Home » Nonfiction Directory » Art Books

Art History PDF Free Download – Art Books PDF

Art History PDF Free Download - Art Books PDF

Thousands of free pdf art books, art history pdf books, many for free download. For artists, art students, or anyone with an interest. How-to drawing and painting, museum books, reference books, art history, etc.


Book Collections of Art and Art History

Visual Arts Books PDF : Search Results at Internet Archive – Art Books PDF

Visual arts free books. Some book titles: Rodin: a Magnificent Obsession; Africa: Arts & Cultures; Blue Pixel Guide to Travel Photography.

Visual Arts Books PDF : Search Results at Open Library – Art History PDF Free Download

About 1,310 free books. Some book titles: Routledge Companion to Music and Visual Culture; Graduate Programs in the Visual Arts; The Functional Art: An Introduction to Information Graphics and Visualization.

Art Study Books PDF: Search Results at Internet Archive – Art Books PDF

Art study free books. Some book titles: Art & Design Courses; Art & Creative Development for Young Children; Art Teaching: Elementary through Middle School.

Art Study Books PDF : Search Results at Open Library – Art History PDF Free Download

About 7,100 free books. Some book titles: The Artist’s Library; Online Evaluation of Creativity and the Arts; Art-Centered Learning Across the Curriculum.

Art Museums Books PDF : Search Results at Internet Archive – Art History PDF Free Download

Art museums free books. Some book titles: Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Scotland; International Directory of Arts 2015; Art Travel Guide: Must-See Contemporary Art Sites.

Art Museums Books PDF : Search Results at Open Library – Art Books PDF

About 7,000 free books. Some book titles: The Pre-Raphaelites at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery; Princeton University Art Museum; Elevating Western American Art (Denver Art Museum).

Art History Books PDF : Search Results at Internet Archive – Art History PDF Free Download

Thousands of art history free books. Some book titles: Art: A Visual History; Keeping an Eye Open: Essays on Art; Impressionism.

Sculpture Books PDF : Search Results at Internet Archive – Art History PDF Free Download

Sculpture free books. Some book titles: Parish Church Treasures: The Nation’s Greatest Art Collections; Monumental Dreams: The Life and Sculpture of Ann Norton; The Buddhas of Bamiyan. Sculpture books pdf

Sculpture Books PDF : Search Results at Open Library

About 4,800 free books. Some book titles: Origami Ikebana: Create Lifelike Floral Sculptures from Paper; Built from Stone; Fun with Painting and Sculpture.

See our Paranormal PDF Books

Drawing Books Online : Search Results at Internet Archive

Thousands of free drawing books. Some book titles: Learn to Draw Disney Planes; Introduction to Drawing; Mastering Pastel.

Drawing Books Online: Search Results at Open Library – Art Books PDF

About 18,450 free books. Some book titles: Drawing Basics Made Easy; Doodling for Bookworms; How to make patent drawings.

Illustration Books PDF : Search Results at Internet Archive

Free illustrations books. Some book titles: You Can Draw Fish!; Flowers in Watercolor; Creative Illustration.

Painting Books PDF : Search Results at Internet Archive – Art History PDF Free Download

Thousands of free books on painting. Some book titles: Painting Still Life in Gouache; Little Ways to Learn Acrylics; Chinese Painting: a Window to Chinese Civilization and Culture.

Printmaking Books PDF : Search Results at Internet Archive – Art History PDF Free Download

Printmaking free books. Some book titles: Japanese Woodblock Printing; Works on Paper; Printmaking for Beginners.

Printmaking Books PDF : Search Results at Open Library

About 220 free books. Some book titles: The printmaking bible, Cool printmaking; Mexico and modern printmaking.

See our classic literature pdf collection

Decorative Arts Books PDF : Search Results at Internet Archive – Art History PDF Free Download

Decorative arts free books. Some book titles: Eastern Magic: Beautiful Designs of the Orient to Color; Super Simple Mexican Art; The New Artisans: Handmade Designs for Contemporary Living.

Decorative Arts Books PDF : Search Results at Open Library

About 3,600 free books. Some book titles: The Whimsical Home; Calming Coloring: Nature Patterns; Graffiti.

Modern Art Books PDF – Collection

Free Modern Art books pdf online at Internet Archive. Be patient as the page loads. Some books: Is Modern Art Really Art?, Modern Art in Prints, Modern Art 1905-1945, Modern Art 1890-1918, Christianity in Modern Art, The Meanings of Modern Art (several volumes), Understand and Enjoy Modern Art, Modern Currents in Japanese Art, Masters in Modern Art, Modern and Primitive Art, Techniques of Modern Art, Modern Chinese Art, History of Modern Art.

Fine Art History – Collected Images & Biographies

A huge collection of images of artwork for about 500 artists, organized by person. Extensive biographies are provided for each artist.

Folkscanomy: Artwork

Over 400 free Art books pdf online at Internet Archive. Includes many instructional manuals and collected illustrations by various artists. Also numerous issues of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. Some Books: Architect’s Portable Handbook, Illustration Rudy Nappi, Helen McNicoll Life and Work, Retro Future, American Painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Alex Colville Life and Work,Paterson Ewen Life and Work, Jack Chambers Life and Work. Art history books pdf.

Folkscanomy: Drawing and Sketchbooks

A selected collection of about 140 instruction books on various kinds of drawing and sketching. Some titles: Drawing Comics the Marvel Way, Drawing the Head & Hands, Drawing Portraits, Drawing the Female Figure, Creative Illustration, Animator’s Survival Kit, Anatomy for the Artist, Manga in Theory and Practice, Perspective Drawing Handbook, Art of Animal Drawing, Digital Painting in Photoshop: Characters, etc.

Art in American History Books PDF – Collection

Free art history books pdf from the Internet Archive on the subject of Art in American History. Some books: Essential History of American Art, History of Western American Art, The Great American Nude, Native North American Art History, Concise History of American Painting and Sculpture, The Arts in Early American History, A The Black Image in American Art 1710-1940, History of Latin American Art and Architecture, The American Cowboy (with paintings and drawings), free art pdf books on American art and artists.

Books about Artists PDF – Collection

About 370 books that include profiles of individual artists from the 17th to the 20th centuries, at Open Library. Some titles: Georg Baselitz, Marc Chagall, Rembrandt, Andy Warhol, Edvard Munch, Jean Dubuffet, Rodin, Cezanne.

Books on Graphic Arts PDF – Collection

About 200 books on graphic arts, at Open Library. Some titles: Design Thinking for Visual Communication, The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio, Information Graphics, Design and Designing, GCSE Design & Technology.

Books on Commercial Art of the 20th Century PDF – Collection

About 75 books on 20th century commercial art, at Open Library. Some titles: Icons of Graphic Design, Retro Graphics, All Access: The Making of Thirty Extraordinary Graphic Designers, Made in China, The Fine Art of Advertising, Cuba Style, Graphic Design History.

See our Clothing and Textile Books PDF

National Gallery of Art Publications PDF

About 100 exhibition art catalogs and other publications from the U.S. National Gallery of Art. Some Books: The Age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, The Age of the Baroque in Portugal, American Furniture from the Kaufman Collection, American Masters from Bingham to Eakins, The Art of the Pacific Islands, Corcoran Gallery of Art: American Paintings to 1945, Decorative Arts: Far Eastern Ceramics and Paintings, Persian and Indian Rugs and Carpets, National Gallery of Art books.

Books at the Metropolitan Art Museum PDF

About 570 free art books and booklets provided by the Metropolitan Art Museum of New York. Many appear to be related to specific collections there, or to temporary exhibitions. Some books: Illustrated Fencing Books 1500–1800, Art of the Marquesas Islands, Afghanistan: Forging Civilizations along the Silk Road, African Ivories, Age of Caravaggio, American Pastels, American Porcelain, 1770–1920, American Portrait Miniatures, Art of South and Southeast Asia: A Resource for Educators, Art of the Islamic World: A Resource for Educators, – Metropolitan Museum of Art books.

Metropolitan Museum of Art PDF Library Collection – Art History PDF Free Download

More than 6,000 free books from the MET’s Thomas J. Watson Library. Art books free online. Most of these were published from the 1870s to the 1940s. To sort by topic or name, go to “Topics & Subjects” in the left column and select “More”. – Metropolitan Museum of Art books.

Notable Collection Catalogs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art – Art History PDF Free Download

About 60 catalogs of art collections, many of which are heavily illustrated books that also contain extensive essays, with the actual catalog of paintings at the back. Some catalogs: Louis Comfort Tiffany, Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art, Masterpieces of European Painting, 1800–1920, Metropolitan Jewelry, Museum Studies in Art, Science, and Technology, Cameo Appearances, European Post-Medieval Tapestries and Related Hangings, From Van Eyck to Bruegel: Wisdom Embodied: Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture, – Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogs. Art history books pdf.

Getty Collected Publications on Paintings – Art History PDF Free Download

Over 80 free online art books on painters and painting published by the J. Paul Getty Museum or the Getty Research Institute. Some books/booklets: Handbook of the Paintings in the Getty Museum, Pontormo: Portrait of a Halberdier, Rubens and Brueghel: a Working Friendship, Jean-Baptiste Greuze: The Laundress, Courbet and Modernism: papers from a symposium, Conservation of Ancient Sites on the Silk Road, Lawrence Alma Tadema: Spring, Treasures from the Ark: 1700 Years of Armenian Christian Art, Historical Painting Techniques Materials and Studio Practice, Modern Paints Uncovered.

Getty Research Portal – Collection

About 175,000 publications. “The Getty Research Portal is a free online search platform providing worldwide access to an extensive collection of digitized art history texts from a range of institutions. This multilingual and multicultural union catalog affords art historians and other researchers the ability to search and download complete digital copies of publications devoted to art, architecture, material culture, and related fields. ” – Getty Research Institute website.

Guggenheim – Whitney Art Resources from the Mid-20th Century – Collection

About 770 free Art books published from the end of the 19th century until the beginning of the 21st century. The collection contains, “key selections from the personal libraries of two women who helped shape the mid-century New York art world; Materials include American and European art historical texts, art exhibition catalogs, biographies of artists and collectors, and New York City guides and tourism pamphlets …” To sort by topic or name, go to “Topics & Subjects” in the left column and select “More”.

Freer-Sackler Books PDF – Collection

About 70 free online art publications from the Freer-Sackler Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. “Spanning from 1753 to the present, these catalogues, journals, manuscripts, and more contain expert insights on a full spectrum of Asian art, culture, and history, as well as on American art and the history of the museums themselves.” Included are books about: Ancient Egyptian Art, Ancient Near Eastern Art, Arts of the Islamic World, Ceramics, Japanese Art, Chinese Art, Korean Art, South Asian & Himalayan, Southeast Asian Art.

Art Appreciation Books PDF- Collection

Free art appreciation books at Internet Archive, resulting from a search for books on “Art Appreciation”. Some Books: Principles of Visual Perception, The Meaning of Art, Picasso, Discovering Art History, Salvador Dali, Leonardo da Vinci, Illustrated History of Art, Claude Money, Prehistoric Rock Art, Exploring World Art, Andrew Wyeth, Paul Klee, How to Visit a Museum, Monet, Aboriginal Art of Australia, Cezanne, Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Art, The key to Baroque Art, The Renaissance; the Invention of Perspective, Key to Modern Art of the 20th Century, many more.

See our Funny Comic Books PDF Free Download

American Painting Books PDF – Collection – Art History PDF Free Download

American Painting books free pdf at Internet Archive. Some books: American Art in the 20th Century, American Watercolor Painting, Painting American Folk Art, Abstract Expressionism and the American Experience, New Frontiers in American Painting, Andrew Wyeth, Americans in Paris 1860-1900, Jackson Pollock, Artists and Illustrators of the Old West 1850-1900, Mary Cassatt, Grandma Moses, American Flower Painting, The San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism, American Painting Today, Edward Hopper, Early American Moderns, Georgia O’Keeffe, American Painters in France 1865-1915, The American Scene-Early 20th Century, American painting books. Art history books pdf.

Graphic Arts Books PDF – Collection – Art History PDF Free Download

Free Graphic Arts books pdf at the Internet Archive. Some books: Graphic Design: A New History, Language of Ornament, New Encyclopedia of Drawing Painting and the Graphic Arts, The New Typography, Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, Graphic Design Solutions, Graphic Source Clip Art, Bold Script Alphabets, The Non-Designer’s Design Book, Graphic Design in America, Dynamic Airbrush, Basic Design Theory & Methods, Graphic Design Business Book, Advertising Spot Illustrations of the 20s and 30s, Education of a Design Entrepreneur, Advanced Adobe Photoshop.

Photography Books PDF – Collection

Free Photography books. Some Books: Business of Studio Photography, Starting your Career as a Freelance Photographer, Stock Photography Source Book, Amateur Photographer Handbook, Designing with Photos, Practical Photography: how to get the best photos, Taking Great Photos, Camera Angles; Tips and Techniques, Art of Photographic Lighting, How I Photograph Wildlife and Nature, 50 Fast Digital Photo Techniques, Kodak Guide to Shooting Great Travel Pictures, Studio Portrait Photography, Orvis Guide to Outdoor Photography.

Pre-Raphaelites Books PDF – Collection – Art History PDF Free Download

Free books on Pre-Raphaelites at the Internet Archive, resulting from a search for books on “Pre-Raphaelites”. Some Books: The Pre-Raphaelites, Essential The Pre-Raphaelites, The Pre-Raphaelites in Literature and Art, The Pre-Raphaelites and their Circle, The Art of the Pre-Raphaelites, The Pre-Raphaelites Paintings and Drawings, The Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood, Jane and May Morris, Rossetti and his Circle, pre-Raphaelites artists pdf. Art history books pdf.

More Collections of Free Books on Art and Art History Topics


Suggested Books for Art and Art History

Art : A Beginner’s Guide – Art History PDF Free Download

Adams, Laurie
Oneworld 2012

In this whirlwind tour spanning from prehistory up to the present day and beyond, Laurie Schneider Adams explores how art, and our views on it, have evolved. Delving into fascinating issues such as why some artworks can be so controversial, why a forgery can never be as “good” as the original, and what the future of art may hold, this beautifully crafted introduction provides a definitive overview of Western artistic tradition. Also providing a helpful guide to understanding art terminology and to reading artworks for meaning.

See the Menu at the top of every page for Directories of Free Online Fiction and NonFiction Books, Magazines, and more, on 400 pages like this at Century Past

Art History: A Very Short Introduction – Art History PDF Free Download

Arnold, Dana
Oxford University 2004

Examines all the major debates and issues using a wide range of well-known examples. It discusses the challenge of using verbal and written language to analyse a visual form. Dana Arnold also examines the many different ways of writing about art, and the changing boundaries of the subject of art history. Topics covered include the canon of Art History, the role of the gallery, ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions, the emergence of social histories of art (Feminist Art History or Queer Art History, for example), the impact of photography, and the development of Art History using artefacts such as the altarpiece, the portrait, or pornography, to explore social and cultural issues such as consumption, taste, religion, and politics. Art history books pdf.

The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love

Battenfield, Jackie
Hachette 2009

A comprehensive guide for both emerging and mid-career artists to pursue a career in the visual arts. Providing real-life examples, illustrations, and step-by-step exercises, Battenfield offers readily applicable advice on all aspects of the job. Along with tips on planning and assessment, she presents strategies for self-management, including marketing, online promotion, building professional relationships, grant writing, and portfolio development.

See our books on Games in PDF

Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

Bayles, David and Orland, Ted
Image Continuum 1985

Art & Fear explores the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn’t get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. This is not your typical self-help book. This is a book written by artists, for artists -— it’s about what it feels like when artists sit down at their easel or keyboard, in their studio or performance space, trying to do the work they need to do.

See our free online magazines pdf

Classical Art: From Greece to Rome – Art History PDF Free Download

Beard, Mary and Henderson, John
Oxford Univ 2001

The stunning masterpieces of Ancient Greece and Rome are fundamental to the story of art in Western culture and to the origins of art history. This exciting new look at Classical art starts with the excavation of the buried city of Pompeii, and investigates the grandiose monuments of ancient tyrants, and the sensual beauty of Apollo and Venus. Concluding with that most influential invention of all, the human portrait, it highlights the re-discovery of Classical art in the modern world, from the treasure hunts of Renaissance Rome to scientific retrieval of artworks in the twenty-first century. Art history pdf free download.

See our Britannica Encyclopedia pdf free download

Ways of Seeing

Berger, John et al
BBC 1972

John Berger’s Ways of Seeing is one of the most stimulating and the most influential books on art in any language. First published in 1972, it was based on the BBC television series about which the (London) Sunday Times critic commented: “This is an eye-opener in more ways than one: by concentrating on how we look at paintings . . . he will almost certainly change the way you look at pictures.”

How to Use Graphic Design to Sell Things, Explain Things, [etc.]

Bierut, Michael
Harper Design 2016

Michael Bierut is one of the world’s most renowned graphic designers. This career retrospective featuring more than thirty-five of his projects reveals his philosophy of graphic design—how to use it to sell things, explain things, make things look better, make people laugh, make people cry, and (every once in a while) change the world.

Freehand: Sketching Tips and Tricks Drawn from Art

Birch, Helen
Chronicle 2013

Creating stylish sketches by hand is easy and fun with this inspiring guide. Freehand breaks down basic drawing techniques into bite-sized chunks, and reveals their practical application in dazzling examples by today’s coolest artists. Over 200 innovative works of art demonstrate all the fundamentals—line, tone, composition, texture, and more—and are presented alongside friendly text explaining the simple techniques used to achieve each stylish effect. The final section of the book offers aspiring artists essential reference materials to hone their drafting skills and practice what they’ve learned.

The Art Book – Art History PDF Free Download

Butler, Adam
Phaidon 1994

The first fully illustrated art dictionary. It presents a feast of famous, varied and colourful images by 500 of the greatest artists from the Middle Ages to the present day. A rich heritage of Western Art, including altarpieces, installations, books of hours, oil paintings, frescos, sculptures, watercolours, prints, ready-mades, collages and many more. Learn about art without being overwhelmed by complicated theories and art historical developments.

See our books on Marketing Concepts PDF

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

Cameron, Julia
Putnam 2002

The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life. The book was written to help people with artistic creative recovery, which teaches techniques and exercises to assist people in gaining self-confidence in harnessing their creative talents and skills.

See our Spirituality PDF free books

Art, Inc. : The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist

Congdon, Lisa
Chronicle 2014

In this practical guide book, professional artist Lisa Congdon reveals the many ways you can earn a living by making art—through illustration, licensing, fine art sales, print sales, teaching, and beyond.

Art : A Visual History

Cumming, Robert
DK 2015

This beautifully illustrated book offers a comprehensive guide to western artists, themes, paintings, techniques and stories. Covering every era, from early art in 3000 BCE to contemporary work, with chronological features on the major schools and movements and close-up critical appraisals of twenty-two masterpieces, this book is a broad but thorough introduction to art history.

Artist’s Painting Techniques: Explore Watercolors, Acrylics, and Oils; Discover Your Own Style; Grow as an Artist

DK
DK 2016

With progression in mind, this master class will teach you the basic principles of painting and then inspire you to move on to new challenges and create masterpieces of your own. It explains which tools, materials, and methods should be used along the way, but lets you develop your artistic skills on your own terms rather than providing a series of steps to be followed.

Keys to Drawing

Dodson, Bert
Penguin 1985

In this book, Bert Dodson shares his complete drawing system—fifty-five “keys” that you can use to render any subject with confidence, even if you’re a beginner. You’ll learn how to: • Restore, focus, map, and intensify • Free your hand action, then learn to control it • Convey the illusions of light, depth, and texture • Stimulate your imagination through “creative play”.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

Edwards, Betty
Penguin 2012

Translated into more than seventeen languages, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is the world’s most widely used instructional drawing book. Whether you are drawing as a professional artist, as an artist in training, or as a hobby, this book will give you greater confidence in your ability and deepen your artistic perception.

See our books on What is Librarianship?

Teach Yourself Visually Drawing

Fisher, Dean and Robinson, Josephine
Wiley 2007

There’s no reason to be intimidated by art; creating a compelling drawing can be nothing more than breaking down the process into a few simple stages. This book shows you how to consider the shape of an object, render light and shadow, and make your drawings more realistic by understanding perspective. With plentiful examples, demonstrations of various techniques, and inspiring galleries of master drawings, Teach Yourself VISUALLY Drawing will bring out your inner artist.

But Is It Art? An Introduction to Art Theory – Art Books PDF

Freeland, Cynthia
Oxford University 2002

In today’s art world many strange, even shocking, things qualify as art. In this book, Cynthia Freeland explains why innovation and controversy are valued in the arts, weaving together philosophy and art theory with many fascinating examples. She discusses blood, beauty, culture, money, museums, sex, and politics, clarifying contemporary and historical accounts of the nature, function, and interpretation of the arts. Freeland also propels us into the future by surveying cutting-edge web sites, along with the latest research on the brain’s role in perceiving art. This clear, provocative book engages with the big debates surrounding our responses to art and is an invaluable introduction to anyone interested in thinking about art. Art history pdf free download.

Gardner’s Art Through the Ages – Art History Books PDF

Gardner, Helen
Various publishers

Helen Gardner (1878-1946) was an American art historian and educator whose textbook Art through the Ages was first published in 1926. At least 15 editions (as of 2016) have been revised and published since then, plus various versions, and it is still a leading Art History textbook. This link has a large collection of them.

Figure Drawing Master Class: Lessons in Life Drawing

Gheno, Dan
F & W Media 2015

This take-home course covers everything you need to put yourself on the fast-track to successful figure drawing. Inside you’ll find: The basics of training your hand to draw; Gesture drawing lessons; How to draw heads and hands; How to accurately compose your figures; Keys to replicating the subtle details in the posture of the head to suggest emotion; The basics of human proportions. You will discover the secrets to creating masterful figure drawings through examples of Old Master drawings, as well as Dan Gheno’s own beautiful drawings, demonstrations and diagrams.

The Story of Art – Art History PDF Free Download

Gombrich, Ernst Hans
Prentice Hall 1995

Renowned not only as the best concise introduction to art history, but also as a classic of art historical literature, this book reflects the vast knowledge, insights, and expertise of one of this century’s greatest art historians and thinkers. Offers a vivid, enthusiastic, and interpretive narrative” written in direct, straightforward language — with technical terms always explained when they are introduced.

The Art Spirit – Art Books PDF

Henri, Robert
Basic 2007

The collected words, teachings, and wisdom of innovative artist and beloved teacher Robert Henri. Henri, who painted in the Realist style and was a founding member of the Ashcan School, was known for his belief in interactive nature of creativity and inspiration, and the enduring power of art. Filled with valuable technical advice as well as wisdom about the place of art and the artist in American society, this classic work continues to be a must-read for anyone interested in the power of creation and the beauty of art. Free books for artists.

Figure Drawing for Artists: Making Every Mark Count

Huston, Steve
Rockport 2016

Fine artist Steve Huston shows beginners and pros alike the two foundational concepts behind the greatest masterpieces in art and how to use them as the basis for their own success. This book sketches out the same two-step method taught to the artists of DreamWorks, Warner Brothers, and Disney Animation, so pick up a pencil and get drawing.

Painting with Watercolors, Oils, Acrylics and Gouache : A Complete Step-by-step Course in Painting Techniques from Getting Started to Achieving Excellence, with Over 1600 Color Photographs

Jelbert, Wendy
Hermes House 2005

A complete step-by-step course in painting techniques from getting started to achieving excellence, with over 1600 color photographs. A complete guide to artist’s materials, including paint, brushes, additives, gels, pastes, supports, varnish, easels, and more. Includes the most common paint techniques together with small-scale practice exercises.

Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students

Lupton, Ellen
Princeton Architectural 2014

The definitive guide to using typography in visual communication. Ellen Lupton provides clear and focused guidance on how letters, words, and paragraphs should be aligned, spaced, ordered, and shaped. The book covers all typography essentials, from typefaces and type families, to kerning and tracking, to using a grid.

The Watercolorist’s Essential Notebook – Art Books PDF

MacKenzie, Gordon
North Light 1999

Watercolor will entertain you for a lifetime. Those who have spent decades with it can testify how they are continually charmed and amazed by new discoveries every time they put paint to paper. This book was developed to clarify and simplify various aspects of painting with watercolor, while at the same time challenging you with new possibilities. However, unlike a book of rules that tend to close our minds, this is a collection of principles, concepts and general information designed to expand the creative process.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art 2012

This guide provides the ideal introduction to almost 600 essential masterpieces from one of the world’s most popular and beloved museums. It provides a comprehensive view of art history spanning five millennia and the entire globe, beginning with the Ancient World and ending in contemporary times. It includes media as varied as painting, photography, costume, sculpture, decorative arts, musical instruments, arms and armour, works on paper, and many more. Art history pdf free download.

Understanding Color: Creative Techniques in Watercolor

Moses, Marcia
Sterling 2007

Even artists with a thorough grasp of design and technique don’t always fully understand color’s properties. But without this knowledge they’ll get lost as they work. These issues are all explored, along with information on setting up and expanding your palette; color mixing; color and dimension; color families; color schemes, and more.

Understand Contemporary Art : A Teach Yourself Guide

Pooke, Grant and Whitham, Graham
McGraw-Hill Education 2011

Whether you love it or loathe it, contemporary art is bound to provoke a reaction. Is it all about shock and sensation? Does it have to be either profound or trivial? Is the contemporary art market over-inflated and ready to burst or is it still soaring? Teach Yourself Contemporary Art delves deep into the contemporary art scene, asking all of these questions and more.

Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning – Art Books PDF

Sachant, Pamela and Blood, Peggy
Univ of North Georgia 2016

This pdf art textbook offers a comprehensive introduction to the world of Art. Combining the best elements of both a traditional textbook and a reader, it introduces such issues in art as its meaning and purpose; its meaning and purpose; its structure, material, and form; and its diverse effects on our lives. Its digital nature allows students to follow links to applicable sources and videos, expanding the students’ educational experiences beyond the textbook.

Painting Class: Oil

Sanmiguel, David
Sterling 2008

This step-by-step, gorgeously illustrated entry into the popular Painting Class series introduces all the materials, techniques, and styles needed to become comfortable with this versatile medium. Find out about the properties and ingredients of oil paint, as well as how to mix your own and work with solvents and dryers. Instructions tell when and how to use brushes and spatulas, how to create realistic fleshtones; and how to “model” oils without blending brushstrokes. You’ll also learn the characteristics of warm, cool, and neutral colors, and how to approach figure drawing, still lifes, and landscapes.

Contemporary Art : World Currents – Art History PDF Free Download

Smith, Terry E.
Prentice Hall 2011

Author Terry Smith argues that, in recent decades, a global shift from modern to contemporary art has occurred: artists everywhere have embraced the contemporary world’s teeming multiplicity, its proliferating differences and its challenging complexities and new technologies. Alongside more than 350 carefully selected color images of key works, Terry Smith offers the first account of these changes, from their historical beginnings to the present day. Exploring key works by both well known and little-known artists, the author shows how contemporary art achieved definitive force in the markets and museums of the major art centres during the 1980s and then became a global phenomenon as artworlds everywhere began to connect more closely: new communicative technologies and expanding social media are now shaping the future of art.

Eye of the Beholder : Johannes Vermeer, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, and the Reinvention of Seeing

Snyder, Laura J.
Norton 2015

In Eye of the Beholder, Laura J. Snyder transports us to the streets, inns, and guildhalls of seventeenth-century Holland, where artists and scientists gathered, and to their studios and laboratories, where they mixed paints and prepared canvases, ground and polished lenses, examined and dissected insects and other animals, and invented the modern notion of seeing. With charm and narrative flair Snyder brings Vermeer and Van Leeuwenhoek—and the men and women around them—vividly to life. Art history pdf free download.

The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art

Thompson, Don
St. Martin’s 2012

Intriguing and entertaining, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark is a Freakonomics approach to the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world. Why were record prices achieved at auction for works by 131 contemporary artists in 2006 alone, with astonishing new heights reached in 2007? Don Thompson explores the money, lust, and self-aggrandizement of the art world in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work valuable while others are ignored.

Guide to Byzantine Art – Art History PDF Free Download

Guide to Ancient Roman art – Art History PDF Free Download

Guide to Ancient Greek Art

Guide to Ancient Etruscan Art – Art History PDF Free Download

Guide to Ancient Aegean Art

Guide to Ancient Egyptian Art

Guide to Ancient Near Eastern Art – Art History PDF Free Download

Guide to Italian art in the 1300s

Guide to Italian art in the 1400s – Art History PDF Free Download

Various authors
Smarthistory

These textbooks are from ‘Smarthistory: the Center for Public Art History’. Smarthistory is a nonprofit whose website contains digital content that “unlocks the expertise of hundreds of leading scholars, making the history of art accessible and engaging to more people, in more places, than any other publisher.” The downloadable books contain all of Smarthistory’s content on each theme.

Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Strong Brands

Wheeler, Alina
Wiley 2006

With an easy-to-follow style, step-by-step considerations, and a proven, universal five-phase process for creating and implementing effective brand identity, the book offers the tools you need, whether a brand manager, marketer, or designer, when creating or managing a brand. This edition includes a wealth of full-color examples and updated case studies for world-class brands such as BP, Unilever, Citi, Tazo Tea, and Mini Cooper.

Elements of Graphic Design : Space, Unity, Page Architecture, and Type

White, Alex W.
Allworth 2011

Readers will discover White’s four elements of graphic design, including how to: define and reveal dominant images, words, and concepts; use scale, color, and position to guide the viewer through levels of importance; employ white space as a significant component of design and not merely as background; and use display and text type for maximum comprehension and value to the reader.

Oil Painting For The Absolute Beginner: A Clear & Easy Guide to Successful Oil Painting – Art Books PDF

Willenbrink, Mark
F&W Media 2010

Oil painting doesn’t have to be rocket science, although some books on the subject make it seem that way. Filled with encouraging, easy-to-follow instruction, Oil Painting for the Absolute Beginner is a no-fear, no-experience-required guide to enjoyable painting and happy results. Focusing on the needs of the first-time painter, this book covers everything from selecting brushes and setting up your palette to key principles of color and composition, presented in a way that moves you confidently from first strokes to finished paintings.

Starting Your Career as an Artist – Art Books PDF

Wojak, Angie and Miller, Stacy
Allworth 2011

In this comprehensive manual, veteran art career professionals Angie Wojak and Stacy Miller show aspiring artists how to evaluate their goals and create a plan of action to advance their professional careers, and use their talents to build productive lives in the art world. In addition, the book includes insightful interviews with professional artists and well-known players in the art scene.


Art Museum Reference Book Collections

Library Research Guide (LibGuide) – Art Museum Collections Online – Art History PDF Free Download

This webpage from the librarians at Bowling Green State University has a collection of links to art museums in the U.S., Europe and Asia that have substantial digital collections.

Ars Orientalis – Art History PDF Free Download

1935-2019

Washington, DC

“Each fall the Freer-Sackler (Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art) publishes, with the University of Michigan, a journal of the latest research in art of the Middle East and Asia. Titled ‘Ars Orientalis’, the journal is a collection of scholarship that crosses academic disciplines and aims to connect researchers, institutions, and ideas using one central theme per volume.” All volumes of the annual ‘Ars Orientalis’, from 1954 to the present, are here, as are the 16 volumes of its predecessor, ‘Ars Islamica’ (1934-1951). Art history pdf free download.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top