Coloring books are all the rage… for the kindergarten set and for grown ups too. You could say it's a fad, but there's nothing quite like putting pencil or crayon to paper and seeing pure creativity flow out, no matter your age.

The library has a few coloring books, but we'd prefer that you not color inside them. You'll have to buy your own for that. We do have many books about beginning drawing that might reawaken those skills you picked up in elementary school art class, or just sitting at the kitchen table with your box of 64 colors. We also have books about doodling that can inspire new techniques for geometric and abstract designs.

Digital Collections to Browse

Chôju ryakugashiki = How to draw simple animals. (1797)

View the collection or flip through the book. Ehon are Japanese picture books featuring beautiful and distinctive calligraphy.

Trawler cigarettes: Drawing Made Easy

This series of 30 cards is a zoo full of creatures for you to draw. They are part of the George Arents collection of cigarette cards.

B. Morris & Sons cigarette cards: How to Sketch

This series of 50 cards aims to make you proficient in still lifes, landscapes, animals and body parts. And you don't have to smoke an entire case to get to them! They are also part of the George Arents collection.

Public Domain Books in HathiTrust to Download

What to Draw and How to Draw It (1920)

Make dots, make lines, connect them all, and you have a picture! Don't press too hard with the pencil, you'll need to erase some of those guiding lines.

How to Draw: A Practical Book of Instruction in the Art of Illustration (1904)

How to draw shoes and "the perfect man," among other things. You can then turn them into fiction or news drawings, cartoons or comic strips.

Books to Check Out

Sachiko Umoto Illustration School

These books are too cute for words. Impress your friends with happy people, cute animals, and plants and small creatures—why not just add one to every piece of paper that comes your way. There are also lots of cute drawings and people on her Instagram.

For more even more Japanese drawing techniques, search for manga drawing in the catalog.

Ed Emberley

Maybe you won't win a Caldecott award, but why not learn from someone who did? If you remember Ed Emberley's drawing tip books from your childhood, pick one up for your own child (or your inner child) again today.

20 Ways to Draw

There's more than one way to skin a cat, and at least 20 ways to draw one too. Learn how to draw 44 animals and 44 flowers between these two titles. What an incredible wildlife scene that will be.

Lee J. Ames's Draw 50 Series

Over 50 books containing instructions on drawing 50 objects on a theme. 50 x 50... That's 2,500+ drawings! Get busy!

Ralph Masiello's Drawing Books

Some of these instruction books are available in print as well as electronic format. Learn how to draw the fairy godmother and robot butler you wish you had!

Zentangle

Too many representational images? Chill out with tangle drawing. Put on your favorite music and doodle the day away. Form tiles, lines, swirls and loops with plenty of spaces to color. Feel your troubles float away.

Doodling

There are oodles of ways to doodle, even en français. You can be just like the President of the United States.

For many more books on drawing from beginner to advanced for adults, kids and teens, take a look through our catalog.