10 Books Every Artist Needs
You know that feeling you get when you finish a really great book? The kind of book that makes you look at the world a little differently? It's probably safe to say that most artists feel that way after reading one, if not all, of these ten books that are geared towards building your confidence, skills and giving you insight into what it takes to be successful in your own career as an artist. Whatever your preferred discipline, these books are well worth your time. So get comfortable and prepare to be inspired!
All of the synopses shown in this article are also available on Amazon.
Living and sustaining a creative life: essays by 40 working artists
SHaron Louden
Image courtesy of Good Reads
In this day and age, when art has become more of a commodity and art school graduates are convinced that they can only make a living from their work by attaining gallery representation, it is more important than ever to show the reality of how a professional, contemporary artist sustains a creative practice over time. The forty essays collected in Living and Sustaining a Creative Life are written in the artists’ own voices and take the form of narratives, statements, and interviews. Each story is different and unique, but the common thread is an ongoing commitment to creativity, inside and outside the studio. Both day-to-day and big picture details are revealed, showing how it is possible to sustain a creative practice that contributes to the ongoing dialogue in contemporary art. These stories will inform and inspire any student, young artist, and art enthusiast and will help redefine what "success" means to a professional artist.
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https://www.amazon.com/Living-Sustaining-Creative-Life-Working/dp/178320012X
2. ART FUNDAMENTALS 2ND EDITION: LIGHT, SHAPE, COLOR, PERSPECTIVE, DEPTH, COMPOSITION AND ANATOMY
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Art Fundamentals 2nd Edition examines the fundamental concepts, conventions, and theory of colour, light, composition, anatomy, perspective and depth essential to creating successful work. This book also offers both emerging and experienced artists the chance to either delve into or brush up on theory and discover new tricks, tips, and techniques to advance their art even further. The content is richly illustrated for optimal learning, and each section of the book is specifically designed to guide the reader through the essential yet often challenging elements that make up the foundations of art, no matter which medium or technique is used.
Book available via Amazon
3. COLOR CHOICES: MAKING COLOR SENSE OUT OF COLOR THEORY
STEPHEN QUILLER
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Internationally renowned artist and best selling author Stephen Quiller shows readers how to discover their own personal "color sense" in Color Choices, a book that offers readers a fresh perspective on perfecting their own color styles.
With the help of his own "Quiller Wheel," a special foldout wheel featuring 68 precisely placed colors, the author shows artists how they can develop their own unique color blends. First, Quiller demonstrates how to use the wheel to interpret color relationships and mix colors more clearly. Then he explains, step by step, how to develop five structured color schemes, apply underlays and overlays, and use color in striking, unusual ways. This book will bring out every artist's unique sense of color whether he or she works in oil, watercolor, acrylics, gouache, or casein.
Book available via Amazon
4. find your artistic voice: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO WORKING YOUR CREATIVE MAGIC
lisa congdon
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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.
Best-selling 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 listeners 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.
Book available via Amazon and free downloadable PDF
5. art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
DAVID BAYLES
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What is your art really about? Where is it going? What stands in the way of getting it there? These are questions that matter, questions that recur at each stage of artistic development - and they are the source for this volume of wonderfully incisive commentary.
Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. This is a book about what it feels like to sit in your studio or classroom, at your wheel or keyboard, easel or camera, trying to do the work you need to do. It is about committing your future to your own hands, placing free will above predestination, choice above chance. It is about finding your own work.
Book and free audiobook available via Amazon and free downloadable PDF
6. CREATIVE BLOCK: GET UNSTUCK, DISCOVER NEW IDEAS, advice & projects from 50 successful artists
Danielle KYRSA
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Creative Block presents the most crippling—and unfortunately universal—challenge for artists. No longer! This chunky blockbuster of a book is chock-full of solutions for overcoming all manner of artistic impediment. The blogger behind The Jealous Curator interviews 50 successful international artists working in different mediums and mines their insights on how to conquer self-doubt, stay motivated, and get new ideas to flow. Each artist offers a tried-and-true exercise—from road trips to 30-day challenges to cataloging the medicine cabinet— that will kick-start the creative process. Abundantly visual with more than 300 images showcasing these artists' resulting work, Creative Block is a vital ally to students, artists, and creative professionals.
Book available via Amazon and free downloadable PDF
7. Art, INC.: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR BUILDING YOUR CAREER AS AN ARTIST
Lisa Congdon, Meg Mateo Iiasco, Jonathan Fields
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You don't have to starve to be an artist. Build a career doing what you love. In this practical guide, professional artist Lisa Congdon reveals the many ways you can earn a living by making art—through illustration, licensing, fine art sales, print sales, teaching, and beyond. Including industry advice from such successful art-world pros as Nikki McClure, Mark Hearld, Paula Scher, and more, Art, Inc. will equip you with the tools—and the confidence—to turn your passion into a profitable business.
LEARN HOW TO: • Set actionable goals • Diversify your income • Manage your bookkeeping • Copyright your work • Promote with social media • Build a standout website • Exhibit with galleries • Sell and price your work • License your art • Acquire an agent • And much more
Free audiobook and book available via Amazon and free downloadable PDF
8. THE ARTIST’S GUIDE: HOW TO MAKE A LIVING DOING WHAT YOU LOVE
JACKIE BATTENFIELD
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Using a “tough love approach” to pursuing a career in the visual arts, Jackie Battenfield expands on her highly successful classes and workshops to provide a comprehensive guide for both emerging and mid-career artists. Providing real-life examples, illustrations, and step-by-step exercises, Battenfield offers readily applicable advice on all aspects of the job. Along with tips on planning and assessment, she presents strategies for self-management, including marketing, online promotion, building professional relationships, grant writing, and portfolio development.
Each chapter ends with an insightful “Reality Check” interview, featuring advice and useful information from high-profile artists and professionals.
The result is an inspiring, experiential guide brimming with field-tested techniques that readers can easily apply to their own career.
Book available via Amazon
9. art/work: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career
HEATHER DARCY BHANDARI
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The most comprehensive guide of its kind, Art/Work gives artists of every level the tools they need to make it in an art world so competitive one dealer likens it to "The Sopranos, except nobody gets killed." Whether you're an art school grad looking for a gallery, a mid-career artist managing a busy studio, or someone just thinking about becoming a professional artist, this indispensable resource will help you build your career and protect yourself along the way.
This book teaches you important business and legal issues you need to understand to stay in control of your career and ensure you're being treated fairly. Heather Darcy Bhandari, a gallery director, and Jonathan Melber, an arts lawyer, walk you through these issues so that you can essentially act as your own manager and agent. They show you, for example, how to tackle business basics such as tracking inventory and preparing invoices; how to take legal precautions like registering a copyright and drafting consignment forms; how to use promotional tools like websites and business cards; and how to approach career decisions such as choosing the right venue to show your work.
In addition to drawing on their own experiences, Bhandari and Melber interviewed nearly one hundred curators, dealers, and other arts professionals, in cities across the country, about what they expect from and look for in artists. The authors also talked to a host of artists about their careers and the lessons they've learned navigating the art world. The book is full of their entertaining anecdotes and candid advice.
No matter what kind of artist you are -- or want to be -- this book will help you. Art/Work covers everything you need to know to succeed, saving you from having to learn it all the hard way -- and letting you spend more time making art.
Book available via Amazon
10. taking the leap: building a career as a visual artist
cary lang
Image courtesy of Good Reads
Cay Lang's Taking the Leap has helped thousands of artists jumpstart their careers and make real the dream of exhibiting and selling their work. As an internationally exhibited photographer and teacher, Lang offers the wisdom of experience, combined with enthusiasm and gentle humor, to guide artists through the ins and outs of the art business. Practical and inspiring, this revised and updated edition offers two new chapterson using the Internet and the media to best effect plus provides step-by-step advice on preparing presentation materials; finding and dealing with galleries (as well as bypassing the traditional gallery system); handling rights, royalties, and taxes; an extensive resource list; and other invaluable information for both beginning artists and those ready to take the next step in their careers.
Book available via Amazon
We hope that these amazing reads will help you feel confident handling and being in control of all aspects of your art career. Comment and let us know if you have read any of these before or share books that have helped transform your career with our community!