Book #12
Drawing For Illustration
By Martin Salisbury
I have been choosing a lot of art books for my 2025 Reading Challenge, which is to read 52 books in 2025. Although I do occasionally create art, it is more of a hobby. I think one of the reasons that I am hesitant to call myself an artist and why I am attracted to so many art books during this year of self-improvement is the self-expressiveness of art. I have lost the ability to express myself well and am now exploring different means of doing so.
I don’t think the importance of genuine self-expression is emphasized enough in our society. We aren’t really taught it in school. Even when we do something creative in a school environment it is given an external measurement: a grade. Someone else tells you its value. Its value doesn’t come from the value it gave you to create. This can be useful but it is also not enough. Expressing yourself for the sake of oneself is healthy. It adds value to your life and the lives of people who care about you.
Anyone who has ever been in an unhealthy relationship will talk about how they weren’t allowed to express their genuine thoughts. They had to put the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of the dominant person first. If that person wasn’t happy, then you weren’t happy. It’s a rough way to live.
So here I am, exploring self-expression for my own sake.
Messy Bun Book Lover
Postscript
Also, what I am about to write does not in any way deserve its own separate blog post but I just have to say it.
I love when a physical book matches its content. Drawing For Illustration by Martin Salisbury has such nice, soft paper. The dust jacket and pages felt really nice to read. The paper choice was perfect for a book on sketching and illustration. Chef’s kiss.
(Originally posted on May 6, 2025)
Other posts involving Drawing for Illustration are:
- When Curiosity Chooses the Book: Reading Drawing For Illustration
- A New Way of Looking at the World
- The Blessing and Curse of Influence
- Modern-Day Posters
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