While art projects may be the backbone of a visual arts curriculum, the art room plays a supporting role in art education. The creative spaces where many youths feel safe and comfortable are refuges. So, what should be in that space beyond the tables, chairs, and art supplies? High on my list is books, and this week, I want to discuss how you might use books and what books you might consider for your art room bookshelves. 

Before I dive in, let me confess that I am a committed bibliophile, bookworm, or bibliolater- all terms for a person who loves books. I believe there is still a place for tangible books in the art room. Some teachers say that books don’t get cracked open anymore and are considered a waste of space and a bad investment. Today’s students are used to digital media. But you may have looked over some essential advantages of tangible books. You may also need to encourage the use of books. If you don’t value and use books, many students won’t see them as relevant. 

How can you encourage students to interact with books? Have them, and make them accessible. Show students books that they use for reference. Pick books that are attractive to teens. Provide opportunities to use them. One art teacher shared, “I have to take them off the shelf and put them on a particular student’s desk for them to get any attention. So if a student expresses an interest in an artist, and I give them a book on that artist, they do seem to love seeing all the glossy, high-quality images, and it piques their interest. Or, if a student is really enjoying a certain medium, I will give them a how-to book in that medium to borrow.”

Another teacher shares, “When we have subs, we can’t use technology! So out come the books. One time I have a sub, they will use the how-to-draw books. Another day, they do art parodies based on a picture from art history. Another, they do an art history copy but have to only use complementary colors.”

And yet another teacher tells us, “I started being more intentional about utilizing my library in my classroom by displaying a book of the week, doing short read-aloud from parts that pertain to the lesson, assigning groups to do research from different books on artist, style, period or media and come back and casually present their findings to the group. Students still need to have strong research skills and to know how to utilize a variety of sources. I had my library to the side of my desk (so near me) but still accessible to students. I had an early finisher idea list, and they could do how-to drawings or read/ research/peruse through those. I also had a sign-out sheet for students to check out books, which was not often, but did happen sometimes.”

Some advantages to books: 

  • When students go online, we don’t know what they are actually doing. With books, there is no faking it. This is refreshing.
  • Online content can be distracting, with ads, pop-up notifications, and social media that can make it hard to focus. This can lead to skimming instead of critical reading. In contrast, print books allow you to put away screens and focus on the material.
  • Books are available even when phones are not allowed, or the internet is down. 
  • Pixel-based art on screen is inferior to the reproductions we see in books.
  • Books are an art form; we can teach and foster a love for them. 

Plus, there is no reason we can mix and match digital and physical books. Fortunately, you can have Physical and digital books and use them as you see appropriate. There is a place and time for everything!

So, what books do art teachers suggest? Here is a list of books art teachers recommend.

You Are an Artist: Assignments to Spark Creation by Sarah Green
Smart, Use Your Eyes to Boost Your Brain by Amy E. Herman and Heather Maclean
20 Ways to Draw Everything: With 135 Nature Themes from Cats and Tigers to Tulips and Trees
The Pocket Universal Principles of Art: 100 Key Concepts for Understanding, Analyzing, and Practicing Art by John A Parks
The Brilliant History of Color in Art by Victoria Finlay


50 Women Artists You Should Know by Christiane Weidemann
Blood, Water, Paint by Joy McCullough


Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
 by Betty Edwards
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook by Betty Edwards (Worth it from my teacher’s perspective)
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud
How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way by Stan Lee and John Buscema
Cartooning for the Beginner by Christopher Hart
Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles by Beth Pickens


Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Find Your Artistic Voice by Lisa Congdon
You Are an Artist: Assignments to Spark Creation by Sarah Urist Green


Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland
Your Inner Critic Is a Big Jerk by Danielle Krysa and Martha Rich
Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

Do you have a favorite book you use in your art classroom? Share in the comments!