Books like Niko Draws a Feeling

Such a sweet book about a boy just trying to find a friend who sees the world as he does. 

I think this is another book we can all relate to, but especially a sensitive child like Henry who doesn’t like overstimulation and kids who’s rules are different than his. Eventually Henry finds a little girl who doesn’t like broccoli and understands he doesn’t like triangles, and together they build a tower with no triangles or broccoli, which feels perfect to both of them.

I love this book so much! With his beautiful child-like drawings, Guridi masterfully helps the reader see life from the perspective of a neurodiverse child struggling with day-to-day life. Guridi does this by juxtaposing limited palette drawings with off-white backgrounds with full-page black background pages showing the text of the child’s inner dialogue. 

This book would be amazing for both a neurodiverse child managing his or her own life and a parent trying to envision this child’s inner struggles.

We all know Numeroff’s “IF” books. I love them all, but I picked the Moose book because the moose scares himself by shouting, “BOO!” But all of them have a similar message.

Whether neurodiverse or neurotypical, we are all familiar with the feeling of starting one task, which leads to another, which leads to another…etc. I remember reading this book to my kids when they were young and how it captured how I felt as an overwhelmed mom (not to mention one with undiagnosed ADHD).

Interestingly, it was written over 30 years ago during a time when ADHD wasn’t as easily diagnosed. In a way, this speaks to the ever-presence of neurodiversity, whether specifically recognized or not. 

Comfort comes with familiar for lots of people. But sometimes life takes an unexpected turn which can challenge us.

Ben likes his teacher and knows what to expect everyday, but one day there is a substitute who has his way of teaching. He is doing it all wrong!!! Nothing feels right to Ben who now has to veer away from sameness and finds it’s not as bad as he worried it would be.

This was a book I wanted for a long time but it was out of print for decades. Finally, back in print in 2012, this has long been considered the bible for illustrators and visual artists of all stripes. Packed to the brim with useful and unique insights, this book covers figurative art comprehensively. From lighting to shadows, mood, and composition, it’s all here and explained in the clearest and most insightful way imaginable.

If ever there was a truly timeless book that explained the core principles of visual art, this is it. For me, it is an academy in itself. A book that will give you a lifetime of enjoyment and reward you with fresh insights every time you pick it up.

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.  

I love this book because it is as easy on the eye as it is insightful, with beautiful illustrations that perfectly complement the written content. Light and shadow are tackled with a noir aesthetic that is unique and very compelling.

Aside from the incredible visuals, what this book imparts most of all is how to use light as a storytelling and compositional device. And it does it in such style that I enjoy coming back to it again and again.

In this 376-page drawing “bible”, all aspects of drawing are covered in great detail, from portraits and figure studies to still life and landscapes. After the first chapter on materials and equipment, Giovanni illustrates the bone structure, musculature, and features of the head, hands, and feet using pencil, ink, and charcoal. It’s the most comprehensive approach I’ve seen in any portrait book.

Further chapters on shadows, shading, composition, sketching, perspective, and aerial perspective are also extremely helpful. This book is a mine of information, and one I turn to when in need of technical know-how for portraiture.

The Practice and Science of Drawing is one of the few books worth reading every page of. I thumbed through it for years before finally reading it. The author breaks down drawing into two major categories, that of line and that of mass, and how they are distinct from one another, yet how they are intertwined in their ability to render form. An awareness of both concepts is crucial to a full education of the artist.

Drawings by artists through the centuries can be a fantastic reservoir of ideas for contemporary artists. This book – published to accompany a British Museum touring exhibition – includes works drawn across a 500-year span, bringing together ancient and modern: Rachel Whiteread and Georges Seurat, Bridget Riley and Albrecht Dürer, Philip Guston and Vincent Van Gogh. The immediacy and directness of drawings from the past means they speak as clearly to us as those that are contemporary. Take, for instance, the 300-year-old brush drawings of Alexander Cozens, which still look thrillingly fresh, or Roger Hilton’s modern, minimalist nude: both make me reach for the pen and paper. The oldest drawings sing alongside the newest and lure me in.