Hokusai Manga | 3-Volume Japanese Drawing & Art Reference

For tattooers, illustrators, and artists looking to develop a stronger eye for drawing, Hokusai Manga is an extraordinary reference. Across three volumes, discover how one of Japan's greatest artists explored movement, form, nature, and imagination through his remarkable collection of sketches.

First published in 1814, Hokusai Manga grew into one of the most influential collections of Japanese drawings. Originally conceived as a reference for students, these illustrated manuals reveal the remarkable range of Katsushika Hokusai, whose work continues to inspire artists around the world.

From everyday gestures and facial expressions to animals, landscapes, mythical creatures, and supernatural figures, Hokusai approached every subject with curiosity, precision, and humor. His drawings demonstrate how complex ideas can be expressed through confident lines, simplified forms, and carefully observed details.

This beautifully presented three-volume collection brings together an extensive selection of his work, organized into three distinct themes.

Inside the three volumes

• Volume 1 — The Life and Manners of the Day: Everyday Japanese life, people, architecture, facial expressions, movement, and human behavior. A fascinating study of gesture, character, and observation.
• Volume 2 — The Whole Earth Catalogue: The natural world through Hokusai's eyes, including animals, fish, landscapes, rocks, and organic forms. A valuable reference for studying nature, structure, and movement.
• Volume 3 — The Fanciful, Mythical and Supernatural: Japanese mythology, fantastic creatures, folklore, and imaginative scenes that reveal Hokusai's extraordinary visual storytelling.

Why this book belongs in your reference library

For artists working with Japanese imagery, Hokusai Manga offers something beyond individual motifs. It provides an opportunity to study how a master observes the world, reduces complex subjects to essential forms, and creates images full of movement and character.

This collection is especially useful if you want to:

• Study linework, gesture, and composition through Hokusai's original drawings
• Expand your visual vocabulary for animals, nature, Japanese folklore, and mythical creatures
• Understand how expressive forms and movement can be achieved with economical drawing
• Develop your own ideas through observation and study rather than imitation

With 1,040 pages across three compact volumes, Hokusai Manga is a substantial archive of Japanese drawing and a reference worth returning to throughout your creative practice.

Explore Hokusai's drawing practice further

Interested in understanding more of Hokusai's approach to drawing? Discover Hokusai's Method, a collection of fifteen of his instructional drawing manuals, known as e-tehon.

While Hokusai Manga reveals the extraordinary range of subjects he explored, Hokusai's Method offers another perspective on his creative practice, from playful drawing exercises to compositions, patterns, and visual experimentation. Together, they offer a deeper understanding of Hokusai's remarkable visual language.

Book details

• Title: Hokusai Manga
• Artist: Katsushika Hokusai
• Format: Three-volume collection
• Binding: Softcover
• Language: English
• Pages: 1,040 (total)
• Size: 149 × 107 × 54 mm (5.87 × 4.21 × 2.13 in)