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Introduction to The Big Drawing Book Review
This lens supports The Big Drawing Book Review on my blog. I started this in support of the Big Draw month (October 2007) which is co-ordinated by the Drawing Campaign.
Read about The Big Drawing Book Review. It covers books:
* for people wanting to learn to draw
* about creativity and creative drawing
* about drawing at an advanced level, for people wanting to develop their drawing skills
* for those wanting to learn about drawing by masters through the ages
* about specific drawing techniqes
* about using a sketchbook
* about drawing materials
Book reviews are posted on my blog Making A Mark and on the blogs of those people participating in the review. You can read all the book reviews by following the links below. This lens also contains Amazon modules for all the books reviewed. If you see a book you should be able to find the review which accompanies it.
This lens provides links to book reviews of books about drawing and/or sketchbooks and those same books on Amazon
New links are being added added on a regular basis. Create a bookmark or link to be able to check back to this site - see the "save and share" section in the right hand column.
Do you have a friend who is interested in books about drawing / sketching? If you do why not e-mail this lens to them - click on the e-mail icon in the left hand column
Notes:1. The authors of all images and text in all links posted here own the copyright.
2. See modules below for my own comments and recommendations (The ads and offers in the left hand column are not of my choosing)
Rating books for the Big Drawing Book Review
5 pencils - go out and buy this book right now if you have the money. In your opinion, an essential book for anybody seriously interested in drawing and/or learning more about drawing.
4 pencils - a seriously good book about drawing; definitely one you want to own at some point - maybe one for the Christmas present list if you're broke
3 pencils - good effort but nothing which really distinguishes it from other books. It's just this author's take on the basics. The sort of book which is good while you are reading it but doesn't stick in your memory.
2 pencils - undistinguished in your view. For example: content may be a rerun of previously published books and/or remixed with a new front cover; presentation may not be particularly noteworthy.
1 pencil - buying this book would damage your wallet but is unlikely to enhance either your knowledge, skills or enjoyment. It may also hurt your eyes! (Unfortunately there are a few of these out there - although I'm assuming we've probably weeded through a few of these without buying!)
You can find out about.......................
- Rating books for the Big Drawing Book Review
- Book Reviews: Drawings Books for people wanting to learn to draw
- Books for those wanting to learn to draw - on Amazon
- Book reviews: Creativity and Creative Drawing
- Books about creativity and creative drawing - on Amazon
- Book reviews: Advanced Drawing
- Advanced Drawing - books on Amazon
- Book reviews: Drawings through the ages
- Drawing through the Ages - books on Amazon
- Dover Art Library - Portrait Drawings
- Dover Art Library - more books of drawings by the Masters
- Making A Mark - Katherine Tyrrell's Art Blog
- Book Reviews: Drawing Techniques
- Books about drawing with pen and ink and pencils - on Amazon
- Travels with a Sketchbook in......
- Book reviews: Want to know more about using a sketchbook?
- Books about Sketchbooks on Amazon
- Drawing in Journals
- Drawing in Journals
- More Book Reviews of Drawing Books
- More books about Drawing on Amazon
- Art Blogs and Artists contributing to The Big Drawing Book Review
- Comments and Suggestions
Book Reviews: Drawings Books for people wanting to learn to draw
- Making a Mark: Keys to Drawing
- "Anyone who can hold a pencil can learn to draw with some degree of proficiency"
Bert Dodson
"Keys to Drawing" by Bert Dodson is one of the first drawing books that I bought after I got back to doing art after a break of over 15 years. It opened my eyes, stimulated my enthusiasm for drawing again and provided me with some really excellent guidelines about what to think about when drawing. - Making a Mark: So you want to learn how to draw.......
- I have two books which I recommend time and time again to people who want to learn how to draw.
When I'm out sketching I often get people who stand next to me and watch me draw for a bit. About half then say "I wish I could draw". When they do, I ask them if they really want to learn because if they do I know of a couple of books which they will find helpful. To those that say 'Yes' I then recommend that they try and find one and preferably both of the following books.
* Bert Dodson - Keys to Drawing
* Betty Edwards - The New Drawing on the Right Side of your Brain
This book review looks at Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain - Making a Mark: The Drawing Bible
- This is a really useful basic guide to drawing for those who'd like to achieve a more painterly effect in their drawings.
The Drawing Bible is full of information in relation to drawing materials, techniques and treatments of different subject matter which is put across in a bite-sized and succinct way.
I'm happy to have this book in my bookshelves. It's packed with information and represents good value for money. The book is described as being an essential reference for practising artists but I think its primary market is probably the advancing 'hobby artist' rather than practising professionals.
Books for those wanting to learn to draw - on Amazon
Keys to Drawing
Highly recommended - see my book review
Amazon Price: $15.40 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $22.99
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The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Highly recommended - see my book review
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $16.95
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The Sketching And Drawing Bible: An Essential Reference For The Practicing Artist
I'm awarding this book "4 pencils". It's a good summary of different approaches to drawing, represents good value for money and deserves to be on the bookshelves of artists who have a particular interest in producing drawings which don't look like photographs!
Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $12.99
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Book reviews: Creativity and Creative Drawing
- Making a Mark: Drawing with Imagination - strategies for creativity
- Keys to Drawing with Imagination by Bert Dodson
Bert Dodson's second book explores what it means to draw from your imagination, for those who want to learn how to be more creative in the way they draw.
The book is heavy on images and economical with words. Which is not to say it's not informative but rather that the words are well chosen, the book is well written and the images are very informative and stimulating. - An Artist's Journey: Book Review: Learning to Draw
- Learning to Draw by Robert Kaupelis
Kaupelis provides very clear explanations of each of the different drawing techniques. There are 134 black-and-white illustrations: 50 Master drawings plus numerous student drawings illustrate the techniques. There are 100 exercises, which I appreciate. The exercises are imaginative and use a variety of materials including pencil, graphite sticks, charcoal, ink (pen and brush), and paint.
How does this book differ from Experimental Drawing? I would say Learning to Draw is an expanded version of Chapter 2 of Experimental Drawing. In the context of art education, Learning to Draw is a prerequisite for Experimental Drawing.
Books about creativity and creative drawing - on Amazon
Keys to Drawing with Imagination: Strategies and Exercises for Gaining Confidence and Enhancing Your Creativity
I think this book deserves a two-part rating.
* Five pencils: for all those who would like to enhance their creativity and work more from their imagination.
* Four pencils: for those who prefer realism but want to look for more creativity in the way they describe objects.
Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $29.99
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Learning to Draw: A Creative Approach
Amazon Price: $11.01 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $12.95
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Book reviews: Advanced Drawing
- Making a Mark: The Drawing Book - into the vivid heart of drawing
- The Drawing Book by Sarah Simblet
The book provides almost the equivalent of an extremely well illustrated lecture about the language of drawing across the ages. The range of styles of drawing - the grammar and the vocabulary - is absolutely tremendous - you can feel your eyes widening as you page through this book just looking at the images. The reproduction quality of art history images and drawings used as illustrations in the book is also really excellent. - Kirsty Hall - Book review of The Drawing Book by Sarah Simblett
- I can safely say that The Drawing Book will definitely be going on my Christmas wish list because it's absolutely chock full of good stuff, including one of the clearest explanations of traditional perspective that I've read.
The book is split into short, well written chapters on a variety of subjects including landscape drawing portraiture, nature drawing and even abstract drawing. I particularly liked that drawing from the imagination wasn't ignored - so many drawing instruction books focus solely on realism, which often puts me off since that's not my primary interest. Simblet introduces each topic with relevant drawings, both her own and other artists, before going on to detail a drawing exercise that the reader can attempt. However, even if you don't try any of the exercises - and I haven't yet - you'll still get a lot out of this book. - Making a Mark: Experimental Drawing
- Experimental Drawing by Robert Kaupelis
This book is about drawing; about the experience of drawing and seeing drawings; and about the possibilities of extending our traditional concepts concerning the parameters of drawingRobert Kaupelis
This is a book which has been written by somebody who has knowledge and skills which come from being both a very experienced teacher and Professor of Art and an acclaimed artist - see the note about his background at the bottom of this post.
"Experimental Drawing" has the feel of being both a distillation of much learning and experimentation on the part of Kaupelis and his students and a labour of love.
Advanced Drawing - books on Amazon
The Drawing Book
See my book review
If you feel you are most comfortable with traditional rendering/realism then this is probably not the book for you. However it emphatically earns in my view a five pencil rating for those keen to develop their drawing skills beyond technically correct rendering and/or are interested in drawing in art history and/or those who just want to develop their drawing generally. This book is a 'must buy' - I guarantee you will be blown away by it.
Amazon Price: (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $41.35
Experimental Drawing
This book is very definitely worth a five pencils rating. On re-reading it, I've decided that it needs to take up residence on my bedside table so I can revisit it more often. I'm planning to use this book more in future to try and find ways of teasing out the ways of drawing and images which are in my head but haven't yet appeared on paper to my satisfaction.
Amazon Price: $15.61 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $22.95
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Drawing: A Study Guide
5 pencils awarded by Dave
It is a massive book, but that didn't stop me reading it cover to cover when I first bought it. Now, I tend to dip in to it for inspiration or just to admire the amazing achievements of so many wonderful artists. It's a shame it's no longer in print, but it is well worth seeking out.
Amazon Price: (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price:
Book reviews: Drawings through the ages
- Making a Mark: Art in the Making - Underdrawings
- Art in the Making: Underdrawings in Renaissance Paintings is a book published as a catalogue by the National Gallery in London for the 2002 exhibition of the same name.
- Making a Mark: Dover Art Library - fine art drawings from the Masters
- Various titles and various authors
Below is an extract from this book review
Essentially these books are about reproducing drawings for people who know what they are looking at and who want to get a much better look at how the drawing has been made. What these books do is deliver just that - a close-up view of a drawing which you may never ever see 'for real' in your lifetime. The differences in approach to media used and the similarities and contrasts between signature styles of many different artists are one of the things which make them compelling viewing. You can also see all the initial marks and the partially erased marks and the texture of the marks being made. - Dave's Blog: The Big Draw Book Review: Drawing by Daniel M. Mendelowitz
- Drawing by Daniel M. Mendelowitz
This book was first published in 1967, and is now out of print, but you can find used copies on Amazon and elsewhere.
it is a tour of the history of drawing; meant to be inspiring rather than instructing.
The book is over 450 pages long and contains over 300 illustrations of masterful drawings, many familiar but also a large number of more obscure pictures. It inspires by reminding us of the sheer variety of possibilities encompassed by "drawing." It was the most important single thing that finally made me do what I had wanted to do for a long time: begin the lifelong process of learning to draw.
Drawing through the Ages - books on Amazon
Books on Amazon
Art in the Making: Underdrawings in Renaissance Paintings
For those who like drawing - but who tend to start with a 'finished' drawing without much if any preliminary work, this book will show you how great artists in the past worked hard at developing a drawing of their composition before they started to develop the 'finish'. I guess a lot of people might be surprised by the extent to which a lot of the artist's 'workings' are still evident in the underdrawings.
This is not a book which will interest everybody - but for those who like to understand drawing and painting processes better and/or are interested in art history then, in my opinion, this book offers exceptional value.
Amazon Price: $28.50 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $35.00
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Dover Art Library - Portrait Drawings
Books on Amazon
As a collection, I rate Dover Art Publications about drawings as 5 pencils. They are unique and offer excellent value for money for what they are. Each book probably rates around 4 pencils with some rating 5 pencils where alternative sources of publications are very limited or nonexistent.
These slim volumes of drawings generally average between 50 and 100 illustrations and can be accompanied by an introductory essay. However text can sometimes be limited to a very brief publisher's note and whatever text can be fitted onto the back cover.
It's not uncommon for the drawings available from Dover Publications to either not be available or only rarely in print or online in any other form.
Sargent Portrait Drawings: 42 Works by John Singer Sargent (Dover Art Library)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $6.95
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Ingres Portrait Drawings: 44 Plates (Dover Art Library)
Amazon Price: (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $5.95
Old Master Portrait Drawings: 47 Works (Dover Art Library Series)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $6.95
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Holbein Portrait Drawings (Dover Art Library)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $6.95
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Great Self-Portraits (Dover Art Library)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $6.95
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Dover Art Library - more books of drawings by the Masters
Books from Amazon
Michelangelo Life Drawings (Dover Art Library)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $6.95
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Leonardo Drawings (Dover Art Library)
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $5.95
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Rubens Drawings: 44 Plates (Art Library)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $6.95
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Degas' Drawings of Dancers
Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $5.95
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Van Gogh Drawings: 44 Plates (Dover Art Library)
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $6.95
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Making A Mark - Katherine Tyrrell's Art Blog
Katherine Tyrrell writing about: - Making marks with pastels, pencils and pen and ink - Creating new drawings and paintings - Influences on developing both artwork and art careers - Interviews with artists - Information about resources for artists and art
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBook Reviews: Drawing Techniques
- Making a Mark: The Pen and Ink Book
- The Pen and Ink Book by Jos. A. Smith
I am particularly fond of working in pen and ink as anybody who has reviewed drawings on my website will know. The Pen and Ink book by Jos. A Smith (published by Watson Guptill) is certainly one of the things that stimulated my interest. - Making a Mark: 'How to' render realistic textures in pencil
- Drawing Realistic Testures in Pencil by JD Hillberry
"Drawing Realistic Testures in Pencil" does exactly what it says - and no more. JD Hillberry specialises in hyper realistic techniques for rendering textures in pencil. This is not a 'how to draw' book. The book is excellent at precisely what it sets out to do - drawing realistic textures in pencil. - An Artist's Journey: Book Review: Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil
- I give this book 4 pencils. It does a good job at teaching what it aims to teach, for a low price. The book is attractive and the images are high-quality. Intermediate-to-advanced artists interested in creating highly realistic drawings will pick up new techniques to add to their repertoire......The book is not for those who are primarily interested in painterly approaches to drawing. One can create outstanding drawings without ever using the techniques discussed in this book.
- Dave's Blog: Book Review: Beautiful Landscapes by Diane Wright
- Book Review: Beautiful Landscapes by Diane Wright
This book focusses entirely on landscape drawing. The first part of the book is devoted to drawing major landscape elements, with particular emphasis on trees....The largest part of the book, however, consists of Diane taking us step-by-step through a series of wonderful drawings of subjects as diverse as Kirkwall Harbour and the Sonoma Desert.
This book is available from Diane's website - Dave's Blog: Book Review: Drawing from Line to Life by Mike Sibley
- Drawing from Line to Life by Mike Sibley
Drawing from Line to Life, was published last year. To (the author's) many fans, this was a long-awaited event, and it created a lot of excitement. The book even has its own Yahoo group. For anyone interested in graphite drawing, especially in a realistic style, this book will provide a feast of information
The book is 287 pages long, and contains far too many illustrations to count. I find I am constantly dipping in to it to get ideas, advice and inspiration.
The book is available from Mike Sibley's website. - FUR IN THE PAINT: Book Review, Drawing from Line to Life by Mike Sibley
- This book is a complete guide to drawing realism in graphite. It covers materials, methods, techniques and three complete demonstrations, all by professional graphite artist Mike Sibley. It is divided into 24 chapters which start with, From Line to Life Explained and end with, Putting it all Together.
I have no hesitation in awarding this book 5 pencils
Books about drawing with pen and ink and pencils - on Amazon
The Pen and Ink Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist (Watson-Guptill Materials and Techniques)
See my book review
This is a definite "5 pencils" for anybody who loves or is seriously interested in learning more about pen and ink work and is a "4 pencils" for anybody else.
Amazon Price: (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $19.95
Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil
See my book review
The book is excellent at precisely what it sets out to do - drawing realistic textures in pencil. For those who enjoy and/or want to achieve this sort of rendering of surfaces and textures then this book provides a lot of helpful information and support which is clearly set out and explained.
However it is not a 'learn how to draw' book as such. For those who want to learn how to draw at either a basic or advanced level there are other more helpful books which provide a more rounded perspective on drawing - and its scope and practice. I'd award it a 4 pencils rating in relation to its coverage of rendering texture only.
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $24.99
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Travels with a Sketchbook in......
Katherine Tyrrell's travel sketchbook blog: When I travel, I sketch. When I sketch on my travels I record it here. Plus information about the history and facilities of places I visit and lots of related links for those who want to know more........ and b
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byBook reviews: Want to know more about using a sketchbook?
Book reviews on "Making A Mark"
- Making a Mark: How to keep an artist's sketchbook
- The Artist's Sketchbook by Albany Wiseman with Patricia Monahan
How to Keep a Sketchbook by Michael Woods
Two more of my book reviews for The Big Drawing Book Review. These two are about books which provide advice on developing an artist's sketchbook. They adopt a different approach to looking at how an artist approaches choosing and using a sketchbook. Both will be of particular interest to those who use watercolour. - Making a Mark: The Tao of Sketching
- The Tao of Sketching by Qu Lei Lei
The Tao of Sketching starts from a different place to other 'how to' instruction books about sketching and sketchbooks. The Introductory chapter provides quotations from various revered Chinese figures and explains about Chinese philosophy - hence the title. - Rose's Art Lines: Sarah Simblet and Sketchbook for the Artist
- Sketchbook for the Artist by Sarah Simblet
What I really liked:
* Her portraiture section was not overly complicated
* The body section was also very good.
* Her sketch copies of famous works are very interesting.
* She also displays some series from her sketchbooks...and has a section on perspective
In short, I really found this book inspiring and will continue to look through it as much as the library will allow :-).
Books about Sketchbooks on Amazon
The Artist's Sketchbook
Recommended - see my book review
Amazon Price: (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $19.99
How to Keep a Sketchbook
recommended - see my book review
Amazon Price: $27.95 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $27.95
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Tao of Sketching: The Complete Guide to Chinese Sketching Techniques
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $24.95
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The Sketch Book for the Artist
Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $30.00
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Drawing in Journals
- Making a Mark: Drawing from Life - The Journal as Art
- Jennifer New's book about drawing - Drawing from Life - the Journal as Art - is very unusual book about 'drawing'. It's not a 'how to' instruction book, nor is it an art history tome. What it does instead is look at the multi-faceted way in which people use images in journals
It features 31 journals generated by several different people - who each draw and make images in different ways and for different reasons. Not all of them are artists.
Drawing in Journals
Books on Amazon
Drawing From Life: The Journal as Art
Overall I'd give this a rating of 4 pencils. It's a book which excels with the collection and comparison of so many journals - and experiences, ways of seeing and images. Notes and themes from the analysis of people's impulses to record their daily lives using drawing will resonate I know with a lot of people. Anybody reading will respond in different ways to the intensely personal experienced which are often recorded on the pages of the different journals. However, I also suspect that this is a book that people will either adore - or look at in confusion. It probably depends on whether you're the sort of person who is interested in keeping a journal.
Amazon Price: $16.50 (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $25.00
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More Book Reviews of Drawing Books
- Making a Mark: The Drawing Book - Materials and Techniques
- The Drawing Book - Materials and Techniques for today's artist - by Richard McDaniels
McDaniel's assertion that there are an extraordinary assortment of possibilities for drawing materials leads to a comprehensive review of art materials for drawing at the beginning of this book. I've not seen a better review of drawing materials before or since. It's obviously written by somebody who knows and loves his drawing materials. His section on drawing tools and supplies is also excellent. This is the book which opened my eyes to what was available and kept me looking for certain items for years!
More books about Drawing on Amazon
The Drawing Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist (Watson-Guptill Materials and Techniques)
It's very difficult to know how to rate this book. On the one hand, it's absolutely the best book I know for looking at drawing materials. Its descriptions and images used to make me salivate and want to try new drawing media and supports. On the other hand, the hardback edition has not been updated or revised for the changes which will have taken place since 1995 when it was first published
Amazon Price: (as of 05/12/2008)
List Price: $19.95
Art Blogs and Artists contributing to The Big Drawing Book Review
- Kirsty Hall - Blog
- Kirsty Hall - Artist and Curator
- Dave's Blog
- Dave lives in Oxford and enjoys drawing when he's not lecturing.
- An Artist's Journey
- Laurel Neustadter - a software architect for bankers, living in Dallas Texas - and experimenting with creative drawing
- FUR IN THE PAINT
- Gayle Mason - drawing cats and dogs in Yorkshire
- Rose's Art Lines
- Rose Welty - a Mum who is developing her drawing and artistic skills in North Texas
Comments and Suggestions
Let me know what you think - but please do not spam!
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Intuitive
Very nice lens! I like a lens packed full of information as this one is. I'm an artist and reviewing drawing books is a wonderful idea. Posted March 29, 2008 |
