Gene Franks
From the fundamentals to advanced techniques, The Art of Pencil Drawing with Gene Franks is filled with more than 65 step-by-step projects useful to artists of all skill levels.
The impressive drawings by author-artist Gene Franks seem to come to life right on the page. With this comprehensive guide, learn to draw like Gene Franks with simple, step-by-step demonstrations that cover a wide variety of subject matter, from still lifes and landscapes to animals and people. First, there is an introduction to art supplies, how to use pencils, and information about the value scale and shading. Then move into the 65+ drawing projects, broken into six sections:
- Still lifes, including fruit, a conch shell, and children’s toys
- Buildings, including a barn, a Spanish mission, and a lighthouse
- Landscapes, including flowers and foliage, a creek, and a farm
- Transportation, including a boat, car, and train
- Animals, including a rabbit, a tiger, and birds
- People, including a young man in a suit, a woman in profile, a ballerina, and a prospector
Along the way, learn more about sketching, composition, and much more. No matter your skill level, The Art of Pencil Drawing with Gene Franks is a must-have for any artist’s library.
Walter Foster Publishing’s Collector’s Series offers a broad range of projects across a variety of mediums and genres, such as drawing, oil, acrylic, watercolor, cartooning, calligraphy, and others. Suitable for beginning to intermediate artists, each book features in-depth instruction about how to work with the tools of the trade, master techniques, and use newfound skills in practical application via step-by-step projects.
Gene Franks painted and drew for more than 60 years. He worked in watercolor, oil, acrylic, gouache, casein, egg tempera, and pencil. Many believe pencil to be his most expressive medium. Precision in technique and using the best, most permanent materials available were hallmarks of Gene’s teaching method.
A former Merchant Marine and U.S. Air Force veteran, he received his art training from Jefferson Machamer School of Art in Santa Monica, California, and the Art Center School of Design in Pasadena. He also taught hundreds of art students through Adult Education in San Bernardino, California. He felt it was his responsibility to pass on his passion for painting and drawing and to encourage the next generation to develop their skills to the best of their ability. Gene received many awards, and his work can be found in private collections nationwide. He enjoyed sharing his artwork with collectors and art lovers everywhere.
Gene died in January 2021, but his teaching and art inspiration live on through the books published exclusively by Walter Foster Publishing. His original paintings and drawings continue to be promoted by his widow and artistic partner for 40 years, Jane Franks. Jane lives and works in their studio home in Arkansas.
