The natural way to draw: a working plan for art study

237 Pages·1990·24.48 MB·English

by  Kimon Nicolaides

". . .
not only the best how-to book on drawing,
it is the best how-to book we've seen on
any subject."-Wle Emth Catalog
J
The natural
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W a y t o Dralu
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More &an 250,000 hwbwr+mphg kl
ART
WerA I~lsgr& Son
"There is only one right way to draw and that is a perfectly natural way. It
has nothing to do with artifice or technique. It has nothing to do with
aesthetics or conception. It has only to do with the act of correct observa-
tion, and by that I mean a physical contact with alI sorts of objects through
a11 the senses."
- Nicolaides
ISBN 0-395-530U7-5
Jacket drawings by 90000
NORMA WASSERhlAN
IIIIWWI 111111
KIMON NICOLAIDES was born in Washington, D.C., in 1891. His first contact with
art was a subconscious familiarity with the oriental objects imported by his father. He
decided early that he wished to paint, but he had to run away from home to study art
because his parents were unsympathetic to the idea. He supported himself in New York
by whatever came to hand - framing pictures, writing for a newspaper, even acting
the part of an art student as a movie extra. His father was finaIIy won over by his
obvious seriousness and financed his instruction at the Art Students' League - under
Bridgman, Miller, and Sloan.
When the United States entered the first World War, NicoEai'des volunteered in the
Camouflage Corps and served in France for over a year, receiving a citation, One of his
assignments, involving the study of geographical contour maps, first opened up for him
the conception of "contour" which constitutes Exercise One in this book.
After a period of work in Paris (1922-Z3),h e was given his first one-man show by the
famous Bernheim Jeune gallery there. Back in New York, he held his first exhibit at the
oId Whitney Studio Club, now the museum, and settled down to painting and teaching.
As a painter, choosing to work painstakingly and exhibit seldom, he became known to
the critics gradually but unmistakabIy for "the range of his work," "'originalty of tech-
nical approach," "richness of mental concepts," and his "eager, restless pursuit of new
aesthetic experience."
As a teacher, during the next fifteen years, he became, as the Art Digest put it, "second
father" to hundreds of students who passed through his classes at the Art Students'
League of New York. Scrupulously honest and high-principled, endowed with humor,
richness and warmth of personality, sanity and balance, his extraordinary talent for
human relationships grew with his wide contact with increasing numbers of students.
Although he died in 1938, at a tragically early age, he Ieft behind a tremendously
devoted following of brilliant young artists, as well as the unique and concrete system
of art teaching presented in this book.
The
Natural Way
to D r a m
Peter A. Ju!*y & 5-rs
The
Natural W a g
to D r a m
A Working Plan for Art Study
by Kimon NicolaYdes
4
Houghton Mifflin Company Boston
Copyright Q 1941 by Anne Nicolaides
Copyright 0 renewed 1969 by Anne Nicola~des
All rights reserved.
For information about permission to reproduce
selections from this book, write to Permissions,
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2 Park Street,
Boston, Massachusetts 02108.
ISBN 0-395-08048-7
ISBN 0-395-53007-(5p bk.)
Printed in the United States of America
QUM 60 59 58 57 56
'The supreme misfortune is when
theory outstrips performance.'
WHENK imon Nicolaldes died in the summer of 1938, the first draft of this
book had been complete for two years. It could, perhaps, never have been
published other than posthumously, for the author was reIuctmt to put into
ha1f arm his constantly developing methods of art teaching.
After the author's death, the manuscript was prepared for pubIication
under the auspices of the G.R.D. Studio, an enterprise for the development
of young American artists in which he had been associated with Mrs.
Philip J. Roosevelt. The editorial work was undertaken by Mamie Harmon,
who had studied with NicoIzt~desf or a number of years and who had col-
laborated with him in the writing.
The preparation of the text involved mainly arrangement of the materia1
in rtcmrdance with the author's plan, and the incorporation of his other
writings or authentic student notes to remedy a few omissions. Most of
the illustrations, on the other hand, had to be selected without his advice,
dthough every effort was made to adhere to his known preferences. Even
that WWMn ot always possible in view of the difficulty of obtaining material
from abroad.
Nicolaides had planned to draw especially for the book certain sketches
and diagrams that would explain the directions for the exercises. Since that
was not done, there were substituted sketches made by him in his classes
for individud students. These sketches are naturally rough and infoma1,
but they should serve the purpose and will perhaps add somewhat to the
personal tone of instruction which he wished to maintain. The student
drawings used are likewise examples of work done in actual classes - by
students at approximately the same stage in the plan of study as those who
are using the book. The master drawings were selected primarily with the
idea of showing how the artist sets to work.
It was only with the enthusiasm and co-operation of the former students
of NicolaYdes that the book was brought to the form in which it now appears.
[ viii ]
Hundreds of Nicolaldes items were sent to the G.B.D. Studio when it be
came known that a book was in preparation. Again and again these gener-
ous contributors indicated that they were not so much conferring a favor
as paying a debt to a beIoved instructor.
AchowIedgment is gratefully made in behdf of the editor to the collectors
who have lent drawings for reproduction, to Stuart Eldredge, who ha^ been
willing to share the responsibility for the additions which have been made,
and to a group of former students whose heIp and advice have been invdu-
able - nameIy, Lester 33. Bridahm, Lesley Crawford, Daniel J. Kern,
Lester Rondell, Willson Y. Stamper, and William L. Taylor.