A few months back I shared an article “How to Get Better at Drawing from Imagination – a 3 Step Process”.

You guys gave me such great feedback on it! But you were still seeking more information…

I’m a big believer in learning from the best books!

So let me share with you the top 6 books that, I believe, will help you improve your drawing from imagination skills!

Related Articles:

Get Better at Drawing from Imagination: #1. Perspective

To draw from imagination you need 2 things: Practice & Knowledge.

The practice is on you my friend, but knowledge comes from learning from the best!

And one of the most crucial things is PERSPECTIVE.

I know, I know it’s the “boring” thing to learn. But, you will need to understand at least the basics of it for EVERYTHING you draw (even humans).

I have 2 recommendations on the topic:

Perspective Made Easy by Ernest R. Norling

This book was written in 1999, and I laid my hands on it in a library. It’s a tiny size, so super easy to carry around and use in your coffee-shop or train practices.

You might be thinking that it’s outdated, but let me tell you a secret – the Principles of Prespective are the same now as they were a hundred years ago!

This book helped so many incredible artists learn the bases of realistic drawing, why look for something new?

It includes a bunch of step by step explanations, drawing examples and emphasis on the important things – so this “boring” concept becomes second nature to you!

I know that it’s not the sexiest topic to learn, but it’s definitely in the Top 3 Things You NEED to practice!

Below you can click through for a preview fo the book:

If you are looking for something more modern, with extra niche tips, I can also recommend…

How to Draw: drawing and sketching objects and environments from your imagination

Written by Scott Robertson and Thomas Bertling + their 26 years of art experience.

Every object drawn from real life or your imagination is combined of shapes, right?

This book takes you through Perspective Principles, as well as Shapes Mastery.

How do you draw an ellipse as if you were looking at it from the top vs from the bottom vs head on?

That’s a big topic inside the book!

It also covers sketching styles, volume and more specific categories: aircraft, vehicles and environments.

Probably my favorite part about this book is that it includes scannable codes that take you straight to 25 video lessons!

It’s almost as if you were getting a guide + a course at the same time 🙂

Here is a video that Scott Robertson created himself to showcase the book and explain it in more detail:

#2. Volume

The second aspect of drawing from life is knowing how to make a two-dimensional object look 3D.

That’s where an understanding of volume and how to render it comes in play.

How to Render: the fundamentals of light, shadow and reflectivity

This book was written by the same guys as “How to Draw” and I think they did a great job on this one too!

You see, even if you have the best understanding of anatomy, perspective and line drawing – to truly bring life to your image you MUST give it volume!

This book goes over light, shadow, rendering and much more! The best person to explain it is, of course, one of the writers:

Light, Shade and Shadow

Written by E.L. Koller book is as incredible!

It teaches beginner artists not only how to render objects realistically and give them that 3D look, but also how to manipulate it. How do you add drama to your drawings?

They start with simple geometric forms then moving onto more complex, such as figures and other items.

These step-by-step techniques and principles will help you add depth to your work.

Click through below to preview the book:

Note: if you want to truly master these concepts, it’s best to practice drawing from LIFE!

Use foam geometric solids to help you with that:

#3. Figure

Humans are definitely one of the HARDEST things to draw!

So how do you draw humans in various poses from imagination?!

Well, learning + practice, my friend.

You simply must understand human anatomy and figure drawing principles. And then apply them by practicing gesture drawing and figure drawing.

There are many fabulous books on human anatomy, but some get too technical! I suggest grabbing one that is geared towards artists:

Human Anatomy for Artists: The Elements of Form

This book is spot on anatomical with lots of great and detailed drawings!

Why you need this if you can’t actually see bones and muscles?

Well, the way your body is positioned, and how you are able to bend is all defined by the anatomy.

Want to draw realistic figures in various poses? Awesome!

Do you know how the leg is connected to the pelvis? Or what happens to the rest of your body when one of the shoulders lowers?

If you are unsure – you NEED this!

Here is a video flip-through of what you can expect inside of this book:

And one more thing..

It IS way better to draw from life! I actually had the opportunity to go to the morgue to look, touch and bend bones & muscles.

A trip like this is NOT for everyone!

Life-size skeleton and muscle figures are definitely the second best option.

BUT…

They can get pretty expensive…

If you can afford to – get it!

This one is pretty great!

If not – don’t worry, I feel you!

I prefer (a.k.a. in my budget) this little guy, and this one to practice portraits.

If you want to get serious with this topic, check out Anatomy for Artists by Proko.

Another awesome option is the SKELLY APP from Proko.

It’s an app that allows you to position a skeleton called Skelly in any pose you like!

I got it about a year ago, and have been using it since whenever I struggle drawing an action pose from imagination 🙂

They also have a funny promo video:

As to Figure Drawing, I already covered which 14 books are the absolute best to get started!

And if you are feeling like you need extra help, my best advice would be to get Figure Drawing Fundamentals course by Proko.

#4. Drawing from Imagination Boost

Once you figured out perspective, volume, anatomy and figure drawing – you are only then ready to hone in and perfect your drawing from imagination techniques!

And there is a whole goldmine of them by 3dTotlal Publishing!

Here are your choices:

Sketching from the Imagination: An Insight into Creative Drawing

A combination of drawings, doodles, sketches and tips from 50 incredibly talented traditional and digital artists!

It’s more than 300+ pages of inspiration!

Here is a look on what’s inside:

Sketching from the Imagination: Fantasy

Drawings are the foundation of concept art, characters & scene for movies and games, and pretty much anything else that has something to do with fantasy, sci-fi or tech.

In this book, another 50 incredible artists share how they come up with ideas, working process, tips, tricks and creative insight.

This book was published a year after the first edition, and focuses primarily on any sketches that have to do with fantasy!

So if you are a fan of fantastic movies and games – this will be your cup of tea.

Here is a look insight the book:

Sketching from the Imagination: Sci-fi

Just one year after the previous book they strike again! This time focusing on Sci-Fi sketches!

See, there is something for everyone!

Once again they’ve collected sketches, ideas and inspiration from 50 talented well-known or rising star artists.

An incredible collection that inspires with every turn of the page.

Take a peak at what’s inside:

Sketching from the Imagination: Characters

To tell you a secret, this book is probably my favorite!

I’m a big fan of character design (I even collected 100+ character design sheets wort taking a look at).

If you are just like me – you will LOVE this edition!

50 stunning artist share their approach to designing characters, as well as tips, ideas, inspiration and creative insights.

Ready to be blown away?

Take a look at what’s inside:

Sketching from the Imagination: Dark Arts

If you are into dark art, illustrations, concept design or comic art – this bad boy is a must!

Once again, you get an insight look into the sketches of 50 incredible artists.

Let your imagination run wild!

Here is what’s inside:

Sketching from the Imagination: Creatures & Monsters

The most recent, 2019 edition of the sketching from Imagination series is dedicated to creatures and monsters!

It’s release date is on June 4, 2019!

It has everything from magical and mythical beasts to aliens and mutant monsters.

If that’s your cup of tea – then it’s a must-have in your library!

Here is a preview:

Final Thoughts…

In general, to draw better from imagination, you need to know how to draw from life.

That’s the reason why I included books that don’t necessarily talk about drawing from imagination specifically.

If you know what you are not that great at drawing – that’s the topic you should learn.

Learn -> Practice -> Repeat : That is the “SECRET” to success!

Good luck 🙂

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