Book Review: Sketching Times: Inspiration from 24 Artists' Sketch Collections (English Edition)

You may remember the Sketching Times Chinese sketchbooks, Vol 1 and Vol 2 that I reviewed in 2013. There are actually two more volumes that came out after that.

Well, local Singapore Basheer Graphic Books has translated the latest Chinese Vol 4 into English edition. Actually the only text are the few pages of artist interviews at the back of the book.

This particular volume has 336 pages. The Chinese edition Vol 4 has only 272 pages. I also noticed that several sketches not from Vol 4 but from other volumes. So there's a bit of a mix, or if you have the earlier Chinese Sketching Times sketchbooks, then it's duplication.

I love sketchbooks and the sketches featured are wonderful. There are lots of styles to check out. Most are black and white line art, and the rest are coloured sketches. It's mainly character designs.

I can't remember the exact price so you have to ask Basheer on Facebook. But it's definitely cheaper than Kim Jung Gi's sketchbooks, which has limited copies in store at Basheer the last time I checked.

It's very inspiring book. Highly recommended and worth the money.

It's SGD29, which should be about USD $22.

If you like sketchbooks, also check out the following:

• ImagineFX sketchbook
• Sketching from the Imagination: Fantasy
• Sketching from the Imagination: An Insight into Creative Drawing
• Everything Is Its Own Reward: An All Over Coffee Collection
• And many more

That's the English edition and the Chinese edition volume 1.

Majority of the content is from the Chinese edition volume 4 but I see that this few pages are actually from Chinese edition volume 1.

Send your enquiries to Basheer Graphic Books.