Very useful, especially for enthusiasts with portrait drawing who want to create but so not know where to start from. Do not worry so much if you do not possess the pencil recommended in this book (they often reference pencils by Caran D'Ache), because you may substitute them with any pencils you can find at your town's store. For instance, in Czechia you can visit any Koh-i-Noor shop (... číst celéor e-shop) and get a pencil or two at the colour of the human white skin and for the rest of the colours a set of 24 pencils is enough. You might be inspired from the book to follow the mixed media path and experimenting with conté or even markers on some parts of your pencils drawings. Very explanatory and well-illustrated book.