20 Best Books About Artists (2023 Update)

A joyful and straightforward introduction to contemporary art from the creators of hit podcast talk art – actor and collector russell tovey and gallerist robert diament with infectious enthusiasm, russell and robert have opened the doors to the art world and have welcomed people of all ages and backgrounds into the conversation. talk art, the book, is a beautiful and accessible celebration of contemporary art, and a guidebook to navigating and engaging with the art world. informal and jargon-free, this book proves that art really is for everyone. with a wealth of imagery (some never-before-seen in print) and an informative and engaging narrative, talk art will become the must-have book that art lovers return to again and again. the book features highlights from interviews with: tracey emin, rose wylie, helen cammock, jordan casteel, edward enninful, jerry saltz, elton john, billy porter, grayson perry, michael stripe, lena dunham, rose mc – gowan, ian mc – kellen, deborah frances- white, david shrigley, toyin ojih odutola and michael craig-martin, among others. chapters include: art as autobiographical expression – photojournalism as art – art & political change – how to navigate the art world – how do i create my own collection? make your own art – highlights from popular features of the podcast, including 'art heist' and 'favorite color' praise for the podcast: trendy, gossipy, fast-paced conversational fun – new york times – lively, accessible and enthusiastic – financial times as fast-paced and gossipy as it is genuinely interesting – dazed it's an education, but not in an alienating highbrow way – nme

The definitive account of the modern art made in st ives between the 1930s and the 1960s, telling the story of this extraordinary artistic community and its legacy. for twenty-five years the small town of st ives was one of the leading places in the world for the production of avant-garde art. the community there spanned three generations and included such international figures as naum gabo, barbara hepworth and ben nicholson, as well as a number of the foremost artists in post-war britain, including peter lanyon, patrick heron, terry frost and roger hilton. they found themselves contributing to the international search for art in the post-war world and they established a modernist practice that continues to influence today. the story of st ives and artists who lived and worked there has captured the imagination of art lovers since it began. this book is the product of decades of research by leading authority chris stephens, and will illuminate the period for dedicated fans and new readers alike.

What does an artist need to know about drawing? and what has to be mastered in order to achieve the drawings you want? in this book barrington barber shows you, offering advice and tips as he takes you through the various stages. from object drawing and still-life composition, the natural world and portraiture, to looking at form and shape, and assessing styles and techniques, the complete book of drawing is a distillation of the many skills that the aspiring artist needs to develop. after training as a graphic designer, barrington barber went into advertising, working for top agencies such as ogilvy & mather, before progressing to freelance design and producing illustrations for a range of books and magazines. he taught art for many years, and now enjoys a successful career as a fine artist. he has written and illustrated a wide range of best-selling instructive art books, which to date have sold 4 million copies around the world. as barrington barber knows from his many years of both teaching and practising art, it is crucial for you as an individual to find your own style and way of doing things. and, uniquely among practical art books, this is what the complete book of drawing provides, by revealing new possibilities and enabling you to look at the world around you with fresh eyes.

Covering more than 100 techniques and mediums for drawing, painting, and mixed media, the everything art handbook is an all-inclusive, go-to resource for artists of all skill levels. – a refreshing, accessible compendium of art materials and techniques, the everything art handbook is the perfect all-inclusive resource for beginning artists wanting to experiment and play with a variety of art mediums and techniques. – the everything art handbook is divided into sections focusing on different types of mediums and art concepts. each section includes a basic overview of the topic, instructions for selecting and working with the right tools and materials, step-by-step sample artwork, and helpful sidebars with advice from professional artists. – expand and refresh your artistic skills with these and more topics: getting started, including how to set up a studio and where to find inspiration – art fundamentals, such as value and light, perspective, and composition – color basics, including complementary colors, primaries, secondaries, and neutrals – drawing techniques for working with graphite, charcoal, colored pencil, pastel, pen and ink, and more – painting techniques for working with oil, acrylic, and watercolor – mixed media tools and techniques, including stamping, encaustics, and textures – using clear, informative explanations for achieving the best results, the everything art handbook is an approachable reference guide for contemporary artists of any skill level.

Lessons of a lifetime. 24 modern-day masters share secrets to their success. – since 2009, thousands of artists have flocked to lori mc a social media guru as well as a professional artist, mcnee has assembled a diverse and impressive group of today's most popular artists to create fine art tips (the book!), an unprecedented master class in representational painting and art business advice. – fine art tips goes "behind the paintings" to show how 24 of today's top artists transform dabs of paint into incredible still lifes, landscapes, portraits and wildlife art. along the way, they generously share practical, real-world tips on everything from evoking the illusion of sparkling water to professional networking. – plein air afficianado ken auster offers an unforgettable lesson on focal point. john seerey lester, a rock star in the world of wildlife painting, talks about the power of storytelling in paint. joe anna arnett reveals her secret to painting white peonies, and daniel sprick discusses the foundations behind his classical portraits. – the advice in these pages can be life-changing for artists, both aspiring and established. for art-lovers in general, fine art tips is a brilliant showcase of today's top artists. – inspired by lori mc

"a truly admirable book." — bookman's journal and print collector"as a book of reference to the practicing artists who wants to solve some particular difficulty, the book could hardly be bettered." — fieldrex vicat cole makes learning about perspective an enjoyable and fascinating pursuit in this clearly written and profusely illustrated book. over 390 diagrams illustrate every aspect of the text, and more than 80 illustrations reproduce drawings and paintings — by old masters and by the author — that indicate how perspective is utilized in practice. the book is so well illustrated that many perspective problems can be answered without reference to the text at all. the text itself clarifies the theory of perspective and offers numerous practice exercises. among the topics covered are the principle of perspective in theory, the rules of perspective and their application, depths, the use of plans in sketching foreshortened surfaces, inclined planes, the circle, arches, how to draw curves by straight lines, perspective of the sky and sea, perspective of shadows, and more. two additional sections cover perspective in the history of art and mechanical perspective.a noted landscape painter and art instructor, mr. cole combines common sense with an understanding of nature's laws to make perspective a subject that every artist can approach with confidence. art students will also find this book extremely valuable.

– the catalog for a landmark exhibition of russian avant-garde, french impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern paintings acquired in the early decades of the 20century by a wealthy russian industrialist family- 100 masterpieces from the collection on display at the louis vuitton foundation in paris from september 22, 2021 – february 22, 2022- these works have not travelled outside russia since they were acquired. this will be the only european stop for the showthe morozov brothers, wealthy moscow textile merchants mikhail (1870-1903) and ivan (1871-1921), played a key role in bringing impressionist and post-impressionist art to russia in the first decades of the 20th century. along with sergei shchukin, a fellow industrialist and art collector, they created an international audience for french art and had a transformative effect on russian cultural life.between the years 1903 and 1914, ivan morozov spent more money than any other collector of his time, amassing a stunning collection of works by matisse, monet, picasso, bonnard, sisley, renoir, signac, vuillard, gauguin, van gogh, degas, pissarro, and, most especially, cezanne (17 paintings, all of which will be on display). on his bi-annual trips to paris, he bought from the most discerning dealers, including paul durand-ruel, ambroise vollard, and daniel-henri kahnweiler, as well as directly from the artists themselves. his collection comprises 278 paintings, not including 300 paintings by russian artists (chagall, malevich, serov, vrubel, levitan, larionov, goncharova) and 28 sculptures. the morozov collection was nationalized after the october 1917 revolution, and after world war ii it was divided among the hermitage museum, the pushkin state museum of fine arts, and the tretyakov state museum.this stunning catalog has been published for a show of 100 highlights from the morozov collection that will run from september 22, 2021 – february 22, 2022 at the louis vuitton foundation in paris. it is the first time that works from the collection will travel abroad since they were acquired. this landmark exhibition will be the only stop for the show outside of russia.

In this visually stunning hardback, globally loved artist lois van baarle, aka loish, explores the origins, influences, and features of her style, and helps readers do the same deep dive into their own style. it is her third book with 3dtotal publishing, a natural progression from the bestselling the art of loish (2016) and the sketch book of loish (2018) which to date have sold over 85,000 copies combined. the style of loish now sees the artist explore her own style through several facets of her work, including creating volume, choosing color, establishing flow, and the ideas and subjects themselves. while looking at the motivation behind her own work, loish also guides the reader through ideas and tutorials to help them identify, understand, and even evolve their own style. she reveals the journey she took to pinpoint when and how her style was created. combined with candid advice and a passion for supporting fellow artists, the book is beautiful, inspirational, and practical for artists of all styles and abilities.

365 days of art is an inspiring journal designed to help readers and budding artists nurture their creativity and explore their feelings through the medium of art. featuring an activity for every day of the year, from simple tasks like drawing shapes and lines, to more mindful exercises like coloring-in, painting with primary colors, and drawing what you see. with beautiful, vibrant hand-lettering and watercolor illustrations, the book pairs inspiring quotes with supportive prompts and exercises to spark reflection through your drawing, writing, painting and more.

Discover the unique joys of pastel painting with this easy-to-use guide to one of the most versatile and forgiving mediums. more than 100 visual sequences reveal key techniques such as mixing, blending, scumbling, sgraffito, hatching and feathering. includes tips on composing your painting, using color, adding highlights and shadows, and creating textured effects. step-by-step demonstrations show how to approach a range of subjects from landscapes and flowers to portraits and still life. over 65,000 copies sold worldwide.this information-packed book is divided into five sections. the first, materials, introduces you to the range of pastels and papers that is available to you, with examples of how paper textures and colors can affect your work. the color section looks at the principles of color and gives suggestions for mixing colors and choosing a basic palette, especially important since manufacturers produce a bewildering array of colored pastels.

Combining deep focus with a multifaceted approach to reveal formal, technical, and spiritual aspects of the olive tree motif that dominated the painter's production during his time in a provençal asylum​ van gogh and the olive groves reunites for the first time the important series of paintings that vincent van gogh (1853-90) dedicated to the motif of olive trees during his stay at the asylum of saint-rémy-de-provence. the book contextualizes this work within van gogh's artistic production and explores its deeply personal, often religious resonance. it also features in-depth findings on the artist's technique, materials, and palette resulting from a three-year cross-disciplinary conservation science research project that rigorously examined all 15 paintings. of particular interest are new discoveries concerning van gogh's use of unstable pigments, his application of paint en plein air versus in the studio, and the chronology of the series. produced between june and december 1889, this bold and highly experimental series employs the motif as a constant in the artist's passionate investigation of the expressive powers of color, line, and subject. painting the olive trees at different times of day and in different seasons was a quest to unlock their quintessential features, which to him represented the spirit of provence. distributed for the dallas museum of art exhibition schedule: dallas museum of art (october 17, 2021-february 6, 2022) van gogh museum, amsterdam (march 11-june 12, 2022)

A behind-the-scenes look at leading contemporary artists at work in their studios, with original art projects to recreate at home open studio invites you into the private studios of seventeen of the most celebrated contemporary artists as they draw, paint, sculpt, or design an original project for readers to recreate at home. join george condo as he creates a paint-by-numbers portrait, william wegman as he watercolors whimsical scenes of his beloved weimaraners, and mickalene thomas as she makes an artist's book out of collage. open studio demystifies the studio practice through fun, accessible, d.i.y. projects. the book provides a suggested list of supplies, illustrated step-by-step instructions, pull-out templates and stencils, and essential elements – no special skills or previous art experience required! the result is sure to inspire kids and adults alike to blaze their own creative trails. each entry also includes a brief profile of the artist, exploring how they came to love art, their unique creative methodologies, and the sources of their inspiration, along with original photography of the artists in their studios. participating artists include: marina abramovic, george condo, will cotton, john currin, thomas demand, rachel feinstein, the haas brothers, alex israel, rashid johnson, kaws, maya lin, julie mehretu, wangechi mutu, mickalene thomas, sarah sze, william wegman, and lawrence weiner.

The must-have guide for all artists who draw the human figure! in morpho: hands and feet, artist and teacher michel lauricella presents a unique approach to learning to draw the human body. in this book, lauricella focuses exclusively on the hands and feet–arguably the most popular and, for many, the most challenging parts of the body to draw successfully. breaking the subject matter down into the underlying skeletal shapes, followed by the musculature, then the skin and fat, and finally, the veins, lauricella offers multiple approaches–from simple forms to complex renderings–and a plethora of positions and gestures are included to help you improve your drawing skills.geared toward artists of all levels, from beginners through professionals, this handy, pocket-sized book will help spark your imagination and creativity. whether your interest is in figure drawing, fine arts, fashion design, game design, or creating comic book or manga art, you will find this helpful book filled with actionable insights.( publisher's note: this book features an "exposed" binding style. this is intentional as it is designed to help the book lay flat as you draw.) table of contentsforewordintroductionhandsfeetresources

"… a gorgeous compilation of interiors from the homes of famous artists past and present as a way of exhibiting each creator's 'power and legacy' – publishers weekly an inspiring collection of the extraordinary private spaces of 250 of the world's most creative people, past and present – life meets art presents an unparalleled, global, behind-the-scenes tour through 250 beautiful interiors from the homes of the most creative people in art, architecture, design, fashion, literature, music, film and theatre. – these inspiring, unique spaces show us the spaces where the greatest creatives in history lived their lives, honed their crafts and, in many cases, produced some of the world's most celebrated masterpieces – providing an intimate and insightful perspective on the masters that define artistic history. organized alphabetically by artist, each interior features a color photograph and a short descriptive text, including details on whether the house is open to the public or private. this book will inspire everyone fascinated by stylish living, creative interior design, and the myriad possibilities for home décor, as well as those fascinated by the personal and professional lives of their cultural heroes. – life meets art includes homes from creative masters of past centuries such as artists da vinci, raphael and rubens, composers handel, lizst, and verdi and writers dickens, byron, and coleridge. the book also showcases the extraordinary interiors of many twentieth century stars and epoch-defining talents such as architects frank lloyd wright, eileen gray, le corbusier, and walter gropius, artists pablo picasso, marc chagall, and henry moore, writers ernest hemingway, william faulkner, and agatha christie and musicians louis armstrong, frank sinatra, and elvis presley. homes from some of the most celebrated talents of today are also featured, including artists francisco clemente, cornelia parker, and gilbert and george, fashion designers alexander mc – queen, marc jacobs, and diane von furstenberg, designers marc newson and es devlin and musicians moby, jimmy page, and david bowie.

Vanguard follows last year's hit fantastic paintings of frazetta book by j. david spurlock with definitive reference on frazetta book cover art.frazetta is the revolutionary fantasy artist of conan, king kong, death dealer, edgar rice burroughs, lord of the rings and more, whose original art sells for millions. this new 2022 frazetta book follows last year's hit, fantastic paintings of frazetta and is similar to vanguard's earlier frazetta definitive reference book. but, it is superior in at least one regard. instead of cataloging frazetta items with mostly smaller illustrations, this new book is devoted solely to the artist's single, most beloved venue, book cover art. by focusing on this specific area, the book boasts room enough to feature every single one of frazetta's famous and highly collectable illustrated book covers, beautifully and authentically reproduced at a larger size on a page to itself. all are presented in chronological order which, gives readers a unique ability to follow frazetta's evolution as an artist. accompanying text includes commentary, original publication titles, publishers, dates, and rare quotes from the artist himself. for this definitive reference to feature the complete collection of frazetta's decades of book cover illustrations, in a single beautifully produced volume, is a dream come true for frazetta fans, art and book collectors and historians alike.

"in may 2012, bestselling author neil gaiman stood at a podium at philadelphia's university of the arts to deliver the commencement address. for the next nineteen minutes he shared his thoughts about creativity, bravery, and strength; he encouraged the students before him to break rules and think outside the box. most of all, he urged the fledgling painters, musicians, writers and dreamers to make good art. this book, designed by renowned graphic artist chipp kidd, contains the full text of gaiman's inspiring speech." — cover.

A comprehensive and useful handbook for all artists. artist's materials is a detailed, accessible and comprehensive reference to all the materials available for drawing and painting. the book provides a brief history of the materials focusing on those that have been used for generations — such as oil paint and ink — and art surfaces such as paper, canvas, wood and others. each material is discussed in terms of cost, suitability, and drying times. the book covers every medium in detail along with illustrated techniques and tools: brushes of every size, shape and bristle type pencils, graphite sticks and powders, charcoal and felt pens pens and inks for drawing and calligraphy pastels: soft, hard, oil, pencil and conté sticks watercolor effects, papers and media gouache, tempera and powder paints acrylics; liquitex acrylics and modeling media oils, additives, glazing and more mixed media combinations that work. detailed descriptions explain how to get the best results and avoid problems. tips and hints from professional artists are featured along with illustrations showing the materials being used. examples of masterpieces by goya, pollock, and others accompany each section. artist's materials is a must-have technical manual and creative reference for artists at any level of experience.

180 drawings recall earlier phases in picasso's life & boldly readdress subjects which greatly attracted him, principally artists with their models, & characters from the traveling circuses of his boyhood.

180 drawings recall earlier phases in picasso's life & boldly readdress subjects which greatly attracted him, principally artists with their models, & characters from the traveling circuses of his boyhood.

An exploration of the architecture of newport, rhode island, enhanced by watercolor paintings and architectural sketches.