How Can I Draw a Book
The best drawing books in 2021
Included in this guide:
The best drawing books are a great way to breathe fresh life into your art. Inspiring you with beautiful images, teaching you new techniques, and providing unique insights into the process of creation, they're essential for anyone looking to bring their drawing to the next level.
Now that long, dark nights are upon us, why not schedule some extra time for drawing and invest in some new books to help you out? Whether you're a beginner, a pro artist or somewhere in the middle, there's always a lot to learn, and below you'll find the best drawing books to make that possible.
These books will provide essential reference material, improve your knowledge, and give you fresh inspiration. And the prices on this page constantly update in real time, too, allowing you to benefit from any Black Friday deals coming up over the next couple of weeks.
Also see our guide to the best illustration books for more great titles. And don't miss our roundups of how to draw tutorials, and top sketching tips either!
01. Keys to Drawing
The best drawing book for beginners
Specifications
Publish date: 1990
Publisher: North Light Books
ISBN-10: 0891343377
Reasons to buy
+Great for beginners +Easy to follow system +Lots of practical exercises
If you're just getting started with drawing, this classic book by Bert Dodson is a great primer. Having illustrated more than 70 children's titles and worked as an animation designer for PBS, the author is clearly an expert in his field. And he knows how to explain the process of drawing in plain language that non-experts can follow.
In Keys to Drawing, Bert explains a complete drawing system made up of 55 'keys' that you can use to draw any subject with confidence. Along the way, you'll learn how to free your hand action, then control it. You'll also discover how to restore, focus, map, and intensify; convey the illusions of light, depth, and texture; and stimulate your imagination through "creative play". Plus you'll get lots of exercises to help you practice, practice, practice.
02. Art Fundamentals
The best drawing book on the fundamentals
Specifications
Publish date: 2013
Publisher: 3dtotal Publishing
ISBN-10: 190941400X
Reasons to buy
+Comprehensive guide +Includes essential theory +Useful composition advice
A broad understanding of the fundamental concepts, conventions, and theories of art is essential when it comes to producing a successful piece of work. And this is one of the best drawing books on the market covering these subjects.
Compiled by some of the most experienced artists in the games and film industries today, it covers a range of fundamentals including the rule of thirds, rule of odds, Golden Triangle, and Divine Proportions. You'll learn about colour and light, perspective and depth, anatomy, and portraying emotions. The book also explores the power of storytelling in an image, and how the slightest tilt of an eyebrow can transform happiness into anger.
03. Draw Great Characters
The best drawing book for character design
Specifications
Publish date: 2019
Publisher: Impact Books
ISBN-10: 144030081X
Reasons to buy
+Beginner-friendly +Lots of exercises +Shows theory in action
Drawing characters can be a difficult skill to master. This beginner-friendly book by children's illustrator and character designer Beverly Johnson shows you just how it's done. With chapters covering shape language, facial expressions, body language, interactions and more, it explores character design from every angle and finds refreshing approaches to the topic, such as how settings communicate character. There are also plenty of exercises to help you develop.
While this book is great for beginners, even experienced character designers may find a lot to learn from here. Each challenge shows how the author has solved the brief, so you can see the theory in action.
04. Sketching from the Imagination: Creatures and Monsters
The best drawing book for fantasy creatures
Specifications
Publish date: 2020
Publisher: 3DTotal Publishing
ISBN-10: 978-1-909414-87-7
Reasons to buy
+Varied artwork +Monochrome with pops of colour +Lots of artistic insight
Specifically interested in drawing fantasy creatures? Then this softcover book will give you a lot of inspiration. It features work by 50 artists from across the field of creature design: everything from dragons and fairies to mechanical structures and aliens. Each artist offers their personal commentary, advice, and tips on drawing techniques and concept design processes.
The book shows you this work in all stages of development, mostly in black and white. That said, now and again full colour illustrations pop up, making for a welcome change of pace.
Be aware that this is not a tutorial or 'how to' book, but more a source of inspiration, reference and ideas. Also, there's no easy way to quickly find a specific subject matter or style of interest (unless you happen to be familiar with every artist). The art here is, though, accessible and fascinating in its variety, and the artistic insight is a nice added extra.
05. Drawing the Head and Hands
The best drawing book for heads and hands
Specifications
Publish date: 2011
Publisher: Titan
ISBN-10: 9780857680976
Reasons to buy
+Classic book +Loads of information +Detailed instruction
If you're struggling with the fundamentals of drawing people, it's a great idea to focus on getting hands and heads right first. And that's the topic of this book by Andrew Loomis, one of the great commercial illustrators of the 20th century.
The head and hands are the most difficult elements in figure drawing. But the author's explanations are detailed and engaging, and his systematic approach will help you understand the principles behind drawing realistic portraits. So despite its age, this is hands-down (pun intended) the best anatomy reference book for newbies.
06. Pocket Art: Portrait Drawing
The best drawing book for portraits
Specifications
Publish date: 2018
Publisher: Rockport Publishers
ISBN-10: 1631594699
ISBN-13: 978-1631594694
Reasons to buy
+Easy to follow +Manageable sections +Good for all levels
Want to improve your portraiture skills? Here's a great book to help you out in which artist Miss Led (aka Joanna Henly) breaks down the process of portrait drawing into manageable, easy-to-understand stages.
Aimed at beginners and experienced artists alike, this book provides a solid introduction to portrait drawing techniques, by exploring topics such as expressions and facial structure. This book is full of expert advice and tips, backed up by plenty of exercises for readers to put into practice.
Be aware that they're aren't that many words in total, but the book covers everything it needs to, leaving more space for Miss Led's stunning art. And overall it works because it's accessible to artists of every skill level.
07. Drawn to Life
The best drawing book for capturing gestures
Specifications
Publish date: 2009
Publisher: Focal Press
ISBN-10: 0240810961
Reasons to buy
+Comprehensive +Focus is on emotion and action +Lots of gesture drawing
Once you've learned to draw still figures, you'll want to bring your drawing to life by capturing gestures accurately and successfully. This book, based on the legendary lectures by long-time Disney animator Walt Stanchfield, will help. It explains how to add emotions, life and action to your drawings, with a heavy focus on gesture drawing. Don't expect a book filled with finished drawings; instead, it's all about capturing the moment. If you're interested in creating drawings with character and flow, this is a must-have reference.
08. The Sketch Encyclopedia
The best drawing book for ideas
Specifications
Publish date: 2018
Publisher: 3DTotal
ISBN-10: 1909414646
Reasons to buy
+Breaks projects down into steps +Packed with ideas +Intro on drawing theory
Seeking some warmup sketch ideas? You'll find plenty of great ones here. This most inspiring of drawing books features more than 1,000 projects. Each is divided into four key steps: sketch, line drawing, and two that build up and complete the form. With lessons on creatures, people, buildings, famous landmarks, vehicles and nature, you're sure to find inspiration to get you started sketching, and everything's nicely categorised so you can find what you're looking for easily. There's also an extensive introduction covering tools, line making, light theory, perspective and texture.
09. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
The best drawing book for teaching creative thinking
Specifications
Publish date: 2012 (4th edition)
Publisher: TarcherPerigee
ISBN-10: 1585429201
Reasons to buy
+'Definitive' edition +Focus on creative thinking +Good for teachers
Technique is one thing, but to become great at drawing, you need to unleash your creativity too. This revised edition of one of history's most iconic drawing books will help you do just that. Author Betty Edwards delivers a lot of interesting concepts as she encourages you to explore the importance of creative thinking. She approaches learning how to draw by teaching you how to see differently, and explains everything from technique to materials.
This revised version includes new research on the brain's plasticity and the enormous value of learning new skills and utilising the right hemisphere of the brain. Art teachers will find this material super-useful.
10. How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way
The best drawing book for comic art
Specifications
Publish date: 1984
Publisher: Atria Books
ISBN-10: 0671530771
Reasons to buy
+Written by legends +Insights into comic theory +Great crash course
Marvel is the biggest name in comic art, and so no drawing books list would be complete without this fine manual from Stan Lee and John Buscema. As well as figure drawing, it will teach you valuable lessons about composition, shot selection, perspective, character dynamics, and more. Are there newer, more in-depth books out there? Sure, but if you're a comic book junkie, then this book's lavish, full-colour illustrations will make learning to draw a true joy.
11. The Silver Way
A character design bible from an industry pro
Specifications
Publish date: 2017
Publisher: Design Studio Press
ISBN-10: 1624650341
Reasons to buy
+Written by a pro +Info clearly presented +Includes tips and tutorials
Part of learning how to draw is learning to have confidence in your work. Here Stephen Silver, the artist behind the character design of shows like Kim Possible, offers guidance, encouragement, and inspiration to help you develop your character design. You'll also find easy-to-follow tutorials and drawing techniques, and overall this book is as informative as it is beautiful eye candy. For added inspiration, see our roundup of character design tips.
12. Drawing the Head and Figure
The best drawing book for human figures
Specifications
Publish date: 1982
Publisher: TarcherPerigee
ISBN-10: 9780399507915
Reasons to buy
+Simple techniques +Step-by-step guides +Lots of helpful advice
This book is packed with helpful advice on drawing human figures. Author Jack Hamm's approach is simpler than that of Andrew Loomis' book (number five on our list). It contains hundreds of illustrations, and features a clear, step-by-step approach that will have even beginners drawing better and more confidently. Yes, some of the drawings are a bit dated, specifically the hairstyles and clothing, but that doesn't stop it being an excellent primer.
13. Modern Cartooning
The best drawing book for cartoon art
Specifications
Publish date: 2013
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
ISBN-10: 0823007146
Reasons to buy
+Aimed at beginners +Lots of examples +Different cartoon styles included
Cartooning is a very specific art, and so in this book Christopher Hart shows you the essential techniques you need to know to unleash your full potential. Aimed at beginners, it takes you step-by-step through the process of creating cartoons, and covers faces, bodies, backdrops, and more. Use it as an accompaniment to Hart's YouTube channel which regularly shares easy-to-follow, step-by-step tutorials on cartooning.
14. The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation
The best drawing book for animators
Specifications
Publish date: 1995
Publisher: Disney Editions
ISBN-10: 0786860707
Reasons to buy
+Staple animation reference +Inspirational art +Helpful advice and guidance
Want to learn to draw for animation? Then this is a classic you have to read. Written by two long-term Disney animators, The Illusion of Life takes its readers back to the beginning. This drawing book will inspire you to create through its many uses of photos, paintings, sketches and storyboards. Although it's not a tutorial book by any stretch of the word, it does offer a lot of advice and guidance regarding styles, effects, colour selection, and more. It also formed the basis for the 12 principles of animation, which is still used today.
Parts of this article were originally published in ImagineFX magazine. Subscribe here .
Read more:
- Must-read graphic design books: Learn from these amazing books
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Tammy is an independent creative professional. She enjoys working on projects from content creation – including books, tutorials, videos, and podcasts – to the design and development of cross-platform applications and games.
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Source: https://www.creativebloq.com/buying-guides/the-10-best-drawing-books
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