Although not so obvious from the title, Pencil Sketchingis really about sketching landscapes and architecture. It’s a pretty great book with so many great sketches that it makes you want to get out there and draw nothing but buildings!

In this book, Wang gives a solid overview of pencil use, the strokes produced by various kinds of pencils and different grips and hand/arm movements for sketching. What I really liked was the samples and exercises of strokes that are useful for sketching landscapes and buildings. Some might find this overly simplistic, but as a beginner, I thought it was useful!

There are many pages dedicated to sketching landscapes, especially features that typically surround buildings. I especially like his examples and tips for drawing trees as it’s one thing I struggle with! There is also a section on landforms (hills and valleys) and water. Another chapter covers composition — what to emphasize and what to discard, and how to provide balance to a sketch. And for those who don’t necessarily want to draw on location, Wang also has great tips for sketching from memory, in particular for establishing a framework with the right scale.

In general, the book has quite little text but lots of sketches. Most of the important lessons in the book are explained through sketches, for examples, how to shade to create contrast and give the impression of depth. In fact, the whole last chapter (all 20 pages of it) only has examples of Wang’s sketches. However, even without text, the book has a lot of useful lessons. If you hate reading, this is definitely a good book for you! I, on the other hand, LOVE reading so I wish this book had more pages for me to read!

You can have a look at many more sample pages of Pencil Sketching on Amazon, as well as other reader reviews.

As a fan of architecture sketches and location sketching, Pencil Sketchingis definitely a book I would like to have in my library (The copy I am reviewing is from the library of my university’s Architecture department). I admire Wang’s sketching style and clean lines, so the whole book is eye candy! However, I do crave more content and will continue searching for a better book on sketching architecture.

Pencil Sketching, 2nd edition, is available from most online stores, including Amazon US, Amazon UK, and the Book Depository. If you’re thinking of buying any books from these stores, do consider getting them via my links… I get a commission that will go towards buying more books to review. Thanks!

Light and shading, according to him, is key to capturing the mood of a scene. He provides many step-by-step explanations on how to sketch certain subjects, and how to shade with the blending tool to bring a quick sketch to life. Shading with the blending tool lends a watercolour wash look to the sketches.

There are not many step-by-step images of the drawing process (except in the chapter on animals), but most of the instructions detail the sequence he used to get to a final sketch (which is shown). There are also a couple of before-and-after shading examples to show us how important lighting is.

His book mainly teaches by asking you to follow his sequence of sketching (e.g. outline head of tiger, add eyes, nose, mouth, attach chest, leg, paws, add body and tail, finally throw in stripes and shadows), which is great for beginners, but perhaps too basic for those who already sketch a little.

While the book was written in a readable manner, I find that the author pushes his blending tool technique too often, and gives the impression that his is the only method that can create moods of a scene in a short time.

I did obtain some valuable tips from reading this book, such as how to see and simplify the light values of any scene or object, as well as to put more thought into the light source.

I don’t personally like the lines or shadings in his examples. I love looking at beautiful lines and simple, but gorgeous, hatching, and so not all the sketches in this book were inspirational. He says that shading with the blending tool is the only way to record a scene quickly, but I disagree as some of the sketches in Drawing Birds were probably done just as quickly (birds move a lot!!!) but with more carefully marked, good-looking lines. Some reviewers on Amazon have commented that his sketches were childlike, and I thought that of his animals and people. However, I did like his architecture/landscape sketches and some of his watercolour sketches in Payne’s Gray, which showed great use of light values.

Personal preferences aside, I believe his methods are suitable for sketching as a study for a larger watercolour (as David does), for your illustrative journal, or when you really don’t have time (in your car stuck in traffic?). Some people who reviewed the book on Amazon found it useful and gave it good ratings.

If you are truly interested in learning drawing/sketching techniques, whether you are an absolute beginner or not, I would recommend that you invest in a copy of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain instead. With practice, you should be able to sketch quicker and with any medium. I currently make 10 minute ballpoint pen and pencil sketches of my colleagues during seminars.

This book is no longer available on Amazonor the Book Depository, though you will be able to find it on the Amazon Marketplace and stores such as AbeBooks.

But apart from the eye-candy, there is also lots to learn from this book, for both the beginner and advanced bird sketcher. There is a whole chapter dedicated to the form and anatomy of birds. There is a very useful chapter on birds and water, with tips about reflections and movements. And of course, a chapter on birds flying! John Busby also discusses general aspects of bird watching and bird drawing in separate chapters and throughout the book.

This book is not a step-by-step guide on how to draw birds from imagination. While tips and advice for drawing birds are provided, they are not technical instructions. Drawing Birds encourages you to understand the way of birds, and draw them by observation. It really encourages and inspires reader to get out there and put pen to paper! I know that Drawing Birds will be a lifelong reference and inspiration for my bird drawing endeavours.

Summary: A must-have for bird and wildlife artists! Get it for the advice, inspiration and beautiful art!

Further reviews an be read on Amazon US and Amazon UK

Drawings Birds is available from all these online stores:

Book Depository : US$22.47 (free worldwide shipping)
Amazon US : US$13.57
Amazon UK : £12.99

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