Art Books

I have many, many books about art, but just a few of them are exceptionally instructive. Here are some of the best, in my opinion.

1. Books by Andrew Loomis. These books are long out of print but can be found online.
Figure Drawing for All It's Worth
Creative Illustration
Drawing the Head and Hands
The Eye of the Painter and the Elements of Beauty
Successful Drawing
Fun with a Pencil

2. Jack Hamm, Drawing the Head & Figure

3. Bert Dodson, Keys to Drawing

A few years ago I visited the Frank Frazetta museum in East Stroudsburg, Pa. Frazetta is one of the greatest fantasy artists, perhaps even the creator of this genre in its present form. I always thought his works are visually impressive when reproduced in books and magazines, but the actual paintings really pop. If you are anywhere near the museum I recommend visiting it. Frank's wife Ella was fun to talk to, and it is said that Frank himself sometimes appears.

Another great museum in eastern Pa. is the Brandywine River Museum, in Chadds Ford. It features works by the Wyeth family. I went there about a year ago with members of my family and we were shown around by Victoria Wyeth, granddaughter of Andrew Wyeth. She is very attractive and personable and did a great job talking about the art works. The museum also has works by other artists, such as Howard Pyle and Alma-Tadema.