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Best Books for Artists

Updated October 2021
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Creative Illustration Andrew Loomis
Creative Illustration
Andrew Loomis
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Industry Standard
Bottom Line

Learn the Loomis method from the man behind the name.

Pros

Industry standard for new portrait artists who want to know how to break down what's in front of them. Loomis's work from decades ago still sets the standard for comic artists and illustrators. Beautiful hardcover print that looks good on the bookshelf and makes a better artist with each turn of the page.

Cons

Not the greatest jumping-off point for beginners.

Best Bang for the Buck
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Betty Edwards
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Betty Edwards
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Best for Beginners
Bottom Line

One of the most important art books of the last few decades allows people to trick their brain into artistry.

Pros

From the first page to the last, Betty Edwards lets aspiring artists learn about the brain's creative process as a series of seemingly mundane projects help build their skill set en route to becoming true blue artists. Excellent for beginners who want to draw but don't think they can. Also helpful for established artists trying to work out kinks.

Cons

While it's good for people who want to understand what goes into the creative process, methods might not work for those who want more guidance.

Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist James Gurney
Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist
James Gurney
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Best for Fantasy Artists
Bottom Line

Drawing what's on your mind from the man behind the hit "Dinotopia" series.

Pros

Another must-have book for artists new and old. Gurney's "Dinotopia" is a quintessential mix of fantasy art and storytelling, and this book shows exactly how he does it. Less a detailed guidebook and more a sneak peek at dozens of methods, mediums, and processes for experimentation.

Cons

While made with beginners in mind, best as a follow-up to books aimed at beginners.

Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter James Gurney
Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter
James Gurney
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Best for Realism
Bottom Line

Perfect companion to Gurney's "Imaginative Realism" that focuses on drawing what's in front of the reader's eyes.

Pros

Learn to draw from nature, photographs, and imagination. While Gurney's other book is about bleeding ideas out onto paper, "Color and Light" shows how to add one's own ideas to what's already in front of them. Excellent ideas for beginning painters who don't know where to start.

Cons

Less a "how to paint" book and more a "how to see your subjects" book, which could be too advanced for inexperienced painters.

How to Draw Cool Stuff: A Drawing Guide for Teachers and Students Catherine V. Holmes
How to Draw Cool Stuff: A Drawing Guide for Teachers and Students
Catherine V. Holmes
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For Kids and Adults
Bottom Line

Adults and children can learn to draw in ways that are both fun and interesting.

Pros

Not just aimed at kids, but anyone who wants to learn to draw whatever they see or think. Perfect for beginners who want to know the basics of construction and self-taught professionals who want to work out kinks in their process. Suitable for classrooms, family art rooms, and travel.

Cons

Great for basic art construction, not so much for detailed portraiture and landscapes.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
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