I always like reading books since I was a child. I still love to. Right now I have four art books and I will share my reviews about them and I will also share which books I would like to purchase next. I hope it will help you if you would want to purchase any art books or thinking to purchase any of these.
I am a self-taught watercolor artist and it plays a major role in what type of books I purchase to improve my art. I also like to try out new mediums so you will see pencil drawing art books as well.
Some prefer watching tutorial videos over reading books which is absolutely fine. I like to do both. Sometimes I don’t like to spend more time on screen so I prefer reading books.
The art books I have
Color choices by Stephen Quiller
Internationally renowned artist and best-selling author Stephen Quiller shows readers how to discover their own personal "color sense" in Color Choices, a book that offers readers a fresh perspective on perfecting their own color styles.
With the help of his own "Quiller Wheel," a special foldout wheel featuring 68 precisely placed colors, the author shows artists how they can develop their own unique color blends. First, Quiller demonstrates how to use the wheel to interpret color relationships and mix colors more clearly. Then he explains, step by step, how to develop five structured color schemes, apply underlays and overlays, and use color in striking, unusual ways. This book will bring out every artist's unique sense of color whether he or she works in oil, watercolor, acrylics, gouache, or casein.
Why I purchased this book?
My color choices were not so good at the time I purchased this book. I am still improving on that. I was also into painting landscapes so I thought this is the perfect book I am looking for.
Review of the book
[photo of a spread explaining basic things][photo of another spread]
I really enjoyed learning from this book. This book has lots of paintings done by Quiller and he also explained basic painting topics in this book which makes this book more amazing. I would like to study this book again deeply to understand color harmony and color choices.
If you want to work on your color skills specifically for landscape painting, you should definitely purchase this book. It is a very good investment.
Just draw botanicals by Helen Birch
Just Draw Botanicals presents a collection of 90 beautiful botanical images by contemporary artists from around the world. Dip in for advice or flick through the pages for inspiration. Each image is accompanied by a short introduction, information on the approaches, techniques, tools used, and useful tips. Advice covers composition, color, painting techniques, and tips for working with plants. This is the perfect guide for artists and art lovers alike.
Why I purchased this book?
I fell in love with the artworks Helen has curated in this book. I wanted to see the different types of styles these amazing artists have to get inspired. There are all botanical paintings which is a plus for me because I love painting flowers and leaves.
Review of the book
It is such a beautiful book with lots of different styles of paintings. I think that the size of the book could be a little big so that it is beautiful to see the paintings closely.
Everyday Watercolor by Jenna Rainey
This beautifully illustrated and inspiring guided watercolor-a-day book is perfect for beginning watercolor artists, artists who want to improve their watercolor skills, and visual creatives. From strokes to shapes, this book covers the basics and helps painters gain confidence in themselves along with inspiration to develop their own style over the course of 30 days. Featuring colorful contemporary art from Mon Voir design agency founder and Instagram trendsetter Jenna Rainey, this book's fresh perspective paints watercolor in a whole new light.
Why I purchased this book?
I got to know about Jenna from her YouTube channel and I followed her class on youtube and it turned out amazing. I went ahead and watched her few other videos and I was amazed by how much value she provides. After watching her few videos and reading a few blogs, I decided to buy her book.
Review of the book
I always struggle with painting every day and I thought this book will help me to paint every day and it did. This book is filled with 30 days of watercolor exercises with in-depth details about how to hold your brush and how to mix colors. It is beginner friendly book so it is a very good book if you are starting out with watercolors.
Botanical drawing by Penny Brown
A definitive artist's guide to drawing detailed and accurate plants, flowers, and other vegetation in pencil. Botanical Drawing touches on the history of this fascinating art form, its rules, and practicalities, and includes an accessible, basic study of botany for the absolute beginner. In this informative volume, artist Penny Brown expertly explains the materials, learnings, and techniques required to produce accurate botanical illustrations.
Follow her clear step-by-step instructions and close studies and explorations of the subjects to produce your own illustrations of plants, flowers, vegetables, and their myriad parts. The aim of this book is to give you the confidence and enthusiasm to tackle your own projects; to show you how broad a subject botanical drawing is, and how satisfying and enjoyable it can be."Study nature diligently, be guided by nature... for truly art is hidden in nature and he who can draw it out possesses it." - Albrecht Dürer
Why I purchased this book?
I purchased this book recently when I thought I should learn how to paint flowers and leaves from basic. This book explains exactly what I was looking for in detail. I also wanted to try painting with graphite pencils and these are the reasons why I got this book.
Review of this book
This book is really wonderful for anyone who loves to go into the details of everything. Penny explained each topic in a very beginner-friendly manner. The book has step-by-step instructions and explanations which really help to understand a self-taught artist like me.
My wish list
I have a lot and lots of books on my wishlist but these are the books that I want to try out first. All the books listed below are for botanical artists because right now I am enjoying painting the loose flowers with ink the most.
Content for you to watch
I have listed down some videos for you to watch. I will also post this blog in video format on my YouTube channel soon. I hope you will like it. And if you want, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.