The Best Drawing Books to Add to Your Home Studio

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards was first published in 1979. In the more than four decades that have followed, this drawing book has continued to be used in art schools and by experienced artists. It has also been revised over the years to keep up with current research and techniques, and this is the fourth edition of the text. Drawing on the Right side of the Brain includes essential exercises and information to help each individual increase their confidence, learn new skills, and enhance their artistic capabilities.

In addition to helping the reader learn about the first steps to take when drawing and different drawing exercises to try, this book also examines the role the right hemisphere of the brain plays with regard to drawing and artistic abilities. In this updated version, Edwards includes some of the latest research on brain plasticity and how to better utilize the right side of the brain to enhance creativity in a society that so highly relies on the left side of the brain.

You Can Draw in 30 days was written by Mark Kistler, an Emmy-winning PBS host. In his book, Kistler sets out to show that any individual can learn to draw regardless of their current skill level, background, or any other perceived barriers. This drawing book encourages individuals to take 20 minutes each day for 30 days to learn new techniques and complete various tutorials to learn to draw in 3-D.

Step-by-step directions to draw numerous items ranging from shapes to trees to faces are included in the text. It also includes a description of Kistler’s “9 Fundamental Laws of Drawing” to help individuals learn how to create the illusion of depth in their drawings.

Beginning artists may want to consider Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner. Claire Watson Garcia, who is a well-known art instructor, wrote this book to help beginners learn the basics of drawing. Garcia uses numerous step-by-step drawing exercises to help each individual gain knowledge and learn specific techniques to create beautiful drawings.

Some of the subjects covered in the book include getting ready to draw, drawing with different mediums, drawing portraits, drawing faces from different points of view, and drawing still lifes. In this recently revised 15th edition, Garcia added additional information including drawing in three dimensions, drawing on the go, and drawing portraits at a three-quarter view.

Those looking to create fine art pieces will likely find that Bert Dodson’s Keys to Drawing is a wonderful resource. Dodson shares 55 different keys, or essentials, that allow individuals to draw realistic renderings of any subject. The keys are explained and illustrated in a way that can be useful to anyone from a beginner to a more experienced artist.

This drawing book also includes numerous practice exercises to help individuals refine their skills and technique. Some of the concepts covered by the text include how to focus attention and map out ideas, controlling the hand when drawing, sparking the imagination, and adding depth, texture, and light to drawings.

Drawing the Head and Hands is another timeless classic that is still highly revered by successful artists and art instructors. Andrew Loomis wrote this book in 1956 to create a reference for drawing heads and hands, two of the most challenging body parts to draw. The information contained in it is invaluable for drawing realistic-looking portraits.

In this book, Loomis walks readers through the necessary steps to draw each body part. The helpful guide is broken into five main sections: drawing men’s heads, drawing women’s heads, drawing kids’ and teenagers’ heads, drawing babies’ heads, and drawing hands.

Stephen Silver, a famous artist who has contributed to many animated shows including Kim Possible, The Fairly OddParents, and Danny Phantom, wrote The Silver Way: Techniques, Tips, and Tutorials to help individuals learn the basics of character design. Accomplished and aspiring artists can gain new knowledge and skills to improve their confidence and character drawings with this book.

Silver’s book offers numerous tutorials and tips to help each individual learn how to design their own characters. This book is also designed to be entertaining to keep illustrators engaged as they build on their skills.

Since it was first published in 1970, How to Draw What You See by Rudy de Reyna has been a trusted source for artists looking to improve their figure-drawing skills. This drawing book is designed to help artists draw realistic-looking pictures of objects to convey what they truly look like. To accomplish this goal, the book helps individuals learn how to identify an object’s most basic shape. Then, they learn how to use that basic shape, be it a cylinder, sphere, cone, or cube, to draw the object as it actually looks.

This figure-drawing text also includes information about how to draw still lifes, heads, faces, hands, and feet, and how to add light and shadows to drawings.

Those looking to spark a love of art in a child in their life should consider How to Draw All the Things for Kids. While it is specifically designed for children between the ages of 8 and 12, children between the ages of 5 and 7 who are motivated and interested may also be able to follow along with the various concepts and ideas shared in the text. Children can learn how to draw animals, spaceships, castles, fruit, and more with the 42 different projects that are included in this drawing book. Each project includes easy-to-follow steps along with diagrams to help children complete each task independently.

This book features lay-flat binding to help children keep their place in the book while they draw. It is also constructed with heavy-duty pages that are perforated for removal when desired. At 9 inches by 9 inches, each page is also quite large to help children easily view the step-by-step directions.