Art & Design Resources: Painting & Drawing
Your guide to resources that can make researching in the visual arts easier. (Originally written by Heather Lowe of the Visual Resource Center.)
Recommended Library Databases
- Oxford Art Online This link opens in a new window(CSUSB users only.) Good starting point to find encyclopedia-style entries on artists, regions, styles, and periods.
- Art Index This link opens in a new window(CSUSB users only.) Covers articles from a wide variety of art-related publications.
- Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) This link opens in a new window(CSUSB users only.) Useful for keyword searching across a broad selection of humanities journal literature.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window(CSUSB users only.) Full text archive that includes many scholarly art-related journals.
Web Resources
- Wiki PaintingsA non-profit and open source project to provide wide access to historically significant paintings. Be aware that the site is structured very similarly to Wikipedia, so you may need to verify any factual information presented on the site.
- Art BabbleThis site aggregates videos from a range of reputable sources like museums and galleries. Here, you’ll find interviews with artists, curators commentary on exhibitions, and other documentary or podcast style videos.
- Victoria and Albert Museum's Painting PageThe museum's subject page where you can access study guides, images, and essays on the subject of painting.
- SmarthistorySmarthistory was designed to be an alternative to the typical art history textbook. You can search by period, style, artist, and even theme. You’ll find videos, images, essays, and suggestions for further reading.
Museums and Galleries
- The Drawing CenterCenter publishes frequently on the topics of drawing. You can find audio and video of many of the events at the Center.
- LouvreThe Louvre offers many interactive tools to learn about art like their mini sites and virtual tours.
- Walker Art CenterThe museum's website looks more like an online magazine. Here, you'll find a terrific set of curated blogs on various disciplines, videos, online exhibitions, and more.
Books
Library books at CSUSB are cataloged with Library of Congress Subject Headings. To explore items catalogued under the subject of painting, you may want to use the following subjects in your searches: painting, painters, watercolour painting, and oil painting .
Though the online catalog is a great tool, sometimes it's helpful to go and browse the resources in the library. If you choose to do this, you might want to start in the following call number ranges: ND1130-1156 (general painting), ND49-813 (history of painting), ND1470-1625 (painting techniques and materials).
The New Artist's Manual: the complete guide to painting and drawing materials and techniques by Call Number: ND195 .V55 2011 OVERSIZEISBN: 9780811851244Publication Date: 2005
Selected Journals & Magazines
- Art in AmericaPfau Library's online subscription.
- Art HistoryPfau Library's online subscription.
- ArtForum International (text-only, no graphics)Pfau Library's online subscription.
- OctoberPfau Library's online subscription.
Parkett Art Magazine is available only in print in the VRC.