Hundreds of Free Art E-Books

[briggsy@ashtons]

...Barcsay, Perard, Moses artistic anatomies; Rockwell, Dore, Kollwitz biographies, ebook editions of old books illustrated by Wyeth, Pyle, Rackham, Crane ..; letters of Michelangelo, Van Gogh, .. ; Vasari's Lives complete in ten volumes; ebooks by Bridgman, Panofsky, Berenson, Kenneth Clark, Whistler, Ruskin ...; Leonardo notebooks illustrated ..; and tons of old illustrated art books.

Archive.org has been around for years, but there has been a HUGE influx of new art titles in the last few months. To search, make sure you select "texts" in the second box. To download, click "FTP" and save to disc either the pdf or the (generally much smaller) DjVu file. Both consist of page images with linked text files, which means that the text is searchable.


Just some of the juiciest tips of the iceberg (to mix metaphors):


Bridgman, George B., 1939. The Human Machine.
http://www.archive.org/details/human...ethea009564mbp

Bridgman, George B., 1920. Constructive anatomy
http://www.archive.org/details/const...anat00briduoft

Blake, Vernon, 1927. The Art And Craft Of Drawing
http://www.archive.org/details/artan...ofdra027904mbp

Crane, Walter, 1914. Line & Form.
http://www.archive.org/details/lineform00cranuoft

De Laszlo, 1934. Painting a Portrait.
http://www.archive.org/details/paint...rtrai000674mbp

Eastlake, Sir Charles Lock. Methods And Materials Of Painting Of The Great Schools And Masters
Volume One
http://www.archive.org/details/handb...inti01kugliala
Volume Two.
http://www.archive.org/details/metho...ateri011267mbp

Guptill, Arthur Leighton,1922. Sketching and Rendering in Pencil.
http://www.archive.org/details/sketc...deri00guptuoft

Holmes, C. J. 1920. Notes on the science of picture-making.
http://www.archive.org/details/notes...ceof00holmuoft

Poore, Henry Rankin, 1903. Pictorial composition and the critical judgment of pictures.
http://www.archive.org/details/picto...posi00pooruoft

Ross, Denman Waldo, 1907. A theory of pure design; harmony, balance, rhythm.
http://www.archive.org/details/theor...desi00rossuoft

Ruskin, John. The elements of drawing (1920 edition).
http://www.archive.org/details/elementsofdraw00ruskuoft



Richter, Jean Paul, The literary works of Leonardo da Vinci (Volume 1 and 2).
The same illustrated edition of Leonardo notebooks that was reprinted by Dover.
http://www.archive.org/details/liter...sofl01leonuoft
http://www.archive.org/details/liter...sofl02leonuoft

Stone, Irving And Jean, 1962. I, Michelangelo, Sculptor (Michelangelo's Letters).
http://www.archive.org/details/IMichelangeloSculptor

Whistler, James McNeill, 1909. The gentle art of making enemies, as pleasingly exemplified in many instances, wherein the serious ones of this earth, carefully exasperated, have been prettily spurred on to unseemliness and indiscretion, while overcome by an undue sense of right.
http://www.archive.org/details/gentl...akin00whisuoft

Ludovici, Anthony Mario, 1912 - The letters of a post-impressionist; being the familiar correspondence of Vincent van Gogh.
http://www.archive.org/details/lette...timp00goghuoft

Gauguin, Paul, 1919. Noa Noa. Translated from the French by O.F. Theis.
http://www.archive.org/details/noano...ated00gauguoft



Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the most eminent painters, sculptors & architects (complete in ten volumes).
http://www.archive.org/details/lives...mine01vasauoft
to
http://www.archive.org/details/lives...mine10vasauoft

Clark, Kenneth, 1952. Leonardo Da Vinci An Account Of His Development As An Artist.
http://www.archive.org/details/leona...incia013645mbp

Hind, Charles Lewis. Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci.
http://www.archive.org/details/drawi...onar00leonuoft

Mount, Charles Merrill, 1955. John Singer Sargent - A Biography.
http://www.archive.org/details/johns...argen000439mbp

Marillier, H. C. 1912. The Early Work of Aubrey Beardsley.
http://www.archive.org/details/early...hpre00bearuoft

The later work of Aubrey Beardsley.
http://www.archive.org/details/later...ubre00bearuoft

Quennell, Peter, 1955. Hogarth's Progress.
http://www.archive.org/details/hogar...gress011296mbp

Clapp, 1916 - Jacopo Carucci da Pontormo, his life and work.
http://www.archive.org/details/jacop...idap00clapuoft

Panofsky, Erwin, 1955. The Life and Art of Albrecht Durer.
The classic study of Durer
http://www.archive.org/details/lifea...falbr000686mbp

Strange, Edward Fairbrother, 1906. Hokusai, the old man mad with painting.
http://www.archive.org/details/hokus...nmad00strauoft

Whistler (lots)
http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...201834-1903%22

Clark, Kenneth. The Romantic Rebellion.
http://www.archive.org/details/TheRomanticRebellion

Clark, Kenneth, 1949. Landscape into Art.
http://www.archive.org/details/lands...toart000630mbp

Panofsky, Erwin, 1955. Meaning In The Visual Arts - Papers In and On Art History.
http://www.archive.org/details/meani...evisu010505mbp


10 works illustrated by NC Wyeth .
http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...0Convers%29%22

30+ works illustrated by Howard Pyle (+ 10 on Gutenberg).
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=howard%20pyle

28 works by, or illustrated by Walter Crane.
http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...iatype%3Atexts


EDIT: Check below the dotted line for new recommendations
------------------------------------------------------------
Pen Illustration

Maginnis, Charles. Pen Drawing - An Illustrated Treatise
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17502 (4.9 MB zip)

Sullivan, Edmund J. 1921. The Art Of Illustration.
http://www.archive.org/details/TheArtOfIllustration

Sullivan, Edmund J. 1922. Line - an art study
http://www.archive.org/details/lineartstudy00sulluoft


Books illustrated by Arthur Rackham

Goblin Market (scanned by chaosrocks)
http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...1166111935.pbw
http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...1166111772.pbw
http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...1166111696.pbw

Vernon Jones, V. S.1916. Æsop's fables : a new translation. (Rackham, Arthur, illustrator)
http://www.archive.org/details/aesopsfables00chesuoft

Gates, Eleanor, 1907. Good-night (Buenas noches).
http://www.archive.org/details/goodn...nasn00gateiala

Morley, Christopher, 1922. Where the blue begins.
http://www.archive.org/details/where...ebeg00morlrich

Ibsen, Henrik, [19--?]. Peer Gynt: a dramatic poem.
http://www.archive.org/details/peerg...atic00ibseuoft

Stephens, James, 1920. Irish fairy tales.
http://www.archive.org/details/irish...ales00steprich

Fitz-Gerald, S. J. Adair (Shafto Justin Adair),1896. The Zankiwank & the Bletherwitch.
http://www.archive.org/details/zanki...ther00fitziala

Evans, C. S., 1920. The sleeping beauty.
http://www.archive.org/details/sleepingbeauty00evanrich

More Rackham
http://www.conceptart.org/wiki/doku....ator_1867-1939


Architecture


Robinson, John Beverley, 1914. Architectural Composition (found by Farvus)
http://www.archive.org/details/ArchitecturalComposition

Other architectural highlights include 50+ elaborately illustrated volumes of the journal known successively as Architecture, American architect and architecture, and Architectural record:
http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...3Atexts&page=1

plus numerous volumes both on the history of architecture in general, and on specific styles including Egyptian, Greek, Byzantine, Norman, Gothic, Romanesque, Medieval, Muslim, Indian ... Just use the search button.



Books on the imagination (found by chronologic; reviewed by armando here)

Ribot, Th. 1906. Essay on the creative imagination.
http://www.archive.org/details/essay...eati00ribouoft

Rhoades, James, 1908. The training of the imagination.
http://www.archive.org/details/train...agin00rhoauoft


Composition

Dow, Arthur Wesley, 1913. Composition; a series of exercises in art structure for the use of students and teachers.
http://www.archive.org/details/compo...erie00dowauoft


Fashion (from Farvus)

Ellsworth, Evelyn Peters, 1917. Textiles and costume design
http://www.archive.org/details/texti...umed00ellsrich

Traphagen, Ethel, 1918. Costume design and illustration
http://www.archive.org/details/costu...nill00trapiala


More Artists and their works

Heermann, Norbert, 1918. Frank Duveneck
http://www.archive.org/details/frankduveneck00heeruoft

Roof, Katharine Metcalf, 1917. The life and art of William Merritt Chase
http://www.archive.org/details/lifea...liam00roofiala

Cox, Kenyon, 1914. Winslow Homer
http://www.archive.org/details/winslowhomer00coxkuoft

Inness, George Jr,, 1917. Life, Art and Letters of George Inness.
http://www.archive.org/details/lifea...etter005237mbp

Hartmann, Sadakichi, 1910. The Whistler book; a monograph of the life and position in art of James McNeill Whistler
http://www.archive.org/details/whist...mono00hartiala

Macfall, Haldane, [1906?] Whistler
http://www.archive.org/details/whistler00macfiala

Furst, Herbert, 1920. Frank Brangwyn, R.A (woodcuts)
http://www.archive.org/details/frank...ynra00braniala

Sparrow, Walter Shaw, 1915. A Book of Bridges (illustr. Brangwyn)
http://www.archive.org/details/booko...sspa00sparrich

Brooklyn Museum, 1921 - Historical paintings of the Slavic nations (Mucha's Slav Epic)
http://www.archive.org/details/histo...inti00muchiala


Books with illustrations by N.C. Wyeth

The throwback : a romance of the Southwest (1906)
http://www.archive.org/details/throwback00lewirich

Arizona nights (c1907)
http://www.archive.org/details/arizonanights00whitrich

Whispering Smith (1908 [c1906)
http://www.archive.org/details/whisp...mith00spearich

The song of Hiawatha (c1908 )
http://www.archive.org/details/songofhiawatha00long2

Susanna and Sue (c1909)
http://www.archive.org/details/susannasue00wigg

The long roll (1911)
http://www.archive.org/details/longrollmary00johnrich

Treasure Island (c1911)
http://www.archive.org/details/treasureisland00stev

Cease firing (1912)
http://www.archive.org/details/ceasefiring00johnuoft

The sampo; a wonder tale of the old North ([c1912])
http://www.archive.org/details/sampowondertaleo00bald

Blackfeet Indian stories (c1913)
http://www.archive.org/details/blackfeetindians00grin

Letters of a woman homesteader (1914)
http://www.archive.org/details/lette...anho00stewuoft

The drums of the 47th (c1914)
http://www.archive.org/details/drumsof47th00burd

Nan of Music Mountain (1916)
http://www.archive.org/details/nanofmusic00spearich

The mysterious stranger : a romance (1916)
http://www.archive.org/details/myste...nger00twairich

The black arrow : a tale of the two Roses ([c1916])
http://www.archive.org/details/blackarrowtaleof00stev

Robin Hood (1917)
http://www.archive.org/details/robinhood00cresrich

The last of the Mohicans : a narrative of 1757 (1919)
http://www.archive.org/details/19lastmohicans00cooprich

Robinson Crusoe (1920)
http://www.archive.org/details/robinsoncrusoe00defo

The courtship of Miles Standish (1920)
http://www.archive.org/details/courtshipofmiles001long

Rip Van Winkle (c1921)
http://www.archive.org/details/ripvanwinkle00irvi

Poems of American patriotism (c1922)
http://www.archive.org/details/poemsofamericanp00matt

Vandemark's folly (c1922)
http://www.archive.org/details/vande...olly00hawtrich



Chapman's American Drawing Book (added by patdzon)

Chapman, J.G. (John Gadsby), 1847. The American drawing-book: a manual for the amateur, and basis of study for the professional artist: especially adapted to the use of public and private schools, as well as home instruction.

http://books.google.com/books?id=NdAEAAAAYAAJ (1847 edn: 168 pp.)
http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-...ew=toc;c=nietz (1847 edn: 168 pp.)
http://books.google.com/books?id=BoQEAAAAYAAJ (1858 edn: 304 pp.)
http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi....I0001&isize=M (1870 edn: 320 pp)


Perspective

Loomis, Andrew, 1951. Successful Drawing.
http://acid.noobgrinder.com/Loomis/A...%20Drawing.rar (direct download link)

Storey, G. A. The Theory and Practice of Perspective.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20165/20165-h.zip (direct download link)

Watson, Ernest W., 1955. How To Use Creative Perspective.
http://www.archive.org/details/howto...ative036957mbp (poor scans)

Longfellow, William Pitt Preble, 1901. Applied perspective, for architects and painters.
http://www.archive.org/details/appli...ecti00longrich

Miller, Leslie William, 1887. The essentials of perspective, with illustrations drawn by the author.
http://www.archive.org/details/essentialsofpers00mill

Great collection of scholarly articles on history of perspective (Kim H. Veltman):
http://www.mmi.unimaas.nl/people/Vel...tm#Perspective