Martina's Art Book Recommendations

Books have to be heavy because the whole world is inside of them!

The choice of a good art instruction book is not easy at times, because we can't judge a good book by its cover. And all books are not equal.  There is an incredible number of publications I refuse to advocate. In fact some are so terrible, they teach bad habits. I often hear the question in my art classes what books I would recommend, so to make it easier for both my students and me I've created this list of recommendations.

Martina Pook

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FIGURE DRAWING - DESIGN AND INVENTION
by Michael Hampton
This is definitely one of my favourites. Well executed drawings and descriptions of the structure within the human form.  A must have.

PEN & INK DRAWING - A SIMPLE GUIDE
by Anphonso Dunn
One of the great pen and ink books. Explains all basic materials and fundamentals of this medium. Great illustrations.

THE ARTIST'S COMPLETE GUIDE TO FIGURE DRAWING
by Anthony Ryder
A brilliant book on figure drawing by Anthony who is a master in the classical sense and has absolute control of line and hatching.

DAILY PAINTING
by Carole Marine
You will find Carole's painting on my Pinterest. She offers wisdom and hits the nail on the head.  To get into the habit of painting, a little every day instead of longer hours at first. 

Colored

COLORED PENCIL SOLUTION BOOK
by Janie Gildow
It is one of the most easy to read books with every technique important for this medium. Step by step demonstrations. A must!

PROBLEM SOLVING FOR OIL PAINTERS
by Gregg Kreutz
This is one of the books I use a lot in my classes and recommend to get this as one of your must have oil painting books. It is filled with valuable advice.

PENCIL DRAWING - PROJECT BOOK FOR BEGINNERS
By Walter Foster / Reeves
This is a great book for beginners with a step-by-step approach for still life landscapes, animals, glass, metal, foliage and fur. Also great for kids.

OIL PAINTING SECRETS FROM A MASTER
by Linda Cateura

This books was written by one of David's students who took notes over a few years of his teaching. He has great knowledge on the subject. 

HENRY YAN'S FIGURE DRAWING TECHNIQUES & TIPS
by Henry Yan
Experienced Academy drawer Henry Yan shows his excellent talent within this publication. 

THE ARTIST'S ILLUSTRATED ENCYLOPEDIA
by Phil Metzger
This must be the most comprehensive and visually pleasing book if its kind. I love it.

Giovanni Civardi's Complete Guide to Drawing
By Giovanni Civardi
Brings together the 7 books from the Art of Drawing series for Drawing. Portrait, Scenery, Light & Shade, the nude, hands & feet, clothed figure etc.

Life Drawing
By Robert Barrett
How to portray the figure with accuracy is the main theme of this book.  A good choice.

Figure Drawing For Artists
By Steve Huston
Both for beginners and pros. It summons the same two-step method taught to artists at DreamWorks, Warner Bros and Disney Animation. I love the use of core shadow.

Figure Drawing Studio
By Butch Krieger
The artists guides you through many important fundamentals. More than 1,500 high resolution full colour images.

Draw Portraits in Colored Pencil
By Ann Kullberg
Thousands of hours of experience from 29 master artists. With 11 complete portraits and 18 step-by-step demos.

The Anatomy of Style
By Patrick J. Jones
Award winning figurative artist explores foundational techniques and offers Masterclass Study Sheets.

How Tod Draw Portraits in Charcoal
By Nathan Fowkes
Seasoned artist and instructor Nathan created an easy to follow and valuable guide for portrait drawing in charcoal.