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In Stephen King's memoir On Writing, he writes, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” When writers do not fill their brains with the written word, they are not as sharp when it comes to writing words. Good readers are good writers.

The same concept is true for artists.

Good art studiers are good artists.

We need to surround ourselves with good art. We need to study good art. The old masters, the new masters. Work from artists who inspire us and from artists who challenge us both to think and look at the canvas differently.

And as much as visiting good galleries and museums is very helpful, I find art books to be a must as well. The images give us visual inspiration and education, and the text often gives us valuable information as well. We have close to 50 art books in our house - many displayed on coffee tables and bookshelves; others in my studio for reference.

Here are some of my personal favorites that I would suggest any oil painter, artist, or art lover should have in their home collection. I have each of these in my home.

1. Alla Prima II: Everything I Know About Painting--And More by Richard Shmid - This is probably the best well-rounded education book on oil painting you could ever find - regardless of your style.

2. The Landscapes by Richard Shmid - The images in this book are so big and accurate, so you can really study them.

3. Mann Vol 2 - I like that this book is big, so you can see the images really well. And you get a lot of image content.

4. Mann Vol 1.3 Plein Air - This is a "sketchbook" that captures the essence of atmosphere. He was obviously really trying to capture the colors and values of the atmosphere.

5. John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1874-1882; Complete Paintings: Volume IV - As somebody who loves figures and landscapes, you can't beat this collection. There's a good amount of paintings in this book. Sometimes art books don't have a lot of actual art. This one does.

6. Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema - Once again, large book and lots of big paintings - you see a lot of multi-figures.

7. J.W. Waterhouse (Phaidon publishing) - This one has a bunch of educational material, but you still get quite a few large images as well.

Also in my home you would find:

-- A large collection of used Norman Rockwell books

-- Illustration books - like old advertisements and pin-up

-- Multi-artist collections such as "Italian Painting" or works in the Louvre

-- Many out-of-print books from deceased artists...like Turner

By the way - I often see good secondhand art books at local book fairs and thrift stores. When an artist is living, I like to buy their book directly, so they receive profit for their hard work. But when it comes to deceased masters, secondhand can be a great way to build your art book collection.

Finally, I will shamelessly plug my very own art book: 50 Portraits of Charleston. Available HERE.

***Somtimes when I link to a product, it is possible that I could receive a very small commission if you buy that product at no additional charge to you. As always, I only ever suggest or promote items I completely believe in and/or use myself. ***