The Drawing Lesson

2017 Eisner Award Nominee

2017-2018 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award List

2019 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee

“[H]eartfelt and quite moving…An artful balance of character and technique, of observed human moments and carefully pitched instruction, that will appeal to students with artistic aspirations. Gr 4 + Up“
—School Library Journal

“Engaging…A pleasant diversion for a long summer afternoon, The Drawing Lesson is likely to result in lots of ambitious sketching among readers ages 7 to 14.”
—Wall Street Journal

“The narrative is often funny and unexpectedly poignant, while the tutorials are impressively clear and easy for readers to implement…A great pick for juveniles and young teens looking to learn the craft of drawing.”
—Library Journal

“Proportion, negative space, perspective, lighting, and other drawing basics are covered concisely and informatively, so a student could easily follow the clear drawings to benefit from Becky’s lessons. Crilley develops his characters fully, making this a true novel and not simply a narrated drawing lesson. An original and accessible way to learn to draw. (Graphic nonfiction. 10-14)”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Offers thorough and practical lessons in drawing. The instruction is solid, covering proportion, shading, loose sketching, self-criticism, drawing shadows, and negative space.”
—Publishers Weekly

“You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, and you might even discover a hidden talent. What’s not to love?”
—Girls’ Life Magazine

“A great book for young artists and their parents, sure to encourage artistry while building confidence and fundamental drawing skills.”
—Book Riot

“Everyone has looked at a piece of art, whether it is a comic book or classical painting, and thought I wish I could do that…Mark Crilley’s latest drawing manual, ‘The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw,’ turns that wish into an absolution.”
—GeekChicElite

“The book doesn’t just show you the right way to do things but also common, fixable mistakes. Then it shows you what to do in order to make things right.”
—Nerdophiles

“This book tackles all the topics they covered in my High School AP Art Class…An excellent book to give to a young person (tween to teen) if they’re interested in learning about the technical aspects of art.”
—What’cha Reading

“Illustration inspiration.”
—The Children’s Book Review

“The Drawing Lesson is a truly innovative way to learn art. I can’t wait to get this book for every kid on my gift buying list. Whatever your age, The Drawing Lesson is an essential primer on how to draw what you see.”
—Gene Ha, artist for Alan Moore’s Top 10, Fables, and Action Comics, creator of Mae, and four-time Eisner Award winner