Art Tutorials, Theories, and Book Recommendations

[Lunatique]

Recommended books to buy:

Alla Prima: Everything I know About Painting, By Richard Schmid - This is one of the best books I own, and it's a real revelation for artists of any level. There is so much that book covers that you will not find anywhere else, and Schmid's wisdom on matters about creativity, technique, foundation knowledge, artistic purpose...etc are immensely valuable, and even life-changing. Google this book and buy it ASAP.

Drawing the Head and Figure, By Jack Hamm - An excellent classic that is surprisingly in-depth considering it's not a thick book at all. It contains emphasis that I have never seen in any of the other books on anatomy and figure, and it's one of very few books that incorporates material about aesthetics, variations, and even a section about the clothed figure. It's the best book on the subject I've seen along with the Andrew Loomis books.

Harley Brown's eternal truths for every artist, By Harley Brown & Lewis Barrett Lehrman - Another great all around book on art foundations and drawing/painting instructions.

Timeless Techniques for Better Oil Paintings, By Tom Browning - Also very informative and helpful, regardless of what medium and style you work in. Some of the content about colors are especially eye-opening.

Problem Solving For Oil Paintings, By Gregg Kreutz - Interesting approach for a book, using examples of "failed attempt" as the basis, and then troubleshoots these failed images by finding ways to make them better.

The Artist's Complete Guid to Facial Expressions, By Gary Faigin - Excellent book about facial expressions. The best book on the subject, bar none.

Drawing People, By Barbara Bradley - A really good book about clothed figure, fabric folds, wrinkles...etc. This book is very similar to Burne Hogarth's Dynamic Wrinkels and Drapes, and while both books are very good, I prefer this book more because Burne Hogarth exagerates too much and his drawings have a severe lack of aesthetic quality about them (and for that reason I do not recommend any of his books). Some people may find Hogarth's books helpful, but I personally feel that his books may cause more harm than good for young and impressionable novice artists, due to his heavily biased and stylized way of drawing.

Atlas of Foreshortening, By John Cody and Ron Tribell - This is an immensely helpful book because the nude figures are photographed from all the angles and in different poses, showing how the body looks from even the oddest angles that would be nearly impossible to find references for (unless you shoot the photos yourself).

Artistic Anatomy, By Richer Hale - This book is highly technical and contains mostly text, but towards the end of the book, there are some very valuable illustrations that show the anatomy in both cadaver form and with skin, and from different angles.