How to Keep a Sketchbook

by Michael Woods

“[This] title boasts lavish, full-color examples and illustrations of techniques...a pleasure for the eye as well as [an] important resource.....Woods...presents many examples of images that may stand on their own merits or become the basis for studio work....Whether sea- or cityscape, the accompanying text is agreeably anecdotal, even chatty.... Provides a useful ‘Technical Notes’ section.”— Booklist.

Genres: Art

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 2003

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 3 out of 5]

(More pictures of the book on my blog)

The content of the book was not what I had expected.

It's not a very technical book. There are 6 pages on the materials and the rest are personal travel sketches from artist and author Michael Woods. There's no logical structure or arrangement of the subjects featured and drawn. The examples featured are created from a variety of materials but there aren't enough coverage on how each material works with sketchbooks.

The commentary talks about the story behind each sketch and occasionally he'll give tips on drawing. There's not a lot on the techniques. So you won't really learn how to draw or where to follow up. What's lacking is perhaps more themes to explore. For example, there are some examples of drawing animals and people but they are too brief.

In essence, this is a travel sketchbook.

[Sherry (sethurner) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is British, so for readers in the United States some terminology will be unfamiliar. Woods' book gives a good overview of considerations in keeping a sketchbook, time, materials, different approaches, but my impression is that a beginner would be overwhelmed. His drawings, watercolor sketches and even prints are all charming, but could easily intimidate a beginning or casual sketcher.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is somewhat of a misnomer, because it teaches you the technical aspects surrounding sketchbooks (literally things about different types of paper and artists' tools) but not how to seek out things to draw or how to draw or any of the things I expected. The majority of the book was examples of the author's own drawings/paintings/sketches, which was somewhat disappointing, but also they were great, so it was a nice way to start learning about art.