Books on art I recommend:
Betty Edwards: The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
A drawing-instruction book unlike any other, this classic is a course in how to change the way you see the world and ultimately proves that anybody can draw. What you learn through the drawing exercises will not only enable you to draw and paint well, but it will also enhance your general creativity, self-expression and problem-solving skills. A very stimulating read, and interspersed with quotes and excerpts from a variety of artists and thinkers.
Betty Edwards: Drawing on the Artist Within
The sequel to Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain expands on the above ideas, with additional exercises. Edwards decodes the secrets of the creative process, helping us to achieve our full creative potential and apply it to everyday problems.
Julia Cameron: The Artist’s Way
A beautiful book, both practical and spiritual, The Artist’s Way provides you with the tools and thought-provoking ideas to become more creative and productive by dissolving the barriers that are keeping you from expressing your creative self.
David Bayles and Ted Orland: Art and Fear. Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
Written by two friends in a conversational style, this book encourages you to overcome the fear that so often accompanies artistic endeavours and “just do it”.
E.H. Gombrich: The Story of Art
A very readable and personal account of art through the ages, this classic is a must-read – Gombrich is passionate and knowledgeable, and his enthusiasm is contagious.
Siri Hustvedt: Mysteries of the Rectangle
Beautifully written reflections on various artists, very personal and moving. Includes images.
Taschen Basic art series on a wide selection of artists
Inexpensive and compact with good reproductions, these are a great way to build up a collection of monographs.
Pat B. Allen: Art is a Way of Knowing
An art therapy book, but not exclusively for those working in the area or wishing to undergo therapy; rather, a book for everybody showing how art-making has the ability to heal and helps us to understand ourselves better.
Victoria Finlay: Colour. A Natural History of the Palette
An entertaining travelogue examining the origins and meanings of colours.
John Berger: Ways of Seeing
The 1970s seminal work on how we perceive the world.
John Berger: About Looking
A beautiful reflection on perception, it explains how to understand works of art visually and will change the way you see things
Anne Sheppard: Aesthetics. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art
An introduction to the philosophy of art.
Susan Sontag: On Photography
Sontag’s milestone treatise on how photographic images have shaped our way of looking at the world
Betty Edwards: The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
A drawing-instruction book unlike any other, this classic is a course in how to change the way you see the world and ultimately proves that anybody can draw. What you learn through the drawing exercises will not only enable you to draw and paint well, but it will also enhance your general creativity, self-expression and problem-solving skills. A very stimulating read, and interspersed with quotes and excerpts from a variety of artists and thinkers.
Betty Edwards: Drawing on the Artist Within
The sequel to Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain expands on the above ideas, with additional exercises. Edwards decodes the secrets of the creative process, helping us to achieve our full creative potential and apply it to everyday problems.
Julia Cameron: The Artist’s Way
A beautiful book, both practical and spiritual, The Artist’s Way provides you with the tools and thought-provoking ideas to become more creative and productive by dissolving the barriers that are keeping you from expressing your creative self.
David Bayles and Ted Orland: Art and Fear. Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
Written by two friends in a conversational style, this book encourages you to overcome the fear that so often accompanies artistic endeavours and “just do it”.
E.H. Gombrich: The Story of Art
A very readable and personal account of art through the ages, this classic is a must-read – Gombrich is passionate and knowledgeable, and his enthusiasm is contagious.
Siri Hustvedt: Mysteries of the Rectangle
Beautifully written reflections on various artists, very personal and moving. Includes images.
Taschen Basic art series on a wide selection of artists
Inexpensive and compact with good reproductions, these are a great way to build up a collection of monographs.
Pat B. Allen: Art is a Way of Knowing
An art therapy book, but not exclusively for those working in the area or wishing to undergo therapy; rather, a book for everybody showing how art-making has the ability to heal and helps us to understand ourselves better.
Victoria Finlay: Colour. A Natural History of the Palette
An entertaining travelogue examining the origins and meanings of colours.
John Berger: Ways of Seeing
The 1970s seminal work on how we perceive the world.
John Berger: About Looking
A beautiful reflection on perception, it explains how to understand works of art visually and will change the way you see things
Anne Sheppard: Aesthetics. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art
An introduction to the philosophy of art.
Susan Sontag: On Photography
Sontag’s milestone treatise on how photographic images have shaped our way of looking at the world
