My Current Top Five Art Books - Invite some of the best art instructors in the world to your studio!

100 Creative Drawing Ideas

Outstanding teachers share the exercises they use to bring out the best in artists - from beginning students to seasoned professionals Compiled and Edited by Anna Held Audette

• Out of the box drawing exercises.
• College level instruction.
• Master specific art concepts, lesson by lesson.

As an artist with a day job and no time to go for formal training, I have a real need for art instruction books that allow me to study independently. 100 Creative Drawing Ideas is a great resource for expanding your imagination, thinking out of the box and for getting rid of all the stale old drawing exercises of fruit and drapery. The majority of the lessons originated from college-level instructors: therefore most of the exercises are concentrating on learning a specific concept, or overcoming a specific obstacle. The level of difficulty is thus centred on college graduates and artists, and I would not recommend this book to younger artists, as the abstract concepts and difficulty level might hinder more than help them. Artists who want to expand their own abilities will really benefit from this clever little book. I especially liked the micro to macro exercise where you have to zoom in on a tiny object, like popcorn, peanuts, a bug, etc. and then draw it on a huge scale. How seldom do we really look at the world around us in such a focused manner, really seeing the beauty of the sun setting fire to a few marbles, or the glowing colours and textures on a grasshopper's wings?

Anatomy for the Artist

A comprehensive guide to drawing the human body by Daniel Carter and Michael Courtney

• All the anatomy information you need, without too much unnecessary detail.
• Excellent section on body movement.
• Extra sections on proportions, drawing tools, creating the illusion of depth.

This beautifully illustrated volume is one of the staples for every artist's library. Aimed specifically at the artist, this guide imparts all the valuable information needed for portraying the human body, without going into too much medical detail. Each detailed sketch is also accompanied by an in depth discussion on how to achieve the best effects, which I found extremely helpful. Technical sections concentrate on the correct proportions of the body, how to create the illusion of depth, as well as which drawing equipment to use to get the best results. The last section on the body in movement is of particular interest to the artist. I would recommend this book for the amateur artist or high school student who would like to get to grips with portraying the human body as accurately as possible.

Creative Collage Techniques

A step-by-step guide including 52 demonstrations and the work of over 60 artists by Nita Leland

• The definitive guide to collage.
• Companion evaluation charts on adhesives, papers, etc.
• A superb collection of collage techniques

The definitive guide to collage, if there ever was one! Nita Leland is one of those very rare creative people, who is able to convey her methods in clear, precise steps, enabling even the novice to jump in and start creating his very own collage. I just love this quote from the inside flap: "The fun is in doing it today. Tomorrow you can learn to do it right" This is one art handbook that really lives up to expectation. The myriad of techniques are not only suitable for collage artists, but will infuse the water colourist and acrylic artist's painting with rich textures and spontaneity. I have long been a champion against the expensiveness of art materials, which makes Creative Collage Techniques another boon - it shows how any found, inexpensive object can be used to create art. The limit on the materials that you are able to use is simply set by your own imagination. The companion charts listing the range of art supplies, adhesives, and papers/boards available for collage, is extremely helpful and well organized. If I knew before hand that gel medium is such a great adhesive and all rounder, I would not have forked out a considerable amount of money on buying a range of other glues, mediums, pots and tubes! Start with the very simplest of techniques and progress to the more modern, abstract and sophisticated designs. Creative Collage Techniques - definitely suited for young and old, novice and master!

Drawing on the Artist Within

How to release your hidden creativity. by Betty Edwards

• Learn the emotional language of mark making.
• Take your self expression to new heights

Drawing on the Artist Within is the second book penned by Betty Edwards, author of the global bestseller, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. In this volume, Betty takes her mantra that - anyone can learn to draw - to the next level. Learn how to understand the emotional language of mark making and learn how to unlock the true potential of your inner artist. Although there are some overlapping with Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, Drawing on the Artist Within focus more on the process of creativity and how to enhance your artistic self-expression. This book may not be everybody's cup of tea, but I found the information on the emotional language of mark making fascinating. Knowing the semantics of this ancient language enables a more thorough understanding of the emotional value that artists try to purvey in their paintings and has been infusing my own work with marks speaking of angst, anger and abundance ever since. Never again will I look at the mark making art of Jackson Pollock again, as just some crazy guy with a paintbrush, without seeing the immense emotional content his work contains as well.

The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

A course in enhancing creativity and artistic confidence. by Betty Edwards

• The best book of all times on drawing.
• Enhance your drawing skills with leaps and bounds.
• Case studies of drawing skills before and after taking this course - absolutely astonishing!
• Become your own best critic.

If you want to get to grips with the fundamentals of how to draw - buy this book! Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is one of thé most widely used drawing instruction books out there. Change your drawings from incompetent doodles, to well proportioned, life-like drawings by getting to grips with the five basic skills needed for all good drawings:

• - edges/contours/line
• - space/negative space
• - relationship of angles and proportions
• - perception of light and shadow
• - perception of the whole

You will not only enhance your drawing skills, but you will be empowered to become your own best critic, easily spot and rectify problem areas in your art, and have a great time will doing so. Although it does help to have someone to guide you through the process, you can just as easily do the exercises on your own. This book should definitely be on every artist's bookshelf! Also have a look at these essential tools for aiding you in your quest to draw well, that you can make for almost free.