Yoshiko Ogura graduated from Musashino Art University in Tokyo. She worked for several years as an art director and character designer for Konami and Sega. Ogura went on to study at the prestigious Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in France. She has worked as a freelance illustrator and has exhibited her award-winning art in Japan, Paris, New York, New Zealand, and elsewhere. She has now returned to Japan and opened the Grace Academy of Art in Tokyo, offering drawing and painting courses, art therapy, art counseling, and art events for children.
"""The Complete Guide to Drawing for Beginners lives up to its title as a user-friendly guide to learning the basics of drawing…[It] is enthusiastically recommended for anyone with an interest in drawing, whether as a hobby or as the first step toward an art-related profession."" -- Midwest Book Review ""With a dramatically different approach than many drawing how-to books, Japanese illustrator Ogura thinks of all the questions and issues a novice might face, then addresses them simply and head on…It's difficult to see how an in-person class could teach much more. Appended with Ogura's inspirational works."" -- Booklist, Starred Review ""…the right balance of text and visual aids in this guide to drawing that encourages readers to embrace every step of the process, including the struggle…highly recommended for aspiring artists of all types, especially those looking for encouragement to give drawing a go."" -- Library Journal"