patlo's Reviews (1.32k)

I discovered Gabriel Companario this summer through a discovery of urban sketching, and was pleased to see that he's now in my hometown Seattle. I'm a fan of Gabi's eye and style - he sketches everyday neighborhood things, and his work is loose and free. I loved his Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing on Location Around the World book, and when the two new Urban Sketching Handbooks were announced I preordered them. This is my favorite of the three, because it's a simple and effective look at sketching people in scenes. Gabi has a gift for describing this skill in an approachable way, and I've been sketching as often as possible in the past few days since I began reading, then finished this book. I'll revisit it (and his other two) often.

Targeted at architects.

Seattle's Gabriel Campanario is well known as the Seattle Sketcher whose work is published in the Seattle Times newspaper, giving us artistic looks at life in and around the city.

This handbook, the first of a pair, is a brief but helpful look at sketching architecture and cityscapes. It's creative, simple and straightforward enough for new sketchers but useful for more advanced creatives.

Perhaps the most helpful page is 111, which lists the 40+ contributing artists and their own sites. It will be very useful to go look through their work as I continue to practice my own urban sketching.

Helpful and practical guides to the business of photography from a deeply passionate author. Zack Arias is down to earth, unpolished and has a unique voice.

His suggestions on kit checklists for photographers of various levels will help many.

His sections on choosing your portfolio shots and personal projects were highlights for me that I will study more, as both subjects are where I find myself focusing now.

this is a great one to revisit frequently. In particular, the author does a fantastic job of introducing watercolor to sketch work.