andreweverett360 Art, Book Review

Steal Like an Artist

steal-like-an-artist


Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
by Austin Kleon

Austin Kleon writes, “All advice in autobiographical… This book is me talking to a previous version of myself… These ideas apply to anyone who’s trying to inject some creativity into their life and their work. (That should describe all of us.)” The book is thoughtfully written and designed in a creative six-inch by six-inch format.

The idea behind stealing like an artist is that “nothing is completely original… All creative work builds on what came before… If we’re free from the burden of trying to be completely original, we can stop trying to make something out of nothing, and we can embrace influence instead of running away from it.”

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andreweverett360 Art, Book Review

Drawing From Observation

drawing-from-observation


Drawing From Observation
by Brian Curtis

This is a highly informative book about observational drawing. One of the recurring themes is the distinction between what you see (percepts) and what you know (concepts). “There is meaningful conflict between what is perceived (convergence of parallel tracks) and our traditional rational understanding (Euclid’s theorem that parallel lines never meet)… To prevent your concepts from distorting your perceptions you must record the proportion you see, not the proportion you know.”

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andreweverett360 Art, Book Review

The Art Forger

the-art-forger


The Art Forger
by B.A. Shapiro

The Art Forger is a novel inspired by a Hollywood-style art museum robbery that took place in Boston in 1990. It is about a struggling artist who is offered a lot of money and a career-changing opportunity if she will create a forgery from one of the stolen paintings.

She takes possession of an original Degas painting in her studio. Or does she? As she studies details of the painting, she begins to doubt its authenticity. Is she forging a forgery?

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andreweverett360 Art, Book Review

Lessons in Classical Drawing

lessons-in-classical-drawing


Lessons in Classical Drawing: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier
by Juliette Aristides

Whether you are interested in learning to draw, or are just curious about the process as an observer of art, this is an outstanding book. It is clearly written, and illustrated with elegant artwork by contemporary artists and old masters.  The book includes a DVD with video demonstrations by the author.

“Every good drawing exhibits an understanding and control of tone, proportion, harmony, and composition.”

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andreweverett360 Art, Book Review

Rodin on Art and Artists

rodin-on-art-and-artists


Rodin on Art and Artists
Conversations with Paul Gsell. Translated by Romilly Fedden.

Paul Gsell asked Auguste Rodin questions about his creative process and about art in general.  This book is, for the most part, a transcript of those conversations.

Rodin’s favorite subject was the human figure. “Beauty is character and expression. Well, there is nothing in nature which has more character than the human body… The human body is, above all, the mirror of the soul, and from the soul comes its greatest beauty.”

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andreweverett360 Art, Book Review

The Laws of Simplicity


The Laws of Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life
by John Maeda

Complex systems and information overload can drive us crazy. John Maeda explains the remedy. “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.” The ten laws of simplicity are:

  • Reduce – The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction
  • Organize – Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.
  • Time – Savings in time feel like simplicity.
  • Learn – Knowledge makes everything simpler.
  • Differences – Simplicity and complexity need each other.
  • Context – What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.
  • Emotion – More emotions are better than less.
  • Trust – In Simplicity we trust.
  • Failure – Some things can never be made simple.
  • The One – Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.

Here’s my favorite line in the book: “While great art makes you wonder, great design makes things clear.” I think this thought applies to graphic design, product design, and even process design.

John Maeda is a graphic designer and computer scientist. He wrote this book while he was a professor at MIT Media Lab. Subsequently he was president of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

Maeda, John. The Laws of Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT, 2006. Buy from Amazon.com

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