Magazines to subscribe to
 

I'm thinking I should get a subscription to one of the artists' magazines (American Artist, The Artist, International Artist, any others?) but I'm not sure which one. I'm interested in subscribing to whichever one consistently features the highest quality professional work and often has articles on portraiture. I'm not really interested in articles with instruction for beginners.

I know I could probably pick up a copy at a local news stand of some of these magazines, but I don't know if one issue would give me a feel overall for what they usually include. Which publication do readers of this forum like/subscribe to? (Cynthia, maybe this could be a poll?)

Thanks!

Michele,

I appreciate this magazine very much. It's not a how to but usually a great collection of art (not just portraits) by mostly dead people. That is, people that are mostly dead. No, people that are completely dead.

Hi, Michele,

I get lots of magazines. The two that I think are the best technical publications are International Artist http://www.artinthemaking.com , and its sister, Pastel Artist International http://international-artist.com . They tend to feature excellent aand very in-depth articles; International Artist has a relationship with the Portiat Society of America, and always includes a section on portraits. Step-by-step articles are featured, too.Levels are more to the experienced painter.

Artist's Magazine http://www.artistsmagazine.com and American Artist Magazine http://www.myamericanartist.com , are published by, respectively, North Light Books' parent, and Watson-Guptill. They each include a broad range of artists, media, and technique, and include 1-2 major features that typcially include step-by-step demos, plus a number of other monthly clumns and mini-articles.Levels are beginner to experienced.

I agree with Mike on American Art Review, great magazine, dead painters.

I also get Art of the West http://www.aotw.com and Southwest Art http://www.southwestart.com . They feature a range of subjects, and do a particularly good job with landscape painters. I like both these publications a great deal, not only because I live in the West, but have studied with or are familiar with many of the featured artists. I am also very partial, style-wise, to loose, painterly work that so often is characteristic of painters, especially plein-air painters, from the western US. There is a great deal of figurative/genre/portrait work shown too, although I must say I have taken a lot of my portrait, color and background inspiration from landscape painters. Neither of these is technique or instructional-oriented. They appeal to everyone, including non-painters.

But....
 

Chris, if you had to choose just one this month?

...and don't forget about the journals that come with memberships to the ASOPA and the American Society of Classical Realism (Portrait Signature and Classical Realism Journal) - both are great resources.

And online, I really value the Art Renewal Center...it's updated very frequently.

Tim,

ROTFL

Mike,

I love the cover of American Art Review myself and also scanned it earlier. Here's a color version of it.

Cynthia,

This cover portrait just slays me. Annie Traquair Lang of William Merritt Chase.

Mike,

Thanks for giving the artist's name. I knew it was by Lang someone and I didn't have time to go hunt up my copy of the magazine. I'd never heard of her before, but I love this portrait.

Once in a while American Art Review has a cover I don't like, something modern. But, usually the covers are great.