Drawing by Hand - Visual Communication - Manual Skills - DI Library at Design Institute of San Diego

Books in the DI Library

Draw: How to Master the Art by Jeffery Camp
Call Number: NC 730 .C15 1993
Explains the basics of pencils, pens, crayons and inks, charcoal, pigments and chalks, brushes, and papers, then moves on to techniques and composition
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence by Betty Edwards
Call Number: NC 730 .E34 1989
Instructions and exercises designed to teach anyone to draw
Keys to Drawing by Bert Dodson
Call Number: NC 730 .D56 1985
Shares a drawing system of fifty-five 'keys' that you can use to render any subject
The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaides
Call Number: NC 650 .N5 1975
This classic guide to drawing emphasizes observation and includes instructions, tips and exercises to improve your drawing skills
Pen and Ink Drawing by Frank J. Lohan
Call Number: NC 905 .L63 2013
A sourcebook with a wide variety of subjects, ideas and details that illustrate how to achieve different visual effects

Log in to Read Ebooks (DI Students, Faculty and Staff)

To read these ebooks, click the links below and use your Microsoft 365 login credentials (your DI email address and password).

You can also click the LIRN Library tab in Canvas, which will take you to the LIRN Library Portal and log you into all of the library resources. Need help? Contact the DI Library.

Ebooks - login required

Architects Draw: Freehand Fundamentals (ebook) by Sue Ferguson Gussow
Covers the fundamental skills of drawing from life, including still lifes, the human figure, and more. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).
Basics Freehand Drawing (ebook) by Florian Afflerbach
Publication Date: 2010
Provides step-by-step instructions to develop a perspective drawing from the initial structure of the image to various drawing techniques and use of color. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).
Pen and Ink: A Creative Exploration of a Time-Treasured Drawing Technique (ebook) by Ian Thomas Miller; Samuel Silva; Desarae Lee; Loui Jover; Marcio Ramos
Combines practical instruction, from basic pen techniques to stippling portraits and adding watercolor washes, with inspirational artwork. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).
101 Textures in Graphite & Charcoal: Practical Drawing Techniques for Rendering a Variety of Surfaces & Textures (ebook) by Steven Pearce
Offers step-by-step instructions on drawing key textures with graphite pencil and charcoal. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).
Why Architects Still Draw (ebook) by Paolo Belardi; Zachary Nowak (Translator)
Argues that drawing by hand is a way of thinking rather than merely a way to producing a picture. Available through ProQuest Ebook Central (login required).

Online Tutorials

Foundation Learning Objects | Otis College of Art and Design
Brief video tutorials on a range of foundational drawing skills
Sketching Tutorials from Themodmin on YouTube
Brief, easy-to-follow tutorials on sketching for architecture and design
Composition Fundamentals in 2D with Roni Feldman (video) | Otis College of Art & Design

Using a Grid to Create a Planar Form with Chris Badger (video) | Otis College of Art & Design