art school must haves....

I owe you big time, therefore here is a big post on some essential reading materials/conversation pieces to bring with you to art school...It's been a rough week and it made me think about when I was in college and I didn't have a worry in the world and all I "had" to do was be an art student...If I were back at school I would only change one thing, the amount of knowledge that I got out of my reading materials, lets just say that my professors were good at teaching but bad at picking reference materials that represented what design is "today". With that said, if your having the same problem, here are a few good  "out of the box" picks that I recommend you take a look at on your own time.

Every student knows that they live on a very limited income especially if your away at school...so get creative, and DIY...nothing is better then making a one of a kind piece to show off while at the same time  feeding your brain with inspiration on your down time. Check out DIY Fashion by Selena Francis-Bryden (um yeah, can you say sex and the city stylist). This book will not only save you money but It will teach you how to use the resources you already have to create something fantastic!








Music Lover? We all know that music is the source of some great creative inspiration, but how about seeing that musical inspiration translated into some really beautiful graphic design pieces by Jason Munn. Check out The Small Stakes: Music Posters, an intense collection of Jason's work in the age old form of the rock poster...if your into the music and love collecting the posters, this book is for you, i really had to go through the book twice because I felt like I missed some details the first time, just so much to look at and drool over.








Lastly, for the more theory driven art student we have just the elixir for you, From Here to There: A curious connection from the Hand Drawn Map Association by Kris Harzinski. Does the way we draw maps tell us anything about ourselves? what happens if you get lost along the way? how would one draw a map of their psyche? Just some things to ask yourself the next time you draw out directions for someone...