American Artist Drawing Magazine

The depth and range of American Artist 'Drawing' is impressive. The broad coverage doesn't mean that it is lightweight, though - the articles are thorough and academic. If you're well advanced in your technique, you'll find the exposure to new artists and reflections on history worthwhile, but there's enough fundamental technique and familiar art to allow beginners to get good value from it too. I find myself often returning to back-issues to find a particular image or to revisit a technique article.

I'm always delighted when my copy of American Artist Drawing arrives in my mailbox. With quality content and high production values, it's a pleasure to read. American Artist Drawing covers the full range of the drawing experience from old masters and anatomical study through to modern and contemporary art forms. Diverse, expert authors discuss drawing as both an exploratory or diaristic medium and as finished artwork in its own right.

The current issue has shed about 30 pages since the previous winter issue, and I guess that's the economic squeeze doing its thing. But being quarterly, it's affordable, and you get more good drawing content than you would in a year's subscription to another art mag.

The magazine takes a look at current exhibitions, 'New and Notable' artists, and has a feature on historical art - in the winter 09 issue, Raphael. In the same issue, a feature on the sketchbooks of James Jean has liberal quotes from the artist, and no less than 11 large, clear photographs of the work itself, so you can get a good sense of the artist's work.

This issue also has an article on portraiture, 'More than a Likeness' by Kenneth J. Proctor. He looks at diverse artists - Rembrandt, Cassatt, Toulouse-Lautrec, William Page, Kathe Kollwitz and others. He discusses character, expression, the public portrait and the familial. Again, the reproductions are many, large and clear.

Who is the audience? I think anyone for whom drawing is a significant component of art practice, including illustrators, Fine Artists and art students. Cartoonists and designers with an interest in figure drawing and art history will also enjoy the magazine. There's no cartoon or animation-specific content in any of the issues I have. At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, I think it's a brilliant magazine and one that I hope continues to flourish.