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Fun With A Pencil: How Everybody Can Easily Learn to Draw Paperback – January 3, 2025

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 803 ratings

Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) is revered amongst artists - including comics superstar Alex Ross - for his mastery of drawing.

His first book, Fun With a Pencil, published in 1939 is a wonderfully crafted and engaging introduction to drawing, cartooning, and capturing the essence of a subject all while having fun.

With delightful step-by-step instruction from Professor Blook, Loomis's charming alter ego on the page.

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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Exotic Publisher (January 3, 2025)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 108 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1805472690
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1805472698
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.22 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 803 ratings

About the author

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Dale lancaster
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Born in 1959, Dale lives in Barnoldswick Lancashire England, and specialises in publishing e-books that are often neglected because of the high content of their images and complex layouts. All the formatting his done by himself including the designs of the book fronts.

Because of the complexities of the books he formats, he prefers to use the Scrivener word processor.

He intends with his knowledge of speed reading and block editing, to develop techniques that will enable him to compete with larger e-book publishers that have the use of greater human resources, and who often outsource their work.

Dale is a prodigious reader and greatly interested in all past literature, and with his knowledge of different layouts and book formats he will continue to edit and publish books to the highest standard.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
803 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book a great primer on figure drawing and cartooning. It provides useful information and tips for beginners and intermediate learners. They find the clear images easy to follow along with and find it fun to use. However, some customers have reported issues with pixelated artwork and missing pages.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

34 customers mention "Drawing skills"29 positive5 negative

Customers find this book helpful for learning to draw. It provides a good primer on figure drawing and cartooning. The author is passionate about teaching others how to draw, helping you experiment with your own style. The book includes great suggestions for aspiring cartoonists and presents characters from the Golden Age. It's considered a great resource for beginning artists.

"Leafing through this book can be deceptive because it looks very simple!..." Read more

"...They also allow for drawing extra fine pencil line details. KNEADED ERASER, PENCIL SHARPENER. Sand Paper Manicure File cards..." Read more

"...Really helps you to experiment forming your own style. I strongly recommend it for all of those people with a compass or circle template...." Read more

"...Filled with great suggestions for the aspiring cartoonist it presents characters straight out the Golden Age...." Read more

27 customers mention "Learning material"27 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helpful for learning basic cartoon heads. They say it's a great beginners' book that teaches realistic work while building skills. The content is fun and skill-building, making it a wonderful gift for beginners.

"...I think it's a great book for showing an absolute beginner he/she can do with consistent practice but not taking it too seriously, but just playing..." Read more

"...Should be good for the beginners looking for straight forward instructions." Read more

"...helpful hints on perspective and composition to produce a worthwhile book of instruction...." Read more

"This is an excellent book for learning basic cartoon heads." Read more

23 customers mention "Ease of use"19 positive4 negative

Customers find the book easy to follow and well-explained. They say it's a great tutorial and a must-have for beginners. The book provides an organized method to learn how to draw people.

"...You may find yourself mesmerized by their FUN TO DO AND SIMPLICITY!! YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF SAYING: "DID I DRAW THAT??" &#..." Read more

"...Well bound book with an easy steps to follow. Doesn't really go into technical details, but does have instructions to follow...." Read more

"Like it because it's funny and easy. Bought it to build my drawing skills ." Read more

"There are some spelling errors in this book. The instruction is solid but when I read BULL where is should read BALL or some similar types of..." Read more

14 customers mention "Information quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides useful information for artists and doodlers. They appreciate the helpful tips and examples, as well as the simple but perceptive exercises. The book helps improve drawing skills by allowing you to express ideas freely on paper. It also includes helpful hints on perspective and composition.

"...He progresses through still simple but increasingly more perceptive exercises...." Read more

"...ladies and quirky older gentleman combine with helpful hints on perspective and composition to produce a worthwhile book of instruction...." Read more

"...Its easy to use and helpful. I just say shame on the modern publisher for leaving those racist drawings in...." Read more

"...recommend it, don't let the book mislead you, at first sight, it's really usefull!" Read more

12 customers mention "Fun to use"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fun and simple to use. They appreciate the lighthearted approach and mention it's just playing around with a pencil.

"...practice but not taking it too seriously, but just playing around with a pencil. Definitely recommend this book" Read more

"...You may find yourself mesmerized by their FUN TO DO AND SIMPLICITY!! YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF SAYING: "DID I DRAW THAT??" &#..." Read more

"...As to "Fun with a Pencil" it is just as the name suggest - lots of fun...." Read more

"Like it because it's funny and easy. Bought it to build my drawing skills ." Read more

11 customers mention "Value for money"6 positive5 negative

Customers have different views on the book's value for money. Some find it worth the cost and easy to understand, while others feel the quality is poor and cheap.

"...2HB TICONDEROGA PENCIL: IS A GREAT PENCIL TO START WITH DUE TO ITS LOW COST AND AVAILABILITY...." Read more

"This is most definitely a cheap bootleg copy of the book as indicated by the author on the cover not being the same person as the author indicated..." Read more

"...other Loomis titles recently reprinted by Titan, but still very much worth purchasing. If you don't already own the other four books buy them first...." Read more

"...Quality is EXTREMELY poor and cheap, looks like printed in somebody's garage...." Read more

11 customers mention "Pixelation"0 positive11 negative

Customers find the book's artwork and graphics blurry. They mention the cover is blurry, the pages are copied in low resolution, and the drawings are not by the author.

"...The drawings and handwriting inside are so pixelated that it's hard to read and discern the drawings (picture included) -..." Read more

"...Also, the drawing examples have clearly been low res 'amped up' for the size of the new book...." Read more

"The graphics are blurry inside and out and the amount of spelling errors is appalling." Read more

"...The pages are copied in a low resolution resulting in blurry, pixelated images as well as on the cover...." Read more

9 customers mention "Page missing"0 positive9 negative

Customers find the book missing pages. They mention it's incomplete and lacking the usual copyright notices and legalese. The omitted pages included the final exercise, the book's conclusion, and a self-portrait. There is no Table of Contents, dedication page, publication page, or copyright page.

"...- The last 6 pages of the book are missing, including an author's farewell, some nice advice, a drawing of the author's daughter, and a photo of the..." Read more

"...The cherry on top of everything is that there is no copyright/publication page; a fact that makes me incredibly suspicious about whether the..." Read more

"...It's a review of this copy. This modern reprint has missing pages and missing words in headings...." Read more

"...The blue is now gray. There is NO publication page or copyright page. There is no Table of Contents...." Read more

ILLEGALLY REPRODUCED BOOTLEG
1 out of 5 stars
ILLEGALLY REPRODUCED BOOTLEG
Evidence that this book is an illegal reproduction from a lazy drop-shipper:- The cover is pixelated (picture included)- The drawings and handwriting inside are so pixelated that it's hard to read and discern the drawings (picture included)- The back cover features a non-pixelated drawing that is not by Andrew Loomis nor is it credited to anyone- The text has been retyped in a different font- The pages are 100% in black ink. The original used blue for accents in the drawings, the page numbers, and the construction lines in the instructional drawings.- The copyright page is missing, which would have read "COPYRIGHT 1939 BY ANDREW LOOMIS FIRST PUBLISHED BY THE VIKING PRESS IN MAY 1939, ALL DRAWINGS AND TEXT WITHIN THIS BOOK ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COPYHOLDERS AND SHOULD NOT BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON." Shame on you.- The dedication page is missing, which would have read "DEDICATED TO EVERYONE WHO LOVES A PENCIL." Loomis dedicated all of his books to his readers, and I think it's very disrespectful to the authors and the readers to remove that sweet dedication.- The next page is missing, which contains a beautiful quote by the author about the nature of drawing.- The last 6 pages of the book are missing, including an author's farewell, some nice advice, a drawing of the author's daughter, and a photo of the author smiling at his drawing desk. It seems whoever hacked together this book didn't like how guilty they felt knowing the author was a real human who existed, with a real passion for his craft and a real family, so they removed the evidence.- Each page has a header and a footer reading "Fun with a pencil" and "Andrew Loomis" respectively. This is not in the original, nor does any book I've ever seen have the title and author of the book on every page. Looks like it's baby's first time formatting and drop-shipping a cheap plagiarized pdf! Screw you for ripping off a great artist's work. Go find something worthwhile to do, there's a lot more to life than stealing.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
    Leafing through this book can be deceptive because it looks very simple! Loomis starts you off with all kinds of circles almost none of which are anywhere near perfect, and he shows you how to make a head and face which actually looks like a head and face. This in itself teaches a lot. He progresses through still simple but increasingly more perceptive exercises. He ends up with something like the classic Loomis head, and then onto figure drawing that's somewhere between stick figures and good gesture drawing. The book shows its age and has a lot of distracting typos and the examples are largely adult male. I think it's a great book for showing an absolute beginner he/she can do with consistent practice but not taking it too seriously, but just playing around with a pencil. Definitely recommend this book
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2017
    THIS" REALLY SIMPLE BASIC STEP BY STEP DRAWING INSTRUCTION BOOK " WAS VERY MY FIRST DRAWING INSTRUCTION BOOK THAT GOT ME DEEPLY INTERESTED IN DRAWING!!
    ANDY LOOMIS takes you step by step!
    With a little practice daily ---LOPSIDED CIRCLES ARE NECESSARY AND can BECOME EXCELLENT CARTOON DRAWINGS OR
    IMPRESSIVE "REAL LIFE" PORTRAITS!

    TOOLS:
    Notes:
    Choice of Lead: #2B- 6Bsoft.
    H: Hard: HB, 2H to 9H
    The Softer "B" pencils tend to smear much more readily than the "H".
    FIXATIVE Spray: Adds a protective coating to prevent leads from smearing.
    #2HB TICONDEROGA PENCIL: IS A GREAT PENCIL TO START WITH DUE TO ITS LOW COST AND AVAILABILITY.
    MECHANICAL PENCIL: Give you a variety of choices of lead hardness to choose from. They also allow for drawing extra fine pencil line details.
    KNEADED ERASER,
    PENCIL SHARPENER.
    Sand Paper Manicure File cards
    ART PAPER: I STARTED DRAWING ON BROWN PAPER SHOPPING BAGS and CARDBOARD BOXES! Until I began experimenting on different textures of paper attempting to find which texture and media(s) worked best for me.
    IMPORTANT:
    DEVELOP PATIENCE with YOURSELF: PERFECTION COMES LATER!
    DESIRE TO DRAW. Drawing is to me an unexplained DESIRE to recreate from your mind; what surounds you.
    Although I started drawing a a young age, FUN WITH A PENCIL WILL ALWAYS BE MY ART BIBLE". Especially when I'm going through an ARTISTIC DRY SPELL"
    All I have to do to get motivated is by: DOING THESE REALLY SIMPLE LESSONS in this book!!

    Recently; I received a letter from my younger brother who wished to learn how to draw. in his letter he explained that: "DRAWING RELAXES ME and I want to lean to draw!" Of course he is in for a BIG SURPRISE---I just had to buy him a copy of: "FUN WITH A PENCIL!

    There are many "Drawing Made Simple' books on the market today---BUT-- I found that they seem to have copied Andy Loomis's techniques or jump you into: GREY'S ANATOMY"

    Unfortunately, Andy has passed on but his drawings of characters and people live on within the pages of his many art instructional books.
    The Lessons are easy to do!
    You may find yourself mesmerized by their FUN TO DO AND SIMPLICITY!! YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF SAYING:

    "DID I DRAW THAT??"
    "THANK YOU ANDY LOOMIS!"

    CONCLUSION:
    I BELIEVE IN THIS BOOK SO MUCH THAT I'VE ALREADY PURCHASED TWO COPIES OF THIS BOOK!!
    Buy Again?
    DEFINITELY!!!!!
    AFTER READING THE FIRST PAGE OF THIS BOOK---DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU GET HOOKED ON THE LESSONS!!
    53 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2024
    Read number of reviews indicating different color print is not showing. I have a hardcover, and blue ink print is in the book. Well bound book with an easy steps to follow. Doesn't really go into technical details, but does have instructions to follow. Should be good for the beginners looking for straight forward instructions.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2024
    Loomis sponsored (invented?) the Loomis method for drawing heads. Here, he relaxes and invites you to exaggerate that method for fun caricatures. The result is breaking free from strict rules. Really helps you to experiment forming your own style. I strongly recommend it for all of those people with a compass or circle template. Loomis didn't mean an exact circle, and this book shows you what he meant.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2013
    Not as valuable as the other Loomis titles recently reprinted by Titan, but still very much worth purchasing. If you don't already own the other four books buy them first. In particular, I would recommend "Creative Illustration". At the price Amazon is offering this beautiful, hardcover edition for it's nothing short of a gift. Titan has done the world of illustration a tremendous service in making these classics available again. Before this project began any Andrew Loomis book would set you back a couple days wages - if you could find them. Loomis was a master at his craft and equally gifted as an instructor. Any art student would benefit from a thorough immersion in these works. I was first introduced to Loomis by way of his magazine ads. He created advertisements for many of the foremost companies in America during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. After these encounters I was compelled to purchase "Creative Illustration". Let me just say, had I waited a few years I could have put another one of my kids through college with the money Titan's reprint would have saved me. Not quite, but you get the point. As I still own the original and just had to compare the two, I bought Titan's new edition. It's a beautifully produced facsimile.

    I'm beginning to think I'm reviewing the wrong book. As to "Fun with a Pencil" it is just as the name suggest - lots of fun. Filled with great suggestions for the aspiring cartoonist it presents characters straight out the Golden Age. Perky young ladies and quirky older gentleman combine with helpful hints on perspective and composition to produce a worthwhile book of instruction.
    Anything associated with the name of Andrew Loomis is gold. And this volume is no exception. It is only by comparison to the four previous works that this title should suffer. If you can shell out the do-re-mi, buy all five books - you won't regret it.

    This book is well produced in every respect. It is constructed to take years of wear and tear just like its companion volumes. I thank Titan, again, for the commitment they made to this series and wait to see what they have in store for us in the future.
    71 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2024
    Like it because it's funny and easy. Bought it to build my drawing skills .
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2024
    This is an excellent book for learning basic cartoon heads.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Carlos Azael
    5.0 out of 5 stars ‼BIEN ♥
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 19, 2024
    ta chilo
  • Andrè-jack
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bellissimo
    Reviewed in Italy on October 18, 2024
    Consiglio questo libro per due motivi. I risultati ottenuti leggendolo e seguendo i tutorial hanno affettivamente migliorato il mio disegnare; il secondo è che è davvero bellissimo, dai materiali ai disegni. Anche come libro da collezione è molto interessante.
  • geomcamck
    5.0 out of 5 stars For all those afraid to draw
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2023
    This book is packed with useful guides and informaton provided in simple manner with exercises everey step of the way, you may find the writing a bit dated but it is from the 1940s
  • Georg G.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great - Großartig!
    Reviewed in Germany on June 5, 2021
    Ein wunderbares Buch, das den Nutzer langsam und unterhaltsam an die Loomis-Methode für Karikaturen und Portraits heranführt. Die Moralapostel, die hier von Rassismus reden, verstehen offensichtlich die Absicht von Karikaturen nicht. Es werden Weiße, Schwarze, Gelbe und "Rothäute" auf die Schippe genommen. Wer da Rassismus gegenüber Schwarzen sieht, sollte einmal seine Haltung überdenken. Und natürlich kommen diese Vorwürfe - obwohl in Englisch - aus Deutschland, da leben heutzutage die besseren Menschen.
    "Die schärfsten Kritiker der Elche waren früher selber welche." (F.W. Bernstein)
    Man sollte unbedingt die gebundene Version kaufen!

    A wonderful book that slowly and entertainingly introduces the user to the Loomis method for caricatures and portraits. The moralists who speak of racism here obviously do not understand the purpose of caricatures. Whites, blacks, yellows and "redskins" are taken for a ride. Anyone who sees racism against blacks should rethink their attitude. And of course these allegations - although in English - come from Germany, where the better people live nowadays.
    "The harshest critics of the moose used to be moose themselves." (F.W. Bernstein)
    You should definitely buy the bound version!
  • Ibosim
    5.0 out of 5 stars Libro fundamental para dibujantes
    Reviewed in Spain on March 7, 2021
    Es un libro fundamental para cualquier amante del dibujo. El método de Loomis es sencillamente genial. Me apetecía tener un ejemplar impreso. Las páginas son tamaño folio y con estos ejercicios se aprende mucho y se suelta la mano.