Principle Gallery

Stunning art is the product of continuous learning, diligent practice, and steadfast determination, however, all art lovers usually see is the product. In this pair of unique publications, Jeremy Mann peels back the curtain on what goes into an outstanding artist. He is a visionary oil painter, photographer, writer, draftsman, sculptor, and filmmaker who we have the pleasure of showing at the Principle Gallery. To date, he has published six books encompassing everything from sketches to chronicles of select works. The pair that particularly illuminate the process of how he composes a piece are his sketchbooks 1.7 and 2.7.

The Mann sketchbooks are each 404 pages and made using an exacting technique that has produced effective replicas of his actual sketchbooks. His red rabbit 7 emblem on the spine matches the color of the book’s binding threads and, for the reader’s convenience, it also has a red ribbon bookmark. Plus each book is sandwiched with sweet doodles of his cats. Inside you’ll find smudges, erasures, and little notes in all their glory, it feels very personal.

Originally published in 2017, Mann Sketchbook 1.7 is a compilation of pages compiled over three years from five completed sketchbooks. The book follows his travels through Europe making stops in Luxemburg, Gare Lyon, Moscow, Nice, Genova, Prague, and more. Figures, florals, cityscapes, animals, and portraits appear as gesture studies, linework, and complete drawings. Though many of the pages in this sketchbook masterfully strike a balance between fully rendered and implied.

The more recent Mann Sketchbook 2.7 was published in 2020 and similarly contains a range of doodles, sketches, and finished drawings. This book continues the European travels mentioning Cortana, Minerva, and Arezzo in Italy and ventures as deep as Kholmogory, Russia. Installment two focuses almost entirely on portraying the female form. Models are portrayed by a few lines, light and shadow, simplified shapes, or distinct forms but always boudoir. Another fun surprise in the book is how during his short stint featuring red marker he found a way to incorporate the bleed into another composition! His inventiveness is truly unstoppable.

Each book is clear on the study of figure, technique, and overall process, and shows how he maps proportions. Sketchbook 1.7 has a wider range of subjects and Sketchboook 2.7 is a deep dive into his figure drawing.

If you are interested in seeing more from his travels you will love his plein air books 1.3 and 2.3. They have a similar feel to the sketchbooks, intimate and genuine, but completely focused on color, composition, and beautiful places. Read more about them in the next blog post!

All Mann books are available to purchase in the gallery or on Jeremy Mann’s website. We would also be able to take an order over the phone, through email, or through the text function on our website.