Our Pick of Photography & Art Books For Creative Inspiration
When starting out in any hobby, career, or interest, one of the finest things to do is to find out exactly how to do it, to gain insight and inspiration. Whether that be through tutorials, podcasts, talking to experts, watching videos, or reading books, you can never have too many references, and as an artist, it really is no different. In fact, to create truly brilliant art, one must be inspired.
As an expert or a beginner, there’s always something to learn, so that’s why we’ve rounded up some excellent books that will see you on your way to perfecting your craft sooner than you know it.
The essence of art is the understanding that there is no right or wrong way to present your art. No list of books could give you the answer. Art is a visual representation.
Art
Art: The Definitive Visual Guide by Andrew Graham-Dixon
A classic comprised of historical visual art with pieces from da Vinci, Picasso, and Van Gogh featured. This book is a staple bookshelf piece for any level of an artist exploring different kinds of art in different periods.
100 Painters of Tomorrow by Kurt Beers
This is an eclectic book full of suggestions for rising stars in the art world. From painters all over the world, the authors document the most exciting painters of today. Featured within is not only artwork from the established artists but more biographic, informative, and quotes from the artists. Something a little extra for added inspiration!
Street Art: An Illustrated Anthology by Magda Danysz
Street art is sweeping through making an impact on urban space surrounding it. This book takes a fresh approach to look at the historical nature of the genre beginning in the mid-1970s.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
We know that there are a lot of game art lovers out there, which means our pick of The Legend of Zelda is rightly placed in our list. It features almost 50 pages of sketches and official illustrations from the game itself with design artwork and commentary about the game making process.
The Paintings That Revolutionized Art by Claudia Stauble
Art history is full of paintings that shocked, empowered and bemused its audiences, this excellent book highlights the classics exemplifying the period in which they were created within, the reasons why. In this book, one hundred are reproduced to showcase in all their beauty.
Photography
World Press Photo 2018
Each year, World Press publishes the results of the annual world press photo contest. Each edition is filled with pictures submitted by photojournalists, picture agencies, newspapers, magazines and press across the world. The images capture some of the most powerful and inspiring photos across the year.
Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
Brandon Stanton embarked on a project to photograph as many humans of New York as he could. Covering miles and miles of the big apple, he photo blogged and wrote a book of street portraits and the interviews covered in the project on the streets of NY.
Creative Black & White Digital Photography Tips & Techniques (2nd edition) by Harold Davis
A more practical number, this guide from Harold Davis takes a look at black and white photography and the challenges that come within it.
Read This If You Want To Take Great Photographs by Henry Carroll
This one is a straight forward read with no technical jargon, so if you’re looking to expand on your photography knowledge, and take great photographs as its name suggests, then this is the book for you.
Mastering Landscape Photography by David Taylor
Of course, no list would be complete without an ultimate landscape photography guide. This one is full of tips and techniques for the creative landscape photographer. Whatever your style, whether it be lone shooting or joining a local group to go out into nature with, this is full of inspiration!
Tell us what your favourite creative book is. It’s not limited to photography and art! Do you have something that you go back to time and time again when your inspiration runs dry? Get involved on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to let us know!
