here are 6 of my favorite art books!

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Books I mentioned:
The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman
https://a.co/d/1Q3BR8F

Life? Or Theatre? By Charlotte Salomon
https://charlotte.jck.nl/section (view for free online)
https://a.co/d/5gbsAG0 (or buy the book used)

The Look of the Book by David Alworth & Peter Mendelsund
https://a.co/d/agwEbPL

The Art Book
https://a.co/d/b89FS55 (revised 2020 edition)

A Lion in Paris by Beatrice Alemagna
https://a.co/d/6dfm5KZ

Illustoria Magazine
https://store.mcsweeneys.net/t/catego... (McSweeney’s store)
https://store.mcsweeneys.net/products... (subscribe to Illustoria)

★꩜★꩜★꩜★꩜★꩜★꩜★꩜★꩜★꩜★꩜

music: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/R...

The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman, published in 2007. I talk a bit about the author (who is one of my favorite artists), and how she lives in New York, she’s a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and The New York Times, and that she was a writer before she became an illustrator. I love this book because it feels very sweet and provides thoughtful life advice. I think everyone should read this autobiography because Maira Kalman is so good at capturing small everyday moments, and she turns them into uplifting and cleverly written ideas. The book is mostly paintings, but also includes embroidery and photography. It’s very cool to see Kalman’s drawings translated into those different mediums. I love her unique painting style and the way she draws handwritten typography. I also love her bright color palette and whimsical style.

The next book I talk about is Charlotte Salomon’s Life? Or Theatre? This is a play originally made in 1940-1942, but the book was published in 1981. The play includes a prologue, main part, and finale, and depicts Salomon’s whole life by including the people most important to her and her adolescence as a Jewish artist in Nazi Berlin. Charlotte Salomon wrote 320 pages of text, or script, including some songs, and she painted 769 gouache paintings to accompany it all. I love many things about her work including the way she paints typography, her use of repetition, and the way she makes comics in a very painterly style.

The Look of the Book by David Alworth & Peter Mendelsund, published in 2020. This book is all about book cover design (one of my favorite subjects)! A lot of times I ignore the writings included in art books, but this one is an exception. The writings and images in this book are all so interesting, and work together to create a coherent story. One of my favorite things in this book is a timeline of the way the state or purpose of book cover design changes from the 1820s to now. Sometimes the book compares works made by the same designer or the different designs of the same book. It also discusses problematic design trends and critiques what makes a compelling image. Overall, if you’re interested in book covers, this is the book for you.

The Art Book by Phaidon Press is the art book that started my collection. I got this one in high school, and it’s great for people just getting started in art or art history. This book includes art from medieval to modern times and is organized alphabetically by the artist's last name. Most of the artists are painters, but also included are installation works. When I was a beginning artist, this book was a fantastic way for me to learn about famous artists. It’s a good starting point because you can flip through the book, and if an artwork stands out, you can research more about that artist. The back of the book also includes a glossary of terms and art movements.

Beatrice Alemagna’s children’s book, A Lion in Paris, is my favorite children’s book! The story is about just as the title describes: a lion in paris. I love the combination of collage and drawing, and the muted color palette works so well with Alemagna’s unique illustration style. One of my favorite things about her drawings is the way she warps perspective.

Lastly, I discuss Illustoria magazine which is run by McSweeney's publishing. Anything by McSweeney's is super cool and awesome and thoughtfully made. Illustoria is released 3-4 times a year. I subscribe to it, but you can also buy individual copies of certain issues. The magazine is designed for kids, but it’s great for anyone. Every issue has a different theme. The ones I talk about in this video are humor, the rainforest, and the senses. Every issue covers art, diy projects, storytelling, along with featuring submissions from readers and an “on our bookshelf” section that showcases popular children’s books. My favorite thing about Illustoria is the range of high quality and contemporary illustrations.

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