Hey everyone its been awhile since I did one of these and I’m excited to share it. The aim of these is to inspire you, inspire artists, young readers, and more. Art books to me arebooks using visual art, photography, design, collage, and words to highlight a topic, art form, person, place, genre, discipline, or medium.
They are a great way to unplug when you’ve been staring at screens too long. They’re great for traveling, road trips, flights, etc. They’re great for getting inspired and they’re a great way to get young people reading; as long as its about a topic they LOVE. Please watch and share.
I discuss 13 books in the video including my own art book: “The Art of Tekkenkinkreet / Black & White” – Shinji Kimura “Supreme Glamour”- Mary Wilson “The Art of Juanjo Guarnido” – Juanjo Guarnido “Shelter in Place” – Avy Jetter “Dinotopia” – James Gurney “Painting The Streets-Oakland Uprising in the Time of Rebellion”- Nomadic Press “Creations Vol. 1” – Derek Laufman “Iguana Bay” – Claire Wendling “Black Champions in Cycling” – Marlon Lee Moncrieffe “Maestrapiece- San Francisco’s Monumental Feminist Mural” –Heyday Books “Art of Rob” – Robert Liu-Trujillo “Prince of Cats” – Ronald Wimberly
Dig this? Check out “My Favorite Art Books 2” the second video in this series. And if your local bookstore or library doesn’t have any of the art books you’re looking for, politely request them 🙂
If you’d like to purchase some of them I suggest ordering them from your local bookstore, Bookshop.org, or StuartNg Books in LA.
I remember hearing about Alvin Irby many years ago and loving his mission for Barbershop Books because he’s passionate about reading and you could tell he cares. In this episode of Lurie Daniels Favors radio show she interviews him about how he started, what drove him, and what advice he has for making readers out of your kids.
This past fall I did some quick drawings for Oakland’s “Chapter 510” who are always doing work around empowering young writers, readers, and thinkers. These are a few of the portraits of some young people for their collective poem called “A Sense of Belonging”. More info about the project here.
Dig this? Check out this portrait I did of Leila for Chapter 510 and Oakland Public Library.
New shit. This is a new print in my series of READ prints. Truthfully I’m experimenting with these and having fun doing it. If you dig this you can cop one
Yes y’all. This is a new art print for my READ series! I really dig how this turned out and hope you will too. The helmet is a reminder to dream, soar, and fly. This is the first in a new series of 4. There will be 8 in total.
Hey fam, I just finished the second “Art Books” video. In it I share a little bit of 15 books and magazines ranging from Art of animation, to artist sketchbooks, and photography books. The point of these is to share cool books, show you some ways to get kids off screens, inspire young artists, and hopefully get some kids reading. Some of these books would appeal to elementary aged kids and some are for older teens.
If you missed the last Art Books video check it out here
These are the books in the video:
“Afros” by Michael July
“Journey for Justice” by Dr Dawn Mabalon, Gayle Romansanta, and Andre Sibayan
“We Are the Ship” by Kadir Nelson
“Mexican Muralists” by Desmond Rochfort
“The Art of Moana” by Disney
“Dailies” by Bobby Pontillas
“Girls Garage” by Emily Pilloton
“Harlem of the West” by Elizabeth Pepin Silva & Lewis Watts
“Stranger Danger” by Clio Chiang
“Printing the Revolution” by Claudia Zapata, Tatiana Reinoza, and Terecita Romo
“The Art of Hung Liu-Summoning Ghosts” by Hung Liu
“Picturing The Promise (Scurlocks)” Edited by Paul Gardullo
“The New Bohemians” by Justina Blakeney
“Waxpoetics Magazine” 2008/ 2021
“Umber Magazine”
If you’d like to purchase some of them I suggest ordering them from your local bookstore, Bookshop.org, or StuartNg Books in LA.
I released this print set in 2019, and I’m just updated it and re-sharing it. Check it out for your classroom, library, organization, or home. Why did I do these? I made these to illustrate children of color reading or being read to to foster an environment that is welcoming and encourages reading for fun.
Whats up fam, I got a chance to be a guest on the “Not Real Art” podcast w/ my TYS sister Erin Yoshi. I wish I could embed it directly here, but please check out this LINK to listen.
This show was recorded last month and I talk a bit about kids books, illustration, of course the “Art of Rob” campaign on kickstarter, and our crew “Trust Your Struggle”. If you’re not up on this podcast please give them a listen, Man One and Sourdough have been doing it for a minute and they just brought Erin Yoshi on as an official co-host. Here are some of the folks she’s interviewed that I admire!
Let me tell you about this picture. This was in Nicole Martinez’s class at Cesar Chavez Elementary in Sacramento (2015) and it was taken shortly after the release of “I am Sausal Creek/ Yo Soy el Arroyo Sausal” written by author, healer, and former educator Melissa Reyes ( translated by Cinthya Munoz, pub by Nomadic Press). Melissa was and is awesome with kids. She wrote a story that told ecological and local history through the voice of a creek because it didn’t exist. And she did it so it could be read in English or Spanish. Her story has captivated many children and families. Matter of fact, people still tell me that they love the story.
What does this have to do with “Art of Rob” or art books? When we (authors/illustrators) were invited to read I asked Melissa and Ms Martinez if I could share some of my artwork process with the kids and I’ve been doing that since then. The kids responded to it and after the initial ego boost of children saying wow to my drawings I thought of how important it is to see Black and Brown authors or illustrators come to your school and talk about their create paths. I thought about how important it is to encourage them to be creative by showing them our process. This book is about representation and encouragement.
Ever since then I have shared my sketchbook, picture books, and some process paintings and more often than not the kids are super juiced to see them. I always wanted a way to take some of that excitement and give it to them so they could take it home. If you’ve supported this campaign you are fulfilling that dream for me and helping to encourage new artists; I hope. Fingers crossed.
Whether you get Art of Rob or not, please invite BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) creatives to speak to kids in schools and libraries. That way children of color can see a reflection of themselves and other kids can see just how many types of people make stories. Also, please encourage children of all kinds, but especially children of color to explore the arts. I started doing children’s books to make stories that reflected the world I see, my family, friends, and neighborhood. I didn’t realize just how welcoming the teachers, librarians, bookstore owners, literacy workers, and children would be. That’s it.
If you want to see an interview I did this past month with the Nerds of Color, go here. And if you haven’t shared this campaign with someone yet please do. We’re close to unlocking a new stretch goal, which means more pgs of art added to the book!
Wow, its only day 3 andmy Kickstarter is almost 80 % funded! Amazing! Thank you all. Here’s a bit of info to share….
What is an art book? Who cares? An art book is a tool, an escape, a resource, a push, a friend, its anything you want it to be. Of course we’re talking about paper, binding, pictures, words, etc. But it’s also a way to grab attention and get kids to take a break from the screens when you need them to. You can put them on the kitchen table, on your bookshelf, home library, or in a classroom. If you can’t buy them, you can check them out at your local library. But why? Art books are a great way to encourage young creatives! There are lots of different types of art books. Here are a few:
1. Photography: “Reflections in Black by Deborah Willis”
Its a book cataloguing Black photographers from 1840-2000. It has essays, memories, think pieces, and tons and tons of photographs. Black & white, color, experimental, and more. #photography
2. Animation:“Into the Spiderverse”
This is an art of book. Whats that? Well many feature and animated films have art departments that develop the look and feel of a film from the way actors act, to the designs of their clothing. An art of book for a film that you like can expand your understanding of how it was made and who did it. This book features many departments of the film making process. #animation
3. Murals:“Maestrapiece: San Francisco’s Monumental Feminist Mural”.
This book celebrates the herstory of a really huge mural painted in the Mission District of San Francisco on one of the first buildings ever dedicated to the lives of women; The Women’s Building. The book is full of old and new images, memories, and writings about how this crew of bad assess women painted this mural and why it means so much. #murals
4. Graffiti: “Piecebook the secret drawings of graffiti writers” by Sacha Jenkins and Chino BYI.
This is an ill book featuring some writing but mostly sketchbook drawings of pieces, characters, throw ups, and more by graffiti writers from the 70s to the 80s I believe. For any kid who was interested in Graffiti or street art this is a must have because it shows you a world that you wouldn’t get to see unless you were a part of the culture. #graffiti
5. Fashion: “The Sourcebook of Fashion Design”.
This is a dope book featuring how to’s , writing, and tones of photographs of sketches, designs, fabric, outfits, and garments from the designer fashion industry. And I mention this because you might have a kid who loves fashion. Get them some fashion designer books! #fashiondesign
6. Architecture: The Future of Architecture in 100 Buildings
This book features beautiful images of buildings of the future and some that echo the past. It spans the globe and features captions and short written pieces about the buildings. Got a kid in your life who loves architecture? #architecture
7. US History: “Celebrate People’s History” by Josh MacPhee
is a book of poster art. The art in this book features work by movement artists, groups, and more. The subject matter ranges from individual figures to historic events, places, and groups. And it talks about labor, laws, social justice, ethnic studies, and more. Because each poster has a very short reference it leaves it up to the viewer to look up what strikes them as interesting. #UShistory
8. Makers/ Builders: “Girls Garage” by Emily Pilloton
is an awesome resource for girls about how to build things. It features history, facts, and an encyclopedia about tools and lots of DIY tips on projects. One of the coolest things in it are profiles about women young and old who have built shit!! #builders
9. And lastly, I threw my book in there to illustrate the point that there are lots of different types of art books and mine is one of them. An artist sketchbook with character designs and other things. Thank you for supporting my kickstarter to make this art book a reality. Not only for me but hopefully for some young students out there.
If you’re looking for any of these books please go to your local bookstore or library and ask them about these art books!!!
