The Artist's Guide to Sketching (2025 Reissue): A Field Sketching Classic Returns

Introduction

Few art books have earned the near-mythic status of The Artist’s Guide to Sketching. Written in the early 1980s by two young artists named James Gurney and Thomas Kinkade, it became a cult reference on field sketching, then all but vanished. Out of print for decades, original copies became genuinely hard to find and expensive to buy, often commanding a hefty premium from collectors. In 2025, 43 years after the original, the book has been reissued with significant updates, and it is now far easier for a whole new generation of artists to own it.

For anyone who has wanted to learn field sketching from a genuine classic, this reissue is the news we have been waiting for.

What’s New in the 2025 Reissue

The most immediate difference is the presentation. James Gurney and the publishers went back to the original artwork and took new high-resolution scans, and the results render beautifully on the page. Renderings that were once black and white now pop with color, blending more naturally with the written guidance throughout the book.

The reissue also adds new content and additional insights, including reflections from Gurney looking back on the wild journey he and Kinkade took as 21-to-23-year-olds hopping trains and sketching their way across the country. It feels like a richer, fuller edition rather than a simple reprint.

Why This Book Matters

Part of what makes this guide so indispensable is that it was never written from an academic perspective. The authors wrote it in their early twenties from a practical one, and that shows in the best possible way. The book does not assume your level of expertise and never talks down to you. It is genuine because Gurney and Kinkade speak in their own voices and images directly to the reader.

The structure is logical, with sections laid out in an order that builds on what came before. At its heart, this is a series of positive artistic encouragements designed to enlighten and delight the practitioner and spark the light of creative curiosity. Most importantly, it gives you the tools to find your own path as a sketcher and artist rather than handing you a formula.

The Boots That Tell the Story

One of the new additions is a gouache still life of a pair of battered old work boots at the end of the book. Gurney explains that those boots carried him on many a “hoisto”, his word for a sketching adventure, and many a long hike through the Sierra high country. Kinkade, by contrast, wore cowboy boots and motorcycle boots.

Gurney painted the boots as a still life exercise and thought the image might work as a tail piece, because it reminds him that the gear does not matter as much as the adventure. That single idea captures the spirit of the whole book.

Advice for Aspiring Field Sketchers

In conversation around the reissue, Gurney shared advice for young artists who want to take a similar journey today. His suggestions are refreshingly concrete: go as a pair of two people, no more; avoid tourist places and standard motifs, since we have all seen enough fishing boats and red barns. Instead, paint your world: cars, parking lots, laundromats. Ask people to tell you their story, and develop your skills as a writer, filmmaker, and photographer alongside your drawing.

One firm warning: do not ride freight trains, which he calls dirty and really dangerous, especially now. His encouraging closing note is that there is nothing to fear when you go out with your sketchbook. Everyone loves an artist.

Buying Advice

The Artist’s Guide to Sketching (2025 reissue) is available through James Gurney’s own website, where you can also find his other books. Buying directly from the author’s site means the proceeds go directly to the artist, which is worth doing if you want to support the people behind the work. If you missed your chance to own the original, this updated edition is the practical and affordable way to experience a book that has influenced field sketchers for over four decades.

Conclusion

The return of The Artist’s Guide to Sketching is more than a reprint; it is the recovery of a foundational text that was nearly lost to out-of-print obscurity. With high-resolution color scans, new content, and the same generous, practical voice that made the original special, this 2025 reissue is an easy recommendation for anyone serious about sketching from life. Whether you are a beginner picking up your first sketchbook or a seasoned practitioner, this is one of the rare art books that truly gives you the tools to find your own path.