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Essential Course Reading

Supplemental Reading

Color Theory / Painting - Instruction and Treatises:

Bernard Dunstan

Learning to Paint

John Gage

Color and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction. (Thorough and Scholarly History)

James Gurney

Color and Light: A Guide for The Realistic Painter. (Invaluable Source for The Painter Seeking a Wide-ranging Understanding of the Subtle Nuances in Color)

William Innes Homer

Seurat and the Science of Painting. Isbn-10: 0262080184

Johannes Itten

The Elements of Color

Gregg Kreutz

Problem Solving for Oil Painters. (Excellent Presentation of Practical Methods and Tips from a Practicing Painter)

Margaret Livingstone

Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing. (Neurobiologist Demonstrates How We Perceive Art through our very Sophisticated Visual Biology)

Harold Speed

Oil Painting Techniques and Materials. (Practical Painting Advice and Instruction in the English Tradition)
Drawing - Instruction and Treatises:

Gerald Ackerman

Charles Bargue (with the collaboration of Jean-leon Gerome) Drawing Course (Facsimile of the Original Lithographic Plates, Created for the Classical Drawing Training of the 19th Century Art Student) Link to Online Archive

Rex Vicat Cole

The Artistic Anatomy of Trees. (Excellent Study for Understanding and Drawing the Subject by an accomplished Traditional Draughtsman)

John Croney

Drawing Figure Movement

Brian Curtis

Drawing from Observation. (Outstanding Instruction for Observational Drawing with Clear Student Examples.)

Nathan Goldstein

The Art of Responsive Drawing.

Arthur Guptill

Rendering in Pen and Ink

Ralph Mayer

The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques.

Vladimir Mogilevtsev

Fundamentals of Drawing. ©2016, 1st English Edition Isbn-10: 590495705x (Academic Figure Drawing Method from the Russian Academy)

Henning Nelms

Thinking with a Pencil. (Simple, Practical Approaches to Problem Solving Using Drawing Skills)

Philip Rawson

Drawing (Probably the most Important Book Devoted to The Subject; Thorough and Scholarly; not a ‘how-to’ Book)

Deborah Rockman

The Art of Teaching Art: A Guide for Teaching and Learning the Foundations of Drawing-based Art. Isbn-10: 0195130790

James Watrous

The Craft of Old-master Drawings. (Detailed Study of The Historic Techniques of Drawing from Middle Ages to The Present)
Drawing - Anatomy:

Gottfried Bammes

The Complete Guide to Anatomy for Artists & Illustrators. ©2017 (English Translation of The Original German Edition, die Gestalt Des Menschen. Perhaps the Greatest work on Artist Anatomy; Extremely thorough study includes hundreds of the author’s Masterful Diagrams) Isbn-10: 1782213589

George Bridgman

Bridgman’s Complete Guide to Drawing from Life. (useful methods for Constructing Body Masses for Imaginary Figures by the Influential Drawing Teacher)

Frank Calderon

Animal Painting and Anatomy (Excellent Introductory essay on Drawing and Fine Drawings by a Traditional English Draughtsman)

Nathan Goldstein

Figure Drawing: The Structure, Anatomy and Expressive Design of The Human Form.

Albrecht Durer

The Human Figure: The Complete Dresden Sketchbook ©1972 (Human Anatomy and Proportional Studies by the Northern Renaissance Master)

Robert Beverly Hale

Drawing Lessons from the Great Masters (Insights into the Sophistication of Master Drawings through the Analysis of Isolated Features)

Robert Beverly Hale

Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters (Insights tnto Master Drawings with Detailed Analysis of Anatomical Features)

Richard Hatton

Figure Drawing: A Complete Guide.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci on the Human Body (Re-titled in Many Different Publications, It is Useful to Have a Collection of Da Vinci’s Studies on Anatomy that are Still the Model for Draftsmen as well as Medical Illustrators)

Steven Rogers Peck

Anatomy for the Artist.

John Vanderpoel

The Human Figure. (Excellent Figure Sourcebook with Drawings that Simplify and Render the Body)
Drawing - Design Systems / Composition:

Rudolf Arnheim

The Power of the Center: A Study of Composition in the Visual Arts. ©1982 University of California Press (Scholarly)

Rudolf Arnheim

The Dynamics of Architectural form. (Scholarly discussion of the perceptual and compositional effects of the weights and balances of form in architecture)

Krome Barratt

Logic And Design, Revised: In Art, Science and Mathematics. Isbn-10: 1592288499

Odd Brochmann

Good or bad Design? (Using Simplistic Child-like Diagrams to Describe what make Intelligent Proportions and good Design Decisions in Product Design and Nature.

Jacques Grillo

Form, Function and Design (Inspirational and Informative Book on Design Thinking)

Erle Loran

Cezanne’s Composition. (Important Analysis of Cezanne’s Compositional form with Photographs and Diagrams of his Motifs)

Manfred Maier

Basic Principles of Design: The Foundation Program at the School of Design Basel, Switzerland. (Instructive Methods for Gesture, Sight Drawing, and General Design.)

Richard Adams Rathbone

Introduction to Functional Design. (Principles of Pictorial Design and Composition)

Nigel V. Walters

And John Bromham, Principles of Perspective. (Thorough with Clear Layout)
Drawing - Golden Section:

Charles Bouleau

The Painter’s Secret Geometry. (Excellent work by a Practicing Painter with an Historical Approach; Preface by Jacques Villon)

Gyorgy Doczi

The Power of Limits: Proportional Harmonies in Nature, Art, and Architecture. (Interesting, new Age Treatise)

Jay Hambidge

The Elements of Dynamic Symmetry. (Classic Introduction to the Golden Section and Root Rectangles Series)

Jay Hambidge

Dynamic Symmetry: The Greek Vase. (Hambidge’s Finest Book; Exhaustive Examination of Greek Vase Forms in Combinations of Root and Phi Rectangles; Excellent Appendix with Notes and Sources)

Robert Lawlor

Sacred Geometry: Philosophy & Practice. (Good Reference Presented in Workbook Form)

Ernst Mössel

(Sometimes Spelled Moessel). Vom Geheimnis Der Form Und Der Urform Des Seins. (One of the most Important Works on the Subject by a German Architect who Clearly Demonstrates the use of Root and Phi Rectangles Plus the Geometry of Polygons Applied to the Works of Western and Eastern Cultures throughout History. Text in German, But Filled With Hundreds of Fine Illustrations and Photos)

Richard Padovan

Proportion: Science, Philosophy, Architecture. (a thorough historical work)

Michael Schneider

A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe, (Fascinating Study of the Philosophy and Symbolism Behind the Mathematical Archetypes in Nature, Art, and Science)

Matila Ghyka

The Geometry af Art and Life. (a history of design geometry and presentation of several authors/researchers on the subject)
History of Art:

Arnold Hauser

The Social History of Art

Siegfried Wichmann

Japonisme (The Influences of Japan on European and American Artists in the Late 19th Century)

William Rubin (ed.)

Primitivism in 20th Century Art ©1984 Isbn-10: 0870705342 (The Influences of Africa, Oceania, and Pre-columbian Americas on Artists in the 20th Century)
Art Criticism / Appreciation / Aesthetics:

Rudolf Arnheim

The Genesis of a Painting: Picasso’s Guernica. (The Art Historian/psychologist Explores the Mind of Picasso.)

Dore Ashton

(Introduction). Picasso on Art: A Selection of Views (The Documents of 20th Century Art). (Picasso is Probably the most Quoted Artist in History.)

Michael Ayrton

The Rudiments of Paradise: Various Essays on Various Arts.(Intelligent and Challenging Essays by Artist/writer.)

John Berger

The Success and Failure of Picasso. (The Artist/writer/art Critic Explores Picasso.)

John Berger

Toward Reality: Essays in Seeing by John Berger. (Includes the Essay, ‘The basis of All Painting and Sculpture is Drawing.’)

Herschel Chipp (ed.)

Theories of Modern Art: A Sourcebook by Artists and Critics. (A Collection of Texts from Letters, Manifestos, Notes and Interviews)

Umberto Eco (ed.)

History of Beauty (Surveys Historic and Cultural Differences in Definitions and Beliefs; Proportion and Harmony; Symbolism of Color; The Sublime)

A Trystan Edwards

The Things which are seen: A Philosophy of Beauty. (Fascinating Essay on Design Systems – Cannons – Derived from the Study of Nature and Ancient Greek Art)

Edmund Burke Feldman

Practical Art Criticism. (A Master Class for the Coherent use of Language to View, Understand, and Explain Art)

Edmund Burke Feldman

Varieties of Visual Experience. (Articulate Discussion of the Functions, Styles, Structure, and Meaning of Art)

E.H. Gombrich

Art and Illusion: A Study in the Psychology of Pictorial Representation (Classic work Examines the History and Psychology of Pictorial Representation in Light of Present-day Theories of Visual Perception)

Jacques Grillo

Form, Function and Design. (Inspirational and Informative Book on Design Thinking)

Robert Herbert (ed.)

Modern Artists on Art. (Sixteen 20th Century Artists on Art and Process)

Robert Hughes

Nothing if not Critical. (Time Magazine Art Critic Addresses Over Eighty Old Master and Contemporary Artists.)

Philip James

Henry Moore on Sculpture. ©1966 (Collection of the Sculptor’s Writings, Interviews, etc.)

Auguste Rodin

Rodin on Art. (Insights from One of History’s Greatest Sculptors)
Symbolism:

Benjamin Blech

Roy Doliner, the Sistine Secrets: Michelangelo’s Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican. (Spellbinding with Revelations on Every Page!)

F. Lanier Graham (ed.)

The Rainbow Book (Focusing on the Meaning of Color Physically and Metaphysically, from Ancient to Modern)

George Hersey

The Lost Meaning of Classical Architecture (Pagan Ritual and Symbol Buried in the forms of Classical Greek Orders and Architecture. All of Hersey’s Books are Fascinating and Informative)

Hopper, Vincent Foster

Medieval Number Symbolism (Scholarly)

Carl Jung

Man and His Symbols (Important Work by the Seminal Psychologist)

Carl Jung

The Red Book (Search: Free Download on the Web; A Beautifully Illustrated Personal Diary of Symbolism and Psychological Meanings)

Per Mollerup

Marks of Excellence; The History and Taxonomy of Trademarks, (Designed for the Graphic Designer, but is also Rich in Design Evolution and History of Trademarks; Profusely Illustrated)

Dora Ware

And Maureen Stafford, an Illustrated Dictionary of Ornament (Profusely Illustrated and Covers Wide Selection of Historic Periods and Cultures)
3 D Design / Architecture / Industrial Design:

Francis Ching

Architecture: Form, Space, and Order

Galen Cranz.

The Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body, and Design. Isbn-10: 0393319555 (Scholarly Exploration of History, Design, Style, Ergonomics, the Human Mind and Body.)

George Hersey

The Monumental Impulse: Nature’s Biological Roots. (Fundamental Work Demonstrates Architectural Forms as Tropes from Natural Design)

Rob Krier

Architectural Composition. (Contains a Long Chapter Discussing the Golden Section in Architecture and Author’s Own Work)

Joy Monica Malnar and Frank Vodvarka

The Interior Dimension: A Theoretical Approach to Enclosed Space. (Unique Approach Exploring 3d Space as Applied to Architectural Interiors)

Donald A. Norman

The Design of Everyday Things. (A Cognitive Scientist Demonstrates why Consumer Products Do and Don’t Satisfy Customers.)
3-D Design / Sculpture - Instruction and Treatises:

David Finn

How to Look at Sculpture. Isbn-10: 0613181190 (Insights from One of the Great Photographers of Sculpture)

Edward Lanteri

Modelling and Sculpting the Human Figure. (Primer for Modeling Instruction.)

Edward Lanteri

Modelling and Sculpting Animals. (Primer for Modeling Instruction; Includes a Dedication from Auguste Rodin!)

L. R. (Leonard Robert) Rogers

Sculpture. Isbn-10: 0192119052 (Fascinating and Scholarly Study; Indispensable for the Student of Sculpture; not a ‘how-to’ Book)

L. R. Rogers

Relief Sculpture. Isbn-10: 0192119206 (Unique Study of the Specialized Topic; Scholarly and Extremely useful for the Student of Sculpture; Not a ‘how-to’ Book)

Philip Rawson

Sculpture. Isbn-10: 0812282582 (Similar to L. R. Rogers, but with Alternative Insights)

Jack C. Rich

The Materials and Methods of Sculpture. Isbn-10: 0486257428 (Essential Guide for the Sculptor’s Materials and Processes.)
Animation / Caricature:

John Canemaker

Paper Dreams: The Art and Artists of Disney Storyboards. Isbn-10: 0786863072 (Profiles of Storyboard Artists and Storytelling Process at Disney Studios)

John Canemaker

Treasures of Disney Animation Art. Isbn-10: 0896600319 (Excellent Oversized Book with a Wealth of Quality Animation Drawings, Story Sketches, Inspirational Sketches, Backgrounds, Layouts, Cel Set ups, etc. not to be Confused with the Later-issued Miniature Version with the same title)

Stan Lee, John Buscema

How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. Isbn-10: 0671530771 (The Standard text on the Topic)

Sebastian Kruger

Stars. Morpheus International. Isbn-10: 1883398274 (Master Caricaturist’s Depictions of Popular Celebrities)

Sebastian Kruger

Stones. Isbn-10: 1883398614 (Master Caricaturist’s Depictions of Rolling Stones Band Members)

Rico Lebrun’s

Guides for Disney Animation Studios (Disney Studios hired master draughtsman Lebrun to train animators in anatomy and movement drawing during the production of Bambi; search: Lebrun on the Michael Sporn animation blog)

Walt Stanchfield

Drawn to Life - 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes, Vol’s 1 (Collection of Drawing Lessons and Advice from the Master Teacher of Disney Animators)

Walt Stanchfield

Drawn to Life - 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes, Vol’s 2 (Collection of Drawing Lessons and Advice from the Master Teacher of Disney Animators)
Miscellaneous:

John Berger

A Painter of our Time: A Novel. (Writer/critic Creates a Vivid Account of a Fictitious Artist’s Working Life.)

Eugen Herrigel

Zen in the Art of Archery: Training the Mind and Body to Become One.

Desmond Morris

The Naked Ape.

Many of the desired titles are out of print and may be searched for online at:

Used and out-of-print book finder
Used and out-of-print book finder
You may also try searching digitized books at the Internet Archive

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