Dec 2016
Is there no end to the talent and versatility of Giovanni Civardi? I'll admit that the first drawing here of a hippopotamus, didn't fill me with confidence. It's the only blip in what is an excellent work that covers a wide variety of subjects, looking at them from almost every angle. As ever, Giovanni deals briskly but efficiently with anatomy, telling you everything you need to know and nothing that would only trouble a veterinary student. He works by illustration rather than explaination and his drawings are so clear that the captions are only needed to guide you to what you should be looking for. What you're looking at is always abundantly clear.
* The Artist *
There is, it seems, no end to the talents of this popular and capable artist and author. Best known for his books on the human figure, this isn't his first foray into the animal world, but it continues his tradition of sensitive pencil work combined with simple, concise captions that explain exactly what he's doing. There really is nothing not to like!
The book covers exactly what you'd expect, as is confirmed by the subtitle How to draw elephants, tigers, lions and other animals. Each of these is given its own section and there is also a very handy introduction that explains the basic techniques you'll need in this particular field. The results are lifelike and characterful and definitely encourage by example.
Compared to Giovanni's other books, there is perhaps broader coverage, meaning that each section goes into slightly less detail, which in turn means that you, the reader, have to do more of the analysis and deconstruction than is otherwise the case. For this reason, it's a book perhaps better suited to someone with a little more experience than is usual with this author. It's a delight and a triumph for all that, though.
* Artbookreview.net *
