Artist Reference Material

My Favorite Art Books - Patricia Bason

I've been stuck and lost. These books pulled me out and offered directions.

Capturing Light in Watercolor by Marilyn Simandle with Lewis Lehrman. North Light Books, 1997.
* Marilyn untangles the mystery of light in a way that let's you apply it right away.

Painting People in Watercolors: A Design Approach by Alex Powers. Watson-Guptill Publications, 1989.
* The suggestions use dynamic designs and will push your creative ability.

Breaking the Rules of Watercolor by Burt Silverman. Watson-Guptill Publications, 1983.
* Helps you stop thinking in the same old way. Out of print.

The Natural Way to Draw: A Working Plan for Art Study by Kimon Nicolaides. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
* A classic.

Serious Drawing: A Basic Manual by Casey FitzSimmons. Prentice Hall, 1989.
* The kind of basics that teach me year after year.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. J. P. Tarcher, 1979.
* The best on perspective.

Photographing Your Artwork by Russell Hart. North Light Books, 1992.
* I've always had some need for slides and discussion photos. Geared for the working artist, this guide lays out the photo processes in an easy-to-use format.

Anantomy of the Horse by George Stubbs. Bracken Books, 1996.
* A reprint of the 1776 edition, this is the classic horse drawing reference.

Horses by Rien Poortvliet. Stewart, Tabori, and Chang, 1978.
* Once you recover from the shock of how good an artist can be, you will grab your brushes and head for horse country.

How To Draw Animals by Jack Hamm. Berkley Publishing, 1969.
* This guide helps capture those subtle movements and gestures.

1998 Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market edited by Mary Cox. Writer's Digest Books, 1998.
* The guide has more information, leads, and tips than I can use in a year.

Art Marketing: What They Didn't Teach You in Art School by James A. Davis, AWSS Booklets, 1998.
* Written by my husband, the article translates art marketing into step-by-step actions. It also does a nice job on pricing and gallery contact. (Located in another section of this site.)

Splash 4: The Splendor of Light edited by Rachel Wolf. North Light Books, 1996.
* This is a nice collection of talented artists and a cross section of exciting scenes.