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YEARS OF TEACHING, I have experimented with various progressions, sequences, and comb-nations of exercises. The sequence set out in this book has proved to be the most effective in terms of student progress. We’ll take the first step, the all-important preinstruction drawings, in this chapter.
    When you begin the drawing exercises in Chapter Four, you’ll have some background in the underlying theory, how the exercises have been set up, and why they work. The sequence is designed to enhance success at every step of the way and to provide access to a new mode of information processing with as little upset to the old mode as possible. Therefore, I ask you to read the chapters in the order presented and to do the exercises as they appear.
    I have limited the recommended exercises to a minimum number, but if time permits, do more drawings than are suggested: Seek your own subjects and devise your own exercises. The more practice you provide for yourself, the faster you will progress. To this end, in addition to the exercises that appear in the text, supplementary exercises often appear in the margin. Doing these exercises will reinforce both your skills and your confidence.
    For most of the exercises, I recommend that you read through all of the directions before you start drawing and, where directed, view the examples of students’ drawings before beginning. Keep all of your drawings together in a folder or large envelope, so that by the time you’ve come to the end of the book you can review your own progress.

Definitions of terms
    A glossary of terms appears at the end of the book. Certain terms are defined fairly extensively in the text, and the glossary contains other terms not so extensively defined. Words that are commonly used in everyday language, such as “value” and “composition,” have very specific, and often different, meanings in art terminology. I suggest that you glance through the glossary before starting to read the chapters.

Drawing materials
    The materials list for the first two editions was very simple: some inexpensive bond typing paper or a pad of inexpensive drawing paper, a pencil, and an eraser. I mentioned that a #4B drawing pencil is pleasant to use, as the lead is smooth and makes a clear, dark line, but an ordinary number 2 writing pencil is nearly as good. For this edition, you still need these basic materials, but I wish to suggest a few additional aids that will help you learn to draw quickly.
    • You will need a piece of clear plastic, about 8" x 10" and about 1/16" thick. A piece of glass is fine, but the edges must be taped. Use a permanent marker to draw two crosshairs on the plastic, a horizontal line and a vertical line crossing at the center of the plane. (See the sketch in the margin.)
    • Also, you will need two “viewfinders,” made of black cardboard about 8" x 10". From one, cut a rectangular opening of 4¼" x 5¼" and from the other, cut out a larger opening of 6" x 7⅛". See Figure 2-1.
    • A nonpermanent black felt-tip marker
    • Two clips to fasten your viewfinders to the plastic picture plane
    • A “graphite stick,” #4B, available at most art supply stores
    • Some masking tape
    • A pencil sharpener—a small, hand-held sharpener is fine
    • An eraser, such a “Pink Pearl” or a white plastic eraser
    Gathering these materials requires a bit of effort, but they will truly help you to learn rapidly. You can buy them at any art materials or crafts store. My staff of teachers and I no longer attempt to teach our students without using viewfinders and the plastic picture plane, and they will help you just as much. Because these items are so essential to students’ understanding of the basic nature of drawing, for years now we have put together—by hand!—portfolios containing the special learning tools that we have developed for our five-day intensive workshops. The portfolios also contained all of the necessary drawing materials and a lightweight