The Joy of Drawing

Thomas Fluharty has been one of my favorite contemporary artists for a long while. Mr. Fluharty is one of the more versatile artists working today. That is, he has worked in numerous media, from oil painting to digital illustration. His work has been on numerous magazine covers, including Mad magazine, Time, and others. His work has been featured in The Weekly Standard as well. Besides being a phenomenal draftsman and painter he teaches students via the online site Schoolism. Active online, Mr. Fluharty owns one of the most upbeat, positive and uplifting voices on social media.

This week I received my copies of  two of Mr. Fluharty's books, The Joy of Drawing and The Art of the Sketch. These two books are, quite simply, gems. The newer one, Joy of Drawing, was just published in October after a successful Kickstarter campaign. The book contains selections from Mr. Fluharty's Prismacolor Indigo Bleu 901 series, sketches made using a type of blue pencils by that name. The book is a result of a very successful Kickstarter campaign
and is now available on his website, linked above, as is the earlier Art of the Sketch.

For the past few years, Mr. Fluharty has done hundreds of drawings and sketches using the Prismacolor blue pencils mentioned. He says that these provide him with a wide range of opportunities to produce great lines and values but carry the challenge of erasability since they smudge rather than disappearing cleanly. Like other media that aren't readily erased, the artist must work carefully and slowly; a mark made will remain there. The benefit, on the other hand, is that such care and deliberateness is essential in making a successful drawing.

Thomas Fluharty, "Horse," Prismacolor Bleu pencil, 2018

As part of the campaign, the books supporters at various levels received not only one or two books but also a signed individual print. Each book also contains a unique sketch by Mr. Fluharty done on the inside cover. Mine are wonderful for a number of reasons. The first sketch (inside cover of The Joy of Drawing) is a horse's head, likely rooted in his interest in the American cowboy, done in Prismacolor blue. The horse looks rather cynical and tired, which I suppose many cowboys' horses might have felt, given how hard they were worked. Regardless, the sketch is a fine example of the entire body of work, and a worthy accompaniment to the contents.

Thomas Fluharty, "Ingres," ink, 2018

The other book (The Art of the Sketch) is a few years older, published as a retrospective look at the artist's sketching life. It contains establishing sketches in large formats, allowing the student to study his techniques and ideas as Mr. Fluharty developed them. Replete with caricatures of well-known politicians and celebrities, it's a dazzling collection of work cross various media, from graphite to digital. Inside the cover of my copy Mr. Fluharty made an ink drawing that is a take on the work of Ingres, the famous French artist of the early 19th century. It's clear from the drawing how much the artist reveres Ingres, but the sketch stands alone as great fun, in my opinion, the heavy-lidded woman showing us the hint of a smirk.

The greatest thing about these books and the artist himself is their display of his deep and fundamental love for humanity and for drawing. The beauty of these books is the size of the reproductions--many full-page--that give the reader important insights into the artist's thinking and methods. It's actually the stated goal to provide "...close-ups and insights as to how I think and create." But even if you're not an artist seeking instruction and inspiration (which are both present in abundance), you'll find these books will give you pleasure.

(As this is written, the world of art, illustration, and the world in general are mourning the passing of Stan Lee, 95, who is featured on the cover of The Art of the Sketch. The original is 40x24, exceptionally large for a drawing. Mr. Lee was a natural subject. More than three decades ago Mr. Fluharty worked with Ken Bald, an artist who was Stan Lee's best friend, and he knew Mr. Lee as well. Mr. Lee of course was the creative force behind the flourishing of Marvel Comics and the entire superhero genre during the mid-20th century.)

In sum, if you are someone who loves beautiful drawing, someone who wants to study technique, or someone who simply likes eye candy, each of these books has a great deal for you. In short, this pair of delightful books are certain to please. They are only available through his website, linked below.

Fluharty Books