The Publishing Studies department of Faculty of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana, offers graduate training in three career paths: Book Design and Illustration (BDI), Publishing Administration and Printing Technology and Management. and Publishing Administration. A survey of 555 students in Years 1-4 revealed a skewed distribution of 47 in BDI, 285 in Printing, and 223 in Administration; manual drawing, which is required for specialisation in BDI, is a major threat to patronage in this Publishing Studies programme option. To understand this phenomenon required observation of drawing lessons and interviewing a convenience sample of 34 BDI students over two semesters. This qualitative study found that ability to draw significantly affects students’ decision for BDI: 12 reported good manual drawing skills for careers in illustration; 19 had limited drawing skills and preferred designing with computers; 3 had developed interest in drawing from Year 1 but preferred both aspects.