 9  January 18, 2009

Eduardo Salavisa, one of our blog correspondents in Lisbon, was really kind to send a copy of his new book, Diários de Viagem (Quimera Editores, 25 euros) to USk headquarters here in Seattle.

Eduardo is a leading figure in the field. He mantains the website diario grafico dot com and is the author of the popular blog desenhador do quotidiano.

I couldn't resist giving you a sneak peak of this wonderful, beautifully edited hardcover volume he has put together featuring 35 current authors. Besides himself, five of our own correspondents —Pedro Cabral, João Catarino, Simo Capecchi, Enrique Flores and José Louro— are also featured.

The book opens with an essay about sketching, why we draw on books, the contradiction between the private nature of sketchbooks and the fact that the blogosphere allows artists to open them up to the world, and how famous artists like Frida Kahlo, Picasso and Hopper used their sketchbooks and journals to document the world around them.

That appetizer is nicely illustrated with drawings by Le Corbusier, R. Crumb or Miquel Barceló to name a few. And then it comes the main course of the book: almost 200 pages with high quality reproductions of sketchbook pages as well as text by their authors explaining their process and drive to draw.

Eduardo closes the book with a chapter that I really enjoyed where he groups pages with similar techniques or topics from different authors. Quick sketches, rooms in the house, outdoors sketches and public transportation are some of the themes.

So, congratulations to Eduardo for producing such a luxurious and beautiful edition. My 90-seconds video doesn't do justice to the quality of the book but it may open your appetite for some sketching goodness.

If you want to hold it in your hands like I did, you can order it via email from the publisher at quimera@quimera-editores.com. If you are in Portugal you can get a better price ordering it online. More information here.

By Gabi Campanario

[Book Review] 11 Book reviews 11 books 23 Eduardo Salavisa 102 videos 34

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