Miscellaneous Art Books

This section is for books that relate to art in some way, but they don't fit neatly into the other categories. All of them are really fascinating if you have ANY interest in the subject at all.

The author of Bright Earth for example, wrote a whole book on water. After reading his book about pigments, I'm interested in reading it! I would trust the guy to write well about anything!

One book I'm going to just list here: The Act of Creation by Arthur Koestler is long out of print, but if you can find a copy, I'd highly recommend it to anyone. It's a difficult read, (I'd sometimes have to digest it paragraph by paragraph, but it's difficult only because the words are so carefully crafted to communicate a very specific idea. So find it if you can!

Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing
Margaret Livingstone
Really interesting book about how the physiology of the eye and the brain affects the visuals we "see", and the resulting effect it has on how we perceive art.

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Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Color
Philip Ball
Impeccably written history of pigments, dyes and the "history" of color. If you think the subject matter sounds dull, try it. Mr. Ball is a sensational writer. And even if you think you know a lot about color, I guarantee this book will teach things you didn't know!

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The Art Forger's Handbook
Eric Hebborn
A behind-the-scenes look at the techniques used by a master art forger, written by the forger himself. Full of interesting info about art materials and how they can be used.

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The Art & Craft of Hand Lettering
Annie Cicale
A GREAT book on the subject. Beautifully executed. Not just another "calligraphy" book. Really shows interesting examples and the craft skills behind them.