Sure, this was first published in 1939, but that only makes the book all that much better. The rules of perspective haven't changed and it's cool to see everything illustrated with steam locomotives and men wearing trilbies. And, yes, Ernest did make understanding perspective, horizons, vanishing points and drawing shadows and people in the right size in different parts of a perspective sketch easy.

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If you had told me I'd read a 200+ page book on perspective drawing, I would have told you you've been drinking too much, but Norling's book was actually entertaining while covering what can be a very dry topic for artists and art students.

Originally published in 1939, this Dover Book reprint has faithfully reproduced the original illustrations and the text is clear and easy to read. As a technique book, Norling covers each topic in simple steps with clear illustrations of each idea. If you're a beginner, this book will be very helpful, especially if you don't have a teacher and are trying to learn on your own.

I picked up this book to help me prepare lesson plans for next fall, and I was pleasantly surprised at the range of topics Norling covers, some of which I'd never considered before, and some which I haven't thought of since I was an art student back in the dark ages. Overall, a pleasant surprise and a useful resource for artists, teachers, and students.

I found this book through a recommendation from ‘Figure Drawing, For All It’s Worth’ by Andrew Loomis. As someone who did not have the best education on drawing perspective, I figured it was worth a shot, and I am so glad I did. It’s a relatively quick read, includes excellent diagrams, and explains the concepts in easy language. It’s very well written, well paced, and taught me more about perspective than all my art teachers combined. The concepts can be deceptively simple, and Norling guides the reader through the steps without being patronizing. The book also includes drawing exercises to solidify each chapter’s concepts before moving on to the next. Keeping this one as a forever reference.

When I first picked this book up at the library, I thought it was going to be really basic. I was surprised how complex it actually is.

This book is great for quickly getting a grasp on the concept of perspective in drawing. As it's an old book, the PDF is available online for free and you can work through it in a day or two.

Especially recommended if you found Scott Robertson's book How To Draw a bit daunting. Just read this and then get back to Robertson's holy book.

Old fashioned in a great way

The writing is noticeably old styled, in a good way. The author explains complicated concepts in a way that is easy to understand. Subjects are arranged logically from easy to difficult levels. No chit-chat about arts or personal improvement chicken soup stuff.
Understanding perspectives is critical for drawing convincing pictures particularly when buildings are involved. I personally have noticed improvement in drawing after reading this book. I can't recommend this book enough.

Very good book with a lot of very useful and well explained points about perspective.

Although the book is quite old, its content is still highly relevant (perspective didn't change in the last 50 years...)

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn or refresh the skills of perspective drawing.

Excellent

(Paper) Excellent! My perspective has broadened. From vanishing point to depth and beyond, this book delivers incredible insights for how to improve in many forms of media.

Although this book was a little dry, it is full of good information and tips for drawing perspective. The chapter summaries and drawing exercises are helpful.

An eye-opening resource for people who want to start urban sketching but are a bit confused on how drawing in perspective works. This book helped my urban sketching immensely when I first read it years ago. It helped me notice line directions and why they go in the directions they do, and how to keep that consistent for a grounded sketch of buildings or scenery that follows what you actually see. It's mostly for beginners since its simply getting you to grasp what you're looking at and why/how it looks the way it does. Also, the author's way of explaining is pretty casual instead of technical, I feel. Though when it does get technical in the last part, it gets oddly convoluted. For sketching purposes or first getting into perspective, it's great!

A Necessary stop on the path to becoming a decent artist. Norling’s instruction is both incredibly practical and really easy to apply yourself after a read-through.

This book gets a 5 star rating from me for the fact that ANYONE, no matter their ability level, can leave this book able to draw a lot of cool looking things that they couldn’t have done before. From an urban jungle to a complex natural landscape, this book really makes the impossible possible, if you just understand the concepts laid out.

Definitely a reference book to keep in arms reach.