For me, art is a journey of relentless questioning, exploring, and introspection. As an artist, author, and educator, I have relied on each book in this collection to further my creative journey. The titles that I've selected offer unique perspectives on the transformative power of art and have had the biggest effect on my students, my peers, and my own artistic growth. I believe that art is a language that is and should be for everyone, providing a conduit for individual expression, problem-solving, and innovation. Each of these titles has offered pivotal "aha" moments while igniting my passion, and I hope they allow you to unlock your creative potential.
I wrote...
The Artist's Drawing Book: Learn How to Draw, Sketch, Shade, and More with Easy Lessons and Practice Pages
The Artist's Drawing Book is not just another instructional art book; it’s an interactive, dynamic, and creative combination of traditional drawing methods with modern innovations. Every page is meticulously crafted to inspire, challenge, and elevate, guiding you through a transformative process of artistic discovery.
Structured for artists at all levels, The Artist's Drawing Book invites you to discover your unique voice and the joy in creative expression. As a mentor, muse, and manifesto all in one, the book guides you step by step on ways to experiment, innovate, and redefine what art means to you. Dive in and begin enhancing your creative potential, one sketch at a time.
Steal Like An Artist has become a modern classic for good reason, redefining the meaning of originality while reminding us that creativity thrives on connection and reinvention.
Even before reading this book, I had already adopted many of the suggestions discussed, constantly collecting new inspirations and ideas to serve as influences for my work; however, the structure of this book solidifies what is a latent thought for many creatives.
While somewhat brief, Kleon’s perspective is refreshingly honest – it’s okay to embrace and rework the ideas that electrify us. Viewing originality as something inherent to creating can actually be a destructive tendency, boxing in artists who feel they must double-check their art before making it out of fear of stepping on someone’s toes.
The message of this book is invaluable, reminding us that inspiration is a mosaic of influences, not a lightning strike of originality. Written as if having an intimate conversation with a good friend, every page validates daily creative struggles and helps to celebrate our potential. It’s a liberating reminder that all art is, in essence, a remix – of who we are, what we love, and what we’ve experienced.
When asked to talk to students at Broome Community College in upstate New York in the spring of 2011, Austin Kleon wrote a simple list often things he wished he'd heard when he was their age: 'Steal like an artist; Don't wait until you know who you are to start making things; Write the book you want to read; Use your hands; Side projects are important; Do good work and put it where people can see it; Geography is no longer our master; Be nice (the world is a small town.); Be boring (it's the only way to get work…
This book was introduced on the first day of art school. Then, it was reintroduced and repeated by each professor for the duration of my education. As such, it's fair to say that it's an enduring force within academic circles.
The book touches on major points essential for any informed artist and the need for modern artists to subvert our viewers' hidden biases. It eloquently teaches artists to dive beneath the surface of a work to understand the unseen, the context, and the subtext. Ways of Seeing skillfully inspires a new lens through which to view the world and urges its readers to peel back the layers of meaning from even the most minimal artworks.
For me and so many other artists, this book was an awakening and is one that I turn back to often and am doomed to cite for eternity. It's a transformative journey that challenges and enlightens, perfect for anyone ready to dive deeper into the essence of seeing and understanding art.
"Seeing comes before words. The child looks and recognizes before it can speak.""But there is also another sense in which seeing comes before words. It is seeing which establishes our place in the surrounding world; we explain that world with words, but word can never undo the fact that we are surrounded by it. The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled."John Berger's "Ways of Seeing" is one of the most stimulating and the most influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC television series about…
Sarah Urist Green's You Are an Artist is a beacon of inspiration filled with engaging and thought-provoking assignments that push the boundaries of conventional art-making.
Each challenge in this book compels you to explore uncharted territories, urging you to experiment with novel ideas and mediums. Far more than just prompts, Urist Green guides you on a journey into the heart of contemporary art, inspiring a renaissance of thought and technique in every artist willing to embrace its teachings.
The book instantly transported me back to art school, with assignments that truly spawn productive growth. I found myself eagerly anticipating each new page, propelled Green’s warm, encouraging, yet daringly innovative approach. This book is a must-have for anyone seeking to break free from creative blocks and embark on a journey of artistic discovery.
“There are more than 50 creative prompts for the artist (or artist at heart) to explore. Take the title of this book as affirmation, and get started.” —Fast Company
More than 50 assignments, ideas, and prompts to expand your world and help you make outstanding new things to put into it
Curator Sarah Urist Green left her office in the basement of an art museum to travel and visit a diverse range of artists, asking them to share prompts that relate to their own ways of working. The result is You Are an Artist, a journey of creation through which…
This one may surprise you, but I assure you that Understanding Comics is an absolute gem!
McCloud has crafted an intellectual yet accessible guide that is not just a study of comics but a masterclass in communication and the art of storytelling. This book provides a rich fusion of insightful theory and practical advice, all conveyed through the very medium it discusses, making it a uniquely immersive experience.
McCloud’s engaging style and profound understanding of the mechanics of comics didn't just educate me; they enchanted me. His deep dives into the psychology behind why we connect with comics pair perfectly with his diegetic examples of framing, composition, and visual motivation. It’s a journey through the mechanics of comics that turns into a deeper exploration of visual expression and human perception.
Art is, in essence, a storytelling medium, making this book as invaluable for artists and writers as it is for comic enthusiasts.
The bestselling international classic on storytelling and visual communication "You must read this book." - Neil Gaiman Praised throughout the cartoon industry by such luminaries as Art Spiegelman, Matt Groening, and Will Eisner, Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics is a seminal examination of comics art: its rich history, surprising technical components, and major cultural significance. Explore the secret world between the panels, through the lines, and within the hidden symbols of a powerful but misunderstood art form.
One of the questions most asked by my students is, “How do you find your voice, your style, your essence.”
This title by Lisa Congdon is one that I always recommend, as it addresses the quintessential challenge every artist faces: finding and honing their unique voice. Masterfully combining personal anecdotes with practical advice, Congdon makes the journey of artistic self-discovery less daunting and more exhilarating.
Her wisdom and experience act as a gentle guide, encouraging readers to explore and embrace their unique style. Reading this book is like having a heart-to-heart with a wise friend who knows the struggles and triumphs of being an artist.
Congdon’s approach is not about quick fixes; it’s about a deep, sustained exploration of what makes your art uniquely yours. More than instructional, it's a transformative read, imbued with the kind of sincere, heartfelt guidance that can only come from someone who's walked the path themselves.
I quote this title all the time, reminding my students to embrace their voice through practice, discipline, and a healthy amount of positive boredom.
An artist's unique voice is their calling card. It's what makes each of their works vital and particular. But developing such singular artistry requires effort and persistence. Bestselling author, artist, and illustrator Lisa Congdon brings her expertise to this guide to the process of artistic self-discovery. Featuring advice from Congdon herself and interviews with a roster of established artists, illustrators, and creatives, this one-of-a-kind book will show readers how to identify and nurture their own visual identity, navigate the influence of artists they admire, push through fear and insecurity, and appreciate the value of their personal journey.
I am adopted. For most of my life, I didn’t identify as adopted. I shoved that away because of the shame I felt about being adopted and not truly fitting into my family. But then two things happened: I had my own biological children, the only two people I know to date to whom I am biologically related, and then shortly after my second daughter was born, my older sister, also an adoptee, died of a drug overdose. These sequential births and death put my life on a new trajectory, and I started writing, out of grief, the history of adoption and motherhood in America.
I grew up thinking that being adopted didn’t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women’s reproductive rights places an even greater emphasis on adoption. As a mother, historian, and adoptee, I am uniquely qualified to uncover the policies and practices of adoption.
The history of adoption, reframed through the voices of adoptees like me, and mothers who have been forced to relinquish their babies, blows apart old narratives about adoption, exposing the fallacy that adoption is always good.
In this story, I reckon with the pain and unanswered questions of my own experience and explore broader issues surrounding adoption in the United States, including changing legal policies, sterilization, and compulsory relinquishment programs, forced assimilation of babies of color and Indigenous babies adopted into white families, and other liabilities affecting women, mothers, and children. Now is the moment we must all hear these stories.
Who Is a Worthy Mother?: An Intimate History of Adoption
Nearly every person in the United States is affected by adoption. Adoption practices are woven into the fabric of American society and reflect how our nation values human beings, particularly mothers. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women's reproductive rights places an even greater emphasis on adoption. As a mother, historian, and adoptee, Rebecca C. Wellington is uniquely qualified to uncover the policies and practices of adoption. Wellington's timely-and deeply researched-account amplifies previously marginalized voices and exposes the social and racial biases embedded in the United States' adoption industry.…
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