I am a big fan of John William Waterhouse, and this monograph by Peter Trippi is excellent. The large format of the hardcover edition provides for good size images of the artist’s work.

A fantastic book by a modern master, Alla Prima covers Richard’s palette, philosophies, and way of seeing. Now in its eighth printing, it’s finally available in a more affordable paperback edition (direct from the artist).

Alma-Tadema is another of my favorites, and this is one of the best books out there on this artist of classical subjects.

This was the Holy Grail amongst illustrators, as so many tried to get their hands on this informative, out-of-print book. Loomis covers composition, tone, color, and storytelling in this 1947 manual designed as an aid for professional commercial artists. Luckily, it is returning to print in paperback, and is due for release September 2008.

This is a book I just keep coming back to again and again. It has sections on Friant, Bastien-Lepage, Claussen, Dagnan-Bouveret, Stanhope Forbes, etc.. Wonderful plates and great examples from the art of this time period.

Written by a student of Bouguereau, this book offers a wealth of information about materials and processes of the nineteenth century academic painter.

An affordable book on Orientalist art, with nice clear plates, detail images, and information on artists not normally profiled in most books readily available on this topic.

This is the only book out there on Draper, a fantastic artist whose subject matter was similar to Waterhouse.

The definitive collection of Sargent’s paintings, Vol. 2.

The definitive collection of Sargent’s paintings, Vol. 4.

Tony Ryder is a Zen-like master whose meditations consist of tiny, specifically placed brush and pencil marks on a blank canvas. This is a wonderful exploration of a classically based approach to drawing the figure.

My first non-art, art book to make the list, this self-help book was enjoyable, if only to reinforce the idea that all artists go through the same struggles with self-confidence, depression, and creative blocks.

Another valuable resource from Harold Speed.

A wonderful book, with great ink drawings illustrating composition ideas, a few examples of Payne's exemplary landscapes, and much thought provoking ideas from this modern master painter.

The other “Illustrator’s Bible,” this is a wonderful walkthrough of Rockwell’s methods written by the artist himself.

The Cutlers, co-founders of the National Museum of American Illustration, turned a 12 year labor of love into a fantastic book on one of America’s greatest illustrators of the Golden Age.

These two books by Macpherson are filled with practical information on plein air painting materials and offer nice little exercises and demos for the beginning outdoor painter.