It’s like a newly-discovered artifact from one of the great artist-instructors of our time! I’d Love to Draw! by Andrew Loomis is a simplistic, quirky book full of drawing tips. After years of being locked away in the Loomis family archives, this book is back in print and available for aspiring artists everywhere.

Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) was a painter, illustrator, artist, and art instructor who is best known for his masterful approach to drawing and realistic art style. He published a series of instructional books like Fun with a Pencil (1939), Creative Illustration (1947), and Successful Drawing (1951). His books had been out of print for decades until 2011 when Titan Books began to reissue Loomis’ works.

I’d Love to Draw! is personable and candid; the book is full of Loomis’ own handwriting, and the instructional images seem like they were drawn by Loomis five seconds ago. It’s as if he was sitting next to you, sketching out an example of how a certain drawing technique was done.

If you’ve next to no formal drawing instruction, the book demonstrates various drawing techniques, such as perspective, drawing the head, exaggerating a drawing for caricatures, breaking forms down into basic shapes, and various methods of sketching. Loomis’ style of instruction is both precise and effortless. Alex Ross, renowned Marvel and DC comic book artist, gives an introduction and also gives new commentary on Loomis’ instruction throughout the book.

That being said, if you’ve already received some formal drawing instruction, you might find that the book is valuable as a collector’s item, but not much else. I suppose the novelty of the book is to behold the personable style of Andrew Loomis, but there sure is a lot of wasted space on the pages. The book goes on for about 170 pages, but the actual density of the material is much less. Just after the book’s epilogue, there are about eight totally blank pages just awkwardly stuck into the end until you finally reach the back cover. Not sure what they were going for there. If you’re planning on buying this gift for youngster, be warned that there’s a fair amount of female figure drawing, and all that that implies.

Still, if you’re a drawing initiate who wants some good ol’-fashioned vintage drawing instruction, choose I’d Love to Draw! by Andrew Loomis. Loomis’ casual, uplifting teaching style will surely help you make that first leap into the world of effective drawing.