Review: The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw by Mark Crilley

Title: The Drawing Lesson: A Graphic Novel That Teaches You How to Draw by Mark Crilley

Author: Mark Crilley

Gear Towards:  4th Grade and Up

An instructional art book in narrative graphic novel form that uses the tale of one aspiring young artist and his reluctant mentor to impart easy-to-follow lessons on the fundamentals

of drawing.

With over 10 million views and growing, Mark Crilley's YouTube drawing instruction videos have an enormous worldwide legion of fans and have been featured on sites such as Yahoo News and Reddit. In addition, Crilley is an accomplished graphic novelist. Now for the first time, he pairs both strengths resulting in a one-of-a-kind art instruction experience. Through the story of aspiring, overeager young artist-in-the-making David and his helpful, but often flustered mentor, Becky, readers gain a grounding in the basics of drawing and rendering, along with a helping of laughs and poignant entertainment. Each lesson builds off the previous, with sidebars at the end of each chapter that direct readers to tackle some of the very same drawing exercises that David has just completed. The sequential art format provides the perfect vehicle for these step-by-step lessons, and the Pixar-esque approach to the surrounding characters and story ensures an enjoyable experience that readers will want to revisit again and again.

This is a very creative idea for a book! I love that this is both a book to read and look at (since it's a graphic novel), but it is also a book that can teach you how to draw! I've never seen a book like this before.  In the book David wants to learn how to draw.  Like a lot of kids he wants to jump in and get going, but Becky teaches him the pieces he needs in the order that he needs it.  It's a perfect example of how learning takes time and practice and that you cannot give up right away.  Slowly as the story goes along you see how David is progressing and how Becky does know what she is doing when it comes to teaching him.  

It's also really neat that the reader can join in and attempt the lessons that David is learning as well.  I know plenty of kids who would take that challenge and try right along with him.  And like David they might feel frustrated - but with the story they can see that is a normal part of learning! Great lesson to learn!

Like to draw

Like to be active with their reading

Enjoy graphic novels

Media Center Thoughts:  I would put this in the media center.  It will not have a huge following unless one student finds it and begins drawing from it.  Then I see others wanting to read it as well!