The American Drawing-book: A Manual for the Amateur, and Basis of Study for the Professional Artist

The American drawing-book – is a manual which was published in 1847 and written by John Gadsby Chapman. He was an American artist, best known for Baptism of Pocahontas. The importance of drawing as part of public education, and the generally expressed need for some popular work on the subject, with which it could be introduced not only to schools but also to homeschooling, led to the publication of The American Drawing Book. It is presented to the public with a fervent hope that it may to some extent arouse interest in a field of knowledge that until now has been strangely neglected by the inhabitants of the United States, not so much because of indifference to its importance, but because of the lack of effective means of acquiring it. All that may be required of the Masters is to conduct an honest experiment. Students should be asked to adhere strictly to the curriculum so as not to get tired if they sometimes find their patience too burdensome. Let them be sure that nothing more is required of them than is absolutely necessary for their advancement. This book became a standard text for art students.