Here are 96 books that Drawing fans have personally recommended if you like
Drawing.
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I have always loved to draw ever since my Dad used to sit drawing with me at the kitchen table when I was little. At Art School we had to spend the first six weeks doing a daily life drawing class before being allowed to pick up a paintbrush! I then studied graphic design setting up my own business, at a time when, without computers, drawing was essential for presenting layout and design. Nowadays, I’m constantly instilling in my students the importance of drawing and sketching. Having been a professional artist all my working life, drawing has been a fundamental element in every way, and all the way.
I love sketching and encourage my students to do as much as possible to improve both drawing techniques and observation. In this comprehensive book, Peter guides us through many different aspects of sketching using pencil, pen, and pen & wash, demonstrating his S-E-T method, reminding us constantly to consider Shapes, Edges, and Tones. His drawings and pen and wash studies are a feast for the eyes; he guides the reader through simple step-by-step drawings as well as larger projects, and everything is conveyed in an easy-to-understand way, making it a pleasure to dip into this book.
From the author of the best-selling art book, Pure Watercolour Painting and guest judge on Channel 5's Watercolour Challenge, Peter Cronin.
Sketching is more than just drawing quickly. It is training your eye and hand to work together, to respond immediately and naturally to the scene before you.
Starting from a clear, simple method to bring all the senses into play, successful author and acclaimed artist Peter Cronin shows the reader how to bring artistry and economy to their sketching; making for swift and impressive results. Whether sketching as the basis for painting, or simply for pleasure, this…
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
I have always loved to draw ever since my Dad used to sit drawing with me at the kitchen table when I was little. At Art School we had to spend the first six weeks doing a daily life drawing class before being allowed to pick up a paintbrush! I then studied graphic design setting up my own business, at a time when, without computers, drawing was essential for presenting layout and design. Nowadays, I’m constantly instilling in my students the importance of drawing and sketching. Having been a professional artist all my working life, drawing has been a fundamental element in every way, and all the way.
This comprehensive guide to drawing landscapes includes six step-by-step as well as many examples of Margaret’s work. With her wonderful drawing ability she is able to create stunning landscapes, some with incredible detail, some much looser, maintaining compositional balance throughout. I recommend this book to the beginner and more experienced alike as I think it has something for everyone. For anyone who wants some guidance for drawing landscapes, this book will inspire whatever your level of ability.
Artists of all skill levels will find much to inspire them in this detailed and practical guide to drawing landscapes. Margaret Eggleton guides you through easy-to-follow drawing stages, and gives advice on using sketchbooks, line and tone, perspective and more. She shows how to draw elements of the landscape such as trees and foliage, hills and mountains, skies, water and buildings, and there are practical, step-by-step exercises throughout to help you practise the techniques.
Margaret then guides you carefully through each stage of six stunning projects, each culminating in a beautiful landscape drawing you'll be proud of. Suitable for…
I’m a professional artist, and I’ve been fascinated by light and lighting for most of my life. About twenty years ago, I realized there were no books available on this subject at all and very little information around, so it was difficult to take a deep dive into the topic of light in relation to visual art. I wrote some articles on my website, which became very popular, and this resulted in a book deal with Laurence King. My book was published in 2011, and in the interim period, more books have appeared, offering a wider and more diverse range of knowledge from differing perspectives and different artists.
When I couldn’t truly see light, I couldn’t really understand it. There is a reason why we don’t notice the subtleties of light in our everyday lives, and it’s because our brains filter it out. This book gave me a key that unlocked the art of seeing so that I could see the world as it really is rather than the simplified version that my brain presented me with.
A must for any visual artist, this book gave me the most fundamental insight that I could ever hope for: it taught me to see the world as I’d never seen it before. This was a life-changing gift.
'You will quickly amaze and delight yourself. Hands down the best and most life-enhancing thing I've done in lockdown' India Knight, Sunday Times
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is the world's most widely used drawing instruction book. Whether you are a professional, a student, or enjoy art as a hobby, Betty Edwards' practical step-by-step guide will give you greater confidence in your ability, deepen your artistic perception and provide a new way to appreciate the way you perceive the world around you.
This groundbreaking guide includes: - Expert advice on materials…
A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.
The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…
I have always loved to draw ever since my Dad used to sit drawing with me at the kitchen table when I was little. At Art School we had to spend the first six weeks doing a daily life drawing class before being allowed to pick up a paintbrush! I then studied graphic design setting up my own business, at a time when, without computers, drawing was essential for presenting layout and design. Nowadays, I’m constantly instilling in my students the importance of drawing and sketching. Having been a professional artist all my working life, drawing has been a fundamental element in every way, and all the way.
Perspective is essential for good drawing but something that a lot of people find a struggle. Tim has treated every aspect of perspective in a simple and interesting way so that anyone can understand it. As well as buildings and landscapes, Tim also covers topics not so obvious - people, animals, boats and reflections, and more. He also shows how perspective applies to curved objects and inclined planes, and suggests how to correct common mistakes as well as moving on from rigid rules to a freer and more instinctive way of drawing.
"...by far the best primer [on perspective] I've ever seen. If you have other books, throw them away and buy this. You won't regret it."
- Artbookreview.net
Learn how to master perspective and create convincing drawings of the three-dimensional world with the help of artist and teacher, Tim Fisher.
Every aspect of perspective, from zero- to multi-point, is explored and explained in simple terms that everyone can understand. In addition to landscapes and buildings, you will learn how to apply perspective to people, animals, boats, reflections and more. There is also expert advice on drawing curved objects and…
I grew up in a family of artists and then went to art school, so I have been thinking visually my entire life. I have always collected random, inspiring books with both words and images. I love being able to pick up a book and read a chapter at a time or flip through it for visual inspiration. I keep some of my favorite books at my bedside just because they give me comfort. There are so many more books I could recommend in the category I have chosen!
Be sure not to let the title deceive you, though. It is useful for artists at all levels because it is a place to refresh basic skills. To see in a very clear way how to draw a man standing is super helpful no matter where you are in your art practice.
If you aim to draw fantastical caricatures or very realistically, this book breaks it all down for you so that you can hit the ground running in your own personal style.
This inspiring book makes drawing in a realistic style easier than you may think and more fun than you ever imagined!
Authors Mark and Mary Willenbrink (Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner) cover it all-from choosing materials and the correct way to hold your pencil, to expert advice on the tricky stuff, like getting proportions and perspective right, drawing reflections, and designing strong compositions. (It's not as scary as it sounds...not with Mark and Mary as your guide!)
At the heart of this book, a series of fun, hands-on exercises help you practice and perfect your strokes-24 mini-demos lead…
I have been continuously studying, practicing, and/or teaching architecture since 1984, and my particular focus has been on drawing–why we draw and how we can develop our own practices for drawing, whether it’s related to architecture or not. Even more particular is my focus on drawing by hand–a practice that has had a major resurgence after the initial wave of fascination for digital drawing tools has waned. I am passionate about drawing and want to share that passion with others, partially by recommending books that have been of significant use to me over the years.
Marc Holmes is an extraordinary artist and urban sketcher who has been at the forefront of the global sketching movement over the past fifteen years. In this book, he presents very useful and applicable techniques for building observational drawings using graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor.
Marc’s approach to watercolor, in particular, is lively and expressive—I’ve personally learned much from his work in this popular medium.
Capture the bustle and beauty of life in your town.
Experience life as only an artist can! Join the rapidly growing, international movement of artists united by a passion for drawing on location in the cities, towns and villages where they live and travel. Packed with art and advice from Marc Taro Holmes, artist and co-founder of Urbansketchers.org, this self-directed workshop shows you how to draw inspiration from real life and bring that same excitement into your sketchbook. Inside you'll fi nd everything you need to tackle subjects ranging from still lifes and architecture to people and busy street scenes.
Big Ideas... For Small Businesses
by
John Lamerton,
Big Ideas… for Small Businesses is a straight-talking, no-nonsense guide to growing a small business without sacrificing your lifestyle. Written by a former civil servant turned entrepreneur, the book challenges hustle culture and instead champions the idea of an "ambitious lifestyle business" - one that provides freedom and financial stability,…
I’m a professional artist, and I’ve been fascinated by light and lighting for most of my life. About twenty years ago, I realized there were no books available on this subject at all and very little information around, so it was difficult to take a deep dive into the topic of light in relation to visual art. I wrote some articles on my website, which became very popular, and this resulted in a book deal with Laurence King. My book was published in 2011, and in the interim period, more books have appeared, offering a wider and more diverse range of knowledge from differing perspectives and different artists.
When I needed some practical insights into how to apply my theoretical knowledge this is the book I turned to. Light is what gives objects their form, and so it’s at the heart of this guide to rendering with both traditional and digital media by Scott Robertson. Very detailed and highly technical, this book gave me all the practical tools and techniques I needed to depict light and form accurately.
Any questions I had on how to depict lighting effects accurately were answered comprehensively in this book. From how to plot cast shadows, or create realistic surfaces made from a wide range of materials from wood, to cloth, or different types of metal, it’s all in here.
This book is about the fundamentals of light, shadow and reflectivity; the focus is firmly on helping to improve visual understanding of the world around and on techniques for representing that world. Rendering is the next step after drawing to communicate ideas more clearly. Building on what Scott Robertson and Thomas Bertling wrote about in How To Draw: Drawing and Sketching Objects and Environments from Your Imagination, this book shares everything the two experts know about how to render light, shadow and reflective surfaces. This book is divided into two major sections: the first explains the physics of light and…
A couple of years ago, in my late 50s, I learned I had ADHD. It was a huge discovery to finally understand why I daydreamed while being lectured and had so many thoughts racing through my mind. When I was younger, I assumed that there was a level playing field between my classmates and me when it came to basic brain function. So, I always felt extra frustrated and sad when I didn’t learn the same way as others. Only recently have I come to the new understanding about what was going on then—that my brain has always worked a little differently.
This book gave me goosebumps. Which then inspired me to draw that feeling.
Niko reminded me of myself observing the world and trying to capture it on paper, but Niko takes it a step further as he draws the “ring-a-ling” of the ice cream truck and the warmth of the sun on his face.
This is another book that all children will relate to, but a special select few will feel inspired, as I did.
Niko loves to draw his world: the ring-a-ling of the ice cream truck, the warmth of sun on his face.
But no one appreciates his art. Until one day, Niko meets Iris . . .
This imaginative and tender story explores the creative process, abstract art, friendship, and the universal desire to feel understood.
A Junior Library Guild selection, Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book, Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books, Cooperative Children's Book Center Choice, Midwest Connections Pick, NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts,…
I’ve been sketching the world around me since 2014 after discovering one or two of the books on this list and feeling inspired to do the same. I have travelled and sketched my way through many countries and in 2020, started a blog called Urban Sketching World, sharing tips and tricks I have learnt along the way. This expanded to a YouTube channel called Taria’s Sketchy Adventures, and I am proud to say I have taught hundreds (possibly thousands) of people how to pick up a sketchbook and start recording their own sketchy adventures. I now have my own book published called The Beginners Guide to Urban Sketching.
This is another book I got early on in my sketching career. I love James Hobbs's sketching style. He uses a thick black pen for the most part, and his style is simple–the perfect inspiration for a beginner.
He also includes examples of many other sketchers’ work–all of which emphasise that you do not need to have perfect drawing skills to capture the world around you. As someone who did not do very well in art at school myself, I found this book to be my permission slip to draw anyway.
I learned from this book that drawing is a way to record and understand the world in your own way, not a test on how accurately you can copy it in your sketchbook.
Breathe the air and hear the sounds, and experience the freshness and energy that working on location brings to your work...a quality that says "I was here." And transports your viewer there, too.
In Sketch Your World, top artists take you back to the scene--be it a bustling cafe, town square, or quiet park--to share the subjects that caught their eye and how they captured them on paper.
Showcases the work and approaches of more than 20 contemporary urban artists. Covers topics such as how to hone observation skills, sketch moving subjects, and…
The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.
Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…
My name is James Gurney and I've been a professional illustrator for National Geographic and Scientific American for over 40 years. Although I went to art school, everything I know about drawing and painting comes from studying art instruction books, and from sketching directly from nature. I'm best known for writing and illustrating the New York Times bestselling Dinotopia book series, published in 32 countries and 18 languages. I designed 15 dinosaur stamps for USPS and a set of five dinosaur stamps for Australia Post. My originals have been shown in over 35 solo museum exhibitions. My book Color and Light has sold over 200k copies and was Amazon's #1 bestselling book on painting for over a year.
This book is a good one to consult when one needs a reminder that not all trees look the same. Cole draws upon the Victorian tradition of close observation of nature, and he analyzes trees at the level of roots, branches, stems, blossoms, leaves, and foliage masses. The book transcends the limits of a botanical treatise by exploring artistic issues, such as the grouping of masses and the simplification of contours. The text is profusely illustrated with black-and-white explanatory drawings, as well as compositions by early masters.
"Monumental book . . . Mr. Vicat Cole is a born teacher." — Contemporary Review "Mr. Vicat Cole's ability as a landscape painter is well known, and he unites to his executive talents the qualifications of an accomplished teacher." — Connoisseur "The name of the author is itself a guarantee that the subject is adequately treated. It is handled in a systematic and lucid way, which the novice . . . can follow with ease." — Studio For years greatly admired and widely used, this excellent text by one of Britain's foremost art instructors has achieved the status of a…
