My Top Favorite Art Books and Reference Books as an Artist!

[@mellomarrz]

the artwork in witch hat atelier is OUTSTANDING

[@vonnart]

It's truly astonishing how wonderful reading through this pages are. I'm so mesmerized by the style!

[@ChrisOSemrik]

Actually, you pronounced Mucha's name more correctly the first time :). He was a very beloved Czech artist, and in Czech words are pronounced the way they are written. The "ch" sound doesn't have an equivalent in English, but using a "k" instead is usually accepted. If you ever do visit Czechia to see his Slovanská Epopej, I would be happy to recommend some other local artists that I think would fit your aesthetic preferences :).

[@OpheliaTimpanaro]

as an artist wo doesn't just do visual art, I love this list so much because I see at least one part in each book that I can apply, not only to drawing or painting but also costuming projects or sculpting.

[@oliviajones4588]

This is the best art book line up I've seen to date

[@vonnart]

Thanks so much! I absolutely adore these books so I'm glad to see you enjoy them as well!

[@eggbunni]

I learned about so many new art books and artists through this video!!! Thank you so much for making this! Big fan.

[@starbubblesart]

Thank you so much for these recommendations. They're quite different from the usual art book recommendations I've seen, and I'll be adding pretty much all of these to my list of books to read and keep for reference. The styles suit me so well, and the fashion and clothing/decorative ornamentation books will come in very handy. Given the book collection behind you, I'd love to see a part 2 one day.

[@vonnart]

Absolutely! I want to do a "Favorite Books of Each Year" From now on to share what new books I added to my ever growing collection!

[@GE-cq3dv]

This is an outstanding video! I’m impressed that you managed to cover such a wide range of visual subject matter. Calling out less of the usual suspects was also very refreshing. Thank you for posting!

[@lizziehall478]

I want to buy all of them!!! Especially yours! Thanks for opening my eyes to all of these they’re so inspirational :)

[@nankokanon]

I collect art books, too, and I’m amazed that you recommended many titles which have not been mentioned in other lists. I now hope to own a copy Norman Rockwell’s book (he immediately became a favorite of mine when you showed his works in this video!) and your very own art books as well!

[@impyexgaming1199]

This is my first time seeing your channel and I was blown away when you showed your art book!!!

[@vonnart]

Thanks so much! I actually have my big 11 year large artbook collection coming out next year and I'm going to try and make it the best one yet!

[@lisaboutin821]

Great book review ! I loved seeing all these brilliant artists many who I never heard of. Thanks for sharing these wonderful works.

[@vonnart]

Hope you found some new artists that you enjoy!!

[@adosdiaz]

Awesome video! really looking forward to picking up a few of these for my collection. Quick note you may not know about Rockwell and Leyendecker. Apparently, Rockwell was obsessed with Leyendecker's work and started off mimicking his idol in his own work, he thought the world of Leyendecker. So much so that when he started doing the covers of the Saturday Evening Post he refused to do any more covers past the number that Leyendecker had done. The guy even rented a studio in the same building as Leyendecker and would hire the same models for his paintings🤣

[@vonnart]

Oh i love that info. Always interesting to hear the background info on artists that we admire!

[@bismarckyjag]

Thank you for your recommendations! I found so many books here that I hadn't seen before

[@annie6284]

Best video on art books! Thank you!,

[@germanluna6518]

Your book is so amazing as well. Thank you for the recommendation. I saw a Brom's book in your stand, he is so amazing too. Best regards

[@lisakurazukamori8024]

Great list, I feel the same way about looking at my Amano books. I kind of get lost in nostalgia and fantasy when I look at them and it's very inspiring.

[@ellu...]

This was really helpful, thank you! I'm inspired to go thrifting to try and find new books that could help with my art :)

[@pygmybehemoth3988]

This is so awesome. Thank you for sharing your collection, this is madly inspiring.

[@vonnart]

Thanks! Yeah i hope to do more art books collection videos in the future!

[@squintoncarbusier4963]

Best art book recommendations video I've seen. And your artwork is crazy good. I think a good book on Ernst Fuchs's work might suit your taste. I have one called "Fuchs über Ernst Fuchs: Bilder und Zeichnungen von 1945-1976". I think it's out of print now but it's great.

[@Pinselderwisch]

I guess your love for Mucha explains a good portion of my fascination for your linework. Of course, there's more than that which I love about your art but I am a huge fan of Mucha, too^^

[@vonnart]

He is truly a master artist of our time. I love his work more than I can explain lol

[@konamax9]

I had been waiting till I had a chunk of time to watch this and I'm glad it didn't get lost in my watch later list like so many things do. What a fantastic list. I put most of them on my Amazon wish list and will definitely be buying them. But more importantly I found your work and channel. Amazing stuff! I'm going to buy yours first. It's not the style that I draw in but it's beautiful and masterfully done. I can't wait to purchase the bundle. Thank you for putting in the hard work and dedication to make awesome content. Bravo

[@vonnart]

Thanks so much! I appreciate hearing this as I tried putting a lot of heart into this review and the art books that I care about so much!

[@arashi.nakamura]

I really appreciate this line up! I have some of the books you mentioned, but you shared others that I will have to give a look at! The format, videography, and descriptions are excellent

[@timz9862]

Nice list. I got a Harry Clarke book about 10 years ago. Great artist. Franklin Booth was an inspiration for Bernie Wrightson, as you can tell by the linework in both of their art.

[@vonnart]

Oh yeah, that totally makes sense! I love artists who really utilize bold values and contrast alongside detail and texture!

[@tetsuopopillslikecandy]

I stumbled upon this video and I am very grateful because now I have new books on my wish list including yours, your art is incredible

[@williamplantas]

I did not know the Mucha works. My friend has a painting from him and his house and I didnt know who the artist was, now I know, thank you.

[@ZaraAllegra]

huh, I never really looked closely into my copy of Norman Rockwell's books, because I'm not interested in Americana, but when you mentioned the details, the book now gives me a new reference to look into. You are right about textures-- he has one of the best works when it comes to references to materials. Thanks for that. And since you mentioned Harry Clarke, I also have a copy of the same book (PIE International does a great compilation of art book references) and the reason why was because of Kay Nielsen- I loved his works for East of the Sun and West of the Moon. They have some similarities in their works. They both portray the characters in a somewhat macabre way, but pretty at the same time. I recommend Nao Tsukiji's works, she is one of my discoveries when I spend time in Kyoto browsing book shops there and discovering art books by artists unknown in the west. If you happen to go to Japan, make time to visit old bookshops, you will find art book treasures there!

[@vonnart]

Thanks for the recommendations, I will check them out!

[@TheFailedArtist]

Thanks for the heads up on the Franklin Booth book. I remember pouring over the little samples of some of his works in larger illustrator compilation books. I’m excited to check this out!

[@vonnart]

It's a really wonderful collection that lets his work breathe throughout the pages!

[@calipsous]

awesome collection!!!

[@ctaylor5883]

Showing how beautiful the WHA art style is while most of the panels contain qifrey in them is so real. I knew as soon as I saw the series in your collection I was gonna like this video, they are all so stunning

[@beatekausch4745]

Oh my... especially the last one is a dream. Though I have to say I would buy almost all of the recommendations if I could allow myself to buy books currently (have to actually get rid of stuff before moving, not add more). But I will get back to this video once I can enhance my collection again and then... may the book hunt beginn!! Love the book by James Gurney, btw. Need to spend more time studying it.

[@Alfred_the_doodler]

appreciate this so much! I have not heard of some of these

[@venturesome7782]

The transition from your normal voice to your morning voice was hilarious, im sorry, you went from guy who loves to draw and read to imma steal yo girl 😂😂

[@SketchedbySte]

I love art books, and I love art book videos, I'm addicted! Tim does tetsuya nomura have an art book? great video!

[@vonnart]

Sadly not that I know of but i would LOVE to own a copy if one does exist! I'm hoping one day but for now I have the Final fantasy ultima collections, which includes a lot of his concept work!

[@SketchedbySte]

@@vonnart Thanks for the reply! Yeah there are a couple of FF art books I have or want to get, but it's a shame a lot of them seem to be quite... text heavy / lots of filler , would love one just pure art work!

[@sweetkarolines]

I've watched this 3 times. I have never appreciated Mucha until now. How have I missed the hands? I have since purchased the Mucha book and the Harry Clarke one. I'm sure more at some point. Glad I found your channel

[@vonnart]

Right!? Everyone always talks about the Art Deco elements but i think his hands are where it's at lol!

[@alexandredenat2739]

Great sélection ! I also recomend Anime Architecture from stefan riekeles for sci fi japanese environnement references

[@rachelpickett8832]

I love the Hiroshi Unno curated books!! (The Mucha and Clarke books) - so freaking good! And love Amano - great choices!

[@winterillust]

this is such a gem of a video with bunch of incredible book recommendations! thanks for this and saving it for later reference. usually art books are quite expensive (specially since i have to order online most of them). so i don't own many but pinterest has been quite the lifesaver and i have been into the vintage decorative styles lately so great to see those books exists.

[@vonnart]

Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah I feel since books can be pricey, it's like a slow process of gathering ones over years! I feel like I only have so many because i started collecting them when i was 16 and now I'm 33!

[@AB-jg3tb]

So many interesting recommendations. The Bible of Illuminated Letters reminds me of Neverending Story book which starts each chapter in alphabetical order and one whole page is dedicated to the letter which is more of an fatnastic illustrations, then illustrated letter. I'd recommend Printed in North Korea. It shows mainly propaganda posters since the 1950's. The style of the illustrations is so very specific and (despite the propaganda purpose) beautiful with amazing colors and lines.

[@ScottH]

wow thanks, there goes all my spending money. i love art books and dont have enough...jeremy bastian's books were mind blowing. ordering.

[@vonnart]

Such an incredible artist. I feel like I fangirl when I talk about his work because i enjoy it so much lol

[@ScottH]

@@vonnart lol, yeah bought it, some of those other books shown were pretty neat especially that houses with a story, seems really unique. The books near the end of the video, some of those have been on my buy list for some time. Sea life is a huge draw for inspiration, i've always loved the ocean life. Thanks!

[@TimeyWimeyGamer]

This video was amazing, I found out so many more great artbooks to look for, and also found you as an artist so double win! Wish there will be a part 2, we need to see the rest of that amazing bookself!! :P

[@vonnart]

Planning on doing my next one this December for my favorite art books finds of 2022 and 2023!

[@adrianachris3567]

your work is one of the best in the video. thanks

[@ARousseFly]

Really love this video! You discovered to me some new artists...and I was constantly watching your background the rest of the books...and love to see you have 'The Golden age' comics

[@vonnart]

Yeah i'm hoping to showcase more of them in the future as well! I just love art books so much 💛

[@ARousseFly]

@@vonnart I understand that perfectly! All my shelves have tons of artbooks, comics, children books, art catalogs from exhibitions...but yeah, the comics of Ciryl Pedrosa are other things. So pictorics or so interesting in the way that he speaks about death and grief...Can't wait to see all your art books collection! :D

[@pikachu5814]

Absolutely love these suggestions! Definitely adding some of these to my collection. Have you heard of the artist Shaun Tan? I feel like you'd enjoy his illustrations

[@vonnart]

I have 2 of his books and I love them! Very sad at parts but i recommend his book, "Cicada"!

[@SamLeno-iq4ni]

Thanks for the great video. FYI - You might be interested in a great looking inspirational art book, it's called “The STOP LOOKING START SEEING book”.

[@vonnart]

I just finished reading it and it was wonderful!

[@Amanita._.Verosa._.]

'Muse' by Craww is an excellent one to check into if you like Mr. Booth.

[@vonnart]

I will have to check this one out! Thanks for the recommendation!

[@adelbarath]

It was nice to see András Szunyoghy's book in your video. He has many more books on still life, portraiture, and animal anatomy.

[@kupskiarts]

if you havent then i think you would love sergio toppis art. thanks for the video, found some new favorites =)

[@canyarip]

Awesome video, thanks🖤

[@MilovicMilica]

I was recently in Prague, but unfortunately I didn't know about Mucha then.😢

[@alexadorexa]

Hi Tim, have a look at Beatrix Potters work it's beautiful, some of my favourite artwork

[@vonnart]

Oh yes, I enjoy their work very much!!

[@brokenredflag]

Your art books look amazing!! 😮 im gona check them out now. 👍

[@katherinenoggle6407]

I actually had several of the books you mentioned already, but found a few new ones! One I HIGHLY recommend is by the same Japanese publisher you showed several books from - it's artwork by George Barbier. I love it even more than the Mucha one (which I also have). A must have!

[@vonnart]

Thanks for the recommendations, just ordered it now!! Looking forward to flipping through it!

[@carriem9510]

I love the spectrum art and sketching from the imagination series of books. 3Dtotal publishing has become a place I look to for more recent artists. Several artists I've found on Instagram have had books published by this company. Really enjoyed this video, and would definitely love more if you're up to making more in this vein.

[@vonnart]

Yeah i have a few of their books as well! And the Spectrum books are fantastic! I feel lucky to be included in a few of them. I'm planning on doing an artbook review every year or two and show my favorite finds from those years! I already have one I'm planning to do this December for the art books I've found from 2022 and 2023!

[@Tiasorda]

I just found your channel, I loved your collection of artbooks. I have several of the ones you mentioned, but thanks to you I was interested in some artbooks! Do you know the art of Toppi? If you don't know, I recommend you 100%

[@vonnart]

Thanks so much! And I do have a book from Toppi but does he have a "Collected Works" artbook rather than the story ones? I adore his work but i can never find a solid collection of most of his works in a single art book!

[@adrianachris3567]

thank you all of them are amazing

[@Mijuki]

Absolutely agreeing with only needing one book for colors, the Color and Light by James Gurney book. At first i thought it must be overrated but after getting it as a christmas present i get. It's absolutely amazing and my favourite art book of all time.

[@vonnart]

It's so great and truly covers such a broad range of understanding color and light! Def the one to recommend!

[@Working_Dreamer]

This is so cool!! I am reminded of some of the art from the original Wizard of Oz book series (artist named John R. Neill) and I’ve always wondered what kind of art books I should study to make art like that! A lot of these books have a similar aesthetic and I’m so excited to get some of these in the future! Thanks for the awesome recommendations!

[@vonnart]

Oh yeah! I love that turn of the century look that a lot of artists had back then! It's probably no coincidence that most of my "favorite" art books are a reflection of that aesthetic and style!

[@bluwasabi7635]

Awesome collection! Thank you for sharing. Idk if you like celtic art, but Celtic Art • The Methods of Construction by George Bain was quite helpful for learning complex ornimentation. For Scientific illustration, Art Forms in Nature by Ernst Haeckel is pretty cool for marine life. And, I'll just throw this out there even though it might be way too niche, David Goodsell has a very appealing way of depicting cellular machinery with watercolors.

[@vonnart]

Oooo these are som fun recommendations! I'm gonna go order right now! Looking forward to paging through the "Art Forms in Nature" specifically!

[@John-mf1sz]

A ton of good ones. I always recommend a variety of subject matters, and of course Rockwell is never forgotten within that. Botanical, Animal, Avian and Aquatic life, I probably have three or four old books solely devoted to three dimensional costume illustrations from different time periods, old Roman statues and etchings, even architectural books. As for specifics I can definitely give a few. Just as you dropped, anything by James Gurney is a masterclass, even if only to get reference and nothing else (but you 100% should read everything of his front to back). I recommend Camera Work by Alfred Stieglitz; absolutely amazing collection of everything from mid 19th century collodion and palladium type photography to gelatin silver prints that are just mind boggling and serve wonderfully as inspiration. Hollywood in Kodachrome is also an incredible book that anyone; artist or not, should have in their library. Think of the most gaudy, extravagant, or even bizarre and experimental photography that could come from 1950’s era Hollywood and it’s going to be there, for sure. If you’re looking for instructional, I’d start with Andrew Loomis’ stuff for the basics of form and figure. Holds up until this day. If you’re an advanced oil painter, one book that I highly recommend (to anyone whom it’s applicable to regarding your technique) is “Glazing: With an Emphasis on the Craft of Painting”. You’ll see it’s insanely expensive. Look past all of the stupid scams trying to sell it to you at an insane price and just go straight to their website. Worth its weight in gold, truly. That’s not even getting into the specifics of singular artists you may be interested in just because they inspire you outside of wanting something solely to reference.

[@felixoesinghaus]

Oh god, I have to restrain myself so I don't spend so much money on more artbooks xD I'm so excited to see the slav epic in person, I can't wait. I might get Drawing Human Anatomy, though! I definitely also favor this body type but it does feel like other anatomy books are either too superhero-esque or a little too blobby like Bridgman and Villpu. Historic costume in pictures also looks super interesting. I feel like my pinterest searches on costumes end up being a little too generic in terms and I've recently been getting into fashion history. Also, Witch hat atelierdefinitely counts as an art book. The fabric in particular is actually way more aesthetic and easy to understand than doing photographic fabric studies.

[@vonnart]

Hahaha yeah i know, artbooks can certainly be pricey. I always joke that if someone were to rob me, they would take the tv or other electronics but it would be smarter to steal the artbook collection. And I'm definitely jealous that you get to see the Epics, I hope it's AMAZING! The only downside to "Drawing human Anatomy" is that it's short but i still think it's certainly worth it!

[@eschulz76]

I LOVE Mucha and was pretty sure I never pronounced it right either. More books on my buying list! Also, I watched your gold leafing video and I need to understand how your B&W drawing is on the canvas. Is it drawn directly on the canvas? I am intrigued.

[@ZRS76]

I've really been enjoying Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Creating a Champion. It's filled with concept art, break downs of designs, thoughts and decision about art and game design. It's also a rare look into behind the scenes Nintendo.

[@rootyful]

Not so much an art book, but an -art piece- I strongly recommend the book 'Stages of Rot' by Linnea Sterte. Unfortunately the publisher went out of business just at the end of last year, but you might still be able to find one in an online store or two out there. Just a gorgeous style and beautiful way of storytelling, start to finish, very remniscent of Ghibli's Nausicaä and similar gritty futuristic animes of that time. I think the artist also has some online presence where their artwork and comics can be found, but the book is simply gorgeous and a wonderful thing to have in a collection.

[@vonnart]

OH wow, I looked into this and you were right! The Art is wonderful inside! I'm hoping I can snag myself a copy so I can flip through it myself.

[@lunasdreams4697]

Von, What kind of paper do you use? Can you help me with this please? 😢

[@vonnart]

I work on Strathmore Mixed Media Paper, typically the 11x14 inch size nowadays!

[@chrissiewhite74]

Love the book reviews! If you like William morris check out May Morris she is incredible.

[@sunfleck9798]

You would like Aubrey Beardsley!!

[@alicewhispers]

You are so beautiful and so intelligent. Its like you are from planet of angels or something ✨ Thank You for this review. It was very interesting. Would love to hear more from you about different artist and art styles ☀☀

[@vonnart]

Haha well thanks, I do hope to continue making more book reviews in the future as I really enjoyed the process of recording this one!

[@xXNekou]

Yuko (not Yoko 😋) Higuchi is one of my favourite artists ever. As someone who loves cats, and also creepy-cute/weird stuff her art is just perfect for me! Glad to see her artbook in this video

[@vonnart]

Same and I'm always interested in seeing what she posts next!

[@anchesenamonsims5356]

Great recommendations, thanks! A book that I really love is The Art of the Bird by Robert J. Lederer.

[@vonnart]

I haven't heard of this one, I'll have to look into it!

[@elenoredanielsson6771]

So inspiering video😀 Do you like Hans Arnold and if so why or why not?

[@dameambroisy2022]

❤ thanks you so much

[@IntuitivStrength]

I love these videos and I love your cat 😻 edit: cats! 💕

[@Stunnedape]

This video is going to be SO bad for my finances 🤣🤣🤣 Jokes aside, thanks for posting this, I discovered tons of great artists I did not know!

[@levisimpson516]

Alright Vonn! You certainly hit a few of my favorites with a few of the same books that are on my shelf in our massive collection of art books. First off, Amano, absolute legend of an artist and has been one of my favorites for so very very long. Then to James Jean, once again same book in my collection. His designs and rendering just captivate me, I would love to spend more time studying from his work a bit but I find myself just flipping from page to page and losing myself in just looking. Haha. Then of course Bastian! What a brilliant artist and what a great guy. I got to spend some time chatting with him at ECCC this year early before the show started, talking about process in his inking style and creating models to help solve tricky perspective problems. He also took one of my little books I was selling at the con and he got a real kick out of it which, of course made me faint a little inside. HAHA. And we can't leave you off the list, your sketchbook is actually on one of our little displays at our house and I've even done some drawings from it trying to learn a little bit of the magic you inject into your own work. It's a beautiful book and you have such a beautiful style. OH, and have to bring up the Franklin Booth book because, WHAT A TREAT! I was so stoked when they put this collection of his work together, I could finally get a book by this absolute monster of an artist. I've enjoyed his work for quite a while but I'd never come across any books featuring his work. Stunning, stunning stuff. The kickstarter for that book was the first kickstarter I went all in on, I went highest tier, give me all the goodies. Looking forward to having the prints I got along with it framed. I FREAKING LOVE ART BOOKS! Look forward to running into you at ECCC again someday because I will certainly bring up art books. :) Cheers.

[@vonnart]

Haha yeah that's funny how many books you already had in your collection! And yes, I plan on going back to ECCC next year, especially since the Kinokuniya book store is so close by and I almost always add a few books to my collection from there!

[@levisimpson516]

@@vonnart My fiancée and I love that store. There's no going in there without coming out with at least a few things. Great selection of art supplies and pencil cases as well. :) I think Kinokuniya also has a booth at ECCC, I could be wrong tho. Hmmn.

[@Beaver_Rapsmith]

30:44 that voice change lol

[@jrcp106]

Gurney's book is THE most useful book I have read as an artist.

[@vonnart]

It really is incredible and full of useful information as an artist! It changed the way I see color!

[@SusuStrangelove]

Do you know Nao Tsukiji? If not I really encourage you to look them up... ;3

[@lizziehall478]

Do you have any discount codes? I’m about to buy ur 4 pack

[@vonnart]

Thanks so much and Yes, We are actually running a sale right now for all 4 of my books here: tim-vonrueden-4kfb.squarespace.com/config/

[@AnnieNoodle]

So, you might want to check out Norman Rockwell Behind the Camera, which talks about how he used references. I don't have it yet, but its on my list. For critters, Terryl Whitlatch books are amaaaazing, especiallythe Science of Creature Design. I love her. Goldfingers Animal Anatomy for Artists is also excellent. Sacred Decay by Lauren Marx is just beautiful, high detailed art. You might want to check out David Wiesner books, especially Tuesday and Flotsam. They're kids picture books, really, no words. They're whimsical and the art is so lovely. Thanks for the great video. There are a few books in here I've put on my list!

[@vonnart]

Thanks for the recommendations!! I'm looking them up now, I've never heard of "Behind the Camera" but i feel like I have to own it! I'm very curious to look these pages!

[@carolineharnish5633]

A woman from Czech said you pronounced Mucha correctly!

[@anniebeanie710]

Dont worry both of your version of Alfons Mucha name were wrong ;-D (i am from same country as he was so i can confirm ;-) ) . For correct one go to google translate, set language to Czech, put hos name and click the icon to get it read correctly to you.

[@MattBookbinder]

Great selection of books. Btw the word is “especially” not “expecially”!

[@Inkwell]

!!!!!

[@vonnart]

🦑

[@jg708257]

you look like huey from "the boys"

[@johneldard6673]

Japanese text?

[@sebastianblue8688]

It's much easier to keep making the same mistake instead of making the effort to constantly correct yourself, after all, it's just a name, right?

[@eschulz76]

OMG OMG OMG your P.O. Box is in WI. I live near Milwaukee (Cudahy) and not to be stalkerish (I work for the City of Milwaukee Public Libraries) I need to talk to youuuuuu! 😊

[@jarrydnewman2921]

Its Especially not ekspecially

[@spookman123456]

Daria Schmidt drew a really gorgeous comic about H.P. Lovecraft! If you google - Le bestiaire du crépuscule Daria Schmidt - you'll find it. It mixes color and black and white really nicely and has floating fish in it.

[@Buendenko]

Not really art book recommendations but there are a few artists I think you should check out! (And if I am not mistaken a lot of them also have art books available ) frances macdonald, margaret macdonald,heinrich lefler , jessie marion king,edmund dulac , annie french, ivan bilibin, heinrich lefler , nell brinkley,pavel tatarnikov and györgy kovásznai films! I have more reccs but currently I don't remember much, I'll definitely update atsp 🥲

[@gst9325]

No, Mucha isn't pronounced like that at all, he was czech (slavic) not anglo-saxon :D just listen to the name here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cs-Alfons_Mucha.ogg