There are so many books out there on painting. My favorite painting books have always been the ones that explain the fundamentals of making a strong picture. Step-by-step books are great for someone who has never painted, but I don’t think those books really help the artist with the main issues of creating a strong painting (realistic or abstract). The books on this list have helped me understand what makes a visually strong painting without feeling stuck in a particular style or step-by-step method.
Andrew Loomis-Creative Illustration
While this book isn't strictly about painting, it does have a lot more information than any other book on constructing a strong composition. What I love most about this book is that Andrew Loomis writes in a way that is very strait forward, easy to understand, and is so accessable to whatever type of painter you are. It does a great job explaining how to set up a strong design, how to simplify your values, make your colors more harmonious, and how to draw attention to your main focal areas. I can't praise this book enough.
Andrew Loomis continues where he left off with “Creative Illustration” from above, but focuses more on specific painters between the 16th and early 20th centuries. His different chapters talk in great detail about unity, simplicity, design, proportion, color, rhythm, form, texture, values of light, the beauty of the subject, and technique. A lot of what you will find from Alla Prima (including Richard Schmid’s famous squinting technique), can be found here. He specifically talks about specific paintings from artists such as Goya, Titian, and Velazquez and how they used these methods to achieve their painting results. Unlike Harold Speed, Andrew Loomis takes a bit more time to make sure the viewer really understands these principles without rambling. While this book is currently out of print, it is free to download online since it is past it’s copywrite. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
3. Richard Schmid-Alla Prima II. Everything I Know About Painting - And More.
This is a beautifully written book. Richard Schmid (rest in peace) was an incredible Plein air painter. Not only does Richard really open up about the process of his paintings, but it also features incredible reproductions of Richard Schmid's paintings. The book is beautifully laid out and goes into great detail about what he focuses on in creating a painting. His color charts alone are worth doing. I felt comfortable before reading this book with mixing my own colors, but these color charts really did help me get a clearer understanding of the color combinations you can truly get. If you can afford this book ($120-$180 if you find a good deal), I highly recommend adding this to your bookshelf.
4. Harold Speed- Oil Painting Techniques and Materials.
I love this book! Harold goes into great detail analyzed a large range of artists from Titian to Joshua Reynolds and how they would have applied their paint. He divides his chapters into the different stages in creating a portrait, the various techniques premiere and Velasquez used in their paintings, practices for creating a strong composition, and many different analyses of paintings that he finds strong in the National Gallery in London.
5. Robert Henri- The Art Spirit.
This book was made from a collection of letters Robert Henri wrote to his students over his many years as an artist and a teacher. He covers many issues that his students had with their own paintings such as how to compose their portraits, layer their colors, and compose their pictures. Even though Henri was a realistic painter, his ideas focus more on being more expressive and talks about ways to loosen up. This is such a great book to help you feel more free and in control of your own paintings.