Are you passionate about illustration? you need the best illustration books. In this post, we round up the must-read books for illustrators, whether they are beginners or professionals. we’ve found titles that provide an overview of the history of illustration, instructional books that help you master the fundamentals of the craft, and books that inspire you.
Each book here is essential reading, guaranteed to teach you something new. If you want more art lessons, check out our list of tutorials on how to draw. Do you want something more general? here are the best drawing books and the best art books.
You are reading: Best books on illustration
adebanji alade (opens in a new tab) is caught up in the joys of his creative adventure, and in the addictive cartoonist (opens in a new tab), he wants you to join him. As an artist, teacher, and TV host, Alade covers the basics of sketching, beginning with the tools he uses before moving on to branding techniques such as outlines, angles, and ghosting. he is accompanied by simple photographs and short tours, erased and finished art.
The artist spends more time covering art basics like composition and perspective, and provides a variety of finished examples, annotated art, and a simplified explanation of terms. the heart of the book is dedicated to specific sketch settings, including public transportation, street musicians, statues, and markets. all are within the reach of the average artist, and alade gives practical advice on each. if you want to get away from your desk and start drawing the outside world, this is for you.
365 Days of Art: A Creative Exercise for Every Day of the Year (Opens in new tab) is a picture book by Lorna Scobie. It brings together a bunch of different art mini-challenges with the aim of pushing the user to think outside the box and nurturing their art skills and thinking. Tasks range from simple things like creating a pattern on a grid, to more complicated challenges like exploring calligraphy.
becoming a successful illustrator (opens in a new tab) is invaluable to anyone considering a career in illustration (or looking for a boost in their current career), and this is the second edition, so it is up to date. There’s plenty of advice from practicing illustrators (and those who commission them), practical advice on finding work, marketing yourself and running your illustration business, plus plenty of inspiring artwork.
See Also: 16 of the Best Rom-Com Books, Smart & Funny Romance Novels
In Fifty Years of Illustration (opens in a new tab), lawrence zeegen and caroline roberts trace the evolution of illustration: “the riotous idealism of the 1960s, the grim realism of the 1970s, the consumerism hype of the 1980s, the digital explosion of the 1990s” and how the craft has changed over the years. Zeegen looks at the socioeconomic factors that affect enlightenment and vice versa. she also uses essays and artist profiles to investigate the impact of contemporary illustration on popular culture. this is a picture book to keep on your shelf and come back to again and again.
Celebrity illustrator loish created this picture book to offer a deep dive into her process. loish’s sketchbook: art in progress (opens in a new tab) reveals how her initial sketches graduate into her stunning final work, showing you her quick paintings, studies, and early drafts. also offers some invaluable advice for illustrators and aspiring illustrators.
Two brilliant tutorials will help you draw and you’ll even get some exclusive illustrations. This book is packed with beautiful content and is a fascinating look at the work of a renowned artist and a brilliant read for anyone who loves illustration.
First published in 1991, Molly Bang’s short, beautiful, and slightly strange book is one of the best writings on composition for illustrators. picture this: how images work (opens in a new tab) explore the mechanics; the nuts and bolts of the image design. but it also asks abstract questions: why are the diagonals dramatic? why are curves soothing? why does red feel hot and blue feel cold? And at just 96 pages, you could easily read it in one sitting.
We had to include legendary artist James Gurney on our list of must-read books for illustrators. We could easily have chosen his first book, imaginative realism (opens in new tab), in which he tells you how to paint what doesn’t exist. but his second book, Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter (opens in new tab), is possibly the best and most comprehensive book ever written on color and light.
In it, Gurney looks at artists skilled in the use of color and light, how light reveals form, the properties of color and pigments, and a variety of atmospheric effects. but he does so without using jargon or overly scientific terms. This book shows that Gurney is not only a master artist, but also a master teacher.
See Also: 10 Best Books For Young Women [2022]
Andrew Loomis is one of those artists who transcends art. if he does not know the name, he will know the work: he is the master of figure drawing. In Figure Drawing For All It’s Worth (Opens in a new tab), Loomis encourages you not to imitate his highly distinctive style, but to understand the principles behind it. If you’re just starting out, this is as good a place as any to master the basics of illustration, but there’s more than enough here for seasoned professionals to learn something.
The realities of being a working artist mean that in addition to being able to draw, you need to know how the industry works. a good one for beginners, how to be an illustrator (opens in a new tab) covers the business basics of being a professional illustrator, including building a portfolio, approaching clients, preparing for contract meetings, managing your time, and money. it also includes valuable interviews with nine industry professionals. Rees has worked with large clients in the UK and the US so he knows what he is talking about. his book also seems smart.
steal like an artist from austin kleon (opens in a new tab) is a modern classic for anyone who wants to do something creative. but once you’ve started doing things, what’s next? you have to show what you have done. and this is often the scariest and most frustrating part. In Showcase Your Work: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered (Opens in a new tab), kleon – ‘a writer who draws’, in his own words – explains the difference between networking and using the web, how you become ‘findable’. the chapter titles include that you don’t have to be a genius, share something small every day, and stick around, which pretty much describes the entire arc of the book. “It’s not self-promotion,” Kleon says. ‘it’s self-discovery’.
“I failed my gsce art,” writes ben tallon at the beginning of his brilliantly titled book champagne and wax crayons: riding the creative industry craze (opens in new tab). the memories prove that he is a bit like the hunter. thomson and ralph steadman in one. he tells her how he made it as a freelance illustrator, from that failed exam, through art school, the early days of freelancing, to the top clients he works for today. he writes in clear, playful prose, and it’s all illustrated with his characteristic scratch-off drawings. a useful book for anyone starting out in a freelance career of any kind.
After all those books about business and self-promotion, here’s a title to help you remember why you love to draw in the first place. Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World (Opens in a new tab) has advice on illustration. but it also features 50 drawings of words in various languages that have no direct translation into English. Author Ella Frances Sanders explains that the Japanese language has a word for the way sunlight filters through tree leaves, and in Finnish there is a word for the distance a reindeer can travel before needing rest. those written definitions are cumbersome. its illustrated definitions are not.
read more:
See Also: 21 YA Books with Trans and Nonbinary Characters
- must read graphic design books
- best digital art software for creatives
- art techniques: best painting and drawing tutorials