Fun with a Pencil: How Everybody Can Learn to Draw by Andrew Loomis - Non Fiction - Hardback

Details
Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780857687609
Publisher: Titan Books
Series: Andrew Loomis Library
Age Range: Teen & Adult (14+)

Overview
Fun with a Pencil is Andrew Loomis's classic 1939 introduction to drawing, reissued by Titan Books as part of the Andrew Loomis Library. Narrated through Loomis's cheerful alter ego, Professor Blook, it breaks proportion, perspective and cartooning down into friendly, easy-to-follow lessons. Loved by hobbyists, students and working artists alike, this hardback edition preserves every original diagram and quip, making it an enduring entry point into the celebrated "Loomis method" of construction drawing.

About the Book
Andrew Loomis was one of the twentieth century's most influential commercial illustrators, and Fun with a Pencil was his first published instructional title. Rather than lecturing, Loomis teaches through Professor Blook, a warm, witty guide who walks readers through building figures and objects from simple shapes, understanding light and perspective, and capturing character through cartooning. The book moves from basic construction — heads, hands and bodies reduced to circles, cylinders and blocks — through to lively caricature and comic figure work, always with a light, encouraging tone. This Titan Books hardback restores Loomis's original 1939 artwork and text in a durable format built for the studio shelf. It sits alongside Loomis's later titles in the Andrew Loomis Library, a series that has introduced generations of illustrators and comic artists to his form-first approach. Because the lessons build progressively, the book works equally well for a complete beginner and an experienced illustrator revisiting fundamentals. Its enduring popularity — cited by artists such as Alex Ross as a formative influence — speaks to how relevant Loomis's teaching remains decades on.

• Approachable teaching voice: Professor Blook makes technical drawing concepts feel conversational and fun rather than intimidating.
• Foundational skills: Covers construction, proportion and perspective — the building blocks behind confident figure and object drawing.
• Cartooning insight: Dedicated lessons on caricature and comic figures make this a favourite among aspiring cartoonists and illustrators.
• Progressive structure: Lessons build in difficulty, suiting complete beginners through to more experienced artists brushing up on fundamentals.
• Durable hardback: A sturdy studio reference that reproduces Loomis's original 1939 diagrams and text in full.

About the Author
William Andrew Loomis (1892–1959), known simply as Andrew Loomis, was an American illustrator, author and art instructor whose commercial work appeared widely in advertising and magazines throughout the early-to-mid twentieth century. He is best remembered today for a series of instructional art books, including Fun with a Pencil, that laid out the practical, form-based approach now known as the "Loomis method." Decades after his death, his teachings continue to shape working illustrators, animators and comic artists worldwide.

Why You'll Love This Book
A genuinely fun, non-intimidating route into drawing fundamentals from one of illustration's most respected teachers — ideal for beginners, hobbyists, students and anyone wanting to sketch with more confidence.

Please Note: Cover design may vary slightly from the image shown; this is the UK edition with the stated ISBN.