20 NEW Books about Drawing in 2012

This site lists 20 BRAND NEW books about drawing and sketching published in 2012 and highlights those which I recommend. It includes all formats - as hardback, paperback and ebook. It doesn't include every book. Instead it highlights those likely to be of most interest to artists and serious students of drawing.

Each book listed below highlights the type of format, nature of the book according to the publisher's description and the reception and reviews it has had to date.

The focus is 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 / journals.

* It includes academic books about drawing

* It includes catalogues for exhibitions about drawings

* 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.

Facsimile sketchbooks have become very popular. This one is by David Hockney and is a facsimile sketchbook containing his sketches of East Yorkshire in Spring. It was published in association with his blockbuster exhibition of his landscape paintings of Yorkshire at the Royal Academy of Arts

I own this book and recommend it if you are a fan of facsimile sketchbooks. It will certainly be of interest to all fans of Hockney's art.

RECOMMENDED I know of no other book about silverpoint drawing - so if you're interested this looks a good place to start. An artist who is featured in the book describes it as "The definitive guide to getting started in Silverpoint Drawing"

The publisher indicates this is a book produced independently. Banjie Getsinger Nicholas is an illustrator and the author of an introduction to silverpoint drawing. The first half of the book focuses on materials and techniques with photographs and illustrations. The second half then highlights the work of contemporary silverpoint artists.

However do note that book does not appear to be available in the UK

The Art of Urban Sketching aims to provide in book format what Urban Sketchers (the blog) does every day - showcase of location drawings by artists around the world who draw the cities where they live and travel.

It is also a comprehensive guide to urban sketching and explains urban sketching within the context of a long historical tradition and how it is being practiced today.

Currently rated 4.7 out of 5 stars (54 customer reviews)

This substantial 320 page volume - published in February 2012 - has been written and compiled by Gabi Campanario the founder of the nonprofit organization Urban Sketchers.

The first print run sold out in under a month. The second print run sold out within six weeks. It's now into its third print run. It continues to be hugely popular

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED I own this book having seen the retrospective exhibition of his drawings and rate it very highly. Read my review of the exhibition "Lucian Freud Drawings" - a life in line

The book is mainly images and many have never been seen before - including drawings by Freud done as a child.

I was sent a copy of this book to review. I RECOMMEND it for all coloured pencil artists who'd like to see good quality images of artwork relating to a range of subject matter by over 70 coloured pencil artists from different countries

Ann Kullberg has reinvented "The Best of Coloured Pencil" books which have been so popular in the past. This is an excellent example of an independent publishing effort which has been done well and will appeal to those who enjoy coloured pencil artwork

A 4th Edition of this extremely popular book by Betty Edwards was published in April 2012.

THIS BOOK IS CONSISTENTLY IN THE TOP THREE BESTSELLING BOOKS ABOUT DRAWING ON AMAZON

1626 days in the top 100 books (Arts & Photography) on Amazon

Amazon review: 4.7 out of 5 stars (245 customer reviews) - re 4th edition

Amazon review: 4.8 out of 5 stars (152 customer reviews) - re.3rd edition

Goodreads: 4.02 out of 5 stars (1,971 ratings / 134 reviews) - in relation to all editions

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - see my book review of the 3rd edition on my blog

This is book about techniques for drawing the landscape. Professors from more than 20 institutions provide critical and descriptive commentaries, explaining the impact of using different media to represent the same landscape.

It's recommended for use in teaching students of landscape architecture, urban design, visual communications and graphic courses. However its content is likely to have a wider application for all those interested in drawing landscapes. Design studios will also find it useful.

May saw the publication of the third in illustrator Andrew Loomis's hugely influential series of art instruction books

Amazon reviews: 5.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

Drawing Autism is about people with autism can express themselves in their drawings and artwork. The book includes the drawings, paintings, and collages of over 50 people with autism and provides insight into how they see the world. This is a book for those whose families are touched by autism and all those interested in this disorder of how people see the world.

A unique view of trench life during the first World War - with watercolour drawings and sketches completed while in the trenches

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars by 6 customer reviews) on Amazon

Adrian Tomine's illustrations and comics have been appearing for more than a decade in the pages (and on the cover) of The New Yorker.

It's a terribly overhyped title and strapline which people will either love or hate. This book looks at the work of 38 artists via their sketchbooks and their commentary on why they find sketching useful and stimulating. It's also available on Kindle

Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars (41 customer reviews)

I've got my review copy and am currently reading this one

(Publisher's Description) Imagine a supportive community of artists sharing the innermost pages of their sketchbooks and offering you tips and techniques for overcoming creative blocks. That's what The Sketchbook Challenge is all about, and the popular blog of the same name has already inspired thousands.

September brought a glut of books trying to answer every question somebody learning to draw and sketch might ask - this is one of them.

I've heard so many good things over the years about the Art students League that I went out and bought this book when it was published

This book supports the notion that drawing is for everybody and provides information about alternative approaches. Featuring the insights of 15 current and former Art Students League instructors, this stunning volume reassesses the art of drawing not as a technique, but as the essential grammar of all visual thinking.

Carla Sonheim's books do amazingly well

Rated an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars by 48 customer reviews on Amazon

Rediscover a more child-like approach to creating with Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals using creative exercises

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars by 8 customer reviews on Amazon

Not the most popular month to publish books. In order to catch the Christmas gift-giving season, most publishers publish before December.

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