Letters to a Young Artist

I absolutely loved this book. I picked it up at the library but plan to pick up a copy of my own, probably on amazon. There was a lot of encouragement and basic advice. As a young artist, this definitely spoke to a lot of the struggles I have--ranging from dealing with the nay-sayers, struggling to find a creative voice and how to begin building a career in art. The short segments made it a quick and easy read. For those of you who dream of a career as a full-time artist, check it out!

The Practice and Science of Drawing

Today, I'm reading The Practice and Science of Drawing, by Harold Speed. The book discusses various drawing techniques, types of drawings--drawing with mass, value, line. Right now, I'm reading about line unity. The author provides many examples throughout the book and although the topics are labeled as specific types of drawing, the principles of unity, harmony, composition, etc are always discussed. I'll be honest and say there are portions of the book easier to digest than the others but I'm enjoying the book. My goal is to read as many books as I can that will enhance my atelier education. Tonight, I have basic drawing and like the idea of having Speed's principles floating through my head. I am excited to report I have my new camera (!!) and so, I'll begin posting the progress I'm making on my drawings.

This book was given to me by Melody Phaneuf, who happens to have an excellent blog post today. She discusses her painting, Harbor Sunset, which is one of my favorites. Looking at the warm sunset, I can imagine myself in the harbor, I smell the salty water, I feel the breeze. This was the perfect painting for her analogy of a painting to a great feast.

Richard Lack: An American Master

Check out what I picked up from the atelier this week. The book, Richard Lack: An American Master, is usually $65 and it's not terribly common but can be purchased through the school store. The school had a box of books that had some water damage and I was able to get a copy for $15! That's right, $15! The water damage is negligible. I picked a book from the center of the stack and it has very minor warping. I can't wait to sit down with it and a cup of coffee this weekend.