Understanding this principle allows us to construct guidelines for placing elements on a sphere’s surface, such as the features of my cat symbol, drawn from a three-quarter view. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting on your creative journey, we have everything you need to bring your ideas to life. Of all the pursuits open to us, drawing is perhaps the easiest to take up, requiring only minimal equipment: a pencil and some blank paper. Then you’ll move on to creating a floral illustration, which is Shayda’s top passion, before drawing everyday objects, learning to make orginal cards and journal pages.

If you’re not using a pad, you’ll need to find a piece of board a little larger than your paper to lean on. Try drawing a straight line between them in one single fluid motion, moving your whole arm across the paper and trying to keep the pencil pressure firm and even. Our Book of the Month for March is a richly-illustrated title with a wealth of inspiration for illustrators (and illustration fans! You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.You probably noticed that the quality of your lines changed as the pencil wore down and your hand position altered. Martin’s writing is clearly based on a lifetime of knowledge and experience and the stunning cover by Isabelle Arsenault is a cherry on top!

Unlike many other drawing manuals, this book aims to direct you towards imaginative end results, introducing in each subject area ideas for developing your sketches into various forms of illustration and design. Behind every successful drawing lie a great deal of thought, application and a history of mistakes and false starts. Whatever level you feel you are at, it never does any harm to be reminded of the basics, so I urge you to at least read the early pages, even if you choose to give the exercises a miss. One of the great things about taking up drawing is that you need very little equipment to get started.The function of the eye in the drawing process is to observe the truth of a subject, rather than one’s preconceived expectations of it. Before a drawing begins, the artist opens his or her sketchbook, chooses and sharpens a pencil, and then there comes a brief moment of anticipation, excitement and even fear. Our video course, created by popular YouTube artist Shayda Campbell, shows you how to draw with easy-to-follow videos. This brilliant book is full of fascinating insights into the work of professional illustrators and reinforces the importance of drawing as the root of all illustration. However, to get to a stage of being commissioned and making a living from it takes commitment, perseverance and artistic skills.