Amazon Review for DRAW, Dec 2015 I approached this book as a complete beginner who hadn't done any drawing since school . I'm still in the early stages of working through it but the book as a whole is well laid out, not too much text to get in the way and there are a variety of different exercises to work through which you can select from or adapt as you prefer. The emphasis is on finding small pockets of time to draw in , to draw what interests you, and to not worry about bad drawings! Jake is a lovely inspiring guide and I'd happily recommend this book to beginners as it's working for me. The book is pitched at being suitable for all levels of skills and includes drawing theory as well as a good guide to drawing materials to get you started.
Comments about Charter from artist and tutor Jane Denman, June 2013 "The Life Drawing Charter: it is the first time I have seen such a great little booklet, I wish I had had one of these when I first started teaching life classes. Even on teacher training courses they never went through this. Brilliant! Love the bit where it says 'don't prod the model' it made me laugh out loud. I have seen some very dire instruction in life rooms from tutors. The set up diagrams are also very useful. It would be good for colleges."
Review of Draw Faces from The Argus's Weekly Magazine by Nione Meakin, Aug 2013 "Painter Jake Spicer has helped countless artists find their feet through his Draw Brighton projects and now shares his years of expertise in this charming book aimed at "anyone how has looked at another person and felt the urge to capture their likeness on a piece of paper". A passionate advocate for improving visual literacy" (check out his popular TEDx talk online), Spicer takes a back-to basics approach here as he compares the discipline of drawing to that of learning a new language.
"When you start you'll be clumsy, your pencil stumbling over lines as your tongue might trip over a foreign phrase...bit in time your marks can become poetic,eloquent and you will become more fluid in your articulation"
This encouraging introduction leads into chapters that tackle everything from finding a model to developing one's own style, observational measuring, to tone and line. These are all given practical expression through Spicer's drawing and are accompanied by dozens of take-away tips for the slight- never underestimate the size of the chin- to mastering more advanced ares of anatomy. The pace builds gently with each section, consolidating what was learned in the last. But it's equally suitable to dip in and out of, making it an ideal book both for fledgling artists still feeling their way and for kore advanced students looking to improve on problem areas.
Spicer clearly understands his subject inside and out and Lewes publishers Ilex capitalise on this knowledge, giving him the space to show his workings literally and figuratively. Even those with no prior interest in the subject will be fascinated by the insight into the practical and emotional processes involved in making art.
An excellent introduction to drawing and a worthy companion to Spicer's Brighton Life Drawing Session, this book will inspire every reader to pick up a pencil."