Kit White101 Things to Learn in Art School

I just picked up 101 Things to Learn in Art School, by Kit White. I found this square little book in the beautiful Getty Center in LA. The book is covered in black rubber and is really fun to hold and touch. Though it is essentially about making art, and some of it is devoted to perspective and composition, much of what White says can be applied to writing and creating in general. There are pages and pages of inspirational messages, coupled with black-and-white reproductions of famous artists' work as interpreted by White. The best thing about this book is it makes you want to create. The drawings are beautiful and make you think about paintings you haven't seen in a while. This is a gentle and brilliant book. Below are some of the more memorable quotes:Art is the product of process. Whether conceptual, experimental, emotional, or formal, the process you develop yields the image you produce. The materials you choose, the methods of production, and the sources of the images should all reflect the interests that command your attention. The process does not stop with each work completed. It is ongoing. The cumulative result of that process is a body of work.Art is a continuing dialogue that stretches back through thousands of years. What you make is your contribution to that dialogue. Therefore, be conscious of what has come before you and the conversation that surrounds you. Try not to repeat what has already been said. Study art history and stay alert to the dialogue of your moment.Complexity derives from the presence of contradiction. The world is not simple. It is rife with complexity. the impulse to eliminate the contradictions that create complexity is natural. But to simplify may be to render a false condition and therefore an incomplete description. Embrace the irreconcilable elements, the contradictions. They are part of any portrait of a moment.Making art is an act of discovery. If you are dealing only with what you know, you may not be doing your job. When you discovery something new, or surprise yourself, you are engaging in the process of discovery.

I’m an art school grad and I agree with the author.More than that, lots of knowledge for anyone interested in going. RISD should sell it & probably does in their bookstore.

Own use

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my 11-year-old daughter who is sure she wants to be an artist. I wasn't sure whether it would be one of those fluffy faux books -- more greeting card than ideas. I was initially delighted to find it was not, but then concerned it would be above her. I now think some of the ideas are over her head at her age, but she can grow into understanding them -- there's enough to engage her, even at 11. I am an amateur artist & also am getting something out of the book, so it's win-win.Our local art museum sets up drawing seats with for patrons on Friday nights & Sunday afternoons -- as a result of reading this book (with its emphasis on drawing), we started going to the museum for that in the New Year.

Fun book showing me different drawing style. I hope to keep practicing these styles and become a better artist. Even if I don't it was a fun read. The engaging sketch of a dog on the cover captured my attention. I have done a few sketches of my daughter's dog. I hope I can complete one that is frameable. Thanks for the inspiration and motivation to try drawing a furry dog.

Kit White has distilled a lifetime of thought about art into this cleverly conceived and designed book. A perfect gift for aspiring and actual artists.

101 Things To Learn In Art School does a great job of presenting big ideas in a concise, but not overly simple way. The topics range from technical advice to philosophical musings about the meaning of art-making in the 21st century. It was a very quick read (took me about 30 minutes) and would be excellent for first year art students trying to wrap their heads around what it means to be an artist. I'll definitely recommend it to all of my teacher friends. The design of the book is gorgeous.

Awesome book. One downside is there were several dents in the pages that caused about 30 pages to have creases and dog ears. They looked like they were there before being shipped, but I can't be sure.

Okay to buy second hand - short book with basic points, but useful.

Found this in my last year of art school, and wish I'd found it earlier. Better late than never! Great (and very short to the point) tips on how to get through art school, and how to keep on dreaming with your feet on the ground. Practical, and encouraging at the same time.

Introduced to this from fellow art school friends, full of some quite obvious things that you tend to forget... really wish I'd had something like this when I was starting art school all those years ago. But saying that, still relevant now after leaving art school over 10+ years ago.

Interesting but very little about being an art student more a drawing and painting manuel.

Great book - well put together, full of simple provocative stuff.