The most difficult aspect of learning to draw is knowing how to translate a three-dimensional object, landscape or figure in front of you onto the two-dimensional plane of a piece of paper. In the act of trying to achieve this, most beginners will, at best, achieve a distorted image. The conflict is between customary perception - how we use our eyes every day - and aesthetic perception - how we use our eyes for the purpose of drawing and painting.

Through a series of six illustrated exercises, John Torreano uses a technique of demonstration, questions and answers to explain why the conflict occurs and how to overcome it. As students work through the exercises and develop an awareness of why things go wrong, they start to understand how to draw, increasing in confidence and developing the freedom to draw with flair.

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John Torreano is a practising artist who has exhibited widely across the United States. As head of the MFA studio art programme at New York University his groundbreaking method has been used with great success.