Sketching seems to be the best way to capture a given moment. Capturing that sense of the ephemeral, visually, can not only be magical in itself, but can help convey that which otherwise remains ineffable, including through more carefully composed and executed images. Plus, who has the time for more extensive works? I know I don’t, and yet, that is all so much more easily said than done. What medium? How can different subjects be approached? Is copying the masters a good way to being sketching? (Spoiler: Nope.)

And that’s where About Sketching: The Art and Practice of Capturing the Moment comes in. When I walk through an art supply store, marveling at the promise and mystery of the different types of media available, I wonder which is worth the time learning to master, and which would be best left for other subjects and artists. It doesn’t get bogged down in technical details and how-to’s you can find elsewhere. Instead, this answers your questions about whether it is worth the time and effort in the first place. If you are wondering “About Sketching” — at all, in any way — this aptly named book is the best answer I’ve ever found.

About the Author:
British artist and architect Jasper Salwey (1884–1956) wrote numerous books on drawing technique as well as a series of landscape sketch books on various locales in Great Britain.