For as long as I can remember, I've had an affinity for books. Not only for the words inside that serve as portals to alternate galaxies or provide insight into things previously unknown, but also for the artifact itself. The smell of a new book or the feeling of the pages of a freshly printed graphic novel bring me to a place that is hard to describe. It's as though a new world of possibility is opening in my mind. There is an excitement that is sometimes more palpable than going to an amusement park. Books and the words and images inside have the power to change a persons life. That potentially earthshattering realization or moment of enlightenment is what keeps me coming back, book after book.
Today, I'll focus on a handful of books that as an artist and designer I've found particularly useful and inspirational.
Books for Technical Drawing
Learning How to Draw
The first book that I'd recommend for any aspiring industrial designer or concept artists is by Scott Robertson, titled How to Draw. In this book, you'll learn the fundamentals of perspective, how to draw simple and complex forms, how shadows interact with different shapes, and so much more.
There are two volumes that have been instrumental in helping me understand how light and form work together. The first, How to Render, is also by Scott Robertson. In this book, Scott covers a broad range of topics related to rendering hard surface materials and organic materials. The book is full of illustrated examples and thorough descriptions of each topic. You'll learn how to render a broad range of materials and finishes, and most importantly, you'll walk away with a comprehensive understanding of how light works and why objects appear the way they do.
The third book is more of a painters guide to color and its created by James Gurney, the artist behind the Dinotopia illustrated series. In his book "Color and Light" he'll share tips for how to think about building a consistent color palette and how to use lighting in your scenes for the most dramatic effect. Gurney is a master illustrator and I've found Color and Light to be an incredibly informative gathering of concepts, not to mention that each page features beautifully illustrated examples of the ideas being discussed.
Nearly fifteen years into my design journey, I still find tremendous value in these books, and I reference them often.
This video shows pages from each of the books:
Books for Visual Inspiration
There is no shortage of books that will inspire me to start sketching. In the link below, I share a group of other books that are particularly powerful reminders that through art and design, we can build new worlds and inspire the world to think differently about the one we currently live in.
