Brush Pen Illustration: More Than 200 Ideas for Drawing with Brush Pens

by Sho Ito

Curious about the world of brush pens but aren't sure where to start? Brush Pen Illustration​ shows how to draw pretty much anything in 2 – 4 steps.

Brush pens have taken the illustrating world by storm! This unique medium comes in hundreds of colors and produces a beautiful, soft, watercolor effect which has had lettering artists buzzing. Now, though, illustrators in all walks of art are incorporating brush pens' into their repertoire as a simple way to include color and motion into their art.

Brush pens' style is reminiscent of Chinese brush painting and drawing. They offer a gentle, paint-like quality that replicate watercolor paints without having use paint and brushes. Brush Pen Illustration is a comprehensive guide which shows you how to draw pretty much everything in 2-4 easy steps; apples, zebras, penguins, flowers, this book shows you how to draw everything under the sun with fun and colorful brush pens.  

• ISBN13: 9781631595004
• Publish Date: 28 June 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 13 May 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Quarry Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 104
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Brush Pen Illustration through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Brush Pen Illustration is the perfect art book for anybody that has ever found themselves fascinated by this style of artwork. It’s perfect for any level, but especially for beginners, as it gives a wonderful understanding of the style itself and many details of the intricacy in how it works.
Included in this book is a basic overview of the style itself, the techniques involved, and a variety of different themes that are commonly used. There’s a whole chapter dedicated to foods, which may or may not have made me a bit hungry, a chapter for cats and other animals (my personal favorite for this style), water brush techniques, plants, Asian art, and finally black & white illustrations.
What I especially loved about this guide was that they took the time to not only explain, but show the effects on different paper types. This is something that’s so frequently overlooked, but can be really frustrating for a beginner. There’s nothing more frustrating than following a guide and not understanding why everything keeps coming out differently than intended. It’s understandable that many wouldn’t even consider the paper being a culprit, but in this style in particular it can’t be overlooked.
On the whole I was very happy with this book, and impressed with the precision and attention to detail shown. Going into this I didn’t feel like I had a firm grasp on the subject or how it was rendered, but now I certainly have a better idea, not to mention increased respect for the style.

For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Brush Pen Illustration is a new tutorial/step-by-step DIY manual from artist designer Sho Ito, published by Quarry Books - Quarto due out 26th June 2018. Originally published in Japanese in 2011 as "Fude Pen Illust Renshucho (Boutique Mooc #958)" it's been reformatted and translated for the re-release. It is 106 pages and contains specific tips and tricks for rendering hundreds of animals, plants, foods, shells and many other items from daily life. Many of these are deceptively simple and all are fun. The book is mostly printed in full color and includes a goodly proportion of clear photographs, especially in a useful inspiration gallery showing ways to use the illustrations which the reader produces.

The aesthetic (see cover) is definitely Asian in feel. The tutorial items will all be recognizable to western readers as well. The designs are spare and elegantly simple.

The book begins with an intro and materials chapter including pens, paper, and general techniques (circa 15% of the content count). The author does include a short resources list with e-tailers who carry the brush pens and types of paper which are best to use with these projects. After the intro, the lion's share of the book is given over to specific tutorials grouped by subject (animals, foods, plants, Asian art, black and white illustrations etc).

There are a number of really interesting lessons in this book concerning the use of space and movement.
One of the things that many artists struggle with is the use of negative space. Ito's simple step by step tutorials brilliantly utilize negative space to illustrate 3D shapes and volume (see the sheep example below)


There are many many such takeaways from this very enjoyable book.

Well worth a look.

Four stars

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.