[ish]

I'm not certain this is where this should go but I didn't see another thread about it so I wanted to start one.

I don't go to school for art but I've learned alot from reading some really good books! I'm looking for more to read now so I'd like to hear from some of these fantastic artists here on cghub. What books helped you out, inspired you, or have just looked interesting to you?

Books that have helped me out::

Facial Expressions - Mark Simon
A huge collection of references for facial expressions.

The Human Figure - John H. Vanderpoel
A good, in depth look at sketching anatomy of both sexes.

Bold Visions: A Digital Painting Bible - Gary Tonge
Covers a-lot of the basics such as lighting techniques, brushes, software, and tips on how to get started with a career in cg art.


Total Digital Photography - Chris George
A nice, easy to understand guide for beginner photographers.

[RionaWolfheart]

The figure drawing books by Andrew Loomis are really good!

[Teeteringbulb]

I look at early American illustrators like J.C Leyendecker for the way he handles paint. Could be done digitally as well. For figure drawing, you can't go wrong by copying George Bridgeman. I've been copying a lot of Kevin Chen as well. Gather the people you love and have their books open as you draw. The Famous Artist school has a set of books that are indispensable. You can get them on Ebay. I've learned everything from how to make folds look real to perspective to good composition. Good luck.

[ish]

Thanks guys

Teeteringbulb, I definitely want to look into those! Thank you bunches!

[GuerillaWarfare]

The first three books contain just about all the information on traditional art principles that you could get from any art school. If you can absorb this knowledge (which isn't really that much compared to other subjects like philosophy or science), then all you have to do is put it into strenuous practice for years until it becomes a natural skill.

The last two books contain information on creative illustration. These are the two books can help you to move from an observational artist (drawing & painting from life or reference) to a creative illustrator (art from imagination). Hope this helps.


Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting - by Richard Schmid


Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist - by Stephen Rogers Peck


Perspective Drawing Handbook - Joseph D'Amelio


Drawing and Painting Fantasy Landscapes and Cityscapes - by Rob Alexander Martin McKenna


The Skillful Huntsman: Visual Development of a Grimm Tale at Art Center College of Design - by Khang Le, Mike Yamada, and Felix Yoon

[threecharles]

Definitely the Andrew Loomis books, which are available free online. Also ImagineFX has some good stuff on musculature in issues Dec 2008, Chirstmas, and January 2009.

[garrymikedavid]

Great topic!

The books that did and still do the trick for me as I'm looking for improvement are:

In the Future: Entertainment Design at Art Center College of Design
This book shows some of the schools curriculum which is quite handy when interested in concept art/design.

Burne Hogarths books about drawing
Dynamic Figure Drawing, Dynamic Anatomy, Drawing the Human Head, Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery, Dynamic Light and Shade and Drawing Dynamic Hands

The Art of Darkwatch
An excellent artbook which shows and tells all about the production focus of the game. Contains loads of concept art (2D analog and 2D digital) from the game and shows interesting iterations of i.e. characters.

Virtual Pose 4
Soon I'll be warming up for figure drawing class with this book. Contains photographs of posing models taken from 7 directions while spinning on a plateau. Also comes with a CD in which you can spin the models digitally.

Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators
Still have to work through this book about dynamic life drawing which will definitely teach me cool tricks!

I won't plough through the rest of my bookshelf, I have to finish some drawings!

Cheers!

[fongmingyun]

For my digital figure modeling class, I've been using an anatomy book by Eliot Goldfinger. It's great. He also has one on animal anatomy.

[jaybendt]

Any and every book by George Bridgman is a godsend. I've been looking into them and they have so much helpful information, especially when it comes to anatomy.

[ish]

Ahh - i agree Ellie, I was just introduced to his books and collection.. really helpful for referencing.

[jaybendt]

Originally Posted by ish

Ahh - i agree Ellie, I was just introduced to his books and collection.. really helpful for referencing.

I love how he writes how each muscle works in a very simple manner.
*spent half the night flexing and tightening the muscles in her hand to feel how they worked after reading*