Sometimes the best advice for artists comes gift-wrapped as advice for some other audience. Robin Williams says...
When you create you get a little endorphin buzz. Why do you think Einstein looked like that?
Neil Gaiman: Dustcovers: The Collected Sandman Covers 1989-1996
This is what I show to students who need to know that collage is more than cut-and-paste posters of the four food groups. (****)
Muriel Silberstein-Storfer: Doing Art Together
Great suggestions on how to talk with the kids about artmaking, project by project. (****)
MaryAnn F. Kohl: Mudworks: Creative Clay, Dough, and Modeling Experiences
Recipes for every play dough or hands-on homemade modelling material I've every heard of. (****)
CIH, Michael McCann PhD: Artist Beware, Updated and Revised : The Hazards in Working with All Art and Craft Materials and the Precautions Every Artist and Craftsperson Should Take
Safety precautions and first aid equipment, air circulation and appropriate solvent disposal don't sound very Creative or Artistic. But then, neither does "toxic" or "caustic" or "flammable." (****)
Joanne Mattera: The Art of Encaustic Painting: Contemporary Expression in the Ancient Medium of Pigmented Wax
Once you see the range of possibilities in encaustic (painting with molten wax), every painter will want to try it. (****)
Bill Creevy: Pastel Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist
Pastels are misunderstood and under-rated. Here's the book that helps change that for my students. (****)
Bill Creevy: The Oil Painting Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist (Watson-Guptill Materials and Techniques)
Clear colour step-by-step illustrations of the wide range of oil painting techniques and materials. (****)
Kimon Nicolaides: The Natural Way to Draw : A Working Plan for Art Study
Classic text on drawing technique as practiced from life models. This is the book your art teacher studied. It's not an easy read. It's a timeless handbook. (*****)
Nick Bantock: Urgent 2nd Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, And Other Art From Ephemera
Eye candy and inspiration. (****)
Altoon Sultan: The Luminous Brush: Painting With Egg Tempera
Egg tempera is ancient and versatile, a handmade paint that won't break the budget. (****)
