Looking through my collection of art books, I realized how much comfort I find in them, how many smiles and good memories in flipping and re-flipping through the pages. So here are phone photos of the covers and a peek inside of my favorite art books*.
The Creative License
by Danny Gregory. All of Danny's books are top rate, and this is a great place to start. It is a great motivator and granter of permission to create art even if you don't think you are an artist. I'm actually re-reading this book right now!
Visual Chronicles
by Woods & Dinino is a powerful book that gives you the feeling that you can indeed create anything.
Bernie Berlin's infamous Artist Trading Card Workshop
shares tiny canvases of visual inspiration, with lots of how-to's and ideas. This was one of the first altered art books I purchased, and a keeper.
Artist's Journal Workshop overflows with luscious journals and ideas for your own journals of paint, ink and documentation. This is about journaling in an artistic manner and not "art journaling" per se.
Good Mail Day
by Hinchcliff & Wheeler is a favorite for mail art junkies, inspiration for any type of collage. Good info about the history of mail art. If you love found "stuff" and office supplies and everything postal you will find inspiration here.
Color Mixing Bible by Sidaway is a masterpiece of mixing. With gorgeous grids showing the results of various mixtures in a bunch of different mediums. How do you mix a particular brown with watercolor? How do you mix a peach or coral with acrylics? The analytical in me loves this method of presentation, and the artist in me loves the results!
Painted Garden
by Woodlin is a lovely book, with inspiration especially for watercolorists.
Gabby Campanario's The Art of Urban Sketching
is my most recent book purchase, a book that has inspired me to do more urban sketching! The line work is fabulous.
* There are three IMPORTANT art books notably missing because I've lent them to friends: The Art Journal Workshop
by Traci Bunkers and Journal Spilling
by Diana Trout are the two best books to read if you want to learn how to art journal. And 1,000 Artist Journal Pages
by Dawn DeVries Sokol is the best book to show you what art journaling looks like {hint: it's not scrapbooking}.
Mon, November 12, 2012 at 12:08PM
Reader Comments (3)
What a lovely collection! <3
Thanks for this wonderful list!!!!
Love it, think the only one I am not familiar with is Urban sketching. I would need to muse on my favorite . . . definitely love Danny Gregory
When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's Journal of Staying Put Vivian Swift
Perhaps what got me started was How to make a journal of your life. by Dan Price then all the lovely art journal how to . . .books exploded and it was all over. Never a good day without ink or paint on my hands.