Looking to sharpen your technique or refresh your creative mindset? These two new releases offer both practical instruction and artistic inspiration—perfect additions to your studio bookshelf.
Facing Reality
“The main process … is a unique one, in which the drawing is at least 80 percent resolved before the painting is ever really begun,” says author Steve Forster of Painting Luminous Portraits for Artists (Rockport Publishers; available August 26). The book is divided into two distinct sections—drawing as a foundation for color and dynamic flesh color. Part of the “For Artists” series, the book focuses on how to create a radiant, realistic likeness in oil by capturing form and light through a diverse range of perspectives, flesh tones and light effects. Forster, an award-winning portrait artist and co-director of the Long Island Academy of Fine Art, offers 10 comprehensive chapters suitable for all skill levels, each with skill-building exercises and QR codes linking to instructional videos.
Thinking Creatively
The third Monacelli Studio title from best-selling writer and artist Juliette Aristides, The Inner Life of the Artist: Conversations From the Atelier is a perfect companion for creative thinkers. Aristides, the founder of the Atelier programs at the Gage Academy of Fine Art, in Seattle, presents insightful essays and quotes from contemporary and historical artists interspersed with a selection of nearly 100 artworks. Principles of atelier teaching—classical and traditional art training and instruction—and fun, practical exercises are peppered throughout. It’s a thought-provoking pick-me-up when you need a little creative inspiration, an artistic prompt or an ever-helpful muse.
