Paintings and painting Books

Book Synopsis The Landscape Painter’s Workbook is the definitive hands-on guide to the time-honored techniques and essential elements of landscape painting.Written by celebrated landscape artist, instructor, and author Mitchell Albala, this richly informative and beautifully illustrated volume leads you step by step through his approach to the genre, from establishing a composition using basic shapes to applying time-tested color strategies, with all-new lessons, practical exercises, and special topics, including: The Complete Color Strategy. What are the three aspects of color contrast that guide a painting’s strategy? Notan. Explore this special type of compositional study, which identifies the underlying shapes and patterns of a composition. Picture Formats. How does the picture format—horizontal, vertical, or square—affect the composition? What are the pros anTrade Review“It encapsulates everything I want to get across to my students in my workshops…This book explains everything.” * Charlie Hunter, painter and host of Reasonably Fine Art Talk *“This rich and informative new guide is particularly strong on color and composition, offering detailed diagrams and simple strategies for getting the most out of your palette.” * Artists & Illustrators Magazine *“Mitchell’s new book is like opening a beautiful travel guide to exotic destinations—there’s so much to explore: shapes, composition, color, and more. The Landscape Painter’s Workbook will no doubt become my comfortably worn and dog-eared ‘road-atlas’ by my side as I explore the wondrous world of landscape painting.” * Carol Olson, host of The Artful Painter Podcast *"Helps artists, from beginners to experienced, apply the lessons and build their skills." * Artists Magazine *“Mitchell writes very well, so well in fact that this new book transcends genre, making it useful to all artists, not just landscape painters. I work in still life, yet am finding these exercises enormously helpful. Bravo!” * Margaret Davidson, author of Contemporary Drawing: Key Concepts and Techniques *“Has great focus and organization. It discusses topics in depth that are often glossed over, if mentioned at all.” * Steve Whitney, painter and instructor *"Mitchell has a lot of respect for his readers. It's not easy to explain what goes through one's mind when you're painting, but he puts into words some very complex ideas and says them so clearly.” * Sue Charles, painter *“I had thought you covered just about everything in your first book, but The Landscape Painter’s Workbook takes it to another level.” * Bill Hook, painter *“Your ability to dissect a painting and clearly describe its important qualities makes the book a valuable asset for any serious student, as well as experienced painters alike.” * Bill Vrscak, painter *

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Book SynopsisIn recent years David Hockney has returned to England to paint the landscape of his childhood in East Yorkshire. Although his passionate interest in new technologies has led him to develop a virtuoso drawing technique on an iPad, he has also been accompanied outdoors by the traditional sketchbook, an invaluable tool as he works quickly to capture the changing light and fleeting effects of the weather. Executed in watercolour and ink, these panoramic scenes have the spatial complexity of finished paintings - the broad sweep of sky or road, the patchwork tapestry of land - yet convey the immediacy of Hockney's impressions. And as in the views down village streets and across kitchen tables that appear alongside them, his rooted and fond knowledge of the area around the East Yorkshire Wolds is always clear. If you know the region, the location of the sketches is unmistakable; if you don't, its features will come to life in these pages.

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Book SynopsisHailed the “Prince of the Impressionists”, Claude Monet (1840-1926) transformed expectations for the purpose of paint on canvas. Defying the precedent of centuries, Monet did not seek to render only reality, but the act of perception itself. Working “en plein air” with rapid, impetuous brush strokes, he interrogated the play of light on the hues, patterns, and contours and the way in which these visual impressions fall upon the eye. Monet's interest in this space “between the motif and the artist” encompassed too the ephemeral nature of each image we see. In his beloved water lily series, as well as in paintings of poplars, grain stacks, and the Rouen cathedral, he returned to the same motif in different seasons, different weather conditions, and at different times of the day, to explore the constant mutability of our visual environment. This book offers the essential introduction to an artist whose works simultaneously reflected upon the purpose of a picture and the passage of time, and in so doing transformed irrevocably the story of art.

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Book SynopsisNo other artist, apart from J. M. W. Turner, tried as hard as Claude Monet (1840–1926) to capture light itself on canvas. Of all the Impressionists, it was the man Cézanne called “only an eye, but my God what an eye!” who stayed true to the principle of absolute fidelity to the visual sensation, painting directly from the object. It could be said that Monet reinvented the possibilities of color. Whether it was through his early interest in Japanese prints, his time as a conscript in the dazzling light of Algeria, or his personal acquaintance with the major painters of the late 19th century, the work Monet produced throughout his long life would change forever the way we perceive both the natural world and its attendant phenomena. The high point of his explorations was the late series of water lilies, painted in his own garden at Giverny, which, in their approach toward almost total formlessness, are really the origin of abstract art. This biography does full justice to this most remarkable and profoundly influential artist, and offers numerous reproductions and archive photos alongside a detailed and insightful commentary.Trade Review“This is the only readily available publication that gives a complete record of Monet’s work—in other words, it is definitive.” * The Good Book Guide *

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Book SynopsisThe classic monograph on a much-loved artist John Singer Sargent — reissued in a spectacular oversize format.Trade Review“Fascinating and lucid... a stunningly illustrated and illuminating life of a singular painter.” - Wall Street Journal“Fascinating and lucid . . . a stunningly illustrated and illuminating life of a singular painter.” - Sue Roe, Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisWork artistic magic with contre-jour: learn how to create the illusion of light in your oil painting.

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Book SynopsisIn the mid-1950s, Yves Klein (1928–1962) declared that “a new world calls for a new man.” With his idiosyncratic style and huge charisma, this bold artist would go on to pursue a brief but bountiful career, producing more than 1,000 paintings over seven years in an oeuvre now considered a mainstay of postwar modernism. Klein made his name above all with his large monochrome canvases in his own patented hue of blue. International Klein Blue (IKB), composed of pure pigment and binding medium, is at once rich and luminous, evocative and decorative, and was conceived by Klein as a means of evoking the immateriality and infinitude of the world. The works of this “Blue Revolution” seem to draw us into another dimension, as if hypnotized by a perfect summer sky. Klein was also renowned for his deployment of “living brushes,” in which naked women, daubed in International Klein Blue, would make imprints of their bodies on large sheets of paper. This Basic Art introduction presents key Klein works to introduce an artist who was at once a showman, inventor, and pioneer of performance art. With page after page of the ever-alluring International Klein Blue, it is both an essential guide to a modern art master and a meditation on the unique effects of a single color.

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Book SynopsisVincent van Gogh’s story is one of the most tragic in art history. Today, he is celebrated the world over as one of the most important painters of all time, recognized with sell-out shows, feted museums, and record prices of tens of millions of dollars at auction. Yet as he was painting the canvases that would subsequently become these sell-out modern masterpieces, van Gogh was battling not only the disinterest of his contemporary audiences but also devastating bouts of mental illness, with episodes of depression and paralyzing anxiety which would eventually claim his life in 1890, when he committed suicide shortly after his 37th birthday. This comprehensive study of Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) pairs a detailed monograph on his life and art with a complete catalogue of his 871 paintings.

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Book SynopsisThis enthralling and comprehensive new book on Henri Matisse is an eye-opener for all students and art lovers interested in early twentieth-century art. Taking fifty of Matisse's most iconic works of art, John Cauman provides an accessible narrative about the man and his work, deciphering the themes, methods and intentions of this truly great artist. Chronologically spanning from the late nineteenth century to the mid 1950s, each painting, drawing and mural is described and analysed in beautiful detail, within the context of the period, so that the reader can really understand what the artist was hoping to achieve with each work. The paintings are prefaced by an informative introduction that presents the milieu and key characters that featured in Matisse's life. Among his most famous works, this book includes Luxe, calme et volupté (1904), Le Bonheur de vivre (The Joy of Life) (1905–6), Self-Portrait in a Striped Shirt (1906), Blue Nude (Memory of Biskra) (1907), Bathers by a River (1909-17), Harmony in Red (1908), Dance I (1909), Entrance to the Casbah (1912-13), Pianist and Checker Players (1924), Still Life with a Magnolia (1941), Memory of Oceania (1951–2) and The Snail (1953).Trade Review'A gem and a treasure about an artist whom you thought you knew' * New York Journal of Books *'Pleasant and informative' * The Artist *

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Book SynopsisThe popular Color Mixing Recipe Cards by William F. Powell has served as a handy reference of essential colour combinations for almost 10 years. And now this collection of recipes is available in an updated, convenient format developed with your needs in mind! Conveniently packaged in a concealed wire-o-bound book that lies flat when opened, the recipe cards will always stay in order with no risk of getting lost. The book also includes a Colour Mixing Grid - the perfect guide for accurately measuring paints. With mixing recipes for more than 450 colour combinations, along with instruction in a variety of painting techniques, Colour Mixing Recipes is a valuable and practical resource for both oil and acrylic artists

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Book SynopsisDive into a wonderfully vibrant world of intense tones in this kaleidoscopic colour by numbers challenge. The easy-to-use number system is perfect for beginners, who can complete each image with paints, pens or pencils and reveal an astoundingly vibrant colour palette on every page. From stunning animals and breathtaking scenes, each single sided piece of artwork is a feast for the eyes; perfect for adults who wish to rediscover their playful side, or for children who enjoy an artistic challenge!Trade ReviewA sophisticated approach to colour by numbers, creating dramatic, vivid pictures * The Bookseller *

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Book Synopsis'You will quickly amaze and delight yourself. Hands down the best and most life-enhancing thing I've done in lockdown' India Knight, Sunday Times, about Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook accompanies the world's most widely used drawing instruction book by Betty Edwards. This workbook reinforces the five basic skills of drawing and includes: - 40 exercises to practice your drawing abilities - A range of subject matters from portrait drawing and still life, to landscapes and imaginative drawing - Advice for a variety of mediums such as pen and ink, charcoal and graphite - A pull-out viewfinder tool The original Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain helps artists to nurture the creative right side of the brain, dramatically improving your ability to draw, whether you are a professional, an artist in training or someone who draws for a hobby. This workbook will help you practise that knowledge with success at every step.Trade ReviewA guide to enhancing creativity and artistic confidence * Independent *The workbook contains just enough of Edwards' theory - along with dozens of illustrations - that one need have no qualms about giving it as a gift... does a pretty good job of breaking down the technique of drawing into easily-digested pieces. * Artists & Illustrators *The first edition of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain... was a landmark in drawing tuition... The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook has been written as a supplement... (The viewfinder) is an ingenious way to understand and overcome the problem of foreshortening and to grasp the fundamentals of form and relationships. * Leisure Painter *Think you can't draw? You absolutely can . . . You will quickly amaze and delight yourself. Hands down the best and most life-enhancing thing I've done in lockdown -- India Knight, Sunday Times, about Drawing on the Right Side of the BrainA consciousness-expanding work -- LA Times about Drawing on the Right Side of the BrainA way to unleash our latent drawing abilities ... you'll be amazed at what a good artist you are -- Psychology Today about Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

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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 SynopsisCreate Better Compositions by Design The path to better painting begins with Mastering Composition. This effective guide blends clear, visual instruction with 5 step-by-step demonstrations to show you how to plan and paint your best work yet. Composition is the key, and here you'll learn to design paintings with new skill and confidence. It all begins with the armature or structure of the picture plane. Every great painting has one, and you'll see through several famous examples exactly how the Old Masters used armatures to create movement, narrative, harmony and fluidity. Based on these examples, you'll practice what you've learned following a series of hands-on demonstrations. Once you understand the basic principles of design, you'll be amazed at how quickly and effectively your compositions come together. Soon you will be painting more boldly and confidently than ever before with less reworking and overworking. Whether you're a beginner looking for basic instruction or a more advanced painter troubleshooting a specific problem, the proven methods in this book will work for you. Ideal for all mediums, Mastering Composition gives you the knowledge you need to create powerful paintings out of every subject.

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Book SynopsisRecognized as a major figure in postwar American painting, Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993) was an artist strongly identified with California but whose work is beloved throughout the United States and the rest of the world. This catalogue covers Diebenkorn's career and focuses on the artist's inner life and purposes as revealed in his paintings.

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Book SynopsisPainter, sculptor, writer, and filmmaker, Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) was one of the century’s greatest exhibitionists and eccentrics—and was rewarded with fierce controversy wherever he went. He was one of the first to apply the insights of Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis to the art of painting, approaching the subconscious with extraordinary sensitivity and imagination. This publication presents the artist’s painted oeuvre. After many years of research, Robert Descharnes and Gilles Néret finally located the paintings of this highly prolific artist. Many of the works had been inaccessible for years—in fact so many that almost half the illustrations in this book had rarely been seen in public.Trade Review“Bound to become the standard reference work.” * Le Figaro *

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Book SynopsisResisting interpretation or classification, Mark Rothko (1903–1970) was a prominent advocate for the artist’s consummate freedom of expression. Although identified as a key protagonist of the Abstract Expressionist movement, first formed in New York City, Rothko rejected the label and insisted instead on “a consummated experience between picture and onlooker.” Following a repertoire of figurative works, Rothko developed his now iconic canvases of bold color blocks in red, yellow, ochre, maroon, black, or green. With these shimmering, pulsating color masses, Rothko stressed that he had not removed the human figure but rather put symbols or shapes in its place. These intense color forms contained all the tragedy of the human condition. At the same time, Rothko explicitly empowered the viewer in the expressive potential of his work. He believed “A picture lives by companionship, expanding and quickening in the eyes of the sensitive observer.” From his early development through to his most famous color fields, this book introduces the intellect and influence of Rothko’s dramatic, intimate, and revolutionary work.

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Book SynopsisBotticelli is one of the most admired artists of the Renaissance period and his seductive Venus and graceful Primavera are among the world's most recognisable works of art. This catalogue raisonne of Botticelli's paintings offers more than two hundred full-colour illustrations and meticulous scholarship by the distinguished Renaissance art historian Frank Zollner , described by The Financial Times, when reviewing this book's previous edition, as "a fabulous, accessible scholar; his book has luscious reproductions and exquisite detail." Presented in chronological order, the facts of Botticelli's life and career are insightfully discussed against the background of the artistic upheaval that marked the Renaissance period. The artist's reinterpretations of ancient myths as well as his religious paintings are thoughtfully explored in this sumptuously illustrated volume, which will please scholars and delight lovers of fine art books everywhere.

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Book SynopsisExpressive Sketchbooks shares a host of creative ideas and prompts, tools and techniques, methods for working around obstacles and barriers, and tons of visual inspiration to help you grow in your sketchbooking practice. An expressive sketchbook is a place for you to explore, express, and enjoy your own innate creativity on your own terms. It is a safe playground for the imagination—a place to mess about, play, and experiment—and to gain confidence in your abilities as you develop your skills.Expressive Sketchbooks offers techniques and creative exercises that incorporate mark making, watercolor, mixed media, collage, words and text, and more. It unpacks some of the obstacles and barriers that you may face along the way and offers wisdom and encouragement to help you decide why and how to start your sketchbook and how to develop and expand your artistic practice. This book is packed with ideas and exercises, including: Exploratory drawing exercises How to utilize color in your sketchbook How to create dynamic and varied sketchbook pages How to find inspiration in nature and in your everyday life Ways to mix media and art supplies Ways to kickstart your creativity How to find and develop a process that feels personal to you Through this book, you'll find out what lights you up, what makes you curious and fascinated, and what makes you expansive. Discover how to magnify your creativity and enliven your art skills by using an expressive sketchbook as your daily companion.Trade Review"An especially useful, thoroughly art student friendly, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, art school, community libraries." * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsCONTENTS INTRODUCTION: What Is an Expressive Sketchbook? CHAPTER 1: MAGIC AND MOTIVATION CHAPTER 2: GETTING GOING CHAPTER 3: TECHNIQUES FOR EXPLORING AND EXPERIMENTING CHAPTER 4: GROWING YOUR IDEAS CHAPTER 5: PRACTICE AND PROGRESS Acknowledgments About the Author

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Book SynopsisDiscover the breathtaking creative processes and intriguing inspirations behind the work of leading fantasy artist John Howe, in this comprehensive practical art book. Leads you step-by-step through a range of specially commissioned drawing and painting demonstrations that reveal John's renowned artistic approach in action.Table of ContentsForeword by Terry Gilliam Introduction THE CREATIVE PROCESS My artistic journey Narratives, themes & inspiration Gathering & using reference material Organizing your work environment Out & about Protecting & storing your artwork TOOLS & TECHNIQUES Drawing tools & materials Holding the pencil Drawing & sketching Paint & ink Digital workflow BEASTS & BEINGS Fantasy being CASE STUDY: Cernunnos Human beings CASE STUDY: Tom Badgerlock Fantasy beasts CASE STUDY: Beowulf and the Dragon BACKDROPS Landscapes CASE STUDY: Atlantis Architecture CASE STUDY: The Arrival of the Airships Atmospheres CASE STUDY: Barghest Land WORDS & PICTURES Drawing the line somewhere Into the white Wandering but not lost To the world’s edge Lost in wilderland Images were magic once SKETCHING TUTORIALS Merlin Dragon Thor and the Giant Lancelot Centaur Arwen Balrog Mermaid THE BUSINESS OF FANTASY The big bad world Book cover illustration The big screen: set design Putting your work up front The future … Afterword by Alan Lee Acknowledgments About the author Index Credits

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Book SynopsisDave White introduces the simple but effective techniques that he uses to paint stunning, dramatic seascapes with beautiful and realistic skies. He demonstrates spattering, blending backgrounds, painting horizons, finger painting clouds and foam. There is expert advice on the anatomy of waves and how they rise and collapse, creating ripples, surf, foam and spray. Clear instructions show how to paint effective reflections and beaches to improve your seascapes. The sky section shows effective techniques for painting all types of cloud, with some innovative methods such as tipping up the surface to let dilute paint run, to create cirrus clouds. Dave's method of creating depth in sea, beach and sky using lines projected from the vanishing point will radically improve readers' seascapes. There is a section of moods and sunsets full of beautiful, dramatic examples. Finally three step by step projects show how to paint a beach panorama with a rolling wave, a spectacular sunset over a calm sea and waves crashing on rocks.Trade ReviewIt's difficult for many painters to achieve realistic looking skies and water. Dave demonstrates how to paint both so that you can refine your skills. Simple techniques that any can follow. Take a closer look at waves and cloud formations, I really enjoyed these two sections. There are three step-by-step projects and examples of finished work. Discover how to add a little drama to your acrylic paintings. * Karen Platt- yarnsandfabrics.co.uk *Few artists can resist the temptation to introduce a bit of drama when it comes to painting the sea, and Dave White is no exception. It is, after all, a bit boring if you just paint flat calm and there’s nothing like a good storm to get the juices flowing. Add a nice ripe sunset and you’ll be getting through your dark greens, rich blues and deep reds like there’s no tomorrow! It’s perhaps unfair to start a review like that as this is one of the most thorough and useful books on painting seascapes that I’ve seen in a long time. Dave White is more than sound on achieving that tricky balance between solidity and fluidity in breaking waves and I particularly like his trick of using gulls that skim the surface (as they do) to give scale. His clouds are similarly light, fluffy and ethereal without looking half-hearted or like clumps of cotton wool stuck onto a Cerulean wash. For all that, it’s the drama that’ll strike you on a quick flick through, but you shouldn’t let it put you off. The sea is dramatic and, as I hinted earlier, it should be. Some of the treatments here are a bit over the top for me but, equally, they might be just what you want. In terms of technique and presentation, though, this one’s hard to beat. * Artbookreview.net *January 2016 Painting the sea is one of the greatest challenges for the artist. Constantly in motion, it has far more substance than other types of water that simply flow, or are completely still. To freeze a moment in time while still maintaining that sense of fluidity is not an easy thing to do. Almost all books on painting the sea tend at some point to be a trifle dramatic, and this is no exception. Dave white includes night-time scenes, sunsets and the last rays breaking through backlit clouds, even a helicopter rescue. On waves, spray, translucency and the rather neat trick of including low flying gulls to provide scale, Dave is solidly sound. There’s plenty of variety demonstrations and good solid instruction. * The Artist *Living near the coast in Hampshire, Dave White finds constant inspiration from the sea and skies around him, and in his latest book, sea and sky in acrylics, he shares with us some of the essential elements off of capturing a subject that is constantly moving and changing. Using his preferred medium of acrylics he opens the book with a brief description of the materials you will need, then moves swiftly on to colour and the specific colours you will need to follow the demonstrations in this book, including colour mixes for sky, sea, rocks and beaches for example. The first part concentrates on the sea, describing the techniques to create the rising and falling waves, show wind direction, ripples splashes and reflections. The middle section looks at the sky; clouds, moods and sunsets; then the rest of the book is devoted to projects – a beach panorama, a sunset and waves crashing on the rocks – all with excellent step-by-step diagrams and clear photography. * The Leisure Painter *Table of ContentsIntroduction Materials Colour and opacity Techniques SEA: The splash zone A rising wave A falling wave Surf and ripples Reflections Beaches Wind direction SKY: Selecting a vanishing point Clouds Moods and Sunsets PROJECTS: Beachcomber The Heavens Declare Barton Corner

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Book SynopsisPeaking in the 1960s, Pop Art began as a revolt against mainstream approaches to art and culture and evolved into a wholesale interrogation of modern society, consumer culture, the role of the artist, and of what constituted an artwork. Focusing on issues of materialism, celebrity, and media, Pop Art drew on mass-market sources, from advertising imagery to comic books, from Hollywood's most famous faces to the packaging of consumer products, the latter epitomized by Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup cans. As well as challenging the establishment with the elevation of such popular, banal, and kitschy images, Pop Art also deployed methods of mass-production, reducing the role of the individual artist with mechanized techniques such as screen printing. With featured artists including Andy Warhol, Allen Jones, Ed Ruscha, Robert Indiana, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Roy Lichtenstein, this book introduces the full reach and influence of a defining modernist movement.

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Book SynopsisAn icon of 1980s New York, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) first made his name under the graffiti tag “SAMO”, before establishing his studio practice and catapulting to fast fame at the age of 20. Although his career lasted barely a decade, he remains a cult figure of artistic social commentary, and a trailblazer in the mediation of graffiti and gallery art. Basquiat’s work drew upon diverse sources and media to create an original and urgent artistic vocabulary, biting with critique against structures of power and racism. His practice merged abstraction and figuration, poetry and painting, while his influences spanned Greek, Roman, and African art, French poetry, jazz, and the work of artistic contemporaries such as Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly. The results are vivid, visceral mixtures of words, African emblems, cartoonish figures, daubs of bold color, and beyond. This book presents Basquiat’s short but prolific career, his unique style, and his profound engagement with ever-relevant issues of integration and segregation, poverty and wealth.

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Book SynopsisNow available in paperback, this book remains the definitive survey of the life and work of Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington (1917-2011). Carrington burst onto the Surrealist scene in 1936, when, as a precocious nineteen-year-old debutante, she escaped the stultifying demands of her wealthy English family by running away to Paris with her lover Max Ernst. She was immediately championed by Andre Breton, who responded enthusiastically to her fantastical, dark and satirical writing style and her interest in fairy tales and the occult. Her stories were included in Surrealist publications, and her paintings in the Surrealists' exhibitions. After the dramas and tragic separations of the Second World War, Carrington ended up in the 1940s as part of the circle of Surrealist European emigres living in Mexico City. Close friends with Luis Bunuel, Benjamin Peret, Octavio Paz and a host of both expatriate Surrealists and Mexican modernists, Carrington was at the centre of Mexican cultural life, while still maintaining her European connections. Leonora Carrington: Surrealism, Alchemy and Art provides a fascinating overview of this intriguing artist's rich body of work. The author considers Carrington's preoccupation with alchemy and the occult, and explores the influence of indigenous Mexican culture and beliefs on her production.Trade Review'full of stunning colour reproductions of Carrington's visionary art, whose hybrid forms borrow from nature, culture and religion in order to take themselves beyond all three. A beautiful book.' Ali Smith, The Sunday TelegraphTable of ContentsIntroduction: The magikal art of painting; The reluctant debutante; Ernst, Surrealism and the femme sorciere; Heaven and hell: wartime experiences; The alchemical kitchen: Domestic space as sacred space; Esoteric interests; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisOnly 20 paintings and eight drawings are confidently assigned to Netherlandish painter Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450–1516) but in their fantastical visions they have secured his place as one of the most cult artists in history. 500 years on from his death, his works continue to inspire scholars, artists, designers, and musicians, death metal band names and designer dresses. This edition offers the complete and haunting Bosch world in one compact format. Through full spreads and carefully curated details, we explore the full reach and compelling inventions of the artist’s genius as well as disturbing imagination. We encounter his hybrid creatures, his nightmarish scenarios, his religious and moral framework, and his pictorial versions of contemporary proverbs and idioms. Along the way, art historian and Bosch expert Stefan Fischer reveals the most important themes and influences in these cryptic, mesmerizing masterpieces.Trade Review“A magnificently illustrated monograph.” * The Times *“Superb color reproductions and numerous details allow us to examine Bosch’s fantastic imagery with a clarity seldom possible, even in a museum gallery.” * The Burlington Magazine *“Bosch in breathtakingly unearthly depth of field.” * Die Welt *

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Book SynopsisJoan Eardley (1921-1963) is one of Scotland's most admired artists. During a career that lasted barely fifteen years, she concentrated on two very distinct themes: children in the Townhead area of central Glasgow, and the fishing village of Catterline, just south of Aberdeen, with its leaden skies and wild sea. The contrast between this urban and rural subject matter is self-evident, but the two are not, at heart, so very different. Townhead and Catterline were home to tight-knit communities, living under extreme pressure: Townhead suffered from overcrowding and poverty, and Catterline from depopulation brought about by the declining fishing industry. Eardley was inspired by the humanity she found in both places. These two intertwining strands are the focus of this book, which looks in detail at Eardley's working processes. Her method can be traced from rough sketches and photographs through to pastel drawings and large oil paintings. Identifying many of Eardley's subjects and drawing on unpublished letters, archival records and interviews, the authors provide a new and remarkably detailed account of Eardley's life and art.Table of ContentsDirectors' Foreword Introduction TOWNHEAD Townhead and Children Children and the Street CATTERLINE Early Paintings of Catterline The South Row of Cottages Around No. 1 Catterline Beach and Sea Boats on the Shore and the Sea View of the Bay Chronology Maps of Townhead and Catterline Concise Bibliography Notes and References Credits

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Book SynopsisHans Hofmann (1880-1966) was a pivotal figure in Abstract Expressionism and stands as one of the most important characters of post-war American art. This ground-breaking catalogue raisonne of paintings, which has been painstakingly researched over sixteen years, is both an invaluable scholarly resource and a celebration of Hofmann's remarkable artistic achievements.Hofmann's long and productive career began in Paris in 1904 where the young artist absorbed the manifold influences of the city's avant-garde. Drawn back to Germany due to war, Hofmann, exempt from military service, opened an innovative school for art in Munich. The school's reputation spread internationally and, as the political situation in Germany deteriorated during the 1930s, Hofmann re-located his school to New York. The city, a center for emerging artistic talent, was the perfect environment for Hofmann to continue his teaching practice, which he did until 1958, when he devoted himself entirely to painting. Throughout his American years, Hofmann enlarged the expressive language of abstraction, through his innovative use of color, materiality and structure.This impressive three-volumed catalogue marks a milestone in the scholarship and understanding of Hofmann's huge contribution to twentieth-century art. Through insightful essays, meticulous catalogue entries and supporting academic apparatus, it is shown how Hofmann's exceptional body of work often defies categorization - his was a highly personal visual language with which he endlessly explored pictorial structures and chromatic relationships. Both visually stunning and academically robust, this publication is an essential purchase for all those with a keen interest in one of the twentieth century's most significant and original artists.Trade Review'By common consent, Hans Hofmann was one of the great painters of the postwar period, at once a superb colorist and a magnificent constructor of pictures. Now at last, almost fifty years after his death, we have what promises to be a definitive catalogue raisonne of his paintings, along with a detailed chronology of his life, an exhibition history, and interpretive essays by leading scholars. An indispensable resource and, beyond that, an event.' Michael Fried, Johns Hopkins UniversityTable of ContentsContents: Volume 1: Preface, The Trustees of the Renate, Hans and Maria Hofmann Trust; Acknowledgements, Suzi Villiger; Making of the Catalogue Raisonne, Suzi Villiger; Usage guide to the catalogue entries; Documenting Hofmann: Primary sources and the Hans Hofmann Catalogue Raisonne of Paintings, Juliana Kreinik; The education of Hans Hofmann, Peter Morrin; In search of Equipoise: Hofmann's artistic negotiations, 1940-58, Marcelle Polednik; Hans Hofmann: Tradition and invention, Karen Wilkin; The Structure of imagination: Hofmann's late paintings, Paul Moorhouse; Chronology, Juliana Kreinik and Suzi Villiger with additional research by Jessie Sentivan; Notes to the essays and chronology; Exhibition history, Helen Vong; Bibliography, Helen Vong; Index of titles; Index of public collections; General index; Photography credits. Volume 2: Catalogue entries P1-P846 (1901-51). Volume 3: Catalogue entries, P847-PW89 (1952-65).

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive course in landscape painting with acrylics by popular author and tutor Charles Evans. Charles' no-nonsense techniques and engaging writing style bring acrylic painting within the grasp of anyone keen to get started in this versatile and popular medium. The book begins with excellent advice for the beginner, including easy drawing for painting, composition, easy perspective, light and shade, colour, and how to use acrylics with different painting styles. There are six full step-by-step painting projects ranging from simple skies to snowy landscapes with horses, each of which is supported by additional exercises and techniques. The step-by-step projects allow aspiring artists to put into practice their new-found skills, and produce six stunning paintings of their own, in a range of styles. A pull-out outline drawing is provided for every project, and Charles shows how to transfer these onto the painting surface. Charles' accessible and irreverent style makes learning to paint with acrylics easy and fun.Trade ReviewFebruary 2018 For those wanting to try acrylics but nervous of starting a new medium, Charles Evan's Acrylics for the Absolute Beginner will be just what you need. Popular artist and tutor, Charles has an engaging style of painting and writing that makes it all seem so easy. There's advice on drawing for painting, composition, perspective, light and shade, colour and different painting styles. The main part of the book comprises six step-by-step projects for you to work through, as well as extra exercises and techniques as appropriate. A pull-out outline drawing for every project is provided, which does the hard work for you so you can simply get on with the painting. * The Leisure Painter *This book begins with an explanation of basic brushstrokes, exercises in simple shapes and hints on working from photographs, moving quickly on to trees, figures, animals and boats. The book is based around a series of 12 pre-printed outlines that provide the basis for complete demonstrations, practising composition, perspective, glazing and texture along the way. -- The SAA * The SAA Catalogue 19/20 *Table of ContentsIntroduction Materials Easy drawing for painting Light and shade Getting started Painting in the watercolour style Step-by-step project: Sunlit field Painting in the oil style Step-by-step project Step-by-step project: Woodland on paper Painting buildings and rocks Step-by-step project: Buildings Painting water Step-by-step project: Waterfall on paper Painting animals Step-by-step project: Horses in snow Index

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Book SynopsisTake your first steps with pastels and learn how to produce modern, lively and colourful artwork with this exciting medium. 'This thorough guide to the rewarding medium of pastel will teach you much more than just the basics and may be the only pastel book you'll ever need!' - The SAA Artist and teacher Rebecca de Mendonça offers the beginner a complete course in using pastels. Easy-to-follow techniques for soft and hard pastels. 8 projects broken down into simple steps. Includes a wealth of finished paintings to provide ideas and inspiration. Step-by-step exercises and longer projects help you to build essential skills and allow you to produce a range of pictures, including landscapes, still life, portraits and animals. Vital drawing skills are explained and demonstrated, along with an easy-to-follow guide to colour theory, and a huge wealth of finished paintings provide ideas and inspiration for your own future pastel work.Trade ReviewThis thorough guide to the rewarding medium of pastel will teach you much more than just the basics and may be the only pastel book you'll ever need! Rebecca introduces new techniques in an eminently practical way, demonstrating detail and loose styles of working, giving you the chance to explore the medium as widely as possible. * The SAA *Although this is a superb introduction to the rewarding medium of pastels, it’s also a whole lot more. Rebecca is a versatile artist whose skills run to just about any subject. Her results are breath-taking and this is one of the most thorough guides I’ve ever seen. I’d even go so far as to say it might be the only book you’ll ever need. After the obligatory introduction to materials and basic techniques, the book immediately starts to get practical and you might be forgiven for thinking you’ve moved on to the exercises and demonstrations. In fact, you’re still practising techniques, shading and textures, just not through the sort of geometric shapes that many books subject you to. Once you’re confident and competent, you’ll move on to full-scale demonstrations that cover landscapes, waterscapes, trees, skies, buildings, animals and people (I told you it was comprehensive!). There are plenty of steps and concise but thorough instructions, as well as hints and tips galore. I really can’t praise this enough. It’s so much more than the title suggests and a must for any pastellist. -- Henry Malt * SAA Paint Magazine *Leisure Painter contributor, Rebecca de Mendoca, introduces pastels to the complete beginner in her new book, Pastels for the Absolute Beginner. Rebecca is an experienced tutor and understands the problems many people face when starting a new medium. Using clear step-by-step exercises she will show you how to begin-from setting up your workspace, and basic pastel techniques-to using colour, composition and adding life to your paintings. The range of subjects covered includes still life, landscapes, portraits and animals, and the many examples of Rebecca's works are sure to inspire you. * Leisure Painter *The idea of an Absolute Beginner series is a good one. Anyone taking up painting, or starting with a new medium needs a sound guide that is well-grounded in the basics and assumes no previous knowledge. The book is certainly thorough. Subjects include landscapes, waterscapes, people and animals, with skies, trees and waves thrown in along the way. Rebecca is primarily a portrait and equestrian artist and this shows – these are easily her strongest subjects. However, she is thoroughly at home with her medium and handles everything well. Her demonstrations and explanations are concise, but easy to follow. They will, I think, be of value to anyone – at whatever level – working with pastel. -- Henry Malt * Art Book Review *This unassuming, but not insubstantial book is a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Although billed as an introduction it is actually one of the best and most comprehensive books on pastel there has been in a long time – possibly ever. Books on pastel usually either cover landscapes, because that’s the most popular subject and sales volumes matter, or are fairly simple technical introductions that can lack any real sense of creative endeavour. Rebecca de Mendonça, whose first book this is, is an artist of very considerable ability who is up to the task of tackling subjects that range from landscapes and beach scenes to figures, animals and still life’s. There is plenty of technical information, but also demonstrations and exercises a-plenty and so much to get your teeth into that you’ll never be stuck for inspiration or left feeling you want more. -- Henry Malt * The Artist *Table of ContentsIntroduction 6 Materials 8 Setting up your workspace 12 Starting to draw 16 Pastel techniques 28 Bauble – step by step 36 Teasel – step by step 46 Colour 56 Rolling Fields – step by step 62 Landscapes 70 Rocky Tor – step by step 74 Billowing Clouds – step by step 92 The Birches – step by step 104 Life in your paintings 110 Child with Fishing Net – step by step 120 Toby – step by step 130 Composition 140 Index 144

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Book SynopsisThis second volume from Titan Books is a collection of world-renowned visionary artist John Harris' unique paintings captures breath-taking, otherworldly vistas on a massive scale. The Art of John Harris II: Into the Blue is the third collection (second collection published by Titan) of world-renowned visionary artist John Harris' unique paintings that capture future worlds on a massive scale, from vast landscapes and towering cities to breath-taking vistas. Readers will get a unique insight into the creative process behind the worlds depicted in the paintings as Harris takes them on a journey from sketch to finished painting, as well as his striking covers for a variety of esteemed science fiction authors, including John Scalzi, Ben Bova, Jack McDevitt, Orson Scott Card, Ann Leckie and many more.

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Book SynopsisWith Salvador Dalí as its figurehead, the great ship of Surrealism traversed the turbulent seas of the early 20th century with sails billowing with dreams and desires. Inspired by the psychoanalytical practice of Sigmund Freud, the Surrealists championed the unconscious as the domain of truth, uninhibited by the standards or expectations of society. With techniques ranging from hypnotism to nocturnal walks to automatic writing, the likes of André Breton, Max Ernst, Brassaï, and Meret Oppenheim produced paintings, drawings, texts, and films in which they sought to excavate their most intimate and primal instincts. The results abound with sexual fantasies, with mysterious, menacing creatures, and with the juxtaposition of seemingly contradictory objects or ideas. This book introduces the origins and the sensational legacy of the Surrealist movement, one of the most profound and enduring influences on film, theater, literature, art, and thought. Featured artists: Hans Arp, André Breton, Giorgio de Chirico, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Paul Klee, René Magritte, André Masson, Matta, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Meret Oppenheim, Yves Tanguy

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Book SynopsisA century after his death, Viennese artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) still startles with his unabashed eroticism, dazzling surfaces, and artistic experimentation. In this neat, dependable monograph, we gather all of Klimt's major works alongside authoritative art historical commentary and privileged archival material from Klimt's own archive to trace the evolution of his astonishing oeuvre.With top-quality illustration, including new photography of the celebrated Stoclet Frieze, the book follows Klimt through his prominent role in the Secessionist movement of 1897, his candid rendering of the female body, and his lustrous "golden phase" when gold leaf brought a shimmering tone and texture to such beloved works as The Kiss and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, also known as The Woman in Gold.Trade Review"Guaranteed to work up a fervor."

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Book SynopsisFrom his images of deserted small towns and solitary figures in empty offices to his cheerfully tranquil New England landscapes, Hopper's most famous compositions can be seen as products of a life spent observing human nature. Hopper's images evoke an enigmatic uncertainty, which speaks to the heart of the American experience. Hopper's talent for depicting multiple aspects of the post-war experience is the focus of this generously illustrated and engaging volume.

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Book SynopsisThis important re-evaluation of the Dutch- born painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema traces his personal and artistic journey towards international fame and success in London and investigates how this exceptionally creative artist used his own houses and studios as laboratories to produce vivid paintings of life in ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Lawrence Alma-Tadema s paintings were immensely popular among his contemporaries, and have since enchanted a wide audience through the medium of cinema. Anyone who has ever enjoyed the great epic films of antiquity from Italian silent classics and Cecil B. DeMille to Ridley Scott s Gladiator will instantly recognize their origins in sets and costumes Alma- Tadema invented. Accompanied by glowing reproductions of the artist s rich and detailed works, this book boldly re-assesses Alma-Tadema s art through the idea of home: from his admiration for the interiors depicted in early Dutch paintings through his fascination with Pompeian ruins, to his creation of large studio houses that were artworks in their own right. Building upon Alma-Tadema s renown as the archaeologist of artists, the new scholarship in this impressive volume shows how the spaces he created and inhabited with his talented artist-wife Laura and their two daughters reflected an aesthetic vision that has thrilled viewers and other artists for more than a century. Appealing to general and scholarly audiences alike, this book underscores Alma-Tadema s reputation as one of his era s greatest creative talents."Trade Review"As well as providing a comprehensive overview of the painter's career, the volume includes a wealth of high-quality illustrations that bring out Alma-Tadema's subtle handling of color and texture" -Choice Magazine "Replete throughout with wonderfully beautiful reproductions of his art, Lawrence Alma-Tadema: At Home in Antiquity is as comprehensive and informative as it is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. A consistently compelling and insightful study from beginning to end, Lawrence Alma-Tadema: At Home in Antiquity is unique and very highly recommended." -Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisStephen Quiller shows readers how to discover their own personal "colour sense" in this book. With the help of his own "Quiller Wheel", a special foldout wheel featuring 68 precisely placed colours, he shows artists how they can develop their own unique colour blends.

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Book SynopsisThe work of Henri Matisse (1869–1954) reflects an ongoing belief in the power of brilliant colors and simple forms. Though famed in particular for his paintings, Matisse also worked with drawing, sculpture, lithography, stained glass, and collage, developing his unique cut-out medium when old age left him unable to stand and paint. Matisse’s subjects were often conventional: nudes, portraits, and figures in landscapes, Oriental scenes, and interior views, but in his handling of bold color and fluid draftsmanship, he secured his place as a 20th-century master. It was Matisse’s palette that particularly thrilled the modern imagination. With vivid blue, amethyst purple, egg-yolk yellow, and many shades beyond he liberated his work from a meticulous representation of reality and sought instead a “vital harmony,” often referring to music as an inspiration or analogy for his work. A comprehensive and informative source, this lavishly illustrated publication includes preparatory studies, full-page reproductions, and enlarged details. Discover the artist's adventurous path, from the chromatic brilliance of his Fauve period, right through to his invention of gouache cut-outs at the ripe age of 80. Each image has been reproduced with painstaking care to create a viewing experience worthy of the expressionist par excellence. The bard of color deserves no less.

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Book SynopsisThe unfading popularity of Gustav Klimt (1862–1918) attests not only to the particular appeal of his luxuriant painting but also to the universal themes with which he worked: love, feminine beauty, aging, and death. The son of a goldsmith, Klimt created surfaces of ornate and jewel-like luminosity which show the influence of both Egyptian and Japanese art. Through paintings, murals, and friezes, his work is defined by radiant color, fluid lines, floral elements, and mosaic-like patterning. With subjects ranging from sensuality and desire to anxiety and despair, all this iridescence is also suffused with feeling. Klimt’s numerous images of women, characterized by curvaceous forms, tender flesh, red lips, and flushed cheeks, were particularly charged with passion, at a time when such frank eroticism was still taboo in Viennese upper-middle-class society. This book presents a selection of Klimt’s work, introducing his pictorial world of decoration and desire, as well as his influence on artists to come.

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Book SynopsisAlbrecht Durer's prints and drawings have inspired hundreds of artists, both during his life and after his death. Yet his talent as a painter and colorist, and his enthusiasm for the scientific world have not been widely appreciated. Durer's influence was both international and intergenerational-indeed Picasso claimed to have been inspired by the 16th-century artist. Reproduced in stunning detail and including illustrations of Durer's most famous prints and drawings, a catalog raisonne of his paintings, and biographical research, this book presents a Durer for the 21st century. Producing more self-portraits than any other artist of his day; mass marketing his best-selling prints; even inventing his own monogram logo; Albrecht Du rer was commercially astute long before today's generation of self-promoting and financially-savvy artists. There are 55 extant Durer paintings, of which 17 are in dispute. Using scientific research, this book puts all arguments to bed resulting in the definitive catalog raisonne of the paintings. Drawing on in-depth research, this book reveals the truth behind Durer and his art.Trade Review"The catalogue is full of beautiful reproductions and numerous close-ups, and the enlarged reproductions of engravings invite contemplation of the artist’s mastery of line." -The Art Newspaper

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Book SynopsisThis is the fascinating story of the world's most numerous creatures, illustrated by stunning images from the American Museum of Natural History's Rare Book Collection.Trade Review“Engel, a University of Kansas biology professor, delves into the American Museum of Natural History’s rare book collection, specifically its ‘thousands of marvelously illustrated books’ about insects, to create a book as aesthetically pleasing as it is informative. Insects, Engel explains, are indeed innumerable, with perhaps as many as 30 million extant species. They can also be set apart from the rest of the planet’s life in many respects, since ‘insects were among the earliest animals to transition to land, the first to fly, the first to sing, the first to disguise themselves with camouflage, the first to evolve societies, the first to develop agriculture, and the first to use an abstract language.’ Engel covers insect diversity, evolution, ecology, and physiology, among other topics, while including intriguing vignettes about early entomologists, including Maria Sibylla Merian, Julius T.C. Ratzeburg, and Jan Swammerdam. With so much ground to cover, Engel doesn’t go into great detail about any one point, but there’s enough substance to satisfy most readers. The images, however, are the stars of this work, which will delight every entomophile who turns its pages.” — Publishers Weekly“Engel, a University of Kansas biology professor, delves into the American Museum of Natural History’s rare book collection, specifically its ‘thousands of marvelously illustrated books’ about insects, to create a book as aesthetically pleasing as it is informative. Insects, Engel explains, are indeed innumerable, with perhaps as many as 30 million extant species. They can also be set apart from the rest of the planet’s life in many respects, since ‘insects were among the earliest animals to transition to land, the first to fly, the first to sing, the first to disguise themselves with camouflage, the first to evolve societies, the first to develop agriculture, and the first to use an abstract language.’ Engel covers insect diversity, evolution, ecology, and physiology, among other topics, while including intriguing vignettes about early entomologists, including Maria Sibylla Merian, Julius T.C. Ratzeburg, and Jan Swammerdam. With so much ground to cover, Engel doesn’t go into great detail about any one point, but there’s enough substance to satisfy most readers. The images, however, are the stars of this work, which will delight every entomophile who turns its pages.” — Publishers Weekly

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