Last week I discussed some e-courses I’m considering for my DIY fall quarter art education. I’ve also put together a little collection of books to work from, focusing on sketching, painting, pattern and color theory.

Painted Pages: Fueling Creativity with Sketchbooks and Mixed Media by Sarah Ahearn Bellemare: This is a book I’ve had for about a year and keep going back to. The journal pages in the book are charming, with a cheerful color palette. Good journal prompts and beautiful photographs. Sarah Ahearn Bellemare’s blog is also one of my favorites.

 

 

Color: A Workshop Approach by David Hornung: I am impatiently waiting for this book to arrive. One of my professors let me thumb through an older edition of this book. It had great color exercises. I’m looking forward to working out of this to improve my color mixing skills.

 

 

 

An A-Z of Visual Ideas: How to Solve Any Creative Brief by John Ingledew: This is a catalog of semi-random topics to spark ideas. Best used by flipping through and reading a page or two. It’s a little overwhelming to read straight through. Hoping to use this as a spark when the tank is empty.

 

 

Over and Over: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns by Michael Perry: I’ve had this book checked out of the library for so long, I now consider it part of my permanent collection. The book has the most amazing collection of patterns. I love flipping through for quick inspiration. It’s also fun to pick out an artist and research their work online.

 

 

Drawn In: A Peek into the Inspiring Sketchbooks of 44 Fine Artists, Illustrators, Graphic Designers, and Cartoonists by Julia Rothman: I’m a total sucker for books on sketchbooks. This is one of my favorites. Very clean design and unique sketchbook pages. The artist interviews in the book are interesting and quirky. The author’s blog has great artist interviews and sketchbooks posts.

 

 

One Drawing A Day: A 6-Week Course Exploring Creativity with Illustration and Mixed Media by Veronica Lawlor: A good collection of drawing prompts using a variety of media. It’s not so much a step by step instruction, but more of a jumping off point with good exercises.

 

 

Please let me know if you have a favorite book on one of these topics!

See also: Back to School: Courses