Illustration Now! Portraits: BU (Bibliotheca Universalis) Hardcover – 22 Feb. 2016

My Taschen book collection is building quite nicely, thanks to buying used from Amazon and eBay sellers. Great quality in terms of content and production, but that comes at a price: Taschen books are not cheap. UNLESS you buy them used, that is. For the most part, the books I've bought this way have been very similar to new even though described only as very good. Drop to goods and expect some creases/nicks on dust jackets and maybe a library stamp or similar. BUT the content is exactly the same whether you pay £30 or £3.

I saw this book in Waterstones and was impressed by its size and quality. It has 416 pages and measures roughly 25cm x 20cm. This is a Taschen book so you know it will be good and you won’t be disappointed. This book is a stunning collection of portraits by 87 illustrators. There is a lot of different styles to check out, the selection is really diverse and the quality high. The portraits are created in all sorts of medium, including sculptures, watercolour, oil, vectors and digital paintings. The illustrations range from conceptual to a more personal style and I think it is a 'must have' book for all who are looking for inspiration.

I went to the National Portrait Gallery and this book really caught my eye in the gift store, having enjoyed the work on display and believing this book may be of interest to artist friends and students alike, it was a bonus when I found it on Amazon for £10 cheaper than asking price in the gallery gift shop. Plus in ordering on line, I did not have to travel with it on the train ride home with it.

I bought this book because I was doing a portraiture project with my classes, it has been a really valuable reference to have in my classroom, I have regularly picked it up to inspire myself and my students. There is such a broad range of styles within the book and it also gives some good information on the artists too.

I had first come across this book at Waterstones in Romford, the only reason I did not buy it right away was that I was going to move soon and that meant more stuff to carry. But the moment I moved to my new place I bought it and it has been a great source of inspiration.

Bought for my artist sister who does portraits herself and she loved it! Such a variety of artists and styles and is really enjoyable to flick through!

A beautiful inspiring book for all art and design lovers. Excellent secondary source research for GCSE and beyond. Full colour and writing highly informative.

Many Thanks