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ARTT 3370: Art Theory and Practice

A course guide to library research resources for students in Art Theory & Practice (Generalists, PK-6th Art)

Finding Images in Image Databases and Books

You can see a list of all the library's image databases from the "By Type" drop down menu on the Research Databases page. Or use the list to the left here.

You can also check the library catalog for art books with images. Just use the keyword for the type of image you want and an abbreviation like ill or illus for illustration. Example: birds and ill or type in birds and illus. Other words for finding images that you can use in catalog searches are pictoral works, illustration, or "___ in art", for example "flowers in art".

We do own the Illustration Index, Sculpture Index, and Havlice's World Painting Index (tells you what book has a reproduction or illustration of known works by known artists) and Martha Moss's Photography Books Index, volumes I and II, a subject guide to photo anthologies. If you do a keyword search under “catalogue raisonne” you will get all the books of the complete works (catalogue raisonne) of particular artists.

For visual communication, “mass communication,” “advertising,” and “marketing” are subject headings that can have image books. For example, if you do a keyword search using "advertising and annual” you will see all the titles we have that are advertising awarded images and campaigns (Annual Clio, National Addy, Graphis, Art Director's Annual, Photo Annual, Major marketing campaigns annual). If you look under the subject heading “Advertising Campaign – Periodicals”, you will see others.

Art & Design Image Databases

This is a list of image database related to art and design, BUT if you need other types of images there are many more on the Image Databases page.