Art Bookshop Review: Waterstones (Covent Garden)

Sections for Graphics, Design, Type and Illustration
in Waterstones in Garrick Street, Covent Garden

Name of Art Bookshop: Waterstones (Covent Garden)

Address: 9-13 Garrick Street, London WC2E 9BA

Website: http://www.waterstones.com Art and Photography - online

Shop hours: Sun 12.00-18.00 Monday - Saturday 10.00-20.00

Telephone: 020 7836 6757

email: manager@covent-garden.waterstones.com

Of interest to: Grapic designers, illustrators, photographers, typographers, artists and art lovers

Highlights: extenstive and indepth sections devoted to graphics, design, type, illustration and photography fairly good section for art instruction very wide range of specialist art journals - particularly those oriented towards contemporary art, graphic design and photography generally a good bookshop for other books as well conveniently located for people visiting Covent Garden/Leicester Square area

Think Again? a very decent section on art history - but this isn't the best Waterstones for art history and art monographs (you need to go to the flagship branch at Piccadilly for that)

Summary: This is a really bookshop to go to if your area of interest is largely focused on commercial art in all its aspects as it has particularly good sections for those involved in graphic design and illustration. Also lots and lots books for photographers.

(left) Photography and (right) Art Instruction and Art Monographs

I don't get involved with illustration, graphic design or commercial art but I do love looking at some of the books which relate to that field.

Also, since I realised that an awful lot of fine artists with really good design and composition skills started off working in design or illustration, I've also been interested in whether there are books about design which are also helpful to fine artists.

There again - I love looking at fonts and books about type - I don't quite know why but I do!

If you've ever wanted to explore books in these fields then the Waterstones in Garrick Street - half way between Covent Garden tube and Leicester Square is the place to go. There's also an entrance into the art section of the shop from Long Acre.

The Waterstones Art & Photography website gives a good indication of the sort of books they carry.

I've decided I'm going to create a Google Map of where all the good art bookshops are in London. If anybody wants to send in suggestions please comment below.

Links:

• Waterstones
  
• Waterstones - Art and Photography (online)
  
• Location map of Waterstones 9-13 Garrick Street, London WC2E 9BA