The Field Guide to Drawing & Sketching Animals

This is, without doubt, the best book on animal drawing I have ever seen. Not only are the results attractive and the very thing you'd want to be able to draw yourself, the comprehensive coverage and simple explanations are second to none. Simplicity is the key to Tim's approach, both in working and teaching. His creatures frequently stand alone, and never have more props or background than is absolutely necessary. That way, they leap off the page, both in monochrome and colour. As well as some neat 'widgets and gizmos' - simple shape-based ways of getting started - Tim also uses colour shading to handle the tricky subject of musculature and underlying structure. Finally, there's a way of getting to grips with this necessary topic. Subjects include birds, mammals, fish and crustaceans and there are sketches, studies and a variety of poses throughout. This book is always exciting, inspiring and thoroughly informative. 

* The Artist, June 2019 *

This remarkable comprehensive guide will tell you all you need to know about drawing everything from amphibians to primates. If that sounds like an overwhelming and perhaps breathless task, Tim is completely at home with his subject and breaks it all down into manageable chunks. I particularly like his "widgets and gizmos" - little sidebars that contain tricks that include the use of geometric shapes, grids and outlines that get structure and proportion right first time and, above all, painlessly. 

This is a lot more than sleight of hand, though, and there's a lot of real science (as well as art) behind what suddenly seems easy. Tim uses shading to show how structure works beneath the skin - anatomical lessons suddenly become about art rather than anatomy.

So far, I haven't mentioned the sheer quality of the work that Tim produces. While remaining faithfully accurate to shape and structure, there's a pleasant looseness to his style. It gives instant character and that sense of potential movement animals possess even at rest. Most of the illustrations don't have backgrounds but, where they do appear, they don't dominate and are always appropriate. The focus is always on the main subject, as it should be.

Although the title might suggest that this is a pen and pencil book, there's plenty of colour and Tim shows you how to use watercolour to add shape, texture and tone to your outlines.

I hope I've conveyed to you how much I love this. It's a visual feast that makes it impossible not to want to get started, even if you've never thought of drawing animals before. Even better, it fulfils its promise and takes you right through the process. Tim is a genius in every respect and this really could be the only book on animal drawing you'll ever need. 

* Paint magazine (March 2019) *

In this practical guide to drawing and sketching animals, Tim Pond shows us how to observe animals in natural environments - from zoos and farms to wildlife parks and aquariums. To cope with animals' constant movement, Tim explains how a basic knowledge of biology can help you to capture the spirit of your subject as well as its form. Fascinating facts about animals are included along the way, making this a lively as well as inspiring guide to better sketching techniques. 

* Leisure Painter, April 2019 *

This comprehensive guide to drawing animals will give you everything you need to know.

Tim suggests ways of simplifying your approach to shape, form, structure and physical features so that you'll get perfect results every time. He calls these little tricks Widgets and Gizmos and they do seem to work like magic. In practice, they're just simple grids and block outlines that point you in the right direction before you can overthink the problem. You'll wonder why no-one's ever told you about them before!

Every type of animal is here, from primates to ungulates and shellfish to amphibians. You've never wanted to draw a shrimp? Tim's approach is so enticing and encouraging that you'll be itching to do so the moment you see what's possible.

Although thorough, Tim's approach is straightforward and never intimidating. In the anatomical diagrams, the differently coloured shading makes it easy to follow the structure that underlies the outward appearance of your subject.

The whole book is a work of art that will have you producing your own in a very short time.

* The SAA *

'This is, I think, the best book on drawing animals I've seen. The sheer breadth of the coverage and the amount of detail that Tim goes into is breathtaking. More than that, though, it remains at all times completely accessible and you’re never left feeling bewildered by the amount of information on every page.'

Read the full review here.

 

-- Henry Malt * Artbookreview.net *

Tim Pond's Field Guide to Drawing & Sketching Animals is a keystone book for anyone wishing to draw animals that are both scientfically accurate and full of life. He does a deep dive into the anatomy and structure of animals but with a keen understanding of what the artist needs to see and understand. He has cut through irrelevant chatter to emphasise what you need to get the beast onto paper. His approach supports drawings that show the behaviour, mannerisms, and character, transforming a sketch from a generic diagram to an intimate portrait, the breadth of his examples, from sponges to gorillas is a celebration of the biodiversity of the Earth and an inspiration to naturalist-artists.

* John Muir La