The internet can be a fantastic source to find information and inspiration. Whether you are looking for visuals, pinning to a pinterest board or searching for design or illustration inspiration - the internet has a plethora of options. Yet, there is just something about a physical book that you can flip through that offers a distinct experience. The tactile feeling of a book that you can reference is still an optimum choice for artists, creatives and designers alike. Building a library of reference is a fantastic way to source material and this week I wanted to share a few books that are visual pleasures.
Pulling reference is a fantastic to map out creative work. Designers, artists and illustrators alike often look to references to build out a piece. It's not cheating and it's also a fantastic way to practice your skills in a daily practice. Building a library of creatively inspiring books filled with others art work, the legends and beautiful imagery offers you options when you are feeling an art block or when you just need some visual stimuli.
Finding source material from different cultures is one of my favorite forms of reference research. Japan is an all time inspiration and interestingly enough, Japans art has had quite the influence on the west. We can see it in illustration, fabric prints, woodblock art, textiles and modern day art. As early as the 1800's there has been a beautiful fascination with Eastern culture and it hasn't seemed to slow down yet.
The bold compositions, color stories, natural floral motifs and simple details seen in Japanese artwork is something truly moving. I had the opportunity to review 4 books from PIE International - the leading Japanese publisher focused on creative works. Originally launched as a publishing house specializing in books for graphic designers the brand has expand to showcase a variety of creative works including: advertising, art and Japanese culture, photography, children books, manga, comic, anime art, hobby and lifestyle publications. Their goal is to publish sweet and fresh books that keep you entertained and their branding is an acronym for Pretty Impressive Entertaining. To say they have accomplished that goal is an understatement. Their releases are like a visual feast for the mind and eyes.
As some of you may know, outside of my work at Halfstack, I worked in the Fashion Industry for many years and attended art school. Through these experiences I launched a freelance career working in creative direction, fashion design, surface pattern & textile design and illustration. As a creative I am constantly seeking out inspiration and Japanese culture, artwork and design is by far one of my favorite influences to explore. PIE offers a beautiful variety of books you can get lost in for hours. They released Yokai Wonderland this month. If you are a traditional artist, print maker or illustrator this is a must have. The book is a gorgeously curated collection of traditional Japanese art featuring yokai - the monsters of Japanese folklore. It's always interesting to compare and contrast the folklore and stories of different culture to see where there are similarities and differences. The reprints do a beautiful job of showing these historical works in all of their glory down to very brush stroke.
If you are a textile designer and illustrator like me, books showcasing color stories and prints are a pure treasure. Originally released by PIE Books in 2005, April 1st marked the arrival of the gorgeously produced new printing edition of Kimono and the Colors of Japan. This collection was released from the highly regarded Japanese stylist and kimono antiquarian Katsumi Yumioka. The imagery, colors and motifs themselves are pure magic. The books is a breathtakingly thorough exploration of Japanese color theory told through the observation of Yumioka's rare antique kimono collection. This book is incredibly informative as it presents a single color and an explanation of it within the context of Japanese culture throughout the pages of the book. This is by far a new favorite in my collection as a designer.
Pulling reference is a fantastic to map out creative work. Designers, artists and illustrators alike often look to references to build out a piece. It's not cheating and it's also a fantastic way to practice your skills in a daily practice. Building a library of creatively inspiring books filled with others art work, the legends and beautiful imagery offers you options when you are feeling an art block or when you just need some visual stimuli.
Finding source material from different cultures is one of my favorite forms of reference research. Japan is an all time inspiration and interestingly enough, Japans art has had quite the influence on the west. We can see it in illustration, fabric prints, woodblock art, textiles and modern day art. As early as the 1800's there has been a beautiful fascination with Eastern culture and it hasn't seemed to slow down yet.
The bold compositions, color stories, natural floral motifs and simple details seen in Japanese artwork is something truly moving. I had the opportunity to review 4 books from PIE International - the leading Japanese publisher focused on creative works. Originally launched as a publishing house specializing in books for graphic designers the brand has expand to showcase a variety of creative works including: advertising, art and Japanese culture, photography, children books, manga, comic, anime art, hobby and lifestyle publications. Their goal is to publish sweet and fresh books that keep you entertained and their branding is an acronym for Pretty Impressive Entertaining. To say they have accomplished that goal is an understatement. Their releases are like a visual feast for the mind and eyes.
As some of you may know, outside of my work at Halfstack, I worked in the Fashion Industry for many years and attended art school. Through these experiences I launched a freelance career working in creative direction, fashion design, surface pattern & textile design and illustration. As a creative I am constantly seeking out inspiration and Japanese culture, artwork and design is by far one of my favorite influences to explore. PIE offers a beautiful variety of books you can get lost in for hours. They released Yokai Wonderland this month. If you are a traditional artist, print maker or illustrator this is a must have. The book is a gorgeously curated collection of traditional Japanese art featuring yokai - the monsters of Japanese folklore. It's always interesting to compare and contrast the folklore and stories of different culture to see where there are similarities and differences. The reprints do a beautiful job of showing these historical works in all of their glory down to very brush stroke.
If you are a textile designer and illustrator like me, books showcasing color stories and prints are a pure treasure. Originally released by PIE Books in 2005, April 1st marked the arrival of the gorgeously produced new printing edition of Kimono and the Colors of Japan. This collection was released from the highly regarded Japanese stylist and kimono antiquarian Katsumi Yumioka. The imagery, colors and motifs themselves are pure magic. The books is a breathtakingly thorough exploration of Japanese color theory told through the observation of Yumioka's rare antique kimono collection. This book is incredibly informative as it presents a single color and an explanation of it within the context of Japanese culture throughout the pages of the book. This is by far a new favorite in my collection as a designer.
As an illustrator, I made it a point this year to begin to push myself to use my art to tell stories. As a writer, using my words to describe a moment has always been easy to come by. Yet, as an artist it is something I have struggled with. Just like a silent scene in a movie, visual imagery can say just as much as words themselves. As the old saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Some of the most visually inspiring works are illustrators that tell a story through background scene work. A simple picture that explores light and dark can pull as much emotion as a sentence for me. Every Day Scenes from a Parallel World and Beautiful Scenes from a Fantastic World are two books that really moved me to the core in terms of the visual story telling they portray.
I was lucky enough to see these previews as they release May 1st to the public. If you are an artist looking to tell stories through your work, explore and build on your visual development skills, these are fantastic books to add to your reference collection. These two books turn the spotlight on and celebrate the often overlooked scenes and background illustrations found in anime and manga. The visuals throughout the pages of each of these books immediately transport you somewhere else. They are easy to get lost in and incredibly inspiring.
Another special mention is: Everyday Sketching and Drawing: Five Steps to a Unique and Personal Sketchbook Habit by Steven B. Reddy. The book was released by Monacelli Press- a leading publisher of books on architecture, the fine arts, interior design, landscape architecture, photography, and graphic design. Publisher Gianfranco Monacelli conceived the venture as a distinct and stimulating voice in the visual arts to reinterpret and challenge the conventional boundaries of the field, to bring forth the best, most provocative, and the most substantive of what the finest creative minds—and eyes—have to offer. It's a fantastic publisher with an array of inspiring titles that are perfect for creatives.
One of the best ways I have found to grow in your art and illustration skills is to practice daily. I know it can be difficult, but even taking 5-10 minutes a day can help in terms of practice and improvement. The major roadblock people face when it comes to working on their art is figuring out what to draw. This is where the idea of "prompts" come in. Books like Reddy's offer a great source of inspiration. He looks at every day life and finds ways to pull inspiration to just draw from it. It's a beautifully illustrated text that offers insights to his personal art, his tools and his process. Yet, it's not so structured that it makes you feel caged in. Rather, he offers readers and artists options that you can adapt to your every day life and art practice. The book opens with the 5 steps and then leads into different types of prompts from still life to interiors and more. It offers an array of tips and tricks when it comes to using simple tools, shading, getting beyond the scary idea of perspective and proportion and really urges artists to just start drawing.
As an artist, it can be easy to get stuck in an art block or keep doing what you do best without pushing yourself outside of your comfort level. But it is important to remember that in order to grow we have to put ourselves in moments that make us feel uncomfortable. We have to be open to the variety of influence that is in the world beyond our little bubbles and sometimes the best way to do that is through a book. I urge you to explore more this year with your art. Try something new, do something different, experiment and see where it takes you. You never know what might happen.
To learn more about the titles carried by PIE International, check them out online at: http://pie.co.jp/english/
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Jen Lezan
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