100 Best Drawing Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

Betty Edwards

5.0

When Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was first published in 1979, it hit the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks and stayed there for more than a year. In 1989, when Dr. Betty Edwards revised the book, it went straight to the Times list again. Now Dr. Edwards celebrates the twentieth anniversary of her classic book with a second revised edition.Over the last decade, Dr. Edwards

Recommended by Adam Robinson and Adam Robinson.

Adam Robinson

One of five books that confirm there is far, far more in our unconscious mind than is dreamt of in our philosophy. [source]

Adam Robinson

One of five books that confirm there is far, far more in our unconscious mind than is dreamt of in our philosophy. [source]

2

You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less

Mark Kistler

4.7

Pick up your pencil, embrace your inner artist, and learn how to draw in thirty days with this approachable step-by-step guide from an Emmy award-winning PBS host.
Drawing is an acquired skill, not a talent -- anyone can learn to draw! All you need is a pencil, a piece of paper, and the willingness to tap into your hidden artistic abilities. With Emmy award-winning, longtime PBS host Mark Kistler a

3

Keys to Drawing

Bert Dodson

4.7

Anyone who can hold a pencil can learn to draw.

In this book, Bert Dodson shares his complete drawing system--fifty-five "keys" that you can use to render any subject with confidence, even if you're a beginner.

These keys, along with dozens of practice exercises, will help you draw like an artist in no time.

You'll learn how to:

Restore, focus, map, and intensify
Free your hand action, then learn to co

4

Figure Drawing: Design and Invention

Michael Hampton

4.7

Figure Drawing: Design and Invention is an instructional figure drawing book geared towards the novice and experienced artist alike. This book emphasizes a simplified understanding of surface anatomy, in order to clarify the mechanics of the figure, facilitate invention, and ultimately create a skill-set that can be successfully applied to other media. In addition, this book focuses very strongly

5

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

Robert B. Cialdini

4.6

Preview Summary

Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior has resulted in this highly

Recommended by Charles T. Munger, Dan Ariely, Jim Collins, and 40 others.

Charles T. Munger

Vice Chairman/Berkshire Hathaway

Robert Cialdini has had a greater impact on my thinking on this topic than any other scientist. [source]

Dan Ariely

Author

It covers a range of ways in which we end up doing things, and how we don’t understand why we’re doing them. [source]

Max Levchin

Co-founder/PayPal, CEO/Affirm, Investor

Max Levchin recommended this book as an answer to "What business books would you advise young entrepreneurs read?" [source]

6

Drawing the Head and Hands

Andrew Loomis

4.6

7

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari

4.6

Preview Summary

100,000 years ago, at least six human species inhabited the earth. Today there is just one. Us. Homo sapiens.

How did our species succeed in the battle for dominance? Why did our foraging ancestors come together to create cities and kingdoms? How did we come to believe in gods, nations and human rights; to trust money, books and laws; and to be enslaved by bureaucracy, timetables and consumerism?

Recommended by Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Reid Hoffman, and 34 others.

Barack Obama

Former USA President

Fact or fiction, the president knows that reading keeps the mind sharp. He also delved into these non-fiction reads. [source]

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

Both Melinda and I read this one, and it has sparked lots of great conversations at our dinner table. Harari takes on a daunting challenge: to tell the entire history of the human race in just 400 pages. He also writes about our species today and how artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and other technologies will change us in the future. Although I found things to disagree with—especially Harari’s claim that humans were better off before we started farming—I would recommend Sapiens to anyone who’s interested in the history and future of our species. [source]

Reid Hoffman

CEO/LinkedIn

A grand theory of humanity. [source]

8

How to Draw What You See

Rudy De Reyna

4.6

The 35th anniversary edition of the classic how-to book that has helped millions of artists learn to draw.

When it was originally published in 1970, How to Draw What You See zoomed to the top of Watson-Guptill's best-seller list--and it has remained there ever since. "I believe that you must be able to draw things as you see them--realistically," wrote Rudy de Reyna in his introduction.

Today, gener

9

Figure Drawing for All It's Worth (How to draw and paint)

Andrew Loomis

4.5

The illustrator Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) is revered among artists - including 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, and Figure Drawing is the first in Titan's programme of facsimile editions, returning these classic titles to print for the first time in decades.

10

How to Draw: Drawing and Sketching Objects and Environments from Your Imagination

Scott Robertson

4.5

11

How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way

Stan Lee and John Buscema

4.5

One of the first and still one of the best, Stan Lee’s How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way has been the primary resource for any and all who want to master the art of illustrating comic books and graphic novels.

Stan Lee, the Mighty Man from Marvel, and John Buscema, active and adventuresome artist behind the Silver Surfer, Conan the Barbarian, the Mighty Thor and Spider-Man, have collaborated on thi

12

Drawing the Head and Figure

Jack Hamm

4.5

A how-to handbook that makes drawing easy. Offers simplified techniques and scores of brand-new hints and helps. Step by step procedures. Hundreds of illustrations.

13

The Natural Way to Draw

Kimon Nicolaides

4.5

Great for the beginner and the expert, this book offers readers exercises to improve their work.

14

Fun with a Pencil

Andrew Loomis

4.5

Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) is revered amongst artists - including comics superstar Alex Ross - for his mastery of drawing. His first book, Fun With a Pencil, published in 1939 is a wonderfully crafted and engaging introduction to drawing, cartooning, and capturing the essence of a subject all while having fun. With delightful step-by-step instruction from Professor Blook, Loomis's charming alter eg

15

Successful Drawing

Andrew Loomis

4.4

The illustrator Andrew Loomis is revered amongst artists for his mastery of drawing technique and his clean, realist style. His hugely influential series of art instruction books have never been bettered and Successful Drawing, the third in Titan's programme of facsimile editions, returns this classic title to print for the first time in decades.

For over 60 years Successful Drawing has provided a

16

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

Mark Manson

4.4

Preview Summary

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062457738

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "Fk positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let’s be honest, shit is fked and w

Recommended by Ryan Holiday, Alex Blackwell, Aunty Ada, and 21 others.

Ryan Holiday

Author

I loved Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck. There’s a reason this book is blowing up. It’s that good. [source]

Alex Blackwell

@whitbywonder Great book [source]

Aunty Ada

Finally done! Amazing book, I recommend😊 https://t.co/IDTawuWn8f [source]

17

Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter

James Gurney

4.4

From New York Times best-selling author of the Dinotopia series, James Gurney, comes a carefully crafted and researched study on color and light in paintings. This art instruction book will accompany the acclaimed Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist.

James Gurney, New York Times best-selling author and artist of the Dinotopia series, follows Imaginative Realism with his second art-

18

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art

Scott McCloud

4.4

The bestselling international classic on storytelling and visual communication

"You must read this book." — Neil Gaiman

Praised throughout the cartoon industry by such luminaries as Art Spiegelman, Matt Groening, and Will Eisner, Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics is a seminal examination of comics art: its rich history, surprising technical components, and major cultural significance. Explore the

Recommended by Ev Williams, Austin Kleon, Bret Victor, and 1 others.

Austin Kleon

Unsolicited, but here’s my advice for visual thinkers (and others) who want to be better writers: … Cartoonists, because their work demands work from two disciplines (writing/art, poetry/design, words/pictures), are highly instructive when it comes to visual people learning to write, writers learning to make art, etc. (Check out Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics for more.) [source]

Will Brooker

Understanding Comics is a book about how comics work, told in comic form. It’s very accessible, it’s for the general reader and is about comics in general, not just superhero comics. It explores areas like pacing and editing – how motion can be created through static panels on a page, and how arranging those panels in different ways, or drawing in different styles, or combining text and image, has different effects. It’s almost like a book on film study which explores the role of sound, lighting or editing. Scott McCloud is an artist himself, and he draws pastiches to show how different styles produce different effects. [source]

19

Dynamic Figure Drawing

Burne Hogarth

4.4

This powerful book offers a systematic approach to rendering action figures that seem to leap off the page.

20

Pen and Ink Drawing: A Simple Guide

Alphonso Dunn

4.3

Pen & Ink Drawing: A Simple Guide covers the essential aspects of pen and ink drawing and more. It explores basic materials and instruments; fundamental properties of strokes and pen control; key elements of shading; and indispensable techniques for creating vibrant textures. As a bonus, a chapter is devoted to what the author refers to as, the secret Line of Balance. This book is not just written

21

Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters: 100 Great Drawings Analyzed, Figure Drawing Fundamentals Defined

Robert Beverly Hale, Jacob Collins

4.3

A book whose sales have not diminished but rather increased dramatically since its publication 45 years ago, this bestselling classic is the ultimate manual of drawing taught by the late Robert Beverly Hale, who’s famed lectures and classes at New York City’s Art Student League captivated artists and art educators from around the world.

Faithfully producing and methodically analyzing 100 master dra

22

Drawing Dynamic Hands

Burne Hogarth

4.3

The most comprehensive book ever published on drawing hands, it uses a revolutionary system for visualizing the hand in an almost infinite number of positions.

23

Creative Illustration

Andrew Loomis

4.3

During his career as one of America's most sought-after illustrators, Andrew Loomis (1889-1959) taught at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, and in 1939 he codified his lessons in his first manual, Fun with a Pencil. Four years later it had already been through six printings, and he followed up over the next two decades with a series of even more successful how-to books that remain the gold s

24

The Practice and Science of Drawing

Harold Speed

4.3

Much of the learning to practice as well as to appreciate art is concerned with understanding the basic principles. One of these principles is what Harold Speed calls "dither," the freedom that allows realism and the artistic vision to play against each other. Very important to any artist or work of art, this quality separates the scientifically accurate from the artistically accurate. Speed's app

Recommended by Juliette Aristides.

Juliette Aristides

The past is a source of inspiration and fellowship, allowing our solitary lives and artistic body of work to be seen in a larger context, and we are propelled forward in its current.The book is a hundred years old, yet is as true and useful now as when it was first released. An underlying theme through all the books we’re discussing is that art is a skill that can be taught and mastery achieved by cultivating your skills [source]

25

The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators

Richard Williams

4.3

The definitive book on animation, from the Academy Award-winning animator behind Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Animation is one of the hottest areas of filmmaking today--and the master animator who bridges the old generation and the new is Richard Williams. During his fifty years in the business, Williams has been one of the true innovators, winning three Academy Awards and serving as the link between D

26

Perspective Made Easy

Ernest R. Norling

4.3

Perspective, the author tells us, is easy; yet surprisingly few artists are aware of the simple rules that make it so. This easy-to-follow book — the first devoted entirely to clarifying the laws of perspective — remedies the situation. In it, the author uses over 250 simple line drawings to illustrate the concepts involved.
Beginning with clear, concise, immediately applicable discussions of the h

27

Drawing for the Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Drawing

Mark Willenbrink and Mary Willenbrink

4.3

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 com

28

Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist

James Gurney

4.3

From the award-winning artist, learn to see and shape the world in a way you never before imagined.

An award-winning fantasy artist and the creator of Dinotopia, James Gurney instructs and inspires in Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist. Renowned for his uncanny ability to incorporate amazing detail and imagination into stunningly realistic fantasy settings, James Gurney teaches bu

29

Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil

J. D. Hillberry

4.3

You won't believe the incredible drawings you can create using common pencils and the special techniques illustrated in this book. These methods are so easy that anyone--from doodler to advanced artist--can master them in minutes! Step by step, you'll learn how to capture the look of metal, glass, weathered wood, skin, hair and other textures. Two detailed start-to-finish demonstrations show you h

30

Keys to Drawing with Imagination: Strategies and Exercises for Gaining Confidence and Enhancing Your Creativity

Bert Dodson

4.3

Draw with Confidence and Creativity!

Creativity occurs in action: It is not a trait; it is something you do. To be creative, you need to engage in the art-making process. When you are "in the flow," you shift out of the future and into the present, making connections, generating variations and surrendering to the process. Keys to Drawing With Imagination is a course for artists in how to take somet

31

The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression

Gary Faigin

4.3

This instructional and reference manual is a visual index of facial expressions. It centres on the muscles of expression and their effects as a basis for understanding and analyzing those expressions they see on models and in photographs. Artists will be aided in understanding expression and in creating expression. The book is organized around three parts - part one analyzes the basic structures o

32

How to Draw Cool Stuff

Catherine V Holmes

4.3

How to Draw Cool Stuff shows simple step-by-step illustrations that make it easy for anyone to draw cool stuff with precision and confidence. These pages will guide you through the basic principles of illustration by concentrating on easy-to-learn shapes that build into complex drawings. With the step-by-step guidelines provided, anything can become easy to draw. This book contains a series of fun

33

Lessons in Classical Drawing: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier

Juliette Aristides

4.3

The practice of drawing…distilled to its essential elements.

In this elegant and inspiring primer, master contemporary artist and author 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, we

34

The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to Be The Artist You Truly Are

Danny Gregory

4.2

The author of "Everyday Matters: A New York Diary" teaches readers to open their lives to creativity and fulfillment by relearning how to draw. Handwritten and illustrated in color throughout.

35

How to Draw Animals

Jack Hamm

4.2

Simple, clear instructions for drawing animals with more than a thousand step-by-step illustrations. Basic fundamentals for the beginner, new principles and techniques for the professional. A detailed guide for everyone who enjoys—or wants to enjoy—drawing.

36

Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist

Stephen Rogers Peck

4.2

Stephen Rogers Peck's Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist remains unsurpassed as a manual for students. It includes sections on bones, muscles, surface anatomy, proportion, equilibrium, and locomotion. Other unique features are sections on the types of human physique, anatomy from birth to old age, an orientation on racial anatomy, and an analysis of facial expressions. The wealth of information

37

Drawing on the Artist Within

Betty Edwards

4.2

Whether you are a business manager, teacher, writer, technician, or student, you'll find Drawing on the Artist Within the most effective program ever created for tapping your creative powers. Profusely illustrated with hundreds of instructional drawings and the work of master artists, this book is written for people with no previous experience in art.

AH-HA! I SEE IT NOW!
Everyone has experienced t

38

Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes: Volume 1: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures

Walt Stanchfield, Don Hahn

4.2

Discover the lessons that helped bring about a new golden age of Disney animation!Published for the first time ever, Drawn to Life is a two volume collection of the legendary lectures from long-time Disney animator Walt Stanchfield. For over twenty years, Walt helped breathe life into the new golden age of animation with these teachings at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and influenced such tale

39

The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Master Reveals the Secrets of Drawing the Human Form

Anthony Ryder

4.2

Many of us want to learn "how to draw." But as artist Anthony Ryder explains, it's much more important to learn what to draw. In other words, to observe and draw what we actually see, rather than what we think we see. When it comes to drawing the human figure, this means letting go of learned ideas and expectation of what the figure should look like. It means carefully observing the interplay of f

40

Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators

Mike Mattesi

4.2

Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for AnimatorsCapture the force in your life drawing subjects with this practical guide to dynamic drawing techniques - packed with superb, powerfully drawn examples that show you how to: • Bring your work to life with rhythmic drawing techniques • Create appealing and dynamic poses in your drawings* Experience the figure's energy in three dimensional space* Use the asym

41

Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels

Scott McCloud

4.2

"Magnificent! The best how-to manual ever published." — Kevin Kelly, Cool Tools

Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions

Recommended by Bret Victor.

42

Drawing the Human Head

Burne Hogarth

4.2

In 300 extraordinary drawings, Hogarth shows how to draw the head from every angle, age the face from infancy to old age, and delineate every feature and wrinkle.

43

Anatomy for the Artist

Sarah Simblet, John Davis

4.2

Unlock your inner artist and learn how to draw the human body in this beautifully illustrated art book by celebrated artist and teacher Sarah Simblet.

This visually striking guide takes a fresh approach to drawing the human body. A combination of innovative photography and drawings, practical life-drawing lessons, and in-depth explorations of the body's surface and underlying structure are used to

44

The Art of Animal Drawing: Construction, Action Analysis, Caricature

Ken Hultgren

4.2

"You'll learn everything there is to learn about drawing animals." — Collectors' Corner
This thoughtful and incisive guidebook, written by a former animator for Walt Disney Studios, will help artists at many skill levels improve their ability to draw a wide variety of animal forms both realistically and as caricatures.
You'll learn why the author considers construction, action analysis, and caricat

45

Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing From Life: Over 1,000 Illustrations

George B. Bridgman

4.2

“An indispensable volume...published for the first time in paperback....More than 200 illustrations of hands and hundreds of images of arms, shoulders, heads, torsos, legs, knees, and feet.” —Library Journal. “It will...meet a deeply felt need to draw the human figure from a vantage point of understanding and visual acuity.”—Arts & Activities.

46

The Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing On Location Around The World

Gabriel Campanario

4.2

The Art of Urban Sketching is both a comprehensive guide and a showcase of location drawings by artists around the world who draw the cities where they live and travel. Authored by the founder of the nonprofit organization Urban Sketchers (www.urbansketchers.org), this beautiful, 320-page volume explains urban sketching within the context of a long historical tradition and how it is being practice

47

Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun

Carla Sonheim

4.2

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. Carla offers a year's worth of assignments, projects, ideas, and techniques that will introduce more creativity

48

Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers

Marcos Mateu-Mestre

4.2

The ultimate guide to visual storytelling! How to make the audience "feel" the story while they are "reading" the story. Using his experiences from working in the comic book industry, movie studios and teaching, Marcos introduces the reader to a step-by-step system that will create the most successful storyboards and graphics for the best visual communication.

After a brief discussion on narrative

49

The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds

John Muir Laws

4.2

This is more than a guide to drawing birds it is also an introduction to the lives, forms, and postures of the birds themselves.An imaginative field instruction book for really seeing and drawing birds by the bestselling author of the innovative field guides on the Sierra and San Francisco Bay.

50

Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation

Frederick Franck

4.2

A Dutch artist offers his concept of seeing and drawing as a discipline by which the world may be rediscovered, a way of experiencing Zen.

51

Rendering in Pen and Ink: The Classic Book on Pen and Ink Techniques for Artists, Illustrators, Architects, and Designers

Arthur L. Guptill, Susan E. Meyer

4.1

Arthur L. Guptill's classic Rendering in Pen and Ink has long been regarded as the most comprehensive book ever published on the subject of ink drawing. This is a book designed to delight and instruct anyone who draws with pen and ink, from the professional artist to the amateur and hobbyist. It is of particular interest to architects, interior designers, landscape architects, industrial designers

52

The Urban Sketcher: Techniques for Seeing and Drawing on Location

Marc Taro Holmes

4.1

Make the world your studio!

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 wor

53

Colored Pencil Painting Bible: Techniques for Achieving Luminous Color and Ultrarealistic Effects

Alyona Nickelsen

4.1

Learn to color with groundbreaking new techniques for a favorite medium!

• Dazzling colors, incredible realism—with simple step-by-step demonstrations
• Easy-to-follow coloring instructions from a top colored-pencil artist
• Master the wide range of coloring effects possible, including blending, layering, translucent effects, and more

Radiant color…painterly finishes…astonishing realism…with colored

54

An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration From The Private Sketchbooks Of Artists, Illustrators And Designers

Danny Gregory

4.1

Find Insight and Inspiration for Your Creative Life

An artist's journal is packed with sketches and captions; some rough, some polished. The margins sometimes spill over with hurriedly scrawled shopping lists and phone numbers. The cover may be travel-worn and the pages warped from watercolors. Open the book, and raw creativity seeps from each color and line. The intimacy and freedom on its pages a

55

Charles Bargue and Jean-Leon Gerome: Drawing Course

Gerald M. Ackerman, Graydon Parrish, Charles Bargue

4.1

The Bargue-Gerome Drawing Course is a complete reprint of a famous, late nineteenth century drawing course.

56

The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head

William Maughan

4.1

In this innovative guide, master art instructor William Maughan demonstrates how to create a realistic human likeness by using the classic and highly accurate modeling technique of chiaroscuro (Italian for “light and dark”) developed by Leonardo da Vinci during the High Renaissance.

Maughan first introduces readers to the basics of this centuries-old technique, showing how to analyze form, light, a

57

Drawing Scenery: Seascapes and Landscapes

Jack Hamm

4.1

The how-to handbook that exactly explains and illustrates the step-by-step processes for drawing complete, succesful landscapes and seascapes and teaches the fundamentals of good composition as well as the separate picture elements. This guide combines the simplest kind of scenery sketching with the most complex renderings to give every artist, beginner or professional, essential scenery drawing t

58

Journey

Aaron Becker

4.1

Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination — and unexpected friendship.

A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward

59

Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures

Cathy Johnson

4.1

Discover the Joy of Art Journaling

An artist's journal is a powerful creative tool, offering you a safe place to experiment, explore, consider and improve. Artist's Journal Workshop provides all the guidance, structure and inspiration you need to create a meaningful art-journaling practice. Starting with the question, "What do you want from your journal?" you'll build a sound journaling concept tha

60

Perspective Drawing Handbook

Joseph D'Amelio

4.1

This handy guide provides numerous insights and shortcuts to drawing and sketching effectively. Describing mandatory skills for beginning and advanced students, the text covers such subjects as diminution, foreshortening, convergence, shade and shadow, and other visual principles of perspective drawing.
Accompanying a concise and thoughtfully written text are more than 150 simply drawn illustration

61

The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets: Easy Techniques for Drawing People, Animals and More

Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks

4.1

This is the book that can teach anyone to draw (yes, even you!)

If you're not getting the kind of true-to-life results you want in your drawings (or if you can't even draw a straight line), Carrie and Rick Parks can help. As award-winning teachers, they have a proven game plan for helping artists of all levels overcome common problems and see immediate improvement in their work. As professional com

62

The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation

Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas

4.1

The most complete book on the subject ever written, this is the fascinating inside story by two long-term Disney animators of the gradual perfecting of a relatively young and particularly American art from, which no other move studio has ever been able to equal. The authors, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, worked not only with the legendary Walt Disney himself but also with other leading figures

63

Cartooning the Head and Figure

Jack Hamm

4.1

THE QUESTION:
Are there new ways of opening the field of cartooning to any one who likes to draw?THE ANSWER:
Yes!
Here are tried and proven methods that explain, simplify and teach every one, regardless of age, the art of cartooning. Step by step procedures with more than 3,000 illustrations . . .

64

One Zentangle A Day: A 6-Week Course in Creative Drawing for Relaxation, Inspiration, and Fun

Beckah Krahula

4.1

Take your doodles to a whole new level with this best-selling and preeminent guidebook to the meditative art of the Zentangle, featuring the incredibly beautiful and inspiring artwork of author Beckah Krahula. This step-by-step book is divided into six chapters, each with seven daily exercises.

The Zentangle method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas as a way to practice focus and medita

65

Dragonart

Jessica Neon Dragon Peffer

4.1

Thirty step-by-step demos use brightly colored progressive line art for easy-to-follow instruction. Additional demonstrations cover other fantasy creatures, such as wyverns, basilisks, and gargoyles.

66

The Artist's Way

Julia Cameron

4.1

Preview Summary

"Without The Artist's Way, there would have been no Eat, Pray, Love.” —Elizabeth Gilbert

A stunning gift edition of the powerful bestselling book on creativity.The Artist’s Way is one of the bestselling gift books of all time. Beautifully packaged with a slipcase and ribbon, this tenth anniversary gift edition is the ideal gift for loved ones engaged in creative lives.

Recommended by Anand C and Emma Gannon.

Anand C

STARTING FROM AUTHENTICITY: by observing, showing humility and being grateful - I started being open to what’s in the sub-conscious more (30+ sessions in). Speaking your truth is a powerful result of this. One great book to help explore this. https://t.co/sOAgAHhWsO [source]

Emma Gannon

Instead of all these fast paced books saying: ‘Here’s how to be amazing, here’s how to get a side hustle, here’s how to hustle, hustle, hustle.’ This is the total opposite. It’s about slowing right down and connecting with yourself again. [source]

67

An Illustrated Journey: Inspiration From the Private Art Journals of Traveling Artists, Illustrators and Designers

Danny Gregory

4.1

Travel + Sketching = Inspiration

When we travel, we don't want to follow the same itinerary as everyone who's come before us. We want to feel like explorers, adventurers in undiscovered territory. And that's exactly what sketching can bring to the travel experience.

An Illustrated Journey captures the world through the eyes of 40 talented artists, illustrators and designers. You'll experience the wo

68

Harold and the Purple Crayon (Harold, #1)

Crockett Johnson

4.1

"One night, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight." So begins this gentle story that shows just how far your imagination can take you. Armed only with an oversized purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of beauty and excitement. But this is no hare-brained, impulsive flight of fantasy. Cherubic, round-headed Harold conducts his a

69

Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner

Claire Watson Garcia

4.1

Based upon the author’s own successful workshops, Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner helps new artists create competent, often eloquent drawings. A series of progressive lessons demonstrates such essential skills as recording edges, creating dimension, adding accuracy, developing value, balancing compositional elements, and drawing the human face, both frontal and profile views. Step by s

70

Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice

Juliette Aristides

4.1

Ateliers have produced the greatest artists of all time—and now that educational model is experiencing a renaissance. These studios, a return to classical art training, are based on the nineteenth-century model of teaching artists by pairing them with a master artist over a period of years. Students begin by copying masterworks, then gradually progress to painting as their skills develop. Classica

71

Perspective! for Comic Book Artists: How to Achieve a Professional Look in your Artwork

David Chelsea

4.1

This clever book teaches artists the unique skill of drawing perspective for spectacular landscapes, fantastic interiors, and other wildly animated backgrounds to fit comic-strip panels.

72

Everyday Matters

Danny Gregory

4.1

In the tradition of Persepolis, In the Shadow of No Towers, and Our Cancer Year, an illustrated memoir of remarkable depth, power, and beauty Danny Gregory and his wife, Patti, hadn't been married long. Their baby, Jack, was ten months old; life was pretty swell. And then Patti fell under a subway train and was paralyzed from the waist down. In a world where nothing seemed to have much meaning, Da

73

Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery: Solutions for Drawing the Clothed Figure

Burne Hogarth

4.1

Understanding how the body moves is the key to rendering clothing, as world-renowned artist Hogarth demonstrates in this unique book.

74

Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You

Clare Walker Leslie, Charles E. Roth

4.1

Experience the splendor of nature with fresh eyes! Featuring an inspiring portfolio from Clare Walker Leslie’s nature journals, this guide offers easy-to-learn techniques for capturing the world around you in pictures and words. Encouraging you to make journaling a part of your daily routine, Keeping a Nature Journal is full of engaging exercises and stimulating prompts that will help you hone you

75

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Austin Kleon

4.1

Preview Summary

You don’t need to be a genius, you just need to be yourself. That’s the message from Austin Kleon, a young writer and artist who knows that creativity is everywhere, creativity is for everyone. A manifesto for the digital age, Steal Like an Artist is a guide whose positive message, graphic look and illustrations, exercises, and examples will put readers directly in touch with their artistic side.

Recommended by Ryan Holiday, Seth Godin, Andra Zaharia, and 8 others.

Ryan Holiday

Author

Part of ambition is modeling yourself after those you’d like to be like. Austin’s philosophy of ruthlessly stealing and remixing the greats might sound appalling at first but it is actually the essence of art. You learn by stealing, you become creative by stealing, you push yourself to be better by working with these materials. Austin is a fantastic artist, but most importantly he communicates the essence of writing and creating art better than anyone else I can think of. It is a manifesto for any young, creative person looking to make his mark. Pair up with Show Your Work which is also excellent. [source]

Seth Godin

Author, Marketer, Entrepreneur

Breezy and fun and yes, scary. Scary because it calls your bluff. [source]

Andra Zaharia

While I was thinking of the best books to add to this short list, I realized that not even half of them are directly related to digital marketing. This is because I believe that the best marketers are people who understand human nature deeply and aim to bring out the best in it. Call me naive, but that’s how I see it. If I were to want to pursue a career in marketing, I’d read … Steal Like An Artist. [source]

76

Mastering Manga with Mark Crilley: 30 Drawing Lessons from the Creator of Akiko

Mark Crilley

4.1

It's THE book on manga from YouTube's most popular art instruction Guru!

There's more to manga than big, shiny eyes and funky hair. In these action-packed pages, graphic novelist Mark Crilley shows you step-by-step how to achieve an authentic manga style—from drawing faces and figures to laying out awesome, high-drama spreads. You'll learn how a few basic lines will help you place facial features i

77

Vilppu Drawing Manual

Glenn Vilppu

4.0

78

Cartoon Animation

Preston Blair

4.0

In Cartoon Animation, acclaimed cartoon animator Preston Blair shares his vast practical knowledge to explain and demonstrate the many techniques of cartoon animation. By following his lessons, you can make any character—person, animal, or object—come to life through animated movement!

Animation is the process of drawing and photographing a character in successive positions to create lifelike movem

79

Dynamic Anatomy

Burne Hogarth

4.0

Praised by critics and teachers alike for more than 40 years, Burne Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy is recognized worldwide as the classic, indispensable text on artistic anatomy. Now revised, expanded, and completely redesigned with 75 never-before-published drawings from the Hogarth archives and 24 pages of new material, this award-winning reference explores the expressive structure of the human form

80

Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

John Muir Laws

4.0

The ultimate guide to nature drawing and journaling. This is the how-to guide for becoming a better artist and a more attentive naturalist. In straightforward text complemented by step-by-step illustrations, dozens of exercises lead the hand and mind through creating accurate reproductions of plants and animals as well as landscapes, skies, and more. This book provides clear, practical advice for

81

The Master Guide to Drawing Anime: How to Create and Customize Original Characters of Japanese Animation

Christopher Hart

4.0

Nothing brings anime artists more satisfaction than creating original characters to use in a comic strip or graphic novel. Bestselling how-to-draw author Christopher Hart helps them reach this goal by providing insight into the six most popular anime types: schoolgirls, schoolboys, preteens, vengeful bad guys, humorous personalities, and fantasy figures. He supplies templates for each; an extensiv

82

Sketch Book for the Artist: An Innovative, Practical Approach to Drawing the World Around You

Sarah Simblet

4.0

Covering a wide range of themes from portraits to plant studies and still life and showing how to tackle each subject in a variety of different ways, the "Sketch Book for the Artist aims to widen the reader's understanding of drawing and to inspire them to pick up a pencil and draw. Alongside drawings by famous artists, the book uses the author's own sketch book as a way to examine attitudes and d

83

The Day the Crayons Quit

Drew Daywalt, Oliver Jeffers

4.0

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: We quit!

Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. Blue needs a break from coloring all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other.

What is Duncan to do? Debut author Drew Daywalt and N

84

The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw

Mark Crille

4.0

An instructional art book in narrative graphic novel form that uses the tale of one aspiring young artist and his reluctant mentor to impart easy-to-follow lessons on the fundamentals of drawing.

With over 10 million views and growing, Mark Crilley's YouTube drawing instruction videos have an enormous worldwide legion of fans and have been featured on sites such as Yahoo News and Reddit. In additio

85

Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to be More Creative No Matter How Busy You Are

Danny Gregory

4.0

Packed with the signature can-do attitude that makes beloved artist Danny Gregory a creativity guru to thousands across the globe, this unique guide serves up a hearty helping of inspiration. For aspiring artists who want to draw and paint but just can't seem to find time in the day, Gregory offers 5– to 10–minute exercises for every skill level that fit into any schedule—whether on a plane, in a

86

Botanical Line Drawing: 200 Step-by-Step Flowers, Leaves, Cacti, Succulents, and Other Items Found in Nature

Peggy Dean

4.0

87

Drawing People: How to Portray the Clothed Figure

Barbara Bradley

4.0

Draw Natural and Believable Clothed Figures

In Drawing People, award-winning illustrator and instructor Barbara Bradley provides all the information you need to render clothed human figures with energy, detail and control.

Bradley begins by teaching the basics of any drawing, including proportion, perspective and value. Next, you'll learn how to overcome the special challenges posed by clothing, inc

88

Art for Kids: Drawing: The Only Drawing Book You'll Ever Need to Be the Artist You've Always Wanted to Be

Kathryn Temple

4.0

The only drawing book children need to become the artists they want to be!

“This is a gold mine of information.”—Library Media Connection

When children draw, they want to create an accurate likeness of the things they see. With this imaginative, informative, and amply illustrated guide, it's amazingly easy for kids to make their art dreams come true. The entertaining, hands-on lessons begin with co

89

Constructive Anatomy

George B. Bridgman

4.0

"Excellent. The most valuable, detailed anatomical studies (which are also beautifully drawn) of all parts of the figure." — American Artist
"The best book on artist's anatomy available anywhere." — Art Students League News
Countless artists and students since the 1920s have used this and other books by George B. Bridgman (for nearly 50 years a teacher at the Art Students League in New York) for a s

90

Drawn Together

Minh Lê, Dan Santat

4.0

When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens-with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words.

91

Anatomy for the Artist

Jenö Barcsay, Jeno Barcsay

4.0

It’s the classic in its field—a reference work of unparalleled importance for all professionals and students of art.

This superb art manual is the best guide available on a subject that has fascinated artists for centuries: the human body. Jenö Barcsay, a professor who taught applied anatomy at the Budapest Academy of Fine Arts, offers a detailed portrayal of the body for the fine artist in 142 f

92

Human Anatomy for Artists: The Elements of Form

Eliot Goldfinger

4.0

The power of the image of the nude--the expressivity of the flesh--has inspired artists from the beginning. An understanding of human form is essential for artists to be able to express themselves with the figure. Anatomy makes the figure. Human Anatomy for Artists: The Elements of Form is the definitive analytical work on the anatomy of the human figure.
No longer will working artists have to se

93

Ed Emberley's Drawing Book: Make a World

Ed Emberley

4.0

Using simple shapes, Ed Emberley shows would-be artists how to draw over 400 things, such as an airplane, anteater, submarine, train, kangaroo, gondola, and much much more! This classic book is packed with cool things that kids-and not a few adults-really want to draw. Easy and fun, the book provides hours of art-full entertainment.

Recommended by Austin Kleon.

Austin Kleon

I only came to Ed Emberley’s Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book: Make A World last year, but it’s quickly become the #1 book I recommend to people I meet who say, “I can’t draw.” In it, Ed Emberley shows you how to “make a world” with just a few simple shapes, step-by-step. I love the emphasis on simplicity: if you can draw a triangle, a square, a circle, and a line, you’re good to go. [source]

94

Complete Guide to Life Drawing

Gottfried Bammes

4.0

95

Chalk

Bill Thomson

4.0

Three children discover a magical bag of chalk on a rainy day

96

Classic Human Anatomy: The Artist's Guide to Form, Function, and Movement

Valerie L. Winslow

4.0

After more than thirty years of research and teaching, artist Valerie Winslow has compiled her unique methods of drawing human anatomy into one groundbreaking volume: Classic Human Anatomy. This long-awaited book provides simple, insightful approaches to the complex subject of human anatomy, using drawings, diagrams, and reader-friendly text. Three major sections–the skeletal form, the muscular fo

97

Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces

Carrie Stuart Parks

4.0

Draw amazingly accurate portraits starting today!

Even if you're an absolute beginner, you can render strikingly realistic faces and self-portraits! Instructor and FBI-trained artist Carrie Stuart Parks makes it simple with foolproof step-by-step instructions that are fun and easy to follow. You'll quickly begin to:

- Master proportions and map facial features accurately
- Study shapes within a comp

98

Comics and Sequential Art

Will Eisner

4.0

Eisner presents the principles of graphic storytelling in this guide, which is based on his popular sequential art course at New York's School of Visual Art. Readers will learn the basic anatomy, fundamentals of storycraft and how the medium works as a means of expression.

99

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

Dan Harris

4.0

Preview Summary

Nightline anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self-help, and discovers a way to get happier that is truly achievable.

After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure, invo

Recommended by Peter Attia, Timothy Ferriss, Chelsea Frank, and 3 others.

Peter Attia

Founder/Attia Medical

Modulating hormones as necessary - we’ve not really talked about that. Fixing anything that needs to be fixed, on top of that pharmacologically, and I’m a huge proponent of pharmacotherapy under the right setting. The final component is managing your stress. So as a guy who’s thinking about this, I became really interested after actually reading Dan Harris’s book. [source]

Chelsea Frank

I read everything with an open mind, often challenging myself by choosing books with an odd perspective or religious/spiritual views. These books do not reflect my personal feelings but are books that helped shape my perspective on life, love, and happiness. [source]

Chris Goward

I remember reading 10% Happier by Dan Harris on one of my many flights to speak at a conference a couple years ago. I had been practicing meditation for a few years, and had tried to get deeper into learning about it, I struggled with the religious aspect many Buddhist authors brought, which seemed to bring more confusion than clarity. The way Dan described his process of skepticism and discovery of the practical benefits without religion involved was a breath of fresh air. [source]

100

Manga for the Beginner: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started Right Away!

Christopher Hart

4.0

Got manga?

Christopher Hart's got manga, and he wants to share it with all his millions of readers--especially the beginners. With Manga for the Beginner, anyone who can hold a pencil can start drawing great manga characters right away. Using his signature step-by-step style, Hart shows how to draw the basic manga head and body, eyes, bodies, fashion, and more. Then he goes way beyond most beginner