How to Draw an Open Book

Today, I'm going to show you how to create a very simple drawing: an open book. For this, there are a few elements to consider, which we will look at together in this article!

The shape of a book

The first thing to consider is the shape of the book. Most books are rectangular, but if you like, you can opt for a square format, or even have fun with other geometric shapes. For example, a book about lemons could be round, green and yellow, with a cover shaped like a lemon slice!

The second thing to consider is the perspective of the book. We will draw it from the front view, but depending on the chosen perspective, its appearance can vary considerably. Think about the surface on which the book rests, and how it is positioned. If these elements are clear in your mind, the rest of the drawing will come more naturally.

Let's now look at some examples of books that can help us with our composition — particularly for visualizing shadows and other small details.

Note that I will be working digitally with Adobe Photoshop, but you can create your illustration with the medium that suits you best: paper, graphic tablet, markers, pencils… anything is possible!

So, without further ado, let's draw an open book!

Drawing an open book step by step

We will start by determining the size of the book. We need to find the center location and the size of the pages. We will draw two rectangles connected to each other to simulate two open pages, which will serve as a basic reference point to start our drawing.

From these rectangles, we will draw the shape of the book by adding a slight overhang to represent the cover. Everything will be done symmetrically: what is done on one side must be replicated on the other.

We continue connecting the lines of our base of rectangles to draw our book.

We will draw the place from where the pages open, that is, from the center of the book, at the binding. We can also add a light shadow to clearly distinguish the pages from the cover.

It’s still just a sketch, so don't worry if the drawing looks a bit messy at this stage!

We will now add a few lines to the page area to show how they are separated. Even though they are stacked in a block, you can see small divisions.

Now that the entire structure is in place, we can draw the final lines on our drawing.

We will now go back over the basic sketch that we have drawn. I'm imagining that the pages are old, that they have aged over time, and that they are therefore slightly irregular.

It is not necessary to draw perfectly straight lines: these small imperfections will give character to your drawing.

Adding color to the drawing

As our book is supposed to be very old, we will use only two colors: one for the cover, the other for the pages. Here, I have chosen a blue for the cover and a burnt yellow for the inside.

The edges of the pages will be the same hue as the pages but a bit darker, to suggest wear. I have also added a slight watercolor-like texture effect to enhance this aged look.

We will now add a small protrusion in the lower and central part of the book, at the point where all the pages meet: this is called the hinge.

I colored it in using a different shade to create some contrast, but you can also use the same color as the cover if you prefer to keep it more subdued.

The next step is to add some details to our open book.

I'm using a bit of orange to texture the edges of the pages in order to enhance the aged effect.

In the center, I refine the joining area between the two pages to make my drawing look more realistic.

You can also draw some elements on the pages to suggest the type of book you envision. In my case, I chose a book about ancient landscapes, so I sketched some shapes to evoke this theme.

And there you have it, we've drawn our open book!

I hope this little tutorial has been helpful in learning how to draw an open book.

See you soon!

Writer and illustrator: Joshua