The Ted Kautzky Pencil Book (Combined Edition)

Instruction

Dec 25

Author: Ted Kautzky

Taking a pencil and a piece of paper is probably the most affordable entry into art-making that I know of. The immediacy of making a graphite mark against the texture of paper is so satisfying. You are free to experiment without the worry of cost. No drawing is precious - just get in there and start making marks. My entry into art started with a pencil when I was in elementary school. Decades later the simple act of drawing with a pencil is so satisfying.

I first heard of Ted Kautzky and his book The Ted Kautzky Pencil Book (Combined Edition) from Gàbor Svagrik. Based on his enthusiastic recommendation I immediately bought a copy off of eBay – I think it was about $25 at the time. Both eBay and Amazon are good sources for finding this book. Fortunately, it is still easy to find a decent, affordable copy. It can be a bit confusing as to which edition to buy. Try to get the “combined edition” if you can.

According to the Publisher’s Note, this is what differentiates the combined edition from earlier editions of Kautzky’s book:

“The late Theodore Kautzky was a master of pencil drawing. For years his two books, Pencil Pictures and Pencil Broadsides have been favorites of professional and amateur artists alike. This edition combines all the drawings, sketches, diagrams and text of the two previous books, plus several additional subjects into one comprehensive volume. Included are the techniques, subjects, attitudes and approaches that make Kautzky a unique artist and teacher.”

I agree with that assessment! Some of my favorite topics developed in this volume are in Part II of the book: Preliminary Thoughts, Picture Synthesis, Value Arrangement, and Planning a Picture. Just these four chapters alone make the book a worthwhile addition to any artist’s library.

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