Search Press is honoured to publish the work of Giovanni Civardi, a renowned Italian artist, educator and author whose drawing manuals have become trusted resources for artists around the world. With nearly 120,000 copies sold through Search Press, Giovanni’s books continue to support generations of readers developing their observational and technical drawing skills.
Giovanni Civardi’s approach to drawing is grounded in deep anatomical knowledge, disciplined observation and classical training. His books are valued for their clarity and rigour, offering artists a strong technical foundation while encouraging accuracy, confidence and expressive line. Whether addressing the human figure, animals, portraiture or perspective, his work consistently emphasises structure, proportion and understanding form.
Giovanni’s publishing relationship with Search Press spans two decades and forms one of the most comprehensive drawing libraries on our list. Early titles such as The Art of Drawing: Drawing Hands and Feet (2005) and The Art of Drawing: Light and Shade (2006) established a clear focus on core observational skills. This approach was later expanded through Drawing: A Complete Guide (2009), which brought together essential techniques into a single, wide-ranging reference.
Over subsequent years, Giovanni developed the influential Art of Drawing series, exploring specific subjects in detail. These include studies of flowers, fruit and vegetables, pets, wild animals, clothing on figures, and focused examinations of heads and faces, people in everyday life, and babies and children. Titles such as Understanding Perspective (2012) provided readers with practical tools for conveying depth and spatial accuracy, while works on portraiture offered careful guidance on capturing likeness and character.
Figure drawing has remained a central theme throughout Giovanni’s work. Books such as Figure Drawing: A Complete Guide (2016), Drawing the Male Nude (2017) and Drawing the Female Nude (2017) reflect his lifelong study of anatomical structure and movement. This expertise is further distilled in Artist’s Guide to Human Anatomy (2020), a key reference that bridges artistic practice and medical understanding.
Giovanni has also embraced structured learning formats through his Drawing Using Grids titles and later guides focused on applying grids to animals and people, offering readers another pathway to accuracy and proportion. More recent publications such as Drawing – A Complete Guide: Nature (2021) continue to broaden the scope of his teaching while maintaining a consistent, disciplined methodology.
Looking ahead, Giovanni’s forthcoming title Drawing Portraits: A Complete Guide, scheduled for September 2026, will further build on his extensive work in portrait drawing, bringing together decades of experience in observation, anatomy and teaching.
Born in Milan in 1947, Giovanni trained at the Free Life-Study School of the Accademia di Brera, originally pursuing sculpture, portrait art and illustration while also undertaking studies in medicine and surgery. He worked as a professional illustrator for many years, producing commissioned work for newspapers, magazines and book covers, and held solo exhibitions in France and Denmark. Alongside his practice, he has taught anatomy, life drawing and portraiture in schools and institutions, experience that directly informs the clarity and depth of his published work.
Across his career, Giovanni Civardi has sold over 600,000 copies worldwide in English editions alone, and his books remain fundamental tools for artists seeking serious skill development grounded in tradition and technical excellence.
We are proud to continue publishing Giovanni Civardi’s work at Search Press and to support his enduring contribution to art education.
For more information about Giovanni and his work, visit www.giovannicivardi.it.
