Let's look at the sketchbooks that were published in 2013. I had wanted to publish this post in January but forgot all about it.
The first sketchbook I bought in 2013 is An Illustrated Journey authored by Danny Gregory.
The inspiring thing about this book, and with his earlier book An Illustrated Life, is that there are so many artists out there sketching and recording the sights they see in their sketchbooks. It's a wonderful form of artistic expression, and every artist has their unique style that's just a delight to look at.
With the popularity of location sketching on the rise, it seems that there are also more books coming out. There are already two upcoming for 2014, Urban Sketching: The Complete Guide to Techniques by Thomas Thorspecken and Urban Watercolor Sketching: A Guide to Drawing, Painting, and Storytelling in Color by Felix Scheinberger.
Freehand Drawing and Discovery: Urban Sketching and Concept Drawing for Designers by James Richards is a book that's filled with useful location drawing tips and techniques. James really knows his stuff when it comes to drawing outdoors.
Animation Sketchbooks features 50 creatives and their sketchbooks. It's a nice idea but the selected sketchbook pages seem too random for me.
There are already many Frazetta artbooks that focus on his paintings so it's good to have one that looks at his sketches. Frazetta Sketchbook is just that book.
All the Buildings in New York: That I've Drawn So Far is a cute sketchbook from Australian artist James Gulliver Hancock who goes about drawing the iconic buildings he sees around New York.
Barcelona M'Inspira is a beautiful sketchbook from Lapin. I bought this in Spain during my sketching trip there so it has special meaning to me as I've visited and also sketched some of the places featured inside.
Lapin is really a productive sketcher. At the bookstore where I bought this book, I saw many of his other sketchbooks too.
Liège Carnet De Croquis. I got this in Spain also, from the artist Gerard Michel himself no less. Fantastic sketchbook. Highly recommended to those who like architecture.
KATSUYA TERADA 10 TEN is a great sketchbook, just that it's too small. The detailed drawings deserve a bigger canvas.
Kim Jung-Gi 2013 Sketch Collection is the most popular sketchbook in 2013 judging by the number of pageviews the review generated. This is the ultimate sketchbook of 2013.
Sketching Guantanamo to me is the kind of journalistic sketchbook that has that sort of gripping power just because of the subject that it covers.
Una mirada a Sarrià is another sketchbook I bought in Spain.
Drawing Around Sagrada Familia is one of my favourite artbooks. You should definitely check out Nina Johansson's blog is you have not.
Enjoy, Gaudi by Swasky is another wonderful sketchbook, this one looking at the Gaudi buildings located around Spain.
Meanwhile Back in Los Ranchos is a entertaining travelogue sketchbook of Trisha Ray of her traveling adventures from 1970s to 80s. Her stories are really interesting, events that are made possible by traveling.
Sketching from the Imagination: An Insight into Creative Drawing is an inspiring collection of sketchbook pages from some of the prominent sketchers around.
Voyage au Japon - Tome 2: Koyasan is another one of my favourite sketchbooks. I love this one. The paintings, at the huge size they are printed, really draw you in and make you feel as if you're there.
This is the other sketchbook compilation that came out after Sketching from the Imagination. ImagineFX Sketchbook as the name suggest collects the sketches that were featured from the magazine issues. Great book also.
速写时光2 - 如常: 30位画家的私房灵感手记 (Sketching Times: 30 Artists and their inspiration sketches)
I'm not sure if this was published in 2013 but I reviewed it last year. Another sketchbook to get if you can't get enough of sketches. There's also Volume 1. And Volume 3 is coming.
Bahamas Sketchbook is the latest sketchbook by Graham Byfield.
Sketchbook: Slow and Steady 慢漫来 by Chang Lip Wei is a surprise find because it was my colleague who found and bought the sketchbook at COMIC FIESTA 2013. It's a good buy.
Wil Freeborn's Sketchbook: Selection of Drawings and Watercolours Made in Scotland. It's rather thin, but a nice watercolour sketchbook nevertheless. Quite similar in style to Nina Johansson's sketchbook earlier.
Sketch Your World: Essential Techniques for Drawing on Location is a book by James Hobbs. It's yet another book related to location sketching.
Andrea's Book is delightful. The artworks are so fine, delicate.
Drawing on Istanbul 2 travelogue sketchbook on Istanbul by Trici Venola. I would never have discovered it if the publisher had not mail me a review copy. So now you also know that it's out there.
The Second in Line by Mattias Adolfsson. Go buy it.
Venice: A Watercolor Travel Journal is a travelogue sketchbook by Joaquin Gonzalez Dorao whom I met in Spain as well. He has also published a series of travelogue sketches. Traveling and sketching, what's there not to like?
The Singapore Neighbourhoods sketchbook series published by Epigram Books. Cute size sketchbooks with works from curated from Urban Sketchers Singapore. I've some sketches in one or two of the books.
Lastly, my Spain sketchbook. It's not a published book, but you can view all the pages here:
https://www.parkablogs.com/picture/sketches-my-spain-sketching-trip
So there are 27 sketchbooks in 2013, not counting the ones that I have not discovered.
Spoiled for choice?
