This book attempts to get under the skin of the subject, with chapters on composition, materials, learning to observe, etc.  There are sections on what drawings look like, using a variety of art materials, and finally several pictures to have a go at, with staged photographs.  These include portraits, a landscape and a building.  This is a short book, but that is not always a bad thing for a beginner.  Working through these exercises is the sort of thing that won’t take too long and might let would-be artists know whether they are likely to be any good or not, and whether they are enjoying themselves enough to take it up as a hobby.  Handy through not being intimidating, this is suitable to start somebody off, although they will certainly need other books that cover the subject in more detail.

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