Books are the best thing aren’t they!  Especially books which teach you stuff.  Especially books which make you go ‘oh yes, I can do this’.

Today I pulled some of my favourite creative books out to share with you.  I have recently started to do lots of art journaling and I get so much inspiration from all kinds of art style books.  Journaling with art is a lovely and creative release and it allows me to try all kinds of styles and techniques.

I also want to learn specific things like drawing figures and faces as well as lettering and doodling.  I am no natural doodler, so I need some help!  My first book is a wonderful tool to encourage and guide the reluctant doodler like me.

Craft-a-Doodle by Jenny Doh

The book is by Jenny Doh who brings together various artists with examples of their work as well as a guided finished piece for the reader to create.  I like this book because it is as inspiring as it is instructional.  Neither overwhelms the other, a great balance.  

Journal It! by Jenny Doh

Another Jenny Doh book, because she just gathers the most inspiring work and artists.  This is a more specific art journaling book and full of ideas and tips. The artists generously give out tips and tricks relating to their art in the book.  So, not really an instructional book, but still with lots of ideas and how to do them in our own journals and sketchbooks.

The Art Journal Workshop by Traci Bunkers

This one is a new addition to my bookshelf and it has a DVD!  Lots of ideas and how to execute them.  It has prompts, tips and instructions along with a ton of colour inspiration too.  To be honest the style is a bit much for my aesthetic, but I can pull out the bits I like and tone them down to suit me.  I would rather have too much than too little.

Creative Girl by Danielle Donaldson

This beauty is the favorite art instruction book I own, it is a delight to just flick through and chock full of exercises and techniques.  Everything from the colours to the doodles is divine and makes me want to fill sketchbooks until I get this good!

Of course there are a gazillion magazines telling us all kinds of things.  These are the most inspiring ones I have come across lately.

Flow is always an inspiration with gorgeous illustrations next to interesting and informative writing.  I mail order it from the Flow website. It often comes with free paper goodies which I invariably leave in the magazine because I can’t bear to take them out!

Artful Blogging and Art Journaling are from the Stampington family of magazines are full to the brim with ideas.

Although I am no great fan of ‘adult’ coloring books, The Coloring Studio (also from Stampington) is a lovely magazine, almost a book.  I like it because it has informative ideas alongside the pages to colour in. Not just a coloring book!

Do you have favorite art instruction or inspirational books or magazines?  There are so many around, thank goodness for libraries!