Reader-Recommended Books for Artists

In response to my recent list of 7 Illustration Books You Need to Read, several EFII community members suggested some of their own favorite books.  I’d have to say that the EFII readers have great taste in books, because each one they recommended is a great resource for Illustrators, and they have since been added to the growing collection in the EFII Bookstore.

I like to give the EFII community members a chance to speak whenever possible, so today I thought I’d highlight those books and share the comments that were left.

How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way

Bob Ostrom: One of my all time favorites is “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way”. It’s a little dated but still a great book. I recommend it to all my students.

Drawing Dynamic Hands

Melanie Matthews: Burne Hogarth’s books are fantastic, my favourite one of his is “Drawing Dynamic Hands”. I’ve found hardly any books dedicated to drawing hands (let alone, good books), which is odd because they’re so difficult to draw but such a crucial thing to know. He takes it further, and instead of being a book about drawing any old boring hands, his hands are expressive and full of character.

Rockwell on Rockwell: How I Make a Picture

Toni Wall: One of the best books I’ve ever read on illustration is called Rockwell on Rockwell: How I Make a Picture. It’s out-of-print now, but still available through Amazon. It’s worth the price for the information Norman Rockwell gives on his illustration process.

Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

Melanie Matthews: A good one I can think of is for any artist who has doubts about their work or is otherwise feeling unmotivated, uninspired or just not good enough: Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland. It’s a good read if you often find yourself getting frustrated or feeling unsure when it comes to making art.

At ConceptArt.org, whenever somebody swings by and asks, ‘I’m feeling unmotivated and uninspired, what do I do?’ they will get a swift reply telling them to read this book!

Stephanie Burel: “Art and Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking” by David Bayles and Ted Orland. It’s a good read, especially during anytime you find yourself in a slump in your drawing.

Inside the Business of Illustration

Nate Bear: I’m currently reading “ Inside the Business of Illustration“ by Steven Heller & Marshall Arisman. It’s mix of interviews with seasoned pros, general guidelines, ans sensible advice. The authors are a creative director and an experienced illustrator, so I would guess they know what they are talking about. My girlfriend couldn’t believe i was trying to become an illustrator and never read it.

Besides just focusing on business as the title suggests, the discussions also delve into the philosophy of illustration, and why we do what we do.

So far I like Arisman’s advice for building a strong portfolio that he give right out the bat on page 6: make a list of things you know really well, and make portfolio pieces off based of that. It’s shortcut to forgetting about style and audience, and just creating excellent, sincere work.

I’ll let you all know how the rest of the book is when I’m done.

Understanding Comics

Stephanie Burel: “Understanding Comics” by Scott Mcloud. A lesson in understanding sequential storytelling, and an enjoyable read.

Thanks so much to everyone for your feedback.  Your participation at Escape From Illustration Island makes this site a more valuable resource for everyone.  As I mentioned above, all these great books are now available for purchase in the EFII Bookstore.

Update: You can now read More Reader-Recommended Books for Artists

Do you have a favorite book that you’d like to recommend to your fellow creators?  Please share it in the comments section.

Would you like to write a review of your favorite book to submit as a guest post to EFII?  If so, you can send it to Thomas James at illustrationisland@gmail.com.

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