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20 NEW Drawing Books (2011)

Updated on August 21, 2014
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Katherine regularly reviews art books and has a very extensive art library (4 bookcases and lots of stacks waiting for the next one!)

Drawing and Sketching: NEW Publications in 2011

Find out about new books about drawing and sketching published in 2011 - in hardback, paperback and ebook editions. Listings on a month by month basis but are selective and do not list every book. Each book highlights the type of format, nature of the book and the reception and reviews it has had to date.

This site focuses on fine art and art instruction books about drawing and sketching for adults.

* It INCLUDES books designed specifically for pencils artists and those keeping sketchbooks and journals.

* It EXCLUDES any reference to specialist books about cartooning, manga and drawing books for children.

Note that Amazon listings tend to carry over the ratings for hardbacks and paperbacks to the Kindle edition. High ratings do NOT equate to an excellent conversion of the printed book to ebook format. We're still waiting for Amazon to come up with a way recording people's assessments of the quality of the conversion.

"The essence of drawing is the line exploring space."

Andy Goldsworthy

January 2011 - New Drawing Books

The very popular Drawing Lab was published as an ebook and made available as a Kindle edition plus the 8th edition of the ever popular Guide to Drawing.

Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun (Lab Series)
Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun (Lab Series)
Format: Kindle Edition (File Size: 5179 KB)Print Length: 144 pagesPublisher: Quarry Books (January 19, 2011)Amazon reviews: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (63 customer reviews) |#4 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Arts & Entertainment > Graphic Design > DrawingGoodReads: 4.27 rating details 79 ratings 21 reviews(Note the majority of reviews relate to the original non-Kindle version)Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists offers readers a fun way to learn and gain expertise in drawing through experimentation and play. There is no right or wrong result, yet, the readers gain new skills and confidence, allowing them to take their work to a new level.Carla Sonheim is an artist and creativity workshop instructor known for her fun and innovative projects and techniques designed to help adult students recover a more spontaneous, playful approach to creating. Her innovative ideas are now collected and elaborated on in this unique volume.
 
A Guide to Drawing
A Guide to Drawing
Paperback: 326 pagesPublisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 8 edition (January 26, 2011)Amazon reviews: 4.2 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews) | Like (4)The latest version of a popular book about drawing. The Eighth edition of A GUIDE TO DRAWING covers the most relevant drawing topics being taught today, with more emphasis on fundamentally expressive powers of drawing as a contemporary visual language, and more emphasis on coordinating sight and thought processes while drawing.
 

February 2011 - New Drawing Books

This is the most popular book about how to draw perspective. It's now available in Kindle

The Art of Perspective: The Ultimate Guide for Artists in Every Medium
The Art of Perspective: The Ultimate Guide for Artists in Every Medium
NEW IN KINDLE Format: Kindle Edition File Size: 8912 KBPrint Length: 206 pagesPublisher: North Light Books (February 28, 2011)Aazon reviews: 4.8 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews) | Like (0)From the bestselling author of Perspective Without Pain
 

March 2011 - New Drawing Books

This book combines the step by step instructions from four different books originally published by Walter Foster - How to Draw the Head, Heads from Life (18), Heads from Life (18A), and 101 Heads.

Walter Foster Publishing Book, Assorted
Walter Foster Publishing Book, Assorted
Paperback: 128 pagesPublisher: Walter Foster (March 1, 2011)More than 85 years ago, Walter Foster-a well-known artist, instructor, and collector-began producing art instruction books from his home in Laguna Beach, CA. He originally wrote, illustrated, printed, bound, packaged, shipped, and distributed them himself. Although Walter passed away in 1981 at the age of 90, his legacy continues in a growing product line.
 

April 2011 - New Drawing Books

There's a variety of opinions about this new book about contemporary drawing - from the very enthusiastic to the 'not very impressed'.

Contemporary Drawing: Key Concepts and Techniques
Contemporary Drawing: Key Concepts and Techniques
Hardcover: 192 pagesPublisher: Watson-Guptill; 1 edition (April 19, 2011)Amazon reviews: 5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) | Like (11)Contemporary Drawing delves into the essential and far-reaching concepts of this medium, exploring surface, mark, space, composition, scale, materials, and intentionality in turn. Key techniques, such as using nature to induce marks and working with a checklist to determine a drawing's problems, are introduced throughout.
 

May 2011 - New Drawing Books

This month saw the publication of an absolutely classic book by Andrew Loomis - a highly revered artist and tutor. This is the first in a series of publications of facsimile editions of his highly regarded books.

June 2011 - New Drawing Books

This year sees and expansion of books about sketching and artist's journals

Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures
Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures
Paperback Print Length: 144 pagesPublisher: North Light Books (May 30, 2011)Amazon reviews: 4.8 out of 5 stars (84 customer reviews) There is nothing like this on the market; while most books deal with keeping a sketchbook or creating an art journal, Artist's Journal Workshop addresses both of these, as well as how to create a space for personal and artistic exploration.
 
Charles Bargue: Drawing Course
Charles Bargue: Drawing Course
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pagesPublisher: Art Creation Realisation; 3rd edition (June 20, 2011)Amazon reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars (38 customer reviews) | Like (6)The Bargue-Gerome Drawing Course is a complete reprint of a famous, late nineteenth century drawing course. It contains a set of almost two hundred masterful lithographs of subjects for copying by drawing students before they attempt drawing from life or nature.
 

"A sketch has charm because of its truth - not because it is unfinished"

Charles Hawthorne

July 2011 - New Drawing Books - or are they?

This month provides a cautionary tale. Not all editions of a book are equal in their presentation and format. However this distinction is not made by Amazon and this month saw another publication of John Ruskin's famous book "The Elements of Drawing" - but this edition inherits all the Amazon ratings relating to previous editions! It's not included here as it doesn't merit inclusion.

Drawing: Space, Form, and Expression (4th Edition)
Drawing: Space, Form, and Expression (4th Edition)
Amazon reviews:3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews) | Like (0)Publisher's Description: The fourth edition of Drawing: Space, Form and Expression is designed to address the needs of undergraduate drawing students from beginning through advanced levels. This highly readable text is arranged in three sections, which each reflect the essential aspects of the process of drawing. The text addresses spatial and compositional organization, strategies for depicting three-dimensional form and light, and features an extended look at the way subject matter and form interact to produce content. Based on the premise that drawing is an art form in its own right, this text combines comprehensive coverage of traditional approaches to observational drawing with advanced theory.
 

August 2011 - New Drawing Books

Both books published in August 211 are proving to be popular and well regarded.

* Roselien Steur and Koos Eissen provide a prequel by way of follow up to their phenomenally successful "Sketching" book

* "The Drawing Projects" reviews contemporary drawing practice by profiling 15 artists and looking at how different drawings are made

Sketching: The Basics
Sketching: The Basics
Amazon reviews:5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews) | Like (42)This is a book for designers.Publisher's description: In 2011, following the phenomenal global success of Sketching, which has sold over sixty thousand copies in two years, authors Koos Eissen and Roselien Steur debut the sequel entitled Sketching: The Basics. In fact, prequel would be a better word for this new book, since it is aimed towards the novice designer. Whereas Sketching shows you how to draw various aspects of shape and form, and serves more as a reference book, The Basics explains things in more detail, taking the reader by the hand and guiding him step by step through all the various aspects of drawing that novice designers come up against.
 
The Drawing Projects: An Exploration of the Language of Drawing
The Drawing Projects: An Exploration of the Language of Drawing
Paperback: 240 pagesPublisher: August 2011 by Black Dog PublishingAmazon ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews) Like (62)Publisher's description (edited): Drawing Projects profiles ten key artists, revealing their working environments and practices, including Gavin Turk, Dryden Goodwin, Keith Tyson, Cornelia Parker, William Kentridge, Claude Heath, Tim Knowles and Zoe Mendelson. The artists discuss the value of drawing in their own work, and invites you to think about how we view life, view art and view the story that they tell together. Drawing Projects also includes fifteen projects to inspire you to join in and work through at your own pace. These detailed tutorials provide a how to draw these images guide.
 

September 2011 - New Drawing Books

A new Kindle edition of a Claudia Nice book from North Light Publications

Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor
Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor
Format: Kindle Edition (File Size: 8100 KB)Print Length: 144 pagesPublisher: North Light Books (September 20, 2011)Amazon reviews:4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews) | Like (0) (Note: the bulk of these will relate to the non-Kindle edition)#16 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Arts & Entertainment > Graphic Design > Drawing > Pen & Ink#67 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Pen & Ink
 

October 2011 - New Drawing Books

A busy month with a lot of diverse new books about drawing being published including:

* Another of the Andrew Loomis classic books about drawing is published as a digital facsimile of the original.

* Plus a new book by Veronica Lawlor who will be well known to some bloggers from Urban Sketchers

One Drawing A Day: A 6-Week Course Exploring Creativity with Illustration and Mixed Media (One A Day)
One Drawing A Day: A 6-Week Course Exploring Creativity with Illustration and Mixed Media (One A Day)
Publisher: Quarry Books (October 1, 2011)Amazon Reviews: 5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) | Like (10)Publisher's description: Through 46 daily exercises which make up a complete 6-week course, you will keep your artistic skills sharp and your imaginations fertile by doing One Drawing A Day. Each spread in the book features a beautiful drawing by one of 8 professional illustrators, with a description and comments by the illustrator as well as a companion exercise. Each exercise includes suggestions for various mediums or mixed-media solutions, advice on how to approach and execute the drawing, as well as professional tips. The book also includes exercises designed to spark new ideas and increase creativity.
 
Drawing the Head and Hands
Drawing the Head and Hands
Hardcover: 160 pagesPublisher: Titan Books (October 25, 2011)Amazon reviews: 4.9 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews) | Like (91)BEST SELLING DRAWING BOOK IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2011Ranked #21 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing (pre-publication)NOW #4 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Figure DrawingPublisher's description: The illustrator Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) is revered amongst artists - including the great American painter Norman Rockwell and comics superstar Alex Ross - for his mastery of figure drawing and clean, Realist style. His hugely influential series of art instruction books have never been bettered.Drawing the Head and Hands is the second in Titan's programme of facsimile editions, returning these classic titles to print for the first time in decades.
 
Complete Guide to Life Drawing
Complete Guide to Life Drawing
Paperback: 312 pagesPublisher: Search Press (October 1, 2011)Ranked #18 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Figure Drawing (October 2011)Publisher's description: Addressing one of the greatest challenges posed to new artists-drawing human beings accurately and expressively-this encouraging sourcebook gives artists of all skill levels a classroom view of life drawing, from full-form views to close studies of hands, feet, faces, and limbs. Giving each exercise a modern, fresh approach, instructor Gottfried Bammes encourages artists to "get it right" and includes simple tips and methods to achieve a correctly drawn figure. Additional in-depth chapters deal with proportion, structure, and posture, emphasizing both a balanced and emotive composition.
 

November 2011 - New Drawing Books

Another art book by Juliette Aristides in Watson Guptill's very popular Atelier series. Plus the third in the Strokes of Genius series is published - however it is fascinating to note that the Kindle edition costs more than the hardback!

Lessons in Classical Drawing: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier
Lessons in Classical Drawing: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier
Hardcover: 208 pagesPublisher: Watson-Guptill (November 15, 2011)Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews) | Like (45)Juliette Aristides breaks down the drawing process into small, manageable lessons; introduces time-tested principles and techniques that are easily accessible; and shares the language and context necessary to understand the artistic process and create superior, well-crafted drawings.Plus a DVD - check out the video trailer
 
Strokes of Genius 3: Fresh Perspectives (Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing, 3)
Strokes of Genius 3: Fresh Perspectives (Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing, 3)
Hardcover: 144 pagesPublisher: North Light Books; 3 edition (November 16, 2011)(Also available as a Kindle edition - but this costs more than the hardback!)This is a Drawing version of the "Splash" series re. painting. Very much biased towards North American artists and realism rather than the full range of contemporary drawing practice.Publisher's Description: Strokes of Genius 3 combines the appeal of a showcase with incredible art instruction. With over 100 artists sharing over 130 beautiful drawings, Strokes of Genius 3 includes insightful comments about the processes behind their works.
 

A Soldier's Sketchbook: From the Front Lines of World War II - by Joseph Farris

Amazon ratings; 4.7 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

A very different sort of sketchbook. It capture the words and pictures produced by a young soldier in France and Germany between October 1944 and January 1946. The facsimile letters home include the colour sketches that he painted when he had a spare moment - and help us see the world he saw.

A Soldier's Sketchbook: From the Front Lines of World War II
A Soldier's Sketchbook: From the Front Lines of World War II
Hardcover: 304 pagesPublisher: National Geographic (November 1, 2011)
 

December 2011 - New Drawing Books

There were quite a few very BASIC books for complete novices, children and those interested in Manga published in December - presumably to catch the Christmas market. None of these are included in this site which is more concerned with Drawing within a Fine Art context. Combined "how to draw and paint" are also not included.

Pen & Ink Sketching: Step by Step (Dover Art Instruction)
Pen & Ink Sketching: Step by Step (Dover Art Instruction)
Paperback: 144 pagesPublisher: Dover Publications (December 15, 2011)This clear and concise guide to pen-and-ink work presents 37 step-by-step illustrations that progress from pencil sketch to ink outline to shadows and details to completed work. Written in a direct, engaging style and richly illustrated, its drawings range from easy to complex and offer guidance for artists at every level.
 
The Artist's Guide to Drawing the Clothed Figure: A Complete Resource on Rendering Clothing and Drapery
The Artist's Guide to Drawing the Clothed Figure: A Complete Resource on Rendering Clothing and Drapery
Hardcover: 224 pagesPublisher: Watson-Guptill (December 20, 2011)This comprehensive resource examines the mechanical principles behind the formation of folds: simple wave patterns, intersecting wave patterns, and tertiary effects upon these two, such as twisting and flowing forms. The book breaks down all clothing into three types: sculpted forms, loose drapery, and, most especially, tubes.Odd to publish a book so close to Christmas - but I'd imagine this one will become very popular.
 

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