The Illustration of Books A Manual for the Use of Students, Notes for a Course of Lectures at the Slade School, University College

"The Illustration of Books" by Joseph Pennell is a guide that explores the world of book illustration in the late 1800s. Based on lectures given to art students, the book looks at the skills and knowledge needed to create illustrations for books and other printed material. It starts by talking about why the manual was created, given the rising demand for illustration during that time. It then continues to mention that artists need to understand how printing and publishing work, along with having artistic ability, to succeed as illustrators. The tone of the book is educational, and meant to explore historical context, materials,, and processes that artists need to understand in order to create effective illustrations.