Painting, drawing and art manuals Books

Book SynopsisStan Lee, the founding father of Marvel Comics, and John Buscema, artist of the classic Silver Surfer series, give professional advice and instruction for budding comics artists. Learn how to draw the Marvel way, courtesy of this lavishly illustrated, step-by-step guide to all facets of the process.

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Book SynopsisWhether you need to draw a cat, a flying squirrel, or a sea horse, How to Draw Almost Every Animal is your ultimate go-to guide! Not sure how to start your drawing of a flamingo or slippery slug? Boggled by how to draw an antelope, an armadillo, or a cheetah? How to Draw Almost Every Animal is here to help! Need to draw a hippopotamus? A lazy, brown dog? A quick, red fox? Then this collection of over 75 adorable animals to draw and doodle is just the book for you! This teaching tool does more than just show you completed pictures of the animals. Each illustration is broken down with step-by-step diagrams and helpful tips to truly teach you how to draw. Plus, we’ve included extra images to teach you how to draw animals relaxing in their natural habitats and on the move. A helpful how-to section includes valuable coloring tips and techniques for mastering fur and feather, spots, stripes, scales, spines, and everything else animals are covered in. Each book in the Almost Everything series offers readers a fun, comprehensive, and charmingly illustrated visual directory of ideas to inspire skill building in their creative endeavors.

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Book SynopsisIf you love drawing plants and animals but don’t know where to start, this is the book for you! 10 Step Drawing: Nature will help you turn simple shapes into beautiful nature images in just 10 steps. Create 60 different flowers, trees, animals and objects, from a bird’s nest to a cheeky harvest mouse, by following the instructions inside. Learning to draw has never been so simple!Trade ReviewThere are an amazing 60 plants and animals to draw in this book which it shows you in very clear easy steps. This book is a delight for adults and children alike. Beautifully presented with rounded edges and coloured borders, I am surprised it is not more expensive. Not much text but enough to help with each stage. My only criticism and its a minor one, is that I would have preferred it to be all UK species but there are a few that are not. -- Valerie Harrison * Amazon *There is a new addition to the Search Press ’10 Step Drawing’ series and what a fabulous addition it is! 10 Step Drawing: Nature, by Mary Woodin, aims to guide you through creating your own nature images (animals, flowers, trees and more) within 10 steps! Now, I’ll be honest with you here, when I flicked through the book and saw the sumptuous images I really didn’t believe such detailed drawings could be created in 10 steps… Well, I was wrong! Mary really does expertly guide you through each image in 10 achievable steps! The book is divided into 3 different ‘nature’ themes including: ‘Meadows and Wetland’, ‘Forest’ and ‘Coast’. I was really impressed at the wide variety of nature drawings within each theme (there are 60 options) and even the contents page is beautifully illustrated. So, from wildlife to plants, this book has you covered! The instructions and the layout of each drawing is really well placed and easy to follow. Each of the steps are numbered along with their corresponding instructional image and short textual instructions. I love how accessible this is by making each step a short, achievable step which doesn’t feel overwhelming. I also love how under each title, there is a little extra info to inspire, encourage and inform! The final image is the largest image and I think that really helps for clarity so that you know what you are progressing towards. I also really like that the colour palette is at the end underneath the final image as it means you can focus on the actual mark marking in steps 1-9 before exploring colour in the final step. That really helps to make sure we’re not getting distracted by colours in the earlier steps and that we can then focus on the structure, the marks and the shapes! I’ve really enjoyed looking through this book and I have cracked out my pen and paper to start the 10 steps too! This is a really beautiful, accessible and inspiring book which is full of creativity and ideas for drawing nature! -- Naomi Clarke * naomialice.co.uk *Part of the 10 Step Drawing series, 10 Step Drawing: People uses simple lines and shapes to make lifelike images - starting with just one line and building this up in ten steps. The book includes information on over 60 different flowers, trees, animals and objects - starting with very basic lines and showing how to develop these, until you have a complete picture. This guide is the perfect way to start drawing, while, at the same time, building your skills and confidence. * Leisure Painter *Learn to draw the wonderful world of nature in this latest addition to Search Press’ innovative 10 Step Drawing series. Have a go at depicting sixty plants and animals from the temperate northern hemisphere from simple shapes to the final coloured work. After a brief introduction on how to use the book and what to use to add colour, the flora and fauna are divided into where they are found: meadows and wetland, forest and coast. Choose from British favourites such as the goldfinch, barn owl, dandelion, violet and herring gull or American species including black bear, humming bird, raccoon, Californian poppy and cardinal. Each project takes one or two pages and demonstrates how to go from a basic outline adding features until you have the complete drawing. There are some lovely studies in here, and the book will serve as a starting point for anybody who wants to have a try at drawing nature. -- Rachel Hyde * myshelf.com *Table of ContentsIntroduction 6 How to use this book 7 Meadows & Lakeland 8 Forest 62 Coast 106 About the artist 128 Acknowledgements 128

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Book SynopsisLearn how to draw all kinds of woodland animals using this fun and easy step-by-step method. Starting with simple shapes, Susie Hodge shows you how easy it is to develop circles, rectangles, squares and ovals into an exciting selection of animals and birds including rabbits, badgers, woodpeckers, wolves, squirrels and chipmunks. If you have never drawn before this is definitely the book for you, and there is a lot here to inspire more experienced artists too.Table of ContentsIntroduction Rabbit Stag Badger Grey squirrel Great spotted woodpecker Fox European peacock butterfly Raccoon Stoat Hedgehog Doe Grey long-eared bat Beaver Dormouse Red squirrel Meadow vole Tawny owl Fawn Weasel Shrew Wood mouse Chipmunk Lynx Robin Pine marten Grey wolf Kestrel Hare

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Book SynopsisRevered among artists - including the great Norman Rockwell and comics superstar Alex Ross - for his mastery of figure drawing and clean, realist style, Loomis's hugely influential art instruction books have never been bettered. Hailed by the American Academy of Art as "one of the most brilliant contributions that figure drawing has ever received" Loomis's books are packed with beautiful examples to help you master anatomy and capture the human form at any age, in movement and at rest. For the first time, this attractive box set collects two of Loomis' most popular works to create the ultimate guide to drawing the human body. This set is perfect for students, amateur artists, and professionals alike.

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Book SynopsisPainting Happiness offers playful, expressive watercolour painting techniques and projects that will help you find your calm.Trade Review"Especially in these stressful times, Painting Happiness is an ideal pastime and approach to combating stress and anxiety while releasing our inner creative aspirations." * Midwest Book Review *"The brightest and most joyful thing I’ve encountered in a while...Beautiful." * GeekDad *"Remember when your grade-school art lesson was the highlight of your week--when creativity was pure joy and the inner critic hadn't yet found its voice? That's the feeling artist Terry Runyan taps into with her book Painting Happiness: Creativity with Watercolors. Those who are new to watercolor will find all the basics in this book, but more importantly, will find encouragement to set their creative spirit free through playful explorations in watercolor painting." * Artists Magazine *"In this simple, vibrant guide, Terry Runyan explores the art of watercolor through the lens of mindfulness, presenting activities and projects which she can paint to nurture her creative side." * YourTango *Table of ContentsContents Introduction Why Create? About Watercolors What Stops Us Mindfulness and Being Present Let's Paint! When Is It Done? Final Thoughts Resources Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisJake Spicer wants you to learn how to draw. This is his complete course in drawing, suitable for complete beginners as well as experienced artists, and designed to help you fit drawing into your lifestyle. Tried-and-tested exercises, ranging from five-minute sketches to dedicated sessions of an hour or longer, cover every subject and location you could wish for, while accessibly written drawing theory helps you relate the technical concepts to your practice, helping you to hone your craft. Whatever your goals are, expert art tutor Jake Spicer gives you the inspiration and encouragement to draw more - and keep improving.

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Book SynopsisAbstract landscape painting expresses emotion while still capturing the essence of a landscape. This compelling book explores this suggestive style first developed by Turner. Using the hauntingly-beautiful paintings of Gareth Edwards, it explores the technical, historical and psychological dimensions of abstract landscape painting to help you develop your own skilful and intensely personal approach. Through this new book you can learn about how to begin an abstract landscape painting, using chance application; understand how to ‘manage accidents’ to create innovative pieces of work; discover the importance of effective composition and how this navigates the viewer’s journey; determine the importance of the ‘invisible’ elements of painting: the unspoken value of the viewer and the influence of ‘looking’. It also reveals how to utilize a convergence of linear and atmospheric perspective to help your viewer traverse the picture plane and helps you understand the importance of light, space, colour, and tone in generating evocative paintings. Finally, it encourages you to be more demanding of your surface, using textural techniques and glazing to achieve professional production values. It is a unique and exciting book into this under-documented genre.Trade ReviewAs well as the personal connection you also get the best of two worlds – top-quality writing as well as painting. This really is a stupendous book. -- Henry Malt * artbookreview *At last – at long last, you might say – along comes a serious book about abstract painting that goes further than what you might previously have dismissed as the painting-by-numbers school of instruction. This is a unique book that does its readers as well as its subject full justice. -- Henry Malt - The Artist reviewer * The Artist *

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Book SynopsisA Christmas-themed mix-and-match rubber stamp set for adults to create endless festive combinations. Jingle Stamps is a jolly collection of twenty-two shapes and textures waiting to be mixed and matched into any festive Christmas scene you can dream up. Triangles become santa hats or, when stacked vertically, evergreen trees. Dots and squares become wrapped gifts. The pieces of a candle can be repurposed into a decorative ornament. An assortment of shapes and textures offer infinite combinations and endless fun.

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Book SynopsisColour away the stress of the day with this beautiful collection of over 45 relaxing images, accompanied by mindful quotes.Colouring in has been shown to be one of the best ways to counter the stress and tension of everyday life. The concentration needed to fill in artworks neatly pushes away other thoughts and allows you to relax into a creative project. This collection of images has been selected for their calming and positive and upbeat qualities to help beat anxiety. So you''ll find beautiful landscapes, glorious sunsets and delightful animals, along with a selection of soothing patterns such as mandalas. These are accompanied by inspiring quotes to encourage mindfulness and positivity as you colour. • Includes 45 designs • Printed on thick, high-quality paper • Accompanied by inspiring quotes • The images appear on single-sided pages to prevent bleed-through • Suitable for pencils, felt-tips or markers

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Book SynopsisIn Kawaii Doggies, the follow-up and perfect companion to Kawaii Kitties, popular Instagram artist Olive Yong teaches you, step by step, how to draw all your favorite breeds doing all sorts of silly and endearing things.Trade Review"Fun, inspiring, and thoroughly 'user friendly' for aspiring artists and illustrators in both organization and presentation, Kawaii Doggies is a perfect DIY instructional guide." * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsContents Introduction What is Kawaii? How to Use This Book Tools Drawing Your Doggies Facial Expression Directory Coloring Your Doggies Favorite Breeds Puppies Poses & Moods Daily Activities Dress-Up Bon(e) Appetit Portraits Doggy Coloring Pages Dog Breed Directory

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Book SynopsisThis volume combines six books by celebrated artist and lecturer George A. Bridgman, who taught figure and anatomy drawing at New York City's Art Students League. This fifth edition preserves Bridgman's comprehensive lessons and original sketches - featuring more than 1000 drawings and 22 expert lessons on mastering the human figure from every angle - but repackages it with a new cover that distinguishes it from the competition.Trade ReviewPraise for previous editions of Bridgman’s Complete Guide to Drawing from Life: “[A] classic. . . . a standard work at art schools. . . . indispensable.”—Library JournalPraise for previous editions of Bridgman’s Complete Guide to Drawing from Life: “[A] classic. . . . a standard work at art schools. . . . indispensable.”—Library Journal

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA useful and enjoyable guide to capturing facial likeness. Overall a useful and enjoyable guide. -- Henry Malt, The Artist * The Artist *

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Book SynopsisPerspective is easy; yet, surprisingly few artists know the simple rules that make it so. Remedy that situation with this simple, step-by-step book, the first devoted entirely to the topic. 256 illustrations.

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Book SynopsisMandala and floral designs combine in this delightful colouring book, creating the ultimate relaxation experience. Both mandalas and flowers are inherently meditative, with beautifully repeating patterns that are rich in detail and reflect the symmetry of the natural world. In this book, David Woodroffe has created more than 60 unique designs based on this combination, which results in some of the most beautiful designs for colouring enthusiasts to enjoy and from which they can take inspiration. Simply select your pencils or felt tips and bring these designs to life with colour.• Includes 60 designs • Printed on thick, high-quality paper • The images appear on single-sided pages to prevent bleed-through • Suitable for pencils, felt-tips or markers ABOUT THE SERIES: The bestselling Arcturus Creative Colouring series brings together delightful colouring books designed to relax the mind and inspire creativit

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Book SynopsisWatercolour painting is an absorbing, meditative art-from that many people would like to enjoy but don't attempt to because they believe they can't paint or simply don't know where to begin. An encouraging voice and a clear, easy-to-follow approach is often all that's needed to give people the confidence to get started and keep going. That's exactly what this book provides. Paul Clark, an enthusiastic and accomplished painter who runs his own art school, explains the fundamentals in a friendly and accessible way. He shows readers what they really need in terms of tools and materials - starting with a limited colour palette that can be mixed to create the vast majority of colours required. He then explains and illustrates the basic techniques, before presenting ten of his paintings that put those techniques into action. Each painting is broken down into stages, with clear instructions and photographs for readers to follow, plus plenty of helpful tips. In addition, there are three feature spreads that focus on particular areas of interest for beginners, including special effects, painting trees and painting skies.

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Book SynopsisJust when you thought there was no hope of ever finding a comprehensive color-mixing resource for oil, acrylic, and watercolor artists, along comes the 1,500 Color Mixing Recipes for Oil, Acrylic & Watercolor, a collection of Walter Foster's bestselling Color Mixing Recipes books, including Color Mixing Recipes for Oil and Acrylic, Color Mixing Recipes for Portraits, Color Mixing Recipes for Watercolor, and the most recent addition, Color Mixing Recipes for Landscapes. This incredible collection comes in a user-friendly concealed spiral-bound format that is tabbed for quick and easy reference. Aspiring artists will also find two removable color mixing grids--one for oil or acrylic, and one for watercolor.

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Book SynopsisKawaii is a Japanese word that translates to "cute," and popular YouTube artist Pic Candle shows you how to doodle your way to adorable in this miniature, portable, and even cuter version of her best-selling Kawaii Doodle Class. This master class in cute features nearly 100 lovable, huggable characters and includes simple step-by-step illustrations and instructions, search-and-find puzzle patterns that you can color, inspiration boards that show you how to give your characters different facial expressions and zany accessories, and drawing pages to get your doodle party started. Your adorable drawing subjects include tacos, sushi, smoothies, clouds, rainbows, cacti, and more. Soon you'll be enhancing your notebooks, stationery, artwork, and more with your own unique kawaii world. Mini Kawaii Doodle Class is now in session! Learn how to draw even more cute things with these other fun books in the Kawaii Doodle series: Kawaii Doodle Class, Kawaii Doodle Cuties, Mini Kawaii Doodle Class, and Mini Kawaii Doodle Cuties.

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Book SynopsisCollagraph printmaking is an accessible and environmentally friendly way of making striking prints with a unique texture. At its simplest it is a method of printing from collaged plates; at its most sophisticated, it is an innovative and exciting experimental medium. This book is a guide to the technique, with step-by-step instructions for creating and printing simple plates for the beginner, as well as tips, ideas and directions for those with more experience. There is advice on how to get started at the kitchen table; a guide to additional materials and equipment; step-by-step instructions for building collagraph plates and techniques for printing in monochrome using relief and intaglio methods.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisAnn Blockley is a successful artist, known for the innovative way in which she uses texture as a key element in her work, and this guide for intermediate painters looks specifically at how she achieves her stunning effects. Creating texture in watercolor can be quite a challenge, but this book brings a fresh approach to the subject. Ann explains how to manipulate the paint by lifting out color, scraping and scratching the paint, and using additional materials such as wax, salt, and metallic pigments. She also explains how the surface itself can play an important role in the effects that can be achieved, and experiments with acrylics, inks, gouache, and collage, as well as with watercolor. Ann also looks at the creative process and provides insights into how to develop ideas and portray texture in specific subjects, such as flowers and foliage, animals, still life, buildings, and landscapes. In order to provide a broader view and different styles of painting, the work of several guest artists is also featured.Trade Review‘This is a wonderful lively book that will inspire readers to take more risks with the medium, moving their work on to something perhaps truly extraordinary.’ Leisure Painter ‘This is muscular watercolour, painting for the new millennium if you must. It’s vibrant, alive and exciting.’ Artists’ Choice Book Club ‘Flowers, leaves and seedheads…also landscapes, animals and still lifes done in a way that will definitely make you look twice. [Warecolour Textures]Offers all kinds of opportunities for development.’ The Artist Magazine ‘A use of paint that goes far beyond the medium’s more demure image…this is very much the way forward. Read Ann’s book and you can say you were there when it started!’ Artist’s Choice

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Book SynopsisArtists seem compelled to try to capture the amazing variety of the animal kingdom; the challenge remains how to breathe energy into your paintings and make the animals jump off the paper. This deeply practical book offers an accessible introduction to sketching animals from life, to try to capture that essence. It gives instruction on how to approach drawing; covers ideas for materials and supplies to make sketching from life a joy; gives step-by-step demonstrations of different watercolour techniques; offers specific advice on using colour and painting, fur, feathers and features and gives ideas for mixed-media experimentation. Full of colourful examples and guidance, this new book explains how to transform your studies into finished artwork that are brimming with character. It encourages you to find the extraordinary in the everyday, as well as revelling in the breadth of nature. Taking a contemporary approach to traditional watercolour, the author shows how a few, well-chosen brushes of paint can reveal the soul of your subject.Trade ReviewLiz Chaderton will need little introduction to Leisure Painter readers. Liz has written numerous articles for the magazine and here she shares her passion for the medium in Painting Animals in Watercolour. This is a practical guide, full of helpful information, tips and techniques that teach you how to capture the animal's character as well as its likeness. -- Jane Stroud * Leisure Painter *This is a compact book, both in format and extent, but it is genuinely surprising how much Liz manages to pack in. Liz's style is pleasantly loose, but by no means lacking in detail, and her explanations, concise as they are, are complete and easy to follow. Examples, exercises, hints and tips complement a good variety of species and details including textures and features. -- Henry Malt * The Artist *

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Book SynopsisLearn to draw all kinds of cute cats doing all sorts of silly things through 75 step-by-step tutorials. In this mini edition of Kawaii Kitties, popular Instagram artist Bichi Mao (@bichi.mao) perfectly captures cats’ different attitudes, while playing, sleeping, eating, stretching, exploring, being loving, wearing cute costumes, and much more!Along with the tutorials, Bichi Mao shares: An introduction to the kawaii art aesthetic Suggestions for drawing tools Tips and tricks for drawing and coloring your cats A facial expression directory Coloring pages swarming with kitties for you to decorate So, get ready to purrfect your drawing skills, as well as be inspired to create your own kitty characters or illustrate the daily activities of your favorite pet. Learn how to draw even more cute things with these other fun books in the Kawaii Doodle series: Kawaii Doodle Class, Kawaii Doodle Cuties, Mini Kawaii Doodle Class, Mini Kawaii Doodle Cuties, and Kawaii Doodle World.Table of ContentsHi! What Is Kawaii? How to Use This Book Tools Drawing Your Kitties Adding Facial Expressions Coloring Your Kitties Playtime Daily Activities Being Curious Playing Dress-Up Sharing the Love Discovering Breeds Bon Appétit Kitty Coloring Pages

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Book SynopsisA step-by-step guide to their methods and materials for today's artists Jonathan StephensonTable of ContentsIntroduction: First Impressions • Part 1: Materials • Part 2: Techniques: The Impressionists at Work; Landscape; Water Scenes; Still Life; Figures; Portraits

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Book SynopsisKeen to paint, but your drawing skills let you down? This book provides pull-out tracings for five beautiful floral paintings, along with full step-by-step instructions for how to bring them to life with watercolour paint. A clear guide on how to transfer the tracings to your watercolour paper is included, along with a helpful section on what materials to use. Ready to Paint: Watercolour Flowers makes painting flowers simple and accessible, and offers guidance on how you can develop your new painting skills.Trade ReviewJune 08 People often want to take up painting when they retire and have more time. Others start sooner, once their kids are grown and in school. The drawing part of painting can be hard for beginners – enough of an obstacle so they give up or never get past painting by numbers. My friends who paint have always had a natural ability. They drew as children. I don’t have that at all. Now two new books promise to make watercolor painting easier for beginners by following what I call an old-but-new approach. The “Ready to Paint” series from Search Press in England is designed so that novice painters can pick up a brush and create appealing paintings with easy-to-follow tracings. The tracings can be reused. The idea is that you gain confidence as your hand-eye coordination is trained, by following the tracings, while you have some pleasing results to motivate you to keep trying. “Watercolour Flowers” by Wendy Tait has nine reusable tracings to pull out. “Watercolour Landscapes” by Terry Harrison has six reusable tracings to pull out. Both are to be published in June. The artists explain how to compose a painting with simple instructions and tips. Both Tait and Harrison are authors as well as artists. * A Good Age *Table of Contents All of the paintings in the book are provided as tracings in the centre pages for you to pull out and use to learn how to paint beautiful pictures with Wendy Tait. Go straight into painting: no need to draw! Five easy to follow demonstrations Step-by-step photographs and clear instructions Nine reusable tracings to pull out

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Book SynopsisPick up your pencil, embrace your inner artist, and learn how to draw in thirty days with this approachable step-by-step guide from an Emmy award-winning PBS host.Drawing is an acquired skill, not a talent -- anyone can learn to draw! All you need is a pencil, a piece of paper, and the willingness to tap into your hidden artistic abilities. With Emmy award-winning, longtime PBS host Mark Kistler as your guide, you''ll learn the secrets of sophisticated three-dimensional renderings, and have fun along the way -- in just twenty minutes a day for a month. Inside you''ll find:- Quick and easy step-by-step instructions for drawing everything from simple spheres to apples, trees, buildings, and the human hand and face- More than 500 line drawings, illustrating each step- Time-tested tips, techniques, and tutorials for drawing in 3-D- The 9 Fundamental Laws of Drawing to create the illusion of depth in any drawing- 75 student examples to encourage you in the processTrade ReviewKingman Daily Minor, 12/22/10 "Would make a great gift." Boston Globe, 1/16/11"Sharpen your pencils and open your sketchbook; your teacher is waiting." Infodad.com, 1/20/11 "The book offers a set of valuable introductory lessons in putting what you see-in the real world or your mind's eye-down on paper." Midwest Book Review, February 2011"A must for anyone who wants to pursue art but doesn't know where to start." Deseret News, 2/26/11"Kistler provides detailed instructions and tips that take the mystery out of making simple drawings that look good. He also uses a sense of humor and encouraging words to help." Sacramento Book Review, April/May 2011 "Kistler's approach is light and fun, and rather than overwhelming with technical terminology and intimidating concepts, he instead starts you out putting pencil to paper. Within the first few pages of the book, you are already well on your way...The approach presented in this book works so well because you get instant results, which inspire you to continue with the process."

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Book SynopsisIn this beautiful book, Naomi Okamoto passes on her experience and knowledge of Sumi-e – traditional Japanese ink painting that uses only ink, white space and simple brushstrokes to capture the essence of an object, person, animal or scene. With her deep understanding of both the technical and spiritual aspects of this ancient art, she guides the reader expertly through the materials required and the techniques involved, successfully conveying as she does so the cultural and historical background to this exquisite artform. There are numerous ink paintings and simple exercises throughout, making this book ideal for anyone wishing to acquire the skills associated with Sumi-e, as well as an understanding of the philosophy behind it.Trade ReviewArtist and educator Okamoto’s guide explores sumi-e, a type of Japanese ink drawing done exclusively with brushes and ink washes that combines calligraphic lines and blank space in subtle drawings and paintings. In this quiet, restrained art form related to Zen Buddhism, reality is conveyed through suggestion and simplification rather than through detail or precision. Numbered, sequenced drawings guide the reader’s hand in projects presented step-by-step. Lots of written description accompanies these designs for a gentle introduction to the technique. Materials, special techniques, composition, and color are discussed. Subject matter includes still life, landscapes, figures, flowers, and animals. VERDICT Artistically inclined readers hoping to try something different will find many possibilities in this volume. * Library Journal USA *August 2015 The Art of Sumi-e by artist Naomi Okamoto, describes the traditional painting technique that uses only ink, white space and simple brushstrokes. It aims to capture the essence of its subject based on spiritual processes within the artist: simplifying what is in front of you then using your won intuitive expression. There's plenty of good advice on the materials and supports you will need to get you started. The author then describes how to use the ink and brush, showing clearly how to adjust the pressure to make the marks you want, and inviting you to copy originals to familiarise yourself with the techniques. Themed exercises follow, including still life, landscapes and figures before moving on to colour in Japanese ink painting, flowers animals and landscapes. The book closes with ideas of motifs for cards and stationery plus that all-important seal to personalise your work. The book makes an ideal introduction to the art of Sumi-e with a systematic approach and simple exercises and is well illustrated throughout. * Leisure Painter, The *July 2015 Sumi-E is what we generally regard as the classic Japanese art of ink painting that uses a simple medium, the white of the paper, and carefully crafted and placed brushstrokes to create an image. The essence of it is just that, the essence of the subject, which is usually a natural form. This is a complete guide that includes advice on materials – particularly the specialised brushes and papers – as well as instruction in the basics of painting with ink, both black and colour. From here, a series of exercises gets you practising with shapes – a fish with a single stroke for instance. Naomi also includes the philosophical aspects of Japanese painting, which is as much a state of mind as a technical exercise. In the foregoing example, for instance, it is she, not the imagined fish, that feels the touch of the water. It’s a hard concept to convey, but she does it rather well. As your skills and confidence (and you need to be confident to achieve the single-stroke structure) develop, you’ll move on to flowers, animals, landscapes and even figures. These last are perhaps the most rewarding as they turn the whole idea of figurative work on its head, with less becoming more and detail only barely hinted at. This is as comprehensive a guide as you could wish to a fascinating and absorbing art form. * Artbookreview.net *

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Book SynopsisArtist's Painting Techniques brings together a selection of award-winning artists and tutors who are represented by multiple galleries throughout the UK, including Hashim Akib, Colin Allbrook RI RSMA HSEA, Marie Antoniou, Grahame Booth, John Chisnall, and Graham Webber ROI IEA EAGMA.

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Book SynopsisAguide to realistically representing the world of imagination, for beginners and professionals and everyone in between.Trade ReviewMore than an instruction book, this is a guide for fans of science fiction and fantasy. (Sue Brettingen, Model Retailer)

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Book SynopsisClaire Waite Brown provides all the key techniques such as mixing, blending, scumbling, sgraffito, hatching, and feathering in over 100 visual sequences. There is advice on composing your painting, using colour, adding highlights and shadows and creating textured effects. The step-by-step demonstrations range from landscapes and flowers to portraits and still life. You'll find plenty to inspire you with this captivating medium with beautiful examples in full-colour photography.Trade Review I was given some pastels as a birthday present . I tried them with not much success. Seen 'The Pastel Artists Bible ' and thought why leave my pastels idle, I'll read this book. I am delighted to write I absolutely love this book. 189 pages of very useful information . Everything you'll need in materials , techniques. In detailed colour pictures. That's not all. The best of all is the ' further techniques' section. Every other medium covered from pencils , watercolour, gouache, acrylic, oil painting, masking, resist techniques, and more. Fabulous. Then subjects are covered, landscape, urban, still life, people,animals. What I also loved is there's also tutorials using of course pastels, and mixing with oil paint. I learnt a lot of ways to use pastels. Found out where I was going wrong. This book is a must for the beginner and experienced artist . Get this book first and you'll be delighted. Highly recommended. * Geraldine Walker *This is a very well written book. The images are beautiful, and there are lots to look at. This book has taught me a lot about pastels, that I didn`t even know before. I thought I knew almost everything there is to know about pastels, but after reading this book, I realise that I haven`t even scratched the surface. I have lots of ideas for new paintings using some of the new techniques that I have learned from this book * Karen Thomson *

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Book SynopsisCreated by one of Japan's most popular artists, this book provides detailed and complete instruction for illustrating fun and appealing characters and elements that celebrate life. The author's special and distinct style is simple, appealing, happy, and cute and offers artists, crafters, and art enthusiasts-with and without experience-the instruction and inspiration to draw in the Japanese character style. This book is for artists and crafters of all skill levels that want to bring their own illustration to their work. It offers both entertaining and fun drawing instruction and techniques along with inspiring and sweet unique style characters and elements.

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Book Synopsis'A warm and inspiring invitation to put down our phones, pick up a pencil and start really looking at the beauty all around us.' - Kathy Clugston, presenter of Gardeners' Question TimeLearn to let go of your worries and lose yourself in nature with this practical guide to sketching for pleasure, not perfection. Most of us know that creativity and time outdoors are good for our wellbeing, yet so many of us struggle to find the time or motivation to step away from our screens. But there’s a solution! Combining quick and easy exercises with the latest research on nature connection, wellbeing and creativity, The Green Sketching Handbook will inspire you to pick up a pencil and get started.Inspired by her own journey from climate scientist who hadn't tried drawing since childhood to artist and nature lover, Dr Ali Foxon will show you how to embrace your wobbly lines, unhook from a fear of criticism and create a habit that makes you feel good, not inadequate. You will learn more about yourself and your unique relationship with nature, finding out what brings you comfort and joy. Best of all, you'll create vivid and evocative memories of all your outdoor adventures, big and small, even if you’re convinced you can’t draw.Trade ReviewThe health of our planet and the people that depend upon it are being run down because of our collective blindness toward nature. Re-engaging and connecting people with the natural world is a vital prerequisite for a secure future, and this lovely little book provides one wonderful gateway to that. -- Tony Juniper CBE, environmentalist and chair of Natural EnglandA warm and inspiring invitation to put down our phones, pick up a pencil and start really looking at the beauty all around us. -- Kathy Clugston, presenter of Gardeners' Question TimeA joyful, beautifully illustrated and thought-provoking book. Use it to sketch more, reconnect with nature and spread the word. -- Anne Swithinbank, expert horticulturalist and panelist for Gardeners' Question TimeAli Foxon’s The Green Sketching Handbook helps you make that great leap from the sofa and screen to the outdoors... benefiting your brain and your wellbeing. Powered completely by fresh air, pencils and paper, The Green Sketching Handbook bypasses your keyboard completely. No screens needed. -- Asher Minns, Tyndall Centre for Climate ChangeIn a time of uncertainty, fear and gloom this is a book that shines bright like a diamond. Everyone can benefit from reconnecting with nature and this is such an honest, engaging and accessible guide. I think it will change many people's lives for the better and bring pleasure, hope and mental peace. So bring on the green sketching revolution. -- Andy Brown, Head of Sustainability, Anglian Water Group

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Book SynopsisIf you have always wanted to draw manga but weren’t sure how to begin, this fun and simple step-by-step book will help kick-start your comic-drawing journey. Learn how to draw boys, girls and creatures (ordinary and extraordinary) in the manga style. Starting with basic shapes, professional manga artist Yishan Li shows how easy it is to turn circles, rectangles, squares and ovals into teens, kids, witches, wizards, monsters, animals and much more. Professional manga art from well-known comic creator Yishan Li Over 130 step-by-step drawings Easy method with great results Trade ReviewHaving received a copy of How to Draw MANGA in Simple Steps by Yishan Li, to fully scrutinize. I thought the best way to do it was to try drawing one of the Manga style characters following the step-by-step method of doing so directly from a page from the book. Being a 2D artist who sketches and draws the figure and form of people and animals pretty accurately in a purposely naive illustrative style and being a fan of comic book art, I decided to reproduce a copy- cat image of the character shown in (FIGURE 2) digitally, using a graphic's tablet (for the first time properly), alongside Photoshop computer software with which I am more familiar. Full review and images: https://notcompulsory.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/drawing-manga-style.html * Not Compulsory *Table of ContentsIntroduction Manga Boy Manga Girls Manga Animals Manga Chibis Manga Myths & Legends

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Book SynopsisHow to work with a limited palette, with step-by-step demonstrations. One of the world's best art teachers shows you how to give spontaneity and lightness to your work with a limited palette. Using only three colours (up to five at the very most), is the most effective way to give your art a fresh feel. With an array of paintings, techniques and step-by-step demonstrations, renowned artist Hazel Soan goes through a range of specific colour combinations that work. Each chapter looks at a different combination, guided by a principal hue or pigment property. For landscapes she discusses cool blue and warm yellow, for gardens transparent reds and complimentary green, and for seascapes warm blue, cool yellow and granulation. The author explores the almost inexhaustible three-colour combinations but also discusses when four- or five-colour combinations would enhance or work more efficiently. This ensures your work is more cohesive, light and brings out the beauty of the watercolour medium. This extensive guide is packed with demonstrations, work in progress and finished paintings – and every single painting will have the colours itemized, making this not only a great technique book but great resource for colour combinations. Ideal for all painters, new or experienced.Trade Review‘There’s so much here that this becomes one of the most comprehensive studies of and guides to colour there is.’ Art Book Review Henry Malt 2022 ‘By no means the first book on painting with a limited palette, but it is certainly the most comprehensive and least prescriptive’ The Artist Henry Malt 2022

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Book SynopsisThis beautiful book combines the author’s extensive ecological knowledge with art, and her passion for drawing with ink. It is packed with clear instruction and inspirational illustrations, and will be treasured by artists, illustrators, scientists and ecologists alike. Practical advice is given on using a range of materials and equipment for illustrating in pen and ink, as well as the collection and preservation of subject matter and reference material. Detailed instruction is given on how to create essential mark-making techniques that will enhance your illustrations through accurate depiction of shape, form, texture and pattern, and in the principles and elements of design. Subject-themed chapters include plants, strandline and marine specimens, fossils, invertebrates, and mammals. There are step-by-step exercises suitable for all skill levels, and case studies describing working practice as a professional illustrator.Trade ReviewThis utterly comprehensive guide covers, as its title suggests, not just animals but birds, plants, insects and invertebrates as well as ancillary items such as feathers, nests and egg cases. If you’re serious about drawing wildlife in all its forms, you won’t do better. -- Henry Malt - The Artist reviewer * The Artist *A book by a well educated and very experienced natural history illustrator who writes extremely well - and it shows on every one of its pages making it joy to read. -- Katherine Tyrrell, Making A Mark * Making A Mark *This is one of the most comprehensive books around on natural history drawing. -- Henry Malt * artbookreview *Sarah’s illustrations are beautiful and intricate, capturing the beauty of her subjects with sensitivity and skill. -- Jane Stroud, Leisure Painter * Leisure Painter *Overall this is a brilliant book, perfectly suited to building your natural history drawing skills. The subjects are brought alive by wonderful descriptions and personal experiences. An absolute pleasure to read… I'm sure I’ll treasure it for years to come, and refer back to it again and again. -- Sylvia Myers, Ecologist & Volunteer Manager, NHM * Natural History Museum Magazine *It is a beautiful book, thoroughly researched and exquisitely illustrated. It is an ideal book for students or for anyone thinking of embarking on a new hobby in art, as well as for nature lovers and lovers of art generally. A pleasure to read - deeply enjoy. -- Endymion Beer, reviewer British Naturalists Association * British Naturalists Association *This is a beautiful guide to the use of traditional pen and ink in natural history illustrations. Because of the book’s well-organized structure and inclusion of some beginner-friendly projects, it would also be a useful resource for instructors to share with their students. -- Camille Werther, reviewer JNSI * Journal of Natural Science Illustrations *

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Book SynopsisA contemporary paint-every-day watercolour guide that explores foundational strokes and patterns and then builds new skills upon the foundations over the course of 30 days to create finished pieces.Trade Review“To the outside observer, Jenna Rainey’s work seems completely effortless, but it is in fact built on an extremely solid foundation of techniques, materials, and color theory. By pouring all of her hard-won knowledge into Everyday Watercolor, Jenna has created a wonderful resource for any aspiring watercolor artist.” —NOLE GAREY, founder and editor, Oh So Beautiful Paper“In this beautiful, inspiring, and accessible book, Jenna Rainey graciously breaks down her process and welcomes artists and enthusiasts alike to join her in the joy of watercolor painting.” —SATSUKI SHIBUYA, watercolor artistTable of ContentsCONTENTSSection OneTECHNIQUE 1718 DAY 1 STROKES 24 DAY 2 CURVES AND CIRCLES 32 DAY 3 STRAIGHT LINES AND TRIANGLES 38 DAY 4 LAYOUT 44 DAY 5 COMPOUND STROKES 50 DAY 6 COMPLEX CURVESSection TwoFORM, PERSPECTIVE, AND LIGHT 5556 DAY 7 LIGHT TO DARK LAYERING 62 DAY 8 BACKGROUND AND FOREGROUND 66 DAY 9 PATTERN 72 DAY 10 LIGHT SOURCE AND SHADING 76 DAY 11 VARIED HUE BLENDING 82 DAY 12 CAST SHADOWSection ThreeCOMPLEX SHAPES AND FORMS 8990 DAY 13 ANGLES AND FOLDS 96 DAY 14 PAINTING IN SECTIONS 102 DAY 15 COMPLEMENTARY COLORS 106 DAY 16 FINE LINES 110 DAY 17 HIGHLIGHTS, MID-TONES, AND SHADOWS 118 DAY 18 GESTURESection FourVALUE, VOLUME, AND DEPTH 125126 DAY 19 MOVEMENT 132 DAY 20 VALUES 138 DAY 21 SUBJECT IN A LANDSCAPE 146 DAY 22 ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE 154 DAY 23 GRAYSCALE VALUE 160 DAY 24 VOLUMESection FiveAPPLICATION 171172 DAY 25 WIDE LANDSCAPE: DESERT 180 DAY 26 WIDE LANDSCAPE: JUNGLE 186 DAY 27 FINAL DESERT PIECE: PART ONE 192 DAY 28 FINAL DESERT PIECE: PART TWO 198 DAY 29 FINAL JUNGLE PIECE: PART ONE 206 DAY 30 FINAL JUNGLE PIECE: PART TWO 210 DAY 31 AND BEYOND

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Book SynopsisAll watercolour landscape artists need to know how to paint water, and in this book Terry Harrison excels in demystifying the painting process. Here he shares his expert advice and no nonsense tips and techniques for producing quick, effective paintings of water. There are two or three-step exercises for painting water in all its varied moods and situations, including ripples, reflections, puddles, streams, breaking waves, choppy water, surf, bridges, riverbeds, boats, and much more. There are then ten step-by-step demonstrations that can be produced in half an hour: a misty lake, track with puddles, ford, waterfall, lazy river, stormy sea, cliffs, fishing from a boat, sunset estuary and fishing boat.Trade ReviewMar 13 This is a new series that Terry Harrison (whose idea it was) is justifiably proud of. There’s nothing new in the limited-time idea and I have in the past criticised some of its implementations for pandering to the “time-restricted artist”. I’m sorry, but art is something you devote time to. The whole point of it, of any recreation, is that it gives you a chance to relax and recharge. If you’re that busy-busy-busy, you probably have a time-management issue that bish-bosh painting won’t solve. But enough of that, because that’s not the matter in hand. The proper use of the half-hour painting is to discourage fiddling and promote the skill of getting things down quickly, as you see them. It’s about spontaneity and freshness, and therefore to be applauded. The structure here is really rather neat. The first half of the book is taken up with a series of exercises, Quick Techniques as they’re described here. These are all about ways of seeing and thinking, but also about methods of working – rocks and waves or foliage and petals in a few quick brushstrokes. The idea is to suggest your subject rather than capture it in every minor detail. Following that is a series of projects that bring everything together. There’s always a slight contradiction when you have printed demonstrations in a book that’s supposed to be about spontaneity, but you have to describe the process somehow and these short (4 page) sections are very effective at showing you how to work within the time allowed. I suspect the best way of making this work is to read the chapter through and then work with it as just notes. If you don’t head straight for home, but keep looking at the map, the oven-timer is going to ring while you’re still getting the tops off the tubes! There’s a nice busy feel to both these books that somehow encourages the whole idea they’re trying to promote and, price-wise, they’re a steal. * Artbookreview.net *April 13 Painting Flowers in Watercolour (Fiona Peart) and Painting Water in Watercolour (Terry Harrison) Half an hour is not a lot of time to paint a masterpiece, says Terry Harrison in his introduction. His advice on planning and preparing that follows is something that every artist should have tattooed on their forehead. The idea of a quick painting that captures the essence of your subject without fussing and fiddling is not a new one, but this series approaches it with simplified demonstrations that reflect the basis of the idea and offer some excellent hints and tips along the way. If I have an objection, Fiona Peart sums it up: 'Many of us do not have as much time as we would like to paint,' but if filling the odd half-hour gets you past the time block, then buying these imaginative guides is money well spent. * Artist, The *June 13 Developed especially for the busy artist who wants to achieve great paintings in just half an hour, this new 30 Minute Artist series claims to do just that. In his book on painting water, Terry demonstrates 23 basic exercises to build your confidence with the subject – from rippled reflections to crashing waves, fast-flowing streams to sun setting on the sea. These exercises are followed by ten step-by-step projects, which put into practice the techniques you've learnt. These books aim to build confidence in your chosen medium and subject so that you have the ability to paint effective paintings quickly. In time, this will help you to develop a loose style and keep your paintings lively. * Leisure Painter, The *May 13 Part of a new 30 Minute Artist series by the publisher, Terry Harrison teaches you how to paint water effectively in just 30 minutes. From beach scenes to ponds, rivers to seas, puddles and streams, Terry shows how to paint water in all its beautiful painterly effects. Still water, flowing water, gushing and sea spray. Boats, bridges, foliage, cliffs and houses are also included in the scenes. This book will build your confidence and skills and help you to create spontaneous paintings in just 30 minutes. There are 23 exercises, tips and techniques. In addition, you'll find 10 effective projects with step by step instructions. * Karen Platt Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts *Table of ContentsIntroduction 6 How to use this book 8 Materials 10 Colour 14 Quick techniques 16 Painting ripples 16 Lifting out ripples 16 Reflections in still water 18 Wet on dry reflections 18 Puddles 20 Rippled reflections 22 Waterfall 24 Fast-flowing stream 26 The sea from the beach 28 Breaking waves 30 Painting choppy water 32 Lifting out choppy water 32 Crashing wave 34 Wave breaking on rock 36 Beach with surf 38 Masking the horizon 40 Sunset on the sea 42 Bridge 44 Building and reflection 46 Riverbed 48 Marsh 50 Boat 52 Sky reflections 54 Projects 56 Track with Puddles 56 Ford 60 Wooded Waterfall 64 Lazy River 68 Stormy Sea 72 Cliffs 76 Fisherman 80 Misty Lake 84 Fishing Boat 88 Sunset Estuary 92 Index 96

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Book SynopsisBring the spectacular animal kingdom to life with this delightful colouring book, complete with over 45 breath-taking designs.The beauties of the natural world find artistic expression in this collection artworks of particularly handsome animals of all kinds. There are alligators and antelopes, camels and chameleons, llamas and lobsters. Some are realistic; others are embellished with flowers and elaborate designs. All are chosen to be a delight to colour.• Includes 45 designs • Printed on thick, high-quality paper • The images appear on single-sided pages to prevent bleed-through • Suitable for pencils, felt-tips or markers ABOUT THE SERIES: The bestselling Arcturus Creative Colouring series brings together delightful colouring books designed to relax the mind and inspire creativity. Printed on thick, high-quality paper, these bold and beautiful artworks present a wonderful colouring challenge.

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Book SynopsisThis delightful colouring book is inspired by the traditions Scandinavian folk art, with over 40 designs to fill with colour. Bold and beautiful, Scandinavian folk art has enchanted generations for its whimsical designs, vibrant colours and pleasing patterns. The designs in this colouring book reflect techniques like rosemaling (Norwegian), dalmålning (Swedish), and kurbits (Swedish) which involve painting intricate designs, floral motifs, and geometric patterns on different surfaces such as furniture, woodenware, and household items, as well as in embroidery and other textile arts. These traditional patterns include flowers, birds and animals and more abstract designs and have been created so they are a delight to colour in. All you need are a few pencils or markers and your imagination.• Includes 40 designs• Printed on thick, high-quality paper• The images appear on single-sided pages to prevent bleed-through• Suitable for pen

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Book SynopsisIn Draw 1,001 Animals, award-winning artist Mark Bergin shows how simple shapes can be transformed into a vast variety of animals. There are pages looking at materials and techniques, and step-by-step projects that train the eye to deconstruct the simple shapes that go into constructing a detailed drawing, helping you to visualise your drawings of animals. Great for absolute beginners or any artist wanting to renew and improve their drawing skills. It features animals from a wide variety of ecosystems, including rainforests, savanna, Arctic tundra and pets.

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Book SynopsisHow do you find time in your busy day to get creative? Why, with 15-minute Art Painting, of course! Explore the pure joy of paint with fifty 15-minute projects inspired by nature. From leaves and houseplants to flowers and fungi, 15-minute Art Painting encourages you to explore painting in a relaxing, free and fun way. Each project can be completed in no more than six steps and will include practice pages, colour swatches and helpful hints to make light work of the artwork. Although Hannah will provide a brief introduction on how to sketch out your paintings, the book will also contain traceable templates, so you can fully focus on the process and pure joy of painting.

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Book SynopsisAward-winning artist Hashim Akib's striking portraits are at the heart of this inspirational book. The subject of portraiture is seen by many as the zenith of art, and Hash's easygoing, unpretentious style puts fantastic results within the reach of hobby artists and aspiring professionals alike. Assuming nothing and starting from the basics – making it suitable even for the enthusiastic beginner – this book includes six step-by-step projects to follow; along with friendly but in-depth advice on colour palettes; skintone; composition; working from photographs and models; markmaking; lighting; atmosphere and much more. The book covers many types of portraiture – from the self-portrait to full-length portraits – all presented in Hash's striking, free and contemporary style.Trade Review'Exciting' is not normally a word springs to mind when discussing books on portraiture. 'Thorough', maybe, or 'comprehensive' - what you are mostly looking for is something that describes working methods clearly and illustrated the type of people you can relate to. This, though, is something different. Hashim Akib captures likenesses well, but he also introduces a sense of character, personality and presence through his trademark dynamic brushwork. It would be all too easy for this to fall wide of the mark, becoming mannered, or maybe too individual to have more general appeal. Instead, and this is down to his very considerable technical expertise, the book makes you want to get started and even to try Hashim's own demonstrations - they're people you feel you'd really like to meet. Excitement on its own would not be enough, of course, so be assured that this is thorough and comprehensive as well. * The Artist *Hashim has yet again written a bold exciting and informative book. His colour use is just perfectly shown. He explains how to paint portraits so well that it makes it so much easier to attempt. It makes painting so much fun and lets artists go for it, in a controlled, but free way. I have learnt so much reading this book and will be painting this way with excitement ahead. Wow, thanks. -- Melanie Bettridge * Customer review *Being a huge fan of Hash's style, I eagerly anticipated the arrival of this latest book and was not disappointed. This is a great book for getting an insight into an artist's process, it's like having a personal workshop which you can keep referring back to. Acrylics are not the obvious medium choice for portraiture but the strong and dynamic style Hashim uses is both inspiring and contemporary. He makes it look so simple and easy! There are several step by step examples to guide you, from initial planning though the sculptural painting process, lots of hints and tips, and insights into making portrait painting loose but exciting. From lighting and expressions to mark making, Hashim explains in detail his method and the materials used. The biggest setback to a beginner or the casual hobby artist, is the confidence required to use the paint so freely, and have the observation skills required to get the best results, hopefully this book will inspire you to take the large leap of faith and try it. So if you are a beginner looking for different ways in which to tackle the complex area of portraiture or somebody more advanced wanting to experiment with or change to a more colourful and loose approach, I would urge everyone to get this book, have a go and try emulating this style. -- Michelle Tilston Fletcher * Customer review *This is a book that's full of life and of a love of people as well as painting. Hashim will show you how to capture not just the appearance of your subject, but also their character. This is an dynamic author who's not only enthusiastic about his subject, but excellent at conveying that and explaining his methods. * The SAA *FACE FACTS Learn the basics of portraiture and how to unleash your own painting techniques with this guide by artist Hashim Akib Rather than taking a formal learning approach in his book, artist and author Hashim Akib explains useful portrait painting concepts while also encouraging you to explore your own style. It opens with an introduction to tools and materials, before setting aside chapters to compositional exercises, colour theory and detailed painting tutorials. So far, so familiar. But this book’s selling point is that it knows it’s a jumping-off point for further experimentation. Hobbyists will benefit from the advice on paint application and colour mixing, while experienced artists will appreciate the technical know-how on display in the step-by-step guides. The final chapters show you how to push what you’ve learnt even further with lessons on texture, profiles and unusual expressions. As Hashim says in his introduction, photography has had a huge impact on portraiture. With this in mind, his guide is a valuable exploration of how contemporary portraiture can still be relevant today, and what you need to consider if you want to create engaging paintings with personality. Working from one reference photo, Hashim Akib explains how he paints skin tones and uses just a few extra brush marks to describe the face. For this portrait piece, Hashim uses earthy and dark neutrals, which frame the warmer colours. -- Chris Allcock * Imagine Fx *This is the most exciting book I've ever seen about portrait painting. Hashim's paintings are dynamic and full of life. They're about as are removed from the often stuffy canvases you see on the walls of institutions as it's possible to get. Most books on portraiture concentrate on technique and getting a likeness. Frankly, if you want that, you should probably stick to photography. What painting can do is express character and provide an inner vision that gives a sense of presence, and that's here in profusion. I wouldn't want you to think there's nothing here about technique-there's plenty of it, but it's bound up with actual paintings that show how things work in practice, rather than theory. There is, for example, a very handy section on facial features- eyes, noses and mouths. Hashim still manages to tell you more about the differences between men and women and racial types than you'll find in many other books. So, you see, this is a book that teaches by example-and what examples! Every kind of face is here and there are quite a few different styles of painting too, including some startling uses of colour. It's that kind of book. I've often spoken about the ones which will have you itching to get out your brushes and this is another example of them. Even if you've never painted a portrait in your life, you can't help feeling your feet starting to tap and wanting to get up and dance with Hashim. * Paint Magazine *“Exciting” isn’t normally a word I’d associated with portraiture. “Thorough”, “lifelike”, maybe even “vibrant”, but it’s not normally a subject to get the pulses racing. This, though, is astounding. Hashim’s style is quite blocky and, if you were looking for almost photographic realism, this is not for you. You actually have to look at the finished results for a few seconds before the features of the faces emerge. When they do, however, they’re full of character and these are people whose presence you can feel. This is something that all portrait painters strive for, but it’s one of the most difficult qualities to achieve. If personality is your goal, place your order now. I think it also helps that Hashim appears simply to like people. I don’t think it would be possible to get results like this if you simply regarded your subjects as a job. There’s a warmth here, and an understanding of the life and light behind mere structure and outward appearance. This isn’t really something that can be taught, so I’d suggest you might simply want to learn from example here – don’t expect a magic ingredient. In practical terms, the book offers all the variety you could want. There are male and female figures, different hair styles and skin colours and a wide range of ages. Hashim explains colour, lighting and perspective and he’s also rather good on the main features – eyes, noses, ears, etc. Here, his style is your friend as its vibrancy makes what is inevitably a rather technical section interesting and – well – exciting. -- Henry Malt * Art Book Review *Like most painters, I find painting portraits challenging. I found this book very interesting because for me it has a new approach. Treating the face like blocks. Akib tells us to beware of realism. This book enables you to master the essentials and capture the atmosphere, the character. It's worth looking at no matter what your skill, for the treatment is quite different. Plenty of examples, male, female, young, old. Follow the 6 varied step-by-step projects. Faces, features and even full length portraits are covered. I particularly like the unusual expressions pages and the way they were presented. One thing of note, I found I liked the older style and not his new way of using very thick paint, but that is just personal preference and it is good to experiment and try different styles and ways of using paint. Also close-ups are not how the paintings will appear when viewed on a wall. I cannot believe it is 7 years since his last book, what a lot he has achieved. -- Karen Platt * Amazon *Painting Portraits in Acrylics is a practical guide to contemporary portraiture by Hashim Akib. Award-winning artists Hashim Akib's striking portraits are at the heart of this inspirational book. Hash's easy-going, unpretentious style puts fantastic results within the reach of hobby artists and aspiring professionals alike. Assuming nothing and starting from the basics, making it suitable even for the enthusiastic beginner, this book includes six step-by-step projects to follow, along with friendly but in-depth advice on colour palettes, skin tone, composition, working from photographs and models, mark making, lighting; atmosphere and much more. The book covers many types of portraiture from the self-portrait to full-length portraits, all presented in Hash's striking, free and contemporary style. * Leisure Painter *Starting from the basics, award-winning artist Hashim Akib shows you how to paint portraits in acrylics with an engaging and easy-to-follow style. Covering all styles of portraiture, from self-portraits to full-length portraits, the book includes six step-by-step projects to follow. These provide in-depth advice on colour palettes, skin tones, composition and lighting as well as how to work from photographs and models, plus much more. The book is aimed at beginners, but there's plenty for the more proficient artist to enjoy here. * The Artist *Table of ContentsIntroduction Materials Starting out The Robot Ideas and planning A face that tells a story Age & Experience Light Colour Painting skin Full Length Portrait Painting self portraits Self portrait Going further Choosing a face Attitude and expression Young Girl Portrait in profile Index

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Book SynopsisBy following the lessons in Cartoon Animation with Preston Blair, you can make any character—person, animal, or object—come to life through animated movement! While animators must first know how to draw, the animation process involves much more than just good drawing skills. In this new edition, acclaimed cartoon animator Preston Blair shares his vast practical knowledge to explain and demonstrate the many techniques of cartoon animation. Learn the knowledge and skills animators must have, including: How to construct original cartoon characters by developing a character’s shape, personality, features, and mannerisms How to animate movements such as running, walking, dancing, posing, skipping, and more How to create realistic-looking mouth movements during dialogue, as well as body movements and facial expressions while the character is speaking The finer points of animating a character, including drawing key character poses and in-betweens Full of expert advice from animation pioneer Preston Blair, and packed with helpful drawings and diagrams, the new edition of Cartoon Animation with Preston Blair is a book no animation enthusiast should be without. THIS REVISED EDITION INCLUDES:Chapter 1: Getting Started Tools & Materials Drawing Basics Animation MethodsChapter 2: Cartoon Construction Parts of a Cartoon Character The Body The Head Facial Expressions The HandsChapter 3: Character Design & Development Cartoon Examples The Cute Character The Screwball Type The “Pugnacious” Character More Animal Characters Fictional People ChildrenChapter 4: Basic Character Movement Comics to Life Line of Action Rhythm & Design Basic MovementChapter 5: Animation Principles Beyond Simple Movements Rough Sketches Balance Paths of Action Animation EffectsChapter 6: Animated Acting Expressing an Attitude Three Rules for Actors Body Language DialogueThe Collector’s Series offers a broad range of projects across a variety of mediums and genres, such as drawing, oil, acrylic, watercolor, cartooning, calligraphy, and others. This series is suitable for beginning to intermediate artists, and each title features in-depth instruction about how to work with the tools of the trade, master techniques, and use newfound skills in practical application. Trade Review“Profusely illustrated throughout and comprehensively covering all of the fundamentals of cartoon animation…ideal and unreservedly recommended.” * Midwest Book Review *"This is the holy grail of all art books." * Sandbox World *"A treasure trove of samples and guidelines to inspire an artist at any level." * Comics Grinder *Table of ContentsFrom the Editors Introduction from Preston BlairChapter 1: Getting Started Tools & Materials Drawing Basics Animation MethodsChapter 2: Cartoon Construction Parts of a Cartoon Character The Body The Head Facial Expressions The HandsChapter 3: Character Design & Development Cartoon Examples The Cute Character The Screwball Type The “Pugnacious” Character More Animal Characters Fictional People ChildrenChapter 4: Basic Character Movement Comic to Life Line of Action Rhythm & Design Basic MovementChapter 5: Animation Principles Beyond Simple Movements Rough Sketches Balance Paths of Action Animation EffectsChapter 6: Animated Acting Expressing an Attitude Three Rules for Actors Body Language DialogueAbout Preston Blair

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Book SynopsisMany artists first learn to paint in watercolour. But this flexible, dynamic medium has an immediacy that is perfect for experimentation. Discover textures, applications, techniques, combinations of materials, and new ways of tackling the medium you love. Rub it, dab it, scratch it, scrunch it. Cut it, glue it, sew it and seal it. And above all, learn from what other people do!This little book is full of big ideas from contemporary artists to inspire you to think differently. With a new idea on every spread of the book, you will discover fresh ways of working with watercolour to create work that is original and exciting.

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Book SynopsisArtist's Watercolour Techniques brings together a selection of award-winning artists and tutors represented by multiple galleries throughout the UK, including Grahame Booth, Alisa Adamsone, Veronica Ballart Lilja, Glynis Barnes-Mellish, Julia Cassels, Rod Craig, Denise Findlay, Eleanor Hardiman, Michele Illing, Gilly Marklew, Rachel McNaughton, Maria Montiel, Paul O'Kane, Ian Ramsay, Chris Robinson, Ingrid Sanchez, Julia Trickey, James Willis, and Yong Hong Zhong.

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Book SynopsisFrom the inspired mind of Dinara Mirtalipova comes Imagine a Forest, a drawing and design guide to creating your own Eastern European folklore inspired artwork. Escape to your own forested fairy tale. Imagine a Forest explores the unique style of illustrator Dinara Mirtalipova; a style which is rooted in the rich traditions of Eastern European folklore. This drawing and design guide features instructions and tips on how to draw your own beautiful art in a modern folklore style. Create charming flowers, birds, animals, fairy tale characters, mythical creatures and more.The lush and captivating illustrations and encouraging, easy-to-follow advice featured in these step-by-step tutorials will guide you through Dinara's gorgeous folk-art drawings and inspire you to create your own. Dinara even gives you design ideas and project suggestions so you can make and decorate practical things with your beautiful art. Don't spend every day in the boring real world--escape to a beautiful Eastern European fairy tale with Imagine a Forest. Who knows what you might find!

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