Students seeking advice on how to draw better and more efficiently can learn something about structured methods and analytical techniques from geometry, mathematics, and computer graphics (CG) from this book. This math-based approach to drawing aims to structure the process of configuring 2D graphical structures (layout and composition) efficiently. The approach uses geometry theories and CG principles to solve problems in image structure and shape orientation scientifically.

The “digital age” in the book title suggested to me that topics would include commercial CG programs, sketching, and visual art software tools to help artists learn to draw. This is not the case. In fact, the author makes his view very clear in the first chapter, where he rejects the use of any tools, virtual or otherwise, when learning to draw. This is, he explains, “mainly because tools are not part of the human body.” He also asserts that you would not be called an “artist” by today’s standards unless you could draw without tools (p. 20).

The author introduces several math-based, tool-free drawing techniques to help us understand graphical structures and to “see the forest from the tree” when we stand in front of a scene and attempt to draw it. The thesis is that drawing combines analytical and reasoning skills that can be theorized and articulated to produce well-structured methods for learning to draw. The author contends in the first chapter that math and art are interrelated. Math is used in art to create digital images such as fractals, and art is used in math to visualize data for computer graphics.

An angle-based constructive (ABC) method is introduced in chapter 3 and promoted throughout the book. The author claims that the ABC method “makes drawing easier to learn” and that by emphasizing math, his method makes drawing a “full brain” activity rather that just a right brain one. However, other than scattered anecdotes and sample drawings by the author’s young children, no empirical evidence is given for claims about the benefits of the ABC method.

According to the ABC method, drawing can be formalized as mapping visual information into lines/curves and shapes on paper. The artist repeatedly selects key points or landmarks in the drawing scene that form triangles or polygons. These polygons are refined by adding more landmarks and duplicating polygons. Finally, detailed features are added and finishing touches are made to complete the drawing.

The book is rather difficult to read and is not organized for the practical reader whose aim is to improve or acquire new drawing techniques. Chapter 1, on the relationship between math and art, contains a number of apparently contrived and cursory arguments that do not seem to offer much useful information for the practical reader. Chapter 2, on graphical structures, describes some mathematical notions on triangulation, but the presentation is not detailed enough and leaves the reader unmotivated because the connection to learning to draw does not seem clear. The remainder of the book, chapters 4 through 8, seems to rehash standard drawing techniques, but the reference to the ABC method is implicit or absent.

In general, the book could be a good reference to students, academics, computer graphics practitioners, and graphical artists who are new to drawing or are looking for ways to improve their drawing skills.