I first picked up Draw Your World: How to Sketch and Paint Your Remarkable Life by Samantha Dion Baker after seeing her work on Instagram and hearing about her earlier book, Draw Your Day. I’d already been sketching regularly for years, but I still love picking up fresh perspectives. This one stood out because it doesn't just show pretty drawings—it guides you through how to build your own sketchbook practice in a way that feels approachable and personal.
Right off the bat, this book struck me as a great companion for anyone looking to start or deepen their drawing habit. Whether you're doing urban sketching, travel journaling, or quick observations from home, Draw Your World gives you technical advice and inspiring examples in equal measure. There’s even a helpful section that walks you through how to draw your world step by step, which makes this book a standout compared to other sketching titles.
Draw Your World Step by Step: A Structured Yet Flexible Guide
One thing I appreciate about this book is its balance. It’s structured enough to guide beginners with step-by-step exercises on things like perspective, shadows, and composition—but it’s also loose enough to leave room for your own voice and style to come through. Baker encourages you to draw what’s around you, even if it’s just a teacup or your cat. That kind of permission is powerful.
When I was first learning to draw, I always felt like I had to go somewhere special or wait for a good scene to present itself. This book really helped reinforce the idea that your immediate environment is enough. That your world—no matter how ordinary it might seem—is full of details worth capturing. Whether it’s your messy desk, a coffee mug, or the view from your apartment window, it’s all fair game. And it all becomes more meaningful the more you draw it.
Baker gives you simple, practical prompts that let you engage with the world in a new way. She breaks down the act of seeing, which sounds basic but is actually the core of all observational drawing. I found myself slowing down more, paying closer attention to light, shape, and form in my everyday life, even when I didn’t have my sketchbook in hand.
Key Points
- The book helps beginners and experienced sketchers structure a personal art practice that feels meaningful, not overwhelming.
- Samantha Dion Baker mixes technique (like perspective and symmetry) with inspiration (like memory drawing or daily journaling).
- You don’t need fancy supplies to start—she shows how accessible drawing your life can be, even with just a pencil and paper.
What’s Inside the Book?
The book is broken into sections that move from foundational skills to more creative and expressive exercises. It begins with an overview of tools and materials, but doesn’t get bogged down in gear talk. That said, if you’re someone who enjoys experimenting with different pens and paints like I do, you’ll still find some good nuggets of advice in this section.
What I liked is that Baker doesn’t push any specific materials. She just shares what works for her and encourages you to explore. If you’re putting together a beginner sketching setup, I’d recommend checking out my urban sketching kit guide too—it lines up well with the kind of tools she uses.
Drawing Fundamentals
There’s a whole section on basic drawing concepts that honestly would’ve saved me a lot of time early in my sketching journey. She breaks down:
- Perspective (including how to keep it loose, not mathematical)
- Symmetry and balance in composition
- Using shadows and light to define form
What’s helpful is how she ties these ideas into real sketchbook examples. You’re not just reading about theory—you’re seeing how she applies it on the page. That visual link between concept and result makes a big difference. It reminded me of some of the exercises I include in my urban sketching techniques and drawing tutorials—the goal is always to make the process feel natural, not intimidating.
Real-Life Drawing Prompts
This was one of my favorite parts of the book. Baker suggests prompts like:
- Draw what’s on your table right now
- Sketch something from memory (like your childhood bedroom)
- Create a journal page about your day with both words and drawings
These prompts helped shake me out of the “what should I draw?” mindset. They’re open-ended but specific enough to give you a starting point. I started incorporating some of these into my own daily sketching routine, often combining them with the nature journaling approach I love so much—like drawing found objects on a walk or sketching a quiet moment at home.
Travel and Urban Sketching Inspiration
Later in the book, Baker talks more about sketching while traveling, or in everyday urban settings. If you’ve ever wanted to feel more confident drawing in public, this part is especially helpful. She shares how she works quickly, simplifies shapes, and captures atmosphere rather than perfection.
I’ve used similar techniques myself while sketching in cities like New York, Paris, and Seattle. Having a few go-to tricks, like drawing with a pen first or working small in a portable sketchbook, makes it a lot easier to stay loose and not overthink it. And that’s something Baker reinforces again and again.
If you’re just getting into urban sketching, you might also want to explore some of the best urban sketching books I’ve reviewed—they pair really well with the ideas in Draw Your World.
What I Loved (and Didn’t Love)
The Highlights
- Visually Beautiful: The book is full of rich, inspiring sketchbook spreads from Baker’s own life.
- Accessible Language: Everything is written in a conversational, friendly way—no art school jargon.
- Sketchbook Philosophy: Baker encourages you to find joy in the process and to draw without judgment. That’s something I try to emphasize with my own students and readers.
- Real-Life Examples: Every lesson is paired with drawings that feel lived-in and relatable, not overly polished or staged.
A Few Minor Drawbacks
- The early chapters might be a little basic if you’ve been drawing for a long time. That said, I still found value in how she explained the core ideas.
- I personally wished there was a bit more of her own journaling voice throughout the book—her visual storytelling is powerful, and I wanted more of the personal reflections that go along with it.
Overall though, those are small things. The tone, structure, and illustrations all work together to make this a book I’ll be revisiting often.
Who Should Read Draw Your World?
This book is for anyone who wants to start seeing their life through the lens of sketching. Whether you’re:
- A complete beginner with no idea where to start
- Someone returning to art after a long break
- A regular sketcher in need of new prompts and energy
…you’ll find something here. If you’re interested in urban sketching, or want to combine writing and art like I do in my sketchbook dispatches, this is a great book to help you take that next step.
Pair it with something like The Urban Sketching Handbook: 101 Sketching Tips or Urban Sketching Step by Step for a solid foundation in both technique and mindset.