While walking around Seattle, Kiersten and I ventured down to Pioneer Square and bounced into the different shops and galleries. One notable shop was a huge bookstore called the Elliot Bay Book Company, which spiraled on in different directions and levels, full of nooks and crannies and endless diversions. Perusing the art section brought me to the book which would occupy much of the 7 hour flight back home:

As someone who attends a life drawing group session (as an artist), it was fascinating to read about life drawing from the point of view of the model. The first few chapters cover the history of life modeling, and some of the early quirks (such as male artists only being able to attend life drawing classes if they were married) to current cultural quirks (differences between being naked vs. nude, social gender perceptions, and relationship interactions). I really enjoyed the commentary on some of the paradoxical social quirks and double standards, and also the model's quotes throughout the book. For a fascinating read (especially for anyone who's drawn the figure), be sure to check it out.

Virtual Pose 3 is an excellent book if you're interested in honing your figure drawing skills, but do not have a life drawing group to work with. The book is not instructional at all - instead it is a collection of photographed poses for your reference. Included are 4 female models and 2 male. Each page of the book has a layout of a model in a particular pose, photographed from 6 angles (60 degree increments rotating around the model). The photography is excellent - there is a pure white backdrop for all the models, and the contrast and lighting is very good. Poses are varied and interesting, with props incorporated into some (chairs, supports, etc), and a mix of lying, sitting, and standing positions. Lighting positions are also varied, with downlights in some, and more even frontal lighting for others.It wouldn't be a Virtual Pose book without some virtual component. This is one of the unique features I found to be superb - an included CD installs a 360 degree viewer on your computer, along with all of the poses listed in the book. Where the book has a particular pose photographed in 60 degree increments, the viewer allows much finer (10 degree) increments. You can rotate the model a full 360 degrees and choose your vantage point for the sketch. There are a total of 70 poses, with 36 views per pose, yielding 2,520 views.The one quirk of the book is photoshop censoring of certain parts of the female anatomy, seen in both the photos and computer viewer as blurred areas. Strangely there is no corresponding censoring on the male models. While I understand that some of the 360 degree poses put the models in some strange positions, it's not as if we hand out fig leaves in life drawing classes. Overall the censoring is mild, however, and should not affect any of your drawings.I recommend Virtual Pose 3 for anyone looking to build their figure drawing skills.

Anatomy for the Artist is an excellent visual reference, full of both black and white and color poses of male and female models. The book is divided into the usual sections: Bones & Muscles, The Torso, The Hip and Thigh, etc Photos are accompanied by diagrams and sketches to illustrate the structures being highlighted. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the book are mylar overlays, where a photograph of a model has a corresponding overlay of the skeletal structure. Another interesting aspect is that often the male and female models are pictured side by side in the same pose.The last section of the book includes re-enactments of several famous paintings, where the model strikes the same pose as the painting's subject. Another section of interesting poses follows, and a section on the figure in motion closes.I found this book best for inspiration; the photographs are superb, and the poses and very interesting and dramatic. It is pricey; there are better, less expensive books out there if you're looking for instruction or poses, but if you don't mind spending a little more, you'll have a beautiful book of inspirational nudes.

The Art of Figure Drawing is a great book which packs plenty of learning into its 143 pages. Sketches done in conte, graphite, charcoal, ink, and watercolor fill its content. The book takes the usual formal approach to teaching figure drawing, from practicing shading spheres and cones at the start to blocking in and juding angles and proportions. There are many good lessons on shading (as well as examples of what not to do), and there are step by step instructions for practice drawings. Overall one of my favorite books for learning to draw the figure.

The 5 Essentials don't only apply to paintings, but to any picture. Although the essentials are what you'd expect (good composition, good use of value and color...), the book breaks each one down in detail with striking examples. The paintings throughout the book are inspiritation, particularly in their use of color and value, and I find myself leafing through it periodically for inspiration. The book jacket has already become framed from me perusing it.

What a great reference book! 256 full color pages filled with artwork, pictures of materials, how-to's, and beautiful layout. The book covers 2-D art, heavily focused on painting, and has a full photo layouts of different types of brushes, supports, paints, etc. I think the book is best suited to the newer artist, since it is focused on the basics, but even the experienced artist will enjoy the loads of artwork which is featured.

I have to admit that I'm a fan of Janie Gildow's work, so it's not surprising that this book and her other show up on my recommended list. Janie covers a variety of mixed media techniques, from dissolving pigment to painting colored pencil over airbrushed art, and even drawing on 3d or textured surfaces (the polymer clay sculture with the mat is wild). Even if you don't work in mixed media, I still highly recommend this book as it presents possibilities you may not have considered.

This is my favorite colored pencil book! It covers all the basics, from how to compose and photograph a work, to pencils, erasers, papers, and studio equipment, then moves onto techniques. Beautiful drawings are presented step by step, with materials lists and detailed instructions. The subjects are varied and technically challenging; different textures, reflective, transparent, and luminous surfaces - and all of it is explained with patient, easy to understand pictures and text. This is a must have book for the colored pencil artist.

Here it is, the book the started it all for me. I was lurking in the art section at Barnes and Noble, looking for something new to try, and I stumbled across Ann's newly published book. My jaw dropped - I couldn't believe the work was from colored pencil. I scurried off with the book, promptly bought a box of Prismacolors, and became hooked. Aside from the excellent step by step instruction presented in the book, the best feature is Ann's skin tone formula. She presents a color list organized by value, instructions on how to make a reference skin tone scale, and a few simple rules for alternating orange, pinks, and yellows. Using this formula, you will produce radiant skin tones.

The last section of the book provides some great advice on commissioned work, contracts, and self-promotion.

This book was very influential for me - if you look at some of my earlier work (like "Pensive") - you'll see Ann's linear stroke technique, because I initially learned from this book. If you do figure drawings or portraits, this book is invaluable for teaching you how to tackle the tough subject of skin tones.

Ann's second book breaks away from portraiture and tackles landscapes, fabrics, textures and surfaces. It is organized and presented in the same clear, easy to follow manner as her portrait book. The subjects are varied, and breakdowns are very helpful - I found the section on landscapes particularly helpful - especially since it gave great tips on how to render difficult subjects like grass. For textures and surfaces, I tend to like Janie Gildow and Cecil Baird's books better, but this is still a good addition to your collection.

This is a must have for the colored pencil artist! The opening section includes a great overview of the different brands of colored pencil and their characteristics - this is one of the few books that has laid this all out in table form. The next section covers the usual basics - what tools you'll need, what makes a good composition, then it's on to the solutions. The book is structured as pages labeled with questions, such as "Can I liquefy the pigment of dry colored pencils?" , and then answers. The handling of tough surfaces and textures is broken down so clearly that you'll wonder why you ever thought it was challenging. At the end of the book, line drawings are provided from many of the examples, so you can transfer the outline and attempt the drawing yourself.

I can't begin to say how much I learned from this book, and I still reference it. This is a must buy!