1. TOP 10 MUST READ BOOKS FOR ARTISTS
ABSTRACT
Here is a list of top reads for artists around the world. Without any
particular order, these books are very helpful read for the pros and amateurs
alike.
PAGE CONTENT
Artists use their imagination to express themselves. Their artistic expression
may come in any form. There are many books written encompassing various
forms of arts to help the pros to broaden their horizon and amateurs to learn.
Here is a list of top art books that should adorn every aspiring artist’s
bookshelf.
1. Imaginative Realism
There are hundreds of books written on techniques and methods to draw
and paint realistic portrayals of
landscapes, still life and human
portraits. Imaginative Realism written by
James Gurney is a unique book that
demonstrates and instruct on the
techniques to draw realistic illustration
of your imagined creatures and dreams.
It’s a guide for all who wants to bring
realistic portrayal of their imagination on
the fore for us to see.
2. Creative Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of
True Inspiration
Written by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace, Creative Inc. is a book that is very
handy for the aspiring professionals in managerial role. Ed Catmull, who is a
co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios along with the corporate giant Steve
Jobs, has shared his expertise and experiences. It is a handbook for people
who want originality to govern their work and artistic imagination. This book
helps you to understand the innovative thinking, storytelling skill and

2. creativity that helped the Pixar Animation Studios to achieve phenomenal
success and win thirty Academy Awards. This is no small success with the
pictures like, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Monster Inc. The Incredibles and Up to
name the few.
3. Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
This book is written by a young artist and writer, Austin Kleon. It’s basically
an encouragement by the writer for everyone out there who aspires to become
creative in their fields. The writer of the book wants the readers to be
themselves and be creative. He inspires them to let loose their imagination and
be creative in their own way. It’s a must read for people who wants to break
free from orthodox way thinking and working.
4. Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All
This book is written by David Kelly IDEO’s founder and Creator of Stanford
d. school and his brother, Tom Kelly, IDEO
partner. This book is inspiring narration of
their success and relates the means of
creative ways of solving problems in our
daily work routine. They share many
stories from their working years in IDEO
and Stanford d. school to help us get the
idea about solving problems using our
creative intuition. They share their success
story to inspire others to excel in their fields using their creativity.
5. Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
Art & Fear is a book co-Authored by working artists, David Bayles and Ted
Orland. This book is for the inspiring artists and painters who face difficulties
in their artistic journey and many give up half way. It’s a book that renders
help to a common artist in overcoming the fear of failure and solving the
problems they may face during the art making process. In this book, the
authors share their own experiences and observations of art making and
provides the artists with perceptive view into the world of creativity.
6. Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered
Another masterpiece, written by Austin Kleon showcases the need of
generosity in your creative journey. It illustrates the need to share your creative
aspiration and techniques with all. It reveals the ways through which, the

3. artist community can share their work without oversharing it. It also helps the
artists to understand the role of Internet in projecting their work and how they
can use it to showcase their creativity.
7. The Practice and Science of Drawing
Written by Harold Speed, this book is considered a classic. It discusses the
art of drawing from scientific and artistic points of view. It helps the readers,
especially artist to differentiate between the accuracy of arts in scientific and
artistic arenas. It illustrates detailed study of drawings step by step, discussing
all the components of arts and drawing. It is a manual for the young artists for
learning about the basic principles of arts and drawing.
8. The Art Spirit
Written by Robert Henri, an American artist and a teacher, this book is a
must have for all the artists, pro and amateurs alike. It is a peek into the
wonderful artistic journey of the creative
giant. He has a massive following and
rightly so. His philosophy about the
relationship between arts and humanity is
the main theme of this book. He relates
happiness and wisdom to the inclination of
human being towards arts and creativity.
9. Color and Light: A Guide For the
Realist Painter
Another book written by James Gurney that is a must read for the aspiring
artists. It is a handbook for the in-depth knowledge about the basic principles
of realistic painting. One of the most principal elements that are discussed in
this book, are color and light. The author has discussed both theoretical as
well as practical aspects of using the colors and light in bringing the painting
to life. It also showcase the knowledge about the colors used to paint, their
tints, backgrounds and minute details needed to make a realistic painting of
any object or subject.
10. Figure Drawing For All It’s Worth
First published in 1946, this book written by Andrew Loomis is a classic
and thought to be the best introduction to the art of drawing human figure. It
has step by step illustrations of drawing human body in different poses and
positions. It’s the best guide for the aspiring artists who want to learn to draw

4. realistic human portraits. So anyone who wants to learn realistic portrait,
cannot afford not reading this masterpiece.
These are the books that almost encompass the art of creativity and
everything there is to learn about drawing and painting. These books can be of
enormous help in inculcating aesthetic sense in newcomers and expanding the
horizons of pros.