Favourite Art Books - Resources for Artists

The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence

by: Betty Edwards

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - see my book review

A revised and expanded edition of the classic drawing-instruction book that has sold more than 2,500,000 copies.

When Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was first published in 1979, it hit the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks and stayed there for more than a year. In 1989, when Dr. Betty Edwards revised the book, it went straight to the Times list again. On the twentieth anniversary of her classic book this new version was published - and has been selling steadily ever since.

The material was refined through hundreds of workshops and seminars. This edition includes:

* the very latest developments in brain research;
* new material on using drawing techniques in the corporate world and in education;
* instruction on self-expression through drawing;
* an updated section on using color; and
* detailed information on using the five basic skills of drawing for problem solving.

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Keys to Drawing

by: Bert Dodson

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - see my book review

Bert Dodson's successful method of "teaching anyone who can hold a pencil" how to draw has made this tome one of the most popular, best-selling art books in history -- an essential reference for every artist's library!

Dodson offers a complete system for developing drawing skills, basing his approach on 55 "keys" to drawing -- rules that don't need to be memorized, but realized. Dodson helps artists learn to trust their eyes and sharpen their observation skills through 48 practice exercises, reviews, and self-evaluations. Topics include learning to control proportion, scale, movement, depth, pattern and more!

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Creative License, The: Giving Yourself Permission to Be The Artist You Truly Are

by: Danny Gregory

RECOMMENDED

A handwritten and fully-illustrated guide offers an approach to reconnecting with one's own creative energies--using drawing as an example--that ultimately leads to self-expression and creativeness without fear.

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The Sketch Book for the Artist

by: Sarah Simblet

Covering a wide range of themes from portraits to plant studies and still life, and showing how to tackle each subject in a variety of different ways, Simblett aims to widen the reader's understanding of drawing and to inspire them to pick up a pencil and draw.

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The Drawing Book: An Innovative, Practical Approach to Drawing the World Around You

by: Sarah Simblet

Read more in my extended book review on my blog..

If you feel you are most comfortable with traditional rendering/realism then this is probably not the book for you. However it emphatically earns in my view a five pencil rating for those keen to develop their drawing skills beyond technically correct rendering and/or are interested in drawing in art history and/or those who just want to develop their drawing generally. This book is a 'must buy' - I guarantee you will be blown away by it.

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Color by Betty Edwards: A Course in Mastering the Art of Mixing Colors

by: Betty Edwards

RECOMMENDED
This guide published in 2004 is by the best-selling author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. It distills the enormous existing knowledge about colour theory into a practical method of working with colour to produce harmonious combinations.

This is a must-have primer for people wanting to learn more about colour by an author who focuses on making art theory and practice accessible.

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Watercolor Class: An Innovative Course in Transparent Watercolor (Practical Art Books)

by: Michael Crespo

Crespo presents 40 exercises that explore a range of watercolor techniques and challenge the artist's imagination.

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Making Color Sing

by: Jeanne Dobie

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Everybody who has ever read this this best-selling book seems to recommend it. Jeanne Dobie stimulates new ways of thinking about colour and generating responses that unlock personal creativity. Readers are provided with sets iof exercises and are shown how the interplay of complementary hues can trigger vibrations; how the push and pull of warm and cool colors can create a feeling of space; how to disguise one color in a scene to accent another plus many more tips about colour

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The Elements of Color

by: Johannes Itten

This is the most complete document of one of the landmarks of modern education in art - the famous Basic Course at the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany. Itten was the teacher who organized it at the invitation of Walter Gropius. First published in 1963 when Itten was still alive, the book has been revised and updated by Itten's widow, Anneliese Itten, and includes new material from the basic course at the Bauhaus, as well as visual examples and descriptions of the refinements made by Itten in later course in Berlin and Zurich.

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Color Studies

by: Edith Anderson Feisner

This text introduces students in all the visual arts to color theory, the physiology and psychology of color perception, and the physics of color. It also offers tips for putting that knowledge into practice in a variety of media, from painting and other fine arts to interior design, architecture, fashion design, ceramics, textile design, and needlework. Four dimensions of color--"hue, value, intensity, and temperature--"are discussed in detail.

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The New Acrylics: Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints

by: Rheni Tauchid

The acrylics of today have grown into the most adaptable art material of the modern age. Focusing on a popular art medium that has been around for over 50 years, The New Acrylics illustrates how artists can create lush textures, colour, and lustre with the modern acrylics readily available in any art supply store. These are non-toxic, environmentally sound, and exist in the most dazzling array of chemical formats - from the most fluid to the highly viscous. Not only do artists paint with acrylics these days, they can create rich metallic effects, or even 3-Dimensional sculptures. Traditional technique based books on acrylics cover traditional methods of painting. However, The New Acrylics is geared towards more non-conventional ways in which to manipulate modern-day acrylics, and demonstrates new applications such as glazing, textured effects, soft sculpture effects, or staining, thus reinventing the old way of handling acrylics, and revealing a fabulous new artistic medium. The underlying theme of this dazzling and sophisticated book is to encourage artists to interpret and handle acrylic paints in a vibrant, fresh, and above all, individualistic style.

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 11/22/2009)

Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium

by: Nancy Reyner

A professional art instructor offers a comprehensive tutorial in the use and application of acrylic paints, introducing more than one hundred tips, tricks, and techniques for working with the versatile medium, along with step-by-step demonstrations, a series of projects, and a gallery of finished art.

Amazon Price: $18.47 (as of 11/22/2009)

The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists

by: David Dewey

The most thorough guide to watercolor materials and techniques ever assembled in a single volume, this is the book for anyone working with watercolors, from beginners to experienced artists looking to develop more professional skills.

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Taking Risks with Watercolour

by: Shirley Trevena

A practical, stimulating, and superbly illustrated book for the intermediate watercolourist who is looking for greater challenges in their work. Shirley Trevena's watercolours are visually inspiring, vibrant with colour and strong in composition. This book shows what stunning results she achieves and how she does it by taking risks with watercolour. Taking you through her paintings from the first concept to the finished watercolour, Shirley explains and illustrates her techniques for producing exciting, luminous and colourful watercolours. Although watercolour is a difficult medium to handle, Shirley maintains that you get the best results if you have no sense of fear and just let yourself enjoy watercolour's fascinating versatility. In Taking Risks With Watercolour Shirley Trevena teaches her own prize-winning techniques and encourages the reader to experiment with colour, composition and tone to produce exciting still life, landscape and flower paintings.

Contents include: * What shall I paint? * Composing a picture * Large scale and small scale * Getting started and making marks * Developing the painting * Taking risks with colour * Experiments with tone * Bold textures and patterns * Getting it wrong * Moving on

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Charles Reid's Watercolor Solutions: Learn To Solve The Most Common Painting Problems

by: Charles Reid

As one of the most sought after workshop instructors, Charles Reid possesses certain skills that set him apart from his students. In Charles Reid's Watercolor Solutions, he shares that knowledge with readers, teaching them how to become better watercolorists. Through before and after photos of various paintings, the author clearly identifies the existing problems in the painting and provides a detailed action plan with solutions to rectify the issue. A variety of topics are covered such as still life, figures, landscapes and more. Readers will appreciate the clear step-by-step format, which makes the solutions easy to understand and implement.

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Creating Textures in Watercolor

by: Cathy Johnson

Through practical, step-by-step instruction, expert watercolorist Cathy Johnson shows readers how to create astonishing textures in watercolor. She provides guidelines for replicating 83 different textures in all, including fruits and vegetables, hair, glass, metal, fabric, flowers, fur, skin and more. Each texture is demonstrated, with many variations, in Johnson's own watercolor sketches, complete with call outs to illustrate individual techniques. Artists can apply these techniques to their own work to create fabulously realistic watercolor paintings.

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The Art of Watercolor

by: Charles LeClair

Unique among watercolor instruction books, "The Art of Watercolor" presents a comprehensive course of study that combines studio lessons on the technical properties of the medium with art history and visual theory. 150 color illustrations.

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The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist (Watson-Guptill Materials and Techniques)

by: Bill Creevy

Without equal anywhere in print today, this is the most complete guide to oil painting materials and how to use them to derive the best results from the medium.

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Gruppe on Painting: Direct Techniques in Oil

by: Emile A. Gruppe

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Capturing the Moment in Oils

by: David Curtis, Robin Capon

One of the attractions of painting outdoors is the challenge of capturing the spirit of a place - changing light, weather and transient conditions demand particular painting skills if they are to be interpreted effectively.Leading painter David Curtis works on location, in all weathers, observing and capturing the subtle effects of light and mood. Oil paint is as good for painting on site as it is for large-scale painting in the studio; it is remarkably responsive; can be applied in many different ways; and it allows time to assess and modify work in progress.In this fascinating book, David Curtis shows how he achieves such expressive and original results using drawings, paintings and stage-by-stage examples.

He gives detailed explanations of his two main working methods - for plein-air paintings and for studio compositions - as well as plenty of helpful guidance and advice on choosing materials, exploring techniques, selecting ideas, composition, colour and tone and associated topics. Drawing skills and interpreting the qualities of light are other key issues that he deals with, while his wonderfully evocative landscapes, coastal scenes, interiors and figure compositions provide much to inspire the reader.

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Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting

by: Richard Schmid

Fifteen years in preparation, this book offers to the artist & art lover alike the wisdom & technical savvy of a lifetime of painting & teaching. Writing as an acknowledged master, Richard Schmid leads his reader gracefully through the subtleties of painting techniques with refreshing clarity & unmatched technical authority. It also uncovers the full range of artistic subject matter & reveals the one thing a painter must know to capture it all. Above all, Richard writes with deep affection to all who strive for self-expression, regardless of their level of skill. He shares his own struggle from art school to the present & offers the things he has learned with the hope that his reader may enjoy the same passage of discovery. Now in its fourth printing, Alla Prima has been enjoyed by readers (artists) in 37 countries around the world.

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Fill Your Oil Paintings with Light & Color

by: Kevin Macpherson

Master painter Kevin Macpherson shares his bold, direct approach to capturing nature's glorious colors and luminosity in oils in complete step-by-step demonstrations.

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