. Highly recommend for beginning artists of ANY age — this could also be used for homeschooling applications or just for fun. The book layout is such that there is space on each spread to actually draw or sketch - it’s an all-in-one portable resource that’s easy to use and makes it easy to learn.

I have always wanted to be able to draw. Not an artist at all but always willing to learn. The techniques in this book are easy to follow & give you the confidence to take sketching further. I even got my 8 year old grand daughter to do some drawing with me & she really enjoyed it too. A great book to have on your shelf to 'dip in & out' when the mood takes you to draw.

The Draw Anything Book, is a cute step by step vintage drawing book. I loved how easy it was at the beginning, even for me who has little artistic talent, and progresses in difficulty as it goes on. My own drawing while, will never be on a professional level, were still pretty cute and I’ve used the techniques to adorn my planner. This would make a great gift!

This book breaks everyday objects down into simple lines for drawing. It's easy and fun to follow and each page is followed by a blank page so there's plenty of room to practice.

This book is old school, but super helpful, anyone can learn to draw with this book or dust off their drawing skills.
I tried this with my 6 year old nephew and he was able to follow most of it and got great results, he was happy, I was happy.
Good book to use!

This book has been created from a series of step-by-step lessons for drawing which appeared in a weekly children’s paper, and were originally published almost 100 years ago by French artist Robert Lambry.

I've always wanted to draw, but never seen myself as someone who is good at it, or can be good at it. But this workbook took me from very simple steps - drawing lines, putting lines together to make recognisable objects - to drawing complex buildings (okay, I'm not there yet, but I'm working towards it!) in a fun and interesting way.
Each step builds on the last one: and this is a workbook with space to copy and experiment with what you're learning. I suggest you also have another drawing pad on the side, because you will happily want to draw more than the space in the workbook allows.

A really good way to learn how to draw - and suitable for age 4 to 104!

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

'The Draw Anything Book' by Robert Lambry is such a useful book for anyone learning to draw or wanting to improve certain aspects of their craft. For starters, the book introduces all the concept in an easy way and starts from very simple exercises. They gradually get harder but by then you probably know the basics.

I’ve never been good at drawing animals, so I found some of the tips and instructions very useful and I have done some very simple and quick sketches of cats now following the guidance from 'The Draw Anything Book'. Admittedly, I haven’t tried all the exercises in the book yet, as there are quite a few step-by-step drawing sequences for all different scenarios, but those I have tried have been so useful! I’ve read through all of them, and I think one should try to do them in order to grasp all the techniques and useful tips included this drawing guide.

I also really liked that the book included (almost) blanks pages next to the exercises and explanation, allowing the reader to try their skills as they go. As I read the arc on my laptop, I had my sketchbook on hand as I tried some of the exercises, but I can imagine, it’d be lovely to have a physical copy!

Overall, 'The Draw Anything Book' is definitely a useful tool, showing you exactly how to draw basic objects and shapes as well as introducing you to drawing more complex scenarios.

This is a wonderful book for the beginning art student. Using basic shapes and angles many different figures can be created. In addition, various other art concepts such as proportion, scale, and perspective are discussed and demonstrated. The directions are presented in a clear manner and practice pages interspersed throughout the various lessons. This is not only a great manual for personal use but also makes a great gift.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley. However, the thoughts expressed are totally my own.

Amazing instructions on how to easily draw different everyday objects. I've never been much of an artist, but even I was able to follow along. I've read a few art books in the past, but loved the almost 90's reminiscent style of The Draw Anything Book. It's a fun way to pass time, and I'm sure kids would especially love it. Definitely give it a try! You might just surprise yourself.

A charming vintage instructional book about the basic technical aspects of drawing. I loved how the use of specific shapes could be used to create many different objects. Note, this is a reprint of a drawing manual published in the early 20th century, which may make this a really fun gift!

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing this ARC.

Robert Lambry’s instructions on drawing have withstood the test of time. He wrote back in the 1920s and 30s, creating lessons for a weekly children’s magazine or paper.

The Draw Anything Book is the perfect complement to Lambry’s other book “The Draw Any Animal Book” because here he tackles the techniques of drawing whereas his other book is entirely step-by-step drawing instruction of animals. He begins with an exploration of lines and moves to angles and curves. Interspersed throughout these discussions are pertinent step-by-step how-to-draw sequences. Lambry illustrates how simple shapes combine to form many different things. He then discusses symmetry, proportions, scale, mass, and volume. Next Lambry explains perspective, vanishing points, three dimensions, symbolism and finally color theory. Don’t be fooled that this book is only about technique because Lambry manages to include numerous step-by-step sequences for drawing particular things.

Between Lambry’s two books, one will have a thorough grounding to achieve success with drawing.

I enjoyed the gentle introduction to drawing this book gave me.

Designed for the absolute novice this book is a wholesome introduction to drawing, starting from first principles and developing to perspective.

It would be very useful to a learner keen on drawing, and should be used in an assisted learning environment as many of the objects are no longer common (gramophone, coffee grinder) so historical explanation might be necessary.

The book is also nicely paced, so there is no huge jump from simple to complex which is so often found, and for that reason the book can be commended.

I think more focus on shadow and light would have been useful, and the discussion on gravity and its effect on cloth might have been a bit too ambitious for the intended audience but on the whole the book would be useful for a young enthusiast, and would be a useful teaching aid, or for self study, given the caveat above.

Very nice book teaching how to draw anything using simple shapes and lines. You will also learn some different perspectives, symmetry, proportions, scale, and more. Great! I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

A useful introduction to free hand drawing, made up of quick lessons and giving lots of space to practice on the opposite pages. The lessons start of simple and build their way to being more complex as you progress through the book

The Draw Anything Book by Robert Lambry details step by step how to draw different easy illustrations from animals and people to everyday objects.

The super funny and easy instructions really enhance the reading experience. I highly recommend this book for beginners as well as professionals who want to pick up more tricks.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Draw anything book is a lovely vintage how to draw guide for beginners. The ideas are simple to follow and the author instils the lessons such as vanishing point into his projects. Refreshingly uncomplicated and a great starting point for understanding the basic principles of drawing. Blank pages to have a go at each of the lessons are included, so all you need is a pencil. It is a clever book and easy to follow without feeling overwhelmed. Overall a great starting point and confidence builder for beginners.

I think this Draw Anything Book is more for adults or maybe a basic drawing class then it is for younger people.

I do like the layout of the book, giving enough space to practice your own “go” at a drawing.

I received this ebook copy in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

Drawing sequences can help you learn how to draw
French artist Robert Lambry created a series of lessons based on lines, angles, curves, key parts of an object, inverted shapes axes, symmetry, using grids, round masses, and horizontal and vertical lines in order to teach how to draw animals, plants, people, food, objects, buildings, vehicles, and much more. This lessons can be found in the book "The Draw Anything Book. Over 200 Simple Step-by-Step Drawing Sequences for All Kinds of Things" which was published by Quarto Publishing Group – Quarry. The drawing style is very basic and simple and as such great for beginners (originally the lessons were aimed at children). Only pencil and paper are needed for the start, afterwards colored pencil or watercolors can be used to color the drawings. I really appreciated how Lambry used the step-by-step approach, e.g. on page 32 he shows how to change a rectangle or a triangle to turn it into a dog, or on page 50 he shows how to change circles into a cat. Every lesson is accompanied by an exercise and provides also the space to do the exercise next to the lesson. So this book is indeed a workbook. I can recommend this book for beginners who do not want to be overwhelmed, but it is important to note that the designs are from the 1920s and 30s and that no modern designs are included.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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This is designed workbook style. one page has instructions, the next a blank page to practice in. It has a lot of simple designs and builds them out which is a practical doodling style. I think this is a good activity book as it covers a lot of different designs which can be customized.

I would probably call this book "The Foundations to Draw Anything Book". It is set up like a workbook, every other page is a new drawing exercise building from the last exercise and is paired with a page for practicing. So, you are meant to draw in the book as you progress. It is not just one of those books that show you a bunch of drawings and say, now do what I did! and you have no idea really what they did or how to practice. This book really breaks it down to the fundamental parts of drawing.

It is exactly what I've been looking for, trying to get practice seeing and translating what I see to acts of moving a pencil on paper. It starts with line drawing and basic shapes but moves on to proportions, masses, perspective and a tad of color theory.

I ordered this book in hardcover from Bookshop.org, but I also received a Netgalley advanced digital copy for review in return for honest feedback.