Your Favorite Craft/Art Books: Part Four

As I mentioned in a previous post, I had asked the question, "What is your favorite art/craft book?"  There were lots of great suggestions and I thought I'd compile them into one big list (in several parts) in case you're a book junkie like I am!

Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists by Carla Sonheim

From Amazon: "Carla Sonheim is an artist and creativity workshop instructor known for her fun and innovative projects and techniques designed to help adult students recover a more spontaneous, playful approach to creating. Her innovative ideas are now collected and elaborated on in this unique volume. Carla offers a year's worth of assignments, projects, ideas, and techniques that will introduce more creativity and nonsense into your art and life."

Collage Lab by Bee Shay

From Amazon: "Collage Lab offers artists and crafters a fun and experimental approach to making art. The book is organized into 52 different labs which may, but don't need to be, explored on a weekly basis. The labs can be worked in any order, so that readers can flip around to learn a new mixed-media technique or be inspired by a particular collage theme or application. The underlying message of this book is that artists can and should learn and gain expertise through experimentation and play. There is no right or wrong result for a given exercise, yet readers will gain skills and confidence in collage techniques, allowing them to take their work to a new level."

A Creative Companion by SARK

From Amazon: "Writer, artist, free spirit, and self-described "dangerous woman, " SARK readsfrom her lovely, lighthearted book on becoming an artist. Guaranteed to bringa little magic into even the most sensible life."

A Life in Hand: Creating the Illuminated Journal by Hannah Hinchman

From Amazon: "This book has created a nationwide interest in illustrated journal-keeping. It's a friendly, exquisitely illustrated volume from someone who is obviously nature-connected and literate to boot. If you like maps, natural history illustration, or if you are one of those who have always wanted to draw, but don't believe you can....this is the book for you "

Celebrate Your Creative Self by Mary Todd Beam

From Amazon: "Celebrate Your Creative Self helps you act upon your artistic inspirations and joyfully appreciate the creative process. You'll develop the skills you need to express yourself and explore your favorite mediums."

Surface Treatment Workshop by Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran-Wilson

From Amazon: "Pondering how to begin a new piece of art? Surface Treatment Workshop has the answer! The authors of Image Transfer Workshop are back to show you 45 stepped-out mixed-media techniques that will add depth and texture to your artwork. These techniques are the perfect jump-off point for creating art you will love to look at, and, in some cases, touch!"

The Creative Entrepreneur by Lisa Sonora Beam

From Amazon: "The Creative Entrepreneur was voted Winner, in two categories—Craft and Business, of the 2009 IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) Benjamin Franklin Award which recognizes excellence in publishing. This book is for the large audience of artists, crafters, and creative individuals from all walks of life who desire to make a livelihood from their creative work, or who possibly have achieved some success, but don’t know how to replicate it or move to another level of accomplishment."

Personal Geographies by Jill K Berry

From Amazon: "You don't have to be a world traveler or a professional cartographer to embark on a grand journey of self-discovery through mapmaking. Personal Geographies gives you the tools and techniques you'll need to create artful maps of your self, your experiences and your personal journey. Chart the innermost workings of your mind, document your artistic path and create an unfolding maze of your future dreams and goals."

Collage Discovery Workshop by Claudine Hellmuth

From Amazon: "In Collage Discovery Workshop, acclaimed collage artist Claudine Hellmuth shares 15 of her favorite collage techniques and invites you to play with basic collage materials in new and imaginative ways. Along the way, Claudine guides you with friendly advice on how to develop your artistic voice and turn an ordinary collage into something special."

Layered Impressions by Katie Kendrick

From Amazon: "Layered Impressions is the muse you need to marry your love of written expression and your passion for paint, revealing the colors of your true nature--the whispers from your soul. Katie Kendrick leads you into her world of impressionistic painting and shares her techniques for creating art that is as authentic and multilayered as you are."

Water Paper Paint by Heather Smith Jones

From Amazon: "This book is not only for 'painters' but for all types of creative individuals who want to experience and play with watercolor, whether their background is mixed-media, textile art, journaling, or paper craft. Unlike the typical watercolor text books, this unique, beautiful volume is a field book of inspiration, creative ideas, how to's, and projects, all from an artist's perspective."

The New Acrylics by Rheni Tauchid

From Amazon: "Traditional technique based books on acrylics cover traditional methods of painting. However, The New Acrylics is geared toward more nonconventional ways in which to manipulate modern-day acrylics, and demonstrates new applications such as glazing, textured effects, soft sculpture effects, or staining, thus reinventing the old way of handling acrylics, and revealing a fabulous new artistic medium."

Color Mixing Bible by Ian Sidaway

From Amazon: "Mixing colors accurately may be an art unto itself. In fact, many artists are discouraged by the time and expense it takes to mix and match colors, and achieve the right results. Even more frustrating is the vast range of colors available. Now there’s a ready-to-use visual directory that takes all the guesswork out of mixing and matching colors . . . making every artist an expert! Color Mixing Bible provides a basic color palette for each art medium, demonstrating an array of two-, three-, and four-color mixes, as well as offering full explanations of various paints and pigments."

Art at the Speed of Life by Pam Carriker

From Amazon: "Need high-energy inspiration when your life gets crazy and your art keeps getting pushed to the back burner? Offering terrific mixed-media art projects, as well as tips for getting organized and inspired, Art at the Speed of Life is a treasure chest of ideas for the artist whose creative goals sometimes get stymied by the frantic pace of modern life."

So, that's it!  More than fifty book recommendations for you to consider (part one, two, three).  As great as blogs and classes and DVDs are, in my opinion there's no substitute for a book.  A really good craft/art book gives you time and space and is so much deeper and richer than any blog, class or DVD could ever be.

If you have read any of the books in today's post, please leave a comment letting us know your opinion on the book!

Thanks for stopping by!