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This book is an inspiration for people that would like to loosen up and be creative. Each chapter goes into details of the medium used. It gives information about all the different papers, primers used on the surface and of course the all important mediums used. Robert Dutton goes into detail of the different types of graphite, whether it is water soluble coloured graphite or liquid or powdered graphite. Then there are the charcoals, pastels and metallic inks. He uses diluted white acrylic inks on top of his dried work for highlighting. I love the impressionistic style of Robert’s work. It has certainly inspired me to get creative and loosen up using all sorts of mediums.

I would definitely recommend this book to those that would like to be creative with their drawing and of course, to loosen up!

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Carol Archdale, Amazon

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The Innovative Artist: Drawing Dramatic Landscapes is aimed at artists who wish to explore new ways of using a variety of drawing media to create striking, dramatic landscapes.

Author-artist Robert Dutton uses his expressive, loose style of drawing and painting to capture, with great emotion, the power and drama of the landscape. Robert combines media such as liquid graphite, inks, metallic inks, charcoal and water-soluble painting and drawing pastels, and also experiments with collage work.

Predominantly focusing on working in black and white, this book is a highly-instructive guide to the techniques Robert himself uses, with numerous exercises and larger step-by-step projects throughout the book showing how he works. Alongside these are numerous examples of the author’s finished artworks accompanied by informative captions explaining the methods used to create them, thereby providing both instruction and inspiration.

Of his work Robert says, 'Primarily my work is focused on landscape and my beloved northern wild open vistas, dramatic mountain peaks and and intimate hidden corners of moor and dale.

'Landscape is the great escape, a place where my creative vision is thoroughly released with a direct engagement and expressive response to my subject. I immerse myself in the landscape and allow the interplay between what I see but more importantly what I ‘feel’ to create each and every individual piece of work.

'More often than not everything is started on location. It has to - the physical engagement with the sublime landscape is so important. I plan for the weather but if it rains, so be it - it goes into the work as its all part of the process.’

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Painters Online

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Delayed by the events of 2020, this is the first in a series from Search Press that looks at new and innovative techniques. Robert's 30 years' experience in the creative industries now sees him working as a fine artist, tutor and regular contributor to The Artist, but he also has a background in graphic design and illustration. This mixture of skills makes for exciting, but well-explained work - perfect for a book of this kind. 

Subject-specific books on drawing are fairly thin in the ground, so this comes with a lot of expectations, but should certainly not disappoint. The only reservation would be that, if you're looking for a gentler, more placid approach ... well, the title gives it away. Materials include graphite, charcoal, acrylics, inks and pastel and subjects range from rocks and mountains to water, trees and structures. This is an exciting book creatively and technically. 

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Henry Malt, The Artist