Practicing from an art book?

Savven

Hello, So I currently own this book:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1831629&d=1379423262
and I just wanted some advice as to how to efficiently practice from an art book? I feel that
copying the images I see is not a really effective way. I'm not sure how to approach this.
Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

PixelMasher

What are we talking here? You want to be a concept artist? 3d artist etc?

if you want to be an environment/vehicle/character artist then demonstrating you can translate a concept image from another artist into a high quality 3d piece is an essential skill that can help you get a job faster. 

If you want to be a concept artist, i sont know how much benefit you would get reproducing an image, but you would provably still learn a ton in the process, figuring out the original artists techniques etc. Doing a study from a freeze frame of a film can be beneficial.  

Either way, producing art, whether its original or from an inspirational existing piece you will learn something new and get better. Sounds like you are over thinking it, just do. 

sacboi

Savven wrote:

I feel that copying the images I see is not a really effective way.

Not necessarily the case, here's my perspective why.