The Most Inspiring Books for Artists
I’ve been lucky enough to interview some incredible people from the world of art, and I continue to be blown away by the sheer endless capacity they have to continually create amazing pieces of work. However, I began to wonder – how do these artists manage to stay so inspired all of the time? We’ve all heard of writer’s block, but what about artist’s block? Staring at a blank canvas and trying to visualise something spectacular – it’s a daunting prospect, made worse by the fact that I’m about as artistically talented as a fencepost. What is clear is that a lot of artists find inspiration in books; so I decided it would be fascinating to create a list of the most inspiring books for artists. I have compiled an expert panel of wonderfully talented people from the world of art and asked them to cast their votes for the most inspiring books for artists. What we’ve ended up with is an eclectic mix of literature that is sure to blow your mind. If you’re ready to top up your ‘to-be-read lists’ with a tipple of artistic inspiration, then you’re in the right place. However, first, we must meet our panel of artists.
Ruth Oosterman
Ruth Oosterman is a Canadian artist currently residing in Toronto. As a self-taught artist, she began exploring her creative side at a young age and now her work can be found at numerous exhibitions and private collections throughout the world. Ruth’s most recent series, “Collaborations with my Toddler” has heavily influenced and inspired her artistic direction after it reached international fame.
Andrew Salgado
I first discovered the work of Andrew Salgado when I was reading an article in GQ about the artists you should be investing in now. I really loved the image of his work so I delved a little further and discovered a wealth of incredible paintings. Andrew has been labelled as one of the most promising young figurative painters working today. His increasing notoriety is being propelled by a prolific series of solo exhibitions between 2013 and now.
Robin Eisenberg
Robin Eisenberg is an exciting artist, whose illustrations and designs are capturing the attention of the internet. She combines elements of everyday life and extraterrestrial life, with a wild neon-clad colour palette. Based in Los Angeles, Robin has been sketching for as long as she can remember, but actually majored in English at college. After a while, Robin decided to make her hobby a full-time gig, becoming a professional artist.
Joseph Loughborough
Joseph Loughborough is a Berlin-based artist fascinated by human nature: sin, desire, fear and existential anxiety over one’s own absurdity. Through the theatre of emotion, sexuality and movement Joseph’s expressive and honest body of work captures revealing and thought-provoking imagery. Joseph Loughborough has exhibited his solo show all across the world, including Belgium, USA, Germany and more.
Dale Adcock
Dale Adcock is an artist who received his MA in Fine Art from the Chelsea College of Art & Design, where he graduated in 2015. Dale Adcock has had his work exhibited both in solo and group exhibitions all around the world, but perhaps most notably at Ratio at the TJ Boulting in London in 2013, and Perfectionism at the Griffin Gallery in also in London 2014, as well as some exhibitions in Los Angeles.
Sabrina Terence
Sabrina Terence is a world famous artist, DJ, model and TV host. Sabrina’s passion for art was born in 1998 when she had her first painting lesson whilst living in Germany. She attributes her inspiration as an artist to abstract art, and she seeks to utilise a blend of acrylic and oil on canvas. In 2016, Sabrina Terence became the first contemporary abstract artist to send her artwork into space.
You’ve met the expert panel, now – let’s discover the most inspiring books for artists.
The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
Andrew Salgado:
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Dale Adcock:
Clear Seeing Place by Brian Rutenberg
Ruth Oosterman:
When considering the most inspiring books for artists, I highly recommend Clear Seeing Place because it provides a very raw look at the life of an artist, the good and the bad. Rutenberg uses his firsthand experiences to teach the reader that the essence of art comes from life and different tools you can use in order to succeed. The way the book is written is done so not in a strict how-to manner but almost as if you are sitting down for a drink with the author as he unleashes a lifetime of wisdom from his life in the artistic field, definitely a rare type of book.
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Sabrina Terence:
Black Hole by Charles Burns
Robin Eisenberg:
The Radical Eye by Miron Zownir
Joseph Loughborough:
Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Dale Adcock:
In The Company Of Women by Grace Bonney
Robin Eisenberg:
Unfinished by Jason Smithers
Ruth Oosterman:
I nominate Unfinished because this book managed to connect all the reasons why I could never finish projects and spread it out in front of me so it made sense. It taught me why I struggle with following through and the tools to overcome the stumbling blocks I had been putting in my own way. This book is the sole reason I have finished more this year than in past and whenever I feel myself falling into old habits I reread it. Creative minds are natural “ideas people” but that character trait often goes hand in hand with an inability to follow through due to so many grand ideas becoming overwhelming, this book gives great insight on the why and how along with valuable knowledge for all artists.
The Flowers Of Evil by Charles Baudelaire
Joseph Loughborough:
I nominate The Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire. It’s all that gothic melancholia that does it for me. I’m a bit of a fanatic about Baudelaire even though my French is only so-so. In fact, its one of the reasons I like it so much as I get to read all the different translations, compare them and re-read them in a different version. In my studio you will find a collection of different version from over the years. I would have to say my favourite is from Francis Scharfe. But even with him, I prefer his older editions as the newer ones have been re-edited for a ‘contemporary reader’, meaning they took out all of those beautiful old words.
Believe In Yourself by Joseph Murphy
Sabrina Terence:
Don’t judge a book by its cover or size. This book has so much to offer. It is incredibly motivational and acted as a guiding light for me. It’s a very easy read for lazy readers I would say. That being said, it’s extremely powerful due to its succinctness, teaching you how harnessing the power of believing in yourself will help you achieve your dreams.
ART/WORK by Heather Bhandari
Andrew Salgado:
Visual Intelligence by Amy E. Herman
Ruth Oosterman:
This is hands down one of my favourite all-time books of any genre that has had a lasting impact on my entire life, not just creatively. The book teaches you how to use the study and observation of artistic details to hone your ability to be more effective in all areas of life. It has personally improved my level of empathy and expanded my perspective to allow me to see new opportunities where I would have never seen them before. Although I would recommend this book to anyone, I can definitely say an artist has an incredible amount of wisdom to gain by giving this a read.
Egon Schiele: The Complete Paintings by Tobias G. Natter
Joseph Loughborough:
I would include The Monograph of Egon Schiele found on my Granddad’s bookshelf. That was thirty years ago so sadly I can’t remember the edition but I remember it being big, heavy and filled with pictures. So I will nominate the new Tobias G. Natter complete paintings edition. It’s a whopping great book of images!
The Art Spirit by Robert Henri
Sabrina Terence:
It is a wonderful book, and a great tool to instruct and inspire the artist in everyone. How wonderful it would have been to be able to have sat in on one of Henri’s sessions! He was truly a gifted mentor. Never let this book lie beyond your reach. Dream big !