The Best Books about Drawing and Sketching

Book Reviews: Drawing Books for people wanting to learn to draw

plus a warning about a book I do NOT recommend you buy

Making a Mark: Keys to Drawing

"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.

Making a Mark: The little book of drawing

If you like very conventional instruction books and/or rendering detail for its own sake then you might not like this one. On the other hand if you like a challenge, are open to different methods of instruction, are interested in exploring drawing and developing your own style and/or finding out how to combine skills in drawing with approaches to developing style and picture-making you will find it interesting. Plus if you want to find out who you are through your drawing then this is a jolly good place to start.

Making a Mark Reviews: Book review: The Coloured Pencil Artist's Drawing Bible

Who should NOT buy this book?
People new to coloured pencils who want to learn how to use them as a serious art medium. The book provides poor technical advice about tools and materials relevant to coloured pencils and only generic and very basic art advice. There are much better alternative books available.

Making A Mark Guides: Drawing and Sketching

written by Katherine Tyrrell; published by Making A Mark Publications

MAKING A MARK WRITING - Blogs and Publications by Katherine Tyrrell

WRITING - Blogs and Making A Mark Publications by Katherine Tyrrell

Making A Mark Publications - Making A Mark Guides for Artists

Making A Mark Guides for Artists by Katherine Tyrrell - Check out FREE articles for artists providing advice and information. Free for personal use; download pdf files

A Making A Mark Guide - Life Drawing and Life Class (FREE)

The Life Drawing and Life Class Guide answers questions about what it's like in a life class and what are the benefits of life drawing
What the guide covers
A Making A Mark Guide: Life Drawing and Life Class provides answers to the following:
* what is life drawing?
* what are the benefits of life drawing?
- Life drawing teaches you how to see
- Life drawing teaches you how to draw what you can see
- Life drawing enables you to develop your own style of drawing
* practical aspects of a life class
* where can I find a life class?
* what do I need to take?
* what should I expect - of the place, the people and how it all works
* what I'm really worried about..... and the answers to the frequent concerns of people who've never enrolled.

A Making A Mark Guide: Starting to Sketch with Coloured Pencils by Katherine Tyrrell (FREE)

Starting to Sketch with Coloured Pencils - a Making A Mark Guide by Katherine Tyrrell
Starting to Sketch with Coloured pencils will help you to:
* Expand your portfolio of subject matter
* Get a true record of the colours and tones you see
* Develop your freehand drawing and observational skills
* Learn how to draw more quickly
* Learn how to draw outside - and in public!
* Learn how to choose what to sketch

A Making A Mark Guide: Sketching Plein Air with Coloured Pencils (FREE)

Sketching Plein Air with Coloured Pencils - a Making A Mark guide by Katherine Tyrrell
What the guide covers
This guide is about a sketch I started at Kew Gardens and completed at home. It covers:
* how to get used to a place and find a view to sketch
* how to use your camera as a tool and to collect reference photographs
* developing my version of a thumbnail sketch;
* how to consider and select colours;
* developing a sketch - working plein air and
* finishing - working back home / in the studio.

A Making A Mark Guide: Sketching for Real - a class with assignments (FREE)

Do you want to learn how to sketch? Sketching For Real is for people who want to learn on how to sketch. This site is based on an online class I've taught and provides an introduction and three assignments

A Making A Mark Guide - How to sketch a cat in 30 seconds (FREE)

How to sketch a cat in 30 seconds - a making a mark guide by Katherine Tyrrell.
4 key points for sketching a cat in just 30 seconds

Book Reviews: Drawing Media and Techniques

Making a Mark: The Drawing Book - Materials and Techniques 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!

Making a Mark: 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 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: Drawing from Line to Life by Mike Sibley

Drawing from Line to Life, was published (in 2006). 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

Dave's Blog: 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

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 by Robert 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.

Books reviews: Drawing plants and flowers

Making a Mark reviews......: Book Review: Botanical Illustration

An excellent manual for anybody who wants to learn more about botanical illustration - very detailed and very helpful. Very well illustrated in terms of both the range and the quality of reproduction

Making a Mark reviews......: Book Review: Botany for the Artist

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I value the fact this book is written by an artist, writer and lecturer who is an expert in drawing and communicating rather than a botanical artist. It means she brings a fresh and expert eye to the challenge of how to draw plants from a botanical perspective and an excellent approach to communicating the key messages. The quality of the text and illustrations is first class and the whole book provides a fresh perspective on botany for the artist while losing none of the fundamental and enduring truths of what's required of botanical illustration.

Making a Mark reviews......: Book Review: Botanical Sketchbook

This book provides a masterclass for all aspiring botanical artists and is highly recommended. It will become an essential buy for all students of the Society of Botanical Artist's Diploma in Botanical illustration. It's also a recommended buy for all other aspiring botanical art students and artists and many of their tutors. It provides an excellent benchmark for the standard of botanical illustration and painting which can be achieved by an exceptional student. It also tells the story of how such excellence can be developed - through much practice and intelligent use of the botanical sketchbook.

Making a Mark reviews......: Book review: Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils

This is the first comprehensive guide to using coloured pencils for botanical painting. Ann Swan, an RHS Gold medal winner and one of the top UK coloured pencil artists in this genre, provides a guide to how and why coloured pencils are especially suitable for the accuracy required for botanical illustration. Topics covered include: all aspects of working with coloured pencils, including techniques for underpainting, layering and burnishing and several step by step demonstrations of how to develop artwork and mix and build up colour. Also provided are tips on how to complete a work to exhibition/gallery standard. The book also includes a gallery of artwork by the author, her students and other botanical artists also working in coloured pencils

Book reviews: Drawing Nature

Fly Fishing's Original Blogger? | The Trout Underground Fly Fishing Blog

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to stumble across a copy of Muriel Foster's Diary, and bought it faster than your average fly fisher buys a big fish

This review includes images of the pages in Muriel's fly fishing diary

Fishing Diary, Revisited - Outside of a Dog

Muriel kept this particular fishing diary for many years, starting in 1913. Each page is filled not only with notes but with lush illustrations of the wildlife, fish, and landscapes Muriel saw while out on the water. It's a beautiful book even if you have no interest in fishing. She was a talented illustrator.

Book reviews: Drawing animals

recommendations from a variety of sources

11 Recommended Drawing Books For Animal Artists - Fox Studio

If, after taking a long, objective look at your work, you can see that there is room for improvement in your drawing skills, consider these books, which are from my own library and that I have found useful over the years

The Forge - Reference and Links - Books

In order to animate animals well, you really have to understand them! Start with some good animal anatomy books, get as much video reference as you can, then go see them in real life.

FUR IN THE PAINT: Drawing Birds by John Busby

The book is not about a photo realistic approach, rather about achieving drawings that have character and life. For anyone who wants to understand the birds they are painting or drawing then I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

FUR IN THE PAINT: Book Review, Drawing from Line to Life by Mike Sibley

I have to start with my absolute favourite 'Drawing from Line to Life'. The book only covers graphite and will suit artists who like total control and to produce a high degree of realism in their work, it does not cover a more painterly approach to drawing. Also many of the illustrations are of dogs, or parts of dogs because that is what Mike draw

Gurney Journey: Berry: Observation and Memory

William Berry (1926-1978) was an animal artist who did few finished paintings, but many masterful field sketches. His book of Alaskan field sketches is a treasure for anyone interested in animal drawing or animal behavior.

Irene Brady | Nature Works | Drawing Eagles, Hawks & Owls Workbook

Take the Drawing Eagles, Hawks & Owls workshop in the comfort and convenience of home ~ materials in these downloadable workbooks are taken from Irene Brady's workshops over the last decade.

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.

lines and colors - Keys to Drawing with Imagination by Bert Dodson

Although it too encourages immediate participation, the intention of Dodson's new book, Keys to Drawing with Imagination: Strategies for Gaining Confidence and Enhancing Your Creativity, which I may refer to by the more succinct title, Drawing with Imagination, has a different aim. This is not a "how to draw" book for novices, but, as the title suggests, a course in drawing with, and from, your imagination, and is essentially an extension and elaboration on themes begun in his previous book's last chapter.

Making a Mark reviews......: Book Review - Imaginative Realism by James Gurney

This book has been described as the ultimate reference for fans of science fiction and fantasy illustration. Imaginative Realism links traditional techniques with contemporary visualisation.

Award-winning fantasy artist and the creator of Dinotopia, James Gurney systematically examines and details practical methods for creating believable pictures of imaginary subjects.

On publication this book became the #1 art instruction book on Amazon. A month after publication it holds on to the #1 slot in art books about Realism. The reason being that this book sets a very high standard for all art instruction books as it is jam packed full of useful content which is both very accessible and highly informative.

lines and colors - Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn’t Exist

There are hundreds of art instruction books out there, with a wide range of topics, approaches and degrees of value, but Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist by renowned painter, illustrator and Dinotopia artist James Gurney, is exceptional in several ways.

Before I go too far, I'll point out that although this is essentially an instructional book, it also works well simply as an art book; and fans of fantastic art in general, and Gurney's work in particular, will quickly find it a "must-have".

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.

Book 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 :-).

Book reviews: 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.

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

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.

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