The, Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

This is a beautiful book that has captivating illustrations on every page. It's nicely bound with high quality paper.

Mr. Laws is a fantastic communicator, expressing drawing and journaling concepts in a practical and concrete manner. This makes challenges like perspective seem doable. He mentioned having learning challenges as a child, and I think the "hands on" way he had to learn has made him fantastic at simplifying and giving examples.

Of the 100s of drawing books I own, this is in the top five. The author also has a number of fantastic free YouTube videos of his classes, and the videos and this book are great together.

Magnificent. Must be a watershed and groundbreaking book in its domain. I have been downsizing for the last few year and have been giving hundreds of books to charity. However, if I could keep only a dozen books this would be one of them. By chance I came across this book in the public library. I checked it out and new that I had to get one for myself and my family. This book is more than a superb guide to drawing and the use of watercolor. It is a guide to enriching one's life. My words do not do it true justice. - If your vision is not as sharp as it used to be you may find the font size rather small. If in doubt you might check it at your local library first.

This book is packed full of ideas for drawing and illustration the natural world around us. Hundreds of pages of wildlife and how to draw, shade, shadow and capture their anatomy. Ideas on how to capture light and shadow and how to use color and hue to bring your artwork to life!

Although the title specifies nature drawing and journaling, the concepts/principles/techniques in the book can easily be applied to improve any type of drawing or journaling, making this one of the best GENERAL drawing and journaling technique books out there. Instructions are precise yet complete and complemented by beautiful illustrations and examples.

Lots of art books out there skip from subject to subject, providing overviews without going in depth into anything. Instead of just superficially introducing topics, this book goes deep enough into each one so that you really come away feeling like you've learned something that you can immediately apply to improving your work.

Phenomenal opus of a book in that it is educational, resourceful, and a great read in addition to all of the tips and fantastic art. Had to own it after I borrowed from Library to check out. The first one on order was shipped poorly: unwrapped book shipped in same box as the CoCo Hydro dehydrated coconut water which was punctured by the book's corner resulting in the entire contents of powder filled the book and box. The online return was easy to do, and the book was replaced quickly.
Glad to have this in my possession.

This book is excellent!, Every page is full of very useful information, It is incredible how it covers so much in that space and besides that includes drawings. The way that everything is placed on the pages is very attractive. It feels like if the author knew me and all the problems that I face when drawing and wrote about that in this book.....Recommended for everybody who is interested on starting a journal, not only drawing. It is usual to hear some persons say 'I don't draw' but I agree with the book, this is a skill that can be developed trough practice.
The author's webpage is also an excellent source of tips and recommendations, for example he says, do not hurry to the store to buy the suggested material... one can start small and grow slowly. The only thing that I don't like very much in the book is the small font, but it is so good the quality of the paper and printing that it is not too hard to read, I using a magnifier glass only for those pages that have larger paragraphs. This is an excellent addition to the author's other very recommended title about how to draw birds.....

This is the most generous book I have EVER purchased, the author shares massive amounts of knowledge. The other reviewers have covered everything, I will only add, believe these good reviews, if you are at all interested in drawing nature you will love this book as I do. It is huge, beautiful and full of wonderful tips and information.

I mistakenly purchased this to learn how to do water colors of nature. However it is truly about drawing. The author did an excellent presentation
of illustrating how to pay attention to shading and detail. It is well written. Illustrations are clear and concise. I think I will try mixing colored pencils with watercolors. It is a heavy book on quality paper.

This is a fabulous book for anyone interested in drawing, in watercolor, in nature and the natural world -- or just interested in looking at something very beautiful. John Muir Laws work and books are amazing.

Jack Laws has, for years, generously introduced us to the practice of nature journaling through his free online tutorials. Finally ALL of his beautiful advice and tips have been collected into this much awaited masterwork. Go ahead, treat yourself to a whole new way of being in the world.

This book is the best, most comprehensive book on nature journaling. I've other books as well, but this is my go-to. John Muir Laws is clear and complete in directions. He challenges me to think about nature and journaling more deeply and motivates the reader to try new things. Thank you John Muir Laws for this excellent book. It is the only one needed!

I originally borrowed this book from my local library. During checkout, the librarian mentioned that this book was very popular and constantly in circulation. After spending a few days with it, I understand why - and I wanted to keep it! So here I am, on the store once again, buying my own copy. It's a bit on the pricey side but completely worth every penny. My love for drawing and journaling has been renewed.

Quickly becoming one of my favorite art instruction books. My Laws "Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada" is cherished and well-worn from all the time it spends in and out of my backpack. I'm enjoying the style, instruction and tips in his Nature Drawing book just as much. I highly recommend this one for any nature lover interested in drawing wildlife and landscapes.

Everything, and I mean everything one might need to know to start nature journaling. This book is beautiful, organized, and clear. This book has been a pure delight to read and great inspiration to enjoy the wonders of my surroundings.

Have been a fan of Mr. Laws' youtube tutorials and this is a great book. There are plenty of drawings books, but the illustration and text (make sure you actually read it) help you see things better.

Highly recommended.

I preordered this book from John's website. I had discovered his blog and free video workshops. I wanted to support his work. This is a beautiful and useful book. It is the best nature drawing/journaling book I have seen. Well worth the price.

Where to start? Love the outdoors but think you can't get it onto paper? Think again...John Muir Laws has done an amazing job in breaking down the whole picture so you can "record" what you see in nature. Lest you think this is just another how-to draw book, think again. This book really excels in teaching you how to observe nature (which of course can extend to everything in life). As much as I love the outdoors, and drawing and painting, Mr. Laws opened my eyes to a whole other level of understanding of nature. A recent study showed that some incredible things happen to the brain and our overall sense of well-being by simply getting out into nature, and this book should be referred to as the Bible on how to make the most of it.

Aside from the excellent explanation and examples of developing a sense of observation, Mr. Laws also teaches you how to actually draw birds, trees, plants, landscapes, etc. in such an easy and approachable way. Even if you just glance through the book and go outside, you'll be thrilled with what you find and create.

We made our son go on an outing into the local hills and armed with this book, some paper and watercolors, we all found ourselves immersed. There is something truly special about being able to focus on something so quietly alive as nature. What may seem to be still and quiet on the surface, is really bustling with activity - and this book shows you the way to see it and recreate it. This should be required reading for everyone regardless of age, and a standard textbook for all public education.

This book is the most comprehensive foray into nature journaling available. So chocked full of detailed instruction, knowledge, and experience, it’s the kind of manual you can read and reference again and again.

More than that, Mr. Laws has managed to address deeper issues surrounding naturalism, art, nature exploration, and personal expression, such that this book provides some of the most meaningful nature art content I’ve ever found. Issues surrounding nature advocacy, why naturalism matters, why art is a meaningful and valuable tool for science, and how creative expression serves as a tool for critical examination and learning, are all addressed in this book.

I see this book being useful for a wide variety of people, naturalists, bird watchers, teachers, homeschoolers, students of all kinds, and of course, artists.

My only complaint is that it isn’t twice as long and twice as massively filled with even more tutorial style drawings. But considering the book is already 300 pages long, I suppose that’s too much to ask.

Excellent book. Will be a treasured resource.