Two Books That Inspire Me To Keep Drawing...

"Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking" by David Bayles & Ted Orland is a book that was recommended to me by Christian Patchell. It's an easy read, and I find it very inspirational. I often rebuy it, but never have a copy (because I always pass it on to someone else). There is a great quote in the book: "Vision is always ahead of execution...and it should be." The idea that the vision in my head is always perfect and never matched by the output on the paper - that may sound discouraging at first. But it's always true. The work you make can never live up to the work you dream up. If you did, why continue to draw? This book is a great pep talk about making art, and it gives an artist a sigh of relief, telling you that there is something to be learned from everything you make, even the mistakes. It also says that every piece of art is just a springboard in some way to the art you will make next. I love this book.

"Everyday Matters" by Danny Gregory is another book I really love. The author never started drawing until his wife had a crippling accident. So art was his form of coping and keeping his sanity. His drawings are wiggly and crooked, but very personal and beautiful in their own way. He talks a lot about how the art he makes is his own, even if it is not perfect. He uses art as a way to look at the world differently, a way to appreciate things in everyday life that might usually be overlooked. This is also a very touching and inspirational book that often motivates me to draw.