Observational Sketching

Excelente libro, con mucha información, referencias de artistas y consejos, lo he leído en detalle y me encanta

I’m one of those people who drew a lot as a child and then kind of got out of it. I also spent 20 years on a drawing board as an engineer, but that kind of drawing is a whole different ball game. It uses some of the same skills but it is quite structured.A number of years ago, since often to estimate projects for tooling you might sketch what you are going to do upfront, I went through the exercises from “Drawing on the Right side of the mind” that really helped my observation skills. Essentially you need to learn to draw what you see, not what you think you see.Well this book touts a type of drawing that is quite unique. That of examining an object and recording this on paper in the manner you choose. It is more structured than most other types of drawing.The author takes it a step further and in Chapters 3 & 4, really presses you to learn about the objects you are sketching, including not only the material it is made of, but the process used to make it. Having come from industry, I’m not inclined to go the reverse engineering route like this, but I do like to do semi-structured drawings.I can’t say that this book does a great job teaching you how to do it, beyond some rudimentary breaking objects into simple forms and discussing perspective, and the exercises in that but it is a nice book to page through and energize you back into drawing.The chapters are:Chapter 1: The appeal of Observational Sketching (7-20)Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Sketching You Can Use Right Away (21-40)Chapter 3: How to Observe (41-68)Chapter 4: Let’s do some Observational Sketching (71-118)Would recommend anyone trying to learn to draw to first try the “Drawing on the Right Side of the mind book first”. It really helps you develop your eye.

While this isn't the perfect drawing book for *me*, I do think it's excellent. I say it's not "perfect for me" because it really is a book about drawing from a perspective of studying the industrial design of things rather than the form of things. Meaning- the book shows you how to take an object- a mug, for example- and study it closely- the handle, the seams where the handle meets the vessel, the texture of the materials used to make it, the shapes that make it up, the markings on it. Also, the book invites you to think further about it- how was the handle joined to the mug- is it fastened on? Or attached and the clay smoothed over? Then it goes even further- it starts asking questions about manufacturing mugs in general. I know it sounds like an exageration, but this book really does push you to consider these things.And by looking at objects with this much depth, the book posits you are better equipped to render them.I think this is a very interesting - and thorough- approach to drawing. One that produces exquisite, realistic, and properly rendered results. But one thing the book doesn't take into consideration is technical skill- the bottom line is that some people can do this type of illustration without pause, and others will struggle to draw a straight line, no matter what "tips and tricks" they learn (which is me).I definitely think this book gives me a whole new way to approach drawing, but my drawings are still coming out quite wonky and lopsided, no many how much effort and time I put in practicing and observing. And there's no place in the book - in any of the examples or artists whose work is shared- for anything less than neat and rendered well.So if you have a quirky style, and don't mind that, and want something that will help you develop it even further, this is not the book for that. However, that being said, this is a great book for learning how to fully observe all the little aspects of the world around you, which WILL help you capture the character and fundamentals of everything you see when you start drawing.

There are not nearly as many examples in this book as I thought there would be. Its pretty much the same 12 drawings on the cover repeated on multiple pages.

I’m just getting back into sketching, and this is a wonderful primer, refresher, and ‘back to basics’ book, with easy to follow methods, even for a total novice. I have backgrounds in both manufacturing and photography, so I appreciate Mariko Higaki’s technical approach toward studying subject’s textures, material composition, design, aesthetic, lighting, textures, and function. This is laid out nicely in four sections: appreciating the art of observational sketching, the fundamentals of sketching and perspective, understanding your subject material, and lastly, incorporating the learned techniques and completing the drawings, whether they be from the numerous examples and illustrations, or your own selected objects. I’m finding this combination approach of observation and technical drawing extremely helpful, whether I’m attempting to sketch something as intricate as a guitar’s wood and metal headstock, or something as seemingly simple as a teaspoon. Although this book contains many informative (and fascinating) elements that are more in the realm of design layout and manufacturing engineering, it’s also an engaging, and easy to follow guide towards understanding objects, and how to draw them. I’m impressed by how much thought went into this book, and the lessons are serving me well. The section(s) on understanding the types of perspective drawing have greatly heightened my proficiency and accuracy. This is a wonderful ‘how to’ book, and much more.