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Hello world,

Hello world,
My three favorite art books of 2012 are the following(in no particular order):

The Art of Urban Sketching
This book had an immense impact on me; not only in my approach to art and studying art, but in my approach to life. I have an extreme tendency to hesitate with everything including sketching. This book inspired me to sketch without fear of commitment as well as to engage with the world around me more directly. I now try to find a new place in my city to sketch every day and I have learned more in the past few months that in the previous three years about the city where I live as well as about the many different sketching techniques shown in the book and online by fellow urban sketchers.

Character Mentor
This book has to be one of the most effective instructional books I have ever read on any subject. Perhaps this is because, similar to Tom Bancroft's previous book, Creating Characters with Personality--to which this is a follow-up--it has assignments that are meant to build on one another and unlike the previous book, this also shows attempts by 'apprentices', who were chosen from deviantArt, and suggestions for improvement by the author. I think this is as close as it gets to getting personalized feedback from a teacher.

The Art and Making of Paranorman
This book made my list because it shows, in depth, the innovative process in the creation of a masterfully-crafted film.

I have chosen these three books, because they have inspired me the most in my creative/artistic pursuits.

Daniel C.