Book excerpt: Compact but comprehensive, this manual contains the best information available on pencil and ink techniques. Written and beautifully illustrated by an acclaimed artist and advertising illustrator, it's the perfect companion for artists seeking a guide to the variety of techniques and media for rendering their ideas on paper. Pencil drawing and ink drawing receive separate treatments; both sections stress materials and tools — including graphite pencils, charcoal and pastel pencils, wax pencils, pens, brushes, marking pens, scratching tools, and more. They also explore different methods of handling strokes and lines, techniques for stabling and conveying tones and shadows, and technical tips. The 28 step-by-step demonstrations — many of them exquisitely illustrated in full color — range from techniques of fine penwork and cross-hatching to drawing with colored inks and colored markers. In addition, a series of multipart exercises will prove extraordinarily useful to the student. The profusion of skillful illustrations throughout the book, over 540 in all, constitute a treasure in themselves, covering a great diversity of subjects — from portraits and still lifes to landscapes and cityscapes worldwide.