Research Guides: Communication Arts: Drawing & Illustration

Welcome to the Communication Arts guide!

This guide provides an overview of tools and basic strategies for conducting library research in
Communication Arts including Illustration, Comic Arts and Concept Art.

Illustration Books

Illustration Research Methods
Call Number: NC960 .G36 2021
This books establishes a lexicon that is specific to discussing contemporary illustration practice and research. The chapters are broken down into the various roles that exist within the industry and which illustration research can draw from, such as 'Reporting' and 'Education'. In doing so, users are able to explore a diverse range of disciplines that are rich in critical theory and can map these existing research methodologies to their own study and practice.
Illustration: a visual history
Call Number: NC998 .H66 2008
A chronicle, celebration, and survey of well over a century of illustration through drawn, painted, and digitized illustrations in different styles, and places leading illustrators in historical context.
Understanding Illustration
Call Number: NC997 .B628 2014
Understanding Illustration asserts the continued power of illustration as a vehicle for meaning and message by offering an in-depth examination of a selection of great images by a broad range of artists.
Kaleidoscope : the art of illustrative storytelling
Call Number: NC960 .K25 2018
Derived from magazines, posters, books, blogs and personal projects, Kaleidoscope includes interviews with six talented and enthusiastic masters of their art.
Illustration Next
Call Number: NC960 .I458 2013
Illustration is experiencing a remarkable renaissance: the work of contemporary illustrators is at the forefront of contemporary visual culture, viewed by audiences worldwide. This original survey brings together the talents of fifty leading illustrators from more than twenty countries.

Drawing Technique Books

Anatomy for the Artist
Call Number: NC760 .S585 2001
Illustrated guidebook to drawing human anatom. Lessons focus on different anatomical areas in detail, as well as techniques for seeing and portraying the human body as a whole.
How to Draw : drawing and sketching objects and environments from your imagination by Scott Robertson
Call Number: NC750 .R59 2013
Learn how to draw any object or environment from your imagination, starting with the most basic perspective drawing skills. Early chapters explain how to draw accurate perspective grids and ellipses that in later chapters provide the foundation for more complex forms.
How to Render: the fundamentals of light, shadow and reflectivity by Scott Robertson
Call Number: NC730 .R554 2014
The fundamentals of light, shadow and reflectivity; the focus is firmly on helping to improve visual understanding of the world around and on techniques for representing that world.

Children's Book illustration Books

Pictured Worlds: Masterpieces of Children's Book Art by 101 Essential Illustrators from Around the World.
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2023
Highlights an international roster of 101 artists of the past 200 years whose work collectively charts the major trends and turning points in the history of children’s book illustration.
Myth, Magic and Mystery: 100 years of American children's book illustration
Call Number: NC975 .M98 1996
A comprehensive survey of American children's book illustration, from the turn of the century to the present.
Play Pen: new children's book illustration
Call Number: NC965 .S235 2007
Showcases some of the most interesting work emerging within the genre from a range of cultural backgrounds. It examines trends in use of media--both digital and traditional--and discusses the variety of approaches to subject matter.
Show and Tell: exploring the fine art of children's book illustration
Call Number: NC975 .E93 2008
Teaches the reader how to look for the perfect marriage of art and text, and is an invaluable guide for anyone interested in children's books and the art of illustration.

Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature
The Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature in the Department of Special Collections at the University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries contains more than 115,000 volumes published in the United States and Great Britain from the mid-1600s to present day. Many are available to browse via digital scans online.

Scientific & Botanical Illustration Books

Botanical Illustration: the Essential Reference
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2016
Comprising more than 500 years of printed botanical illustrations in black-and-white and color from medieval illuminated manuscripts and woodcuts to the early 20th century.
Scientific Illustration: A Guide to Biological, Zoological, and Medical Rendering Techniques, Design, Printing, and Display
Call Number: QH318 .W66 1994
The Sick Rose: Disease and the art of medical illustration
Call Number: ebook
A visual tour through the golden age of medical illustration. Organized by disease, ranges from little-known ailments now all but forgotten to the epidemics that shaped the modern age.
(Also in print: R836 .B37 2014)

To find more, browse the resources linked below:

Theses and Dissertations

Dissertations may be useful sources for researching the state of the field
and the bibliographies can often provide a wealth of new sources.

Dissertations and Theses Full Text (ProQuest)
Comprehensive and curated collection of dissertations and theses from universities around the world, with full-text availability for most titles.

Resources Beyond VCU Libraries

If you can't find the book, article, or dissertation that you want at VCU, try these resources to find what you need.

Inter-library Loan (ILL)
Via Interlibrary Loan, you can borrow books, articles, and DVDs that VCU does not own.

WorldCat (via FirstSearch)
Consolidated catalog of items held by OCLC member libraries worldwide. WorldCat FirstSearch is the subscription version of the WorldCat database, with advanced search options and result listing by number of copies available.

RALC
The Richmond Academic Library Consortium is a group of Richmond area libraries which have agreed to extend limited borrowing privileges to students, faculty, and staff of any RALC school.

Citations

Citation Styles Research Guide
VCU Libraries guide to citing information in a variety of formats including APA, MLA, and Chicago.
Citation Tools
Provides information about choosing and using citation tools such as Mendeley, Zotero, and EndNote.
Purdue OWL - Research & Citation Resources
Comprehensive guide to in-text and reference list citations for APA, MLA and Chicago styles.

Communication Arts

Related Guides

Browsing Illustration and Drawing

Art Browsery

Subject Guide

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