Reportage Books on my Shelf - Part One
Mini-reviews of books I love about visual journalism, reporter artists, sketching and more
I reorganized my bookshelves last summer. I love books but I have too many that don’t spark joy for me. So I'm donating them or selling them or giving them away. I also realized I have lots of books on reportage and visual journalism. Here's the first of three posts of short book reviews of those precious ones that aren’t going anywhere.
Back Roads of California: 65 Trips on California's Scenic Byways Paperback
Earl Thollander
Back Roads of California is just one of several compilations of sketches created by Earl Thollander, a prolific world travel artist. This book takes you beyond the well-known California landmarks with informed and eloquent prose, offering bits of local history, anecdotes, and helpful, hand-drawn maps of scenic routes that point the way.
New York: Finger Paintings
Jorge Colombo
New Yorker cover illustrator Jorge Colombo captures digital images of the Big Apple by drawing with his finger on his iPhone using the Brushes app. Especially beautiful are his night scenes, like silhouetted rooftop water towers and the illuminated Chrysler Building. This beautiful monograph is accompanied by his recollections and commentaries about each location.
Drawing Conclusions: An Artist Discovers His America
Tracy Sugarman
I wrote about Tracy Sugarman and the reportage he made during the Freedom Summer of 1964. Drawing Conclusions documents this, his naval life during World War II, his participation with the civil rights movement, his coverage of space exploration and the aftermath of 9/11. It’s a treasure trove of powerful words and images of historic and societal events. Sugarman offers some meaningful and thoughtful reflections of what it means to be an American and that ink and pencil can record events with as much graphic potency as a camera.
Overlooked New York: Impassioned New Yorkers from an Artist's Perspective
Zina Saunders
In her self-published Overlooked New York artist Zina Saunders provides an impressive array of portraits and commentary of New Yorkers in relation to their hobbies, interests, pastimes, and pursuits; including rooftop pigeon fanciers, houseboat residents, bike messengers, carnival costume designers, and more.
Escaping Wars and Waves: Encounters with Syrian Refugees
Olivier Kugler
In Escaping Wars and Waves Oliver Kugler finds, draws and does interviews Syrian refugees. He empathizes with their plight. His graphic reportage is visually complex, composing snatches of conversation with images of their few yet significant possessions. It delivers an important message.
The Urban Sketcher: Techniques for Seeing and Drawing on Location
Marc Taro Holmes
Do you have a passion for drawing on location in the cities, towns and villages? The Urban Sketcher is packed with art by and instructive exercises from Marc Taro Holmes. This master draftsman will inspire you to draw from real life and improve your visual memory. You'll find everything you need to tackle subjects ranging from still life and architecture to people and busy street scenes.
On-the-Spot Drawing
Nick Meglin
After author Nick Meglin spoke to my class at art school, I ran out and bought his book of his selected on-the-spot artists, that includes their drawings and narratives. It’s been my inspirational reportage bible ever since.
The Water Colors of Dong Kingman: And How the Artist Works
Alan D. Gruskin
In 1942 Chinese-American watercolorist Dong Kingman won a Guggenheim Travel grant that allowed him to tour the country and paint. His works are emotional reflections of those American experiences. This book is full of gorgeous compositions of skyscrapers, birds, store signage, elevated trains, monuments, construction sites and bridges. I wrote about Kingman here.
The Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing On Location Around The World
Gabriel Campanario
Founder of Urban Sketchers, Gabi Campanario has brought together artists and sketches they made of the cities they love. It’s both a comprehensive instructional guide and a showcase of location drawings from around the world.
Front Line Artists
Peter Johnson
War makes news unfortunately and for a few centuries it was delivered by reporter artists on the battlefield. Peter Johnson writes a deep history of this tradition, particularly those that covered the Civil War, like Alfred R. Waud and his impassioned sketches for Harper’s Weekly.
Creative Pencil Drawing
Paul Hogarth
This book is not merely instructional, but a world travelogue through some of the masterful pencil drawings Hogarth has created. You get a primer on his tools and techniques. I wrote about Hogarth’s New York drawings here.
Read my other Book Shelf Mini-Reviews: Part Two and Part Three.
Thank you for all of the books and their artists. The Dong Kingman book looks like an excellent choice. I always admired his art. Lucky person you donate it to. So much talent and passion to draw and paint, especially the scenes of war and despair. The world should see.
Thank you again.♥️🌉
I grew up in Napa and just feasted on those Earl Thollander backroads books in the 70's. I was a shy art student and remember meeting him once when he used to show his work at Vintage 1870 in Yountville. When I crack open his books, it makes me homesick for Napa and its surroundings. Now I need to check out these other books. Thanks for always getting interesting things in your writings, Bill!