Art rules the world. But what about the rules of art? In our current day and age, the general consensus seems to be that creativity, divine inspiration and art can never be bound by rules. Artists need to push the envelope, be ahead of the curve, and if there are any rules out there it is the artist's prerogative, if not God-given right, to break them. But up to the early 20th century, artists did not have the complete artistic freedom that they are believed to enjoy today. They were bound by rules of art, of decency and indeed of taste. This books contains 51 art rules. From the age-old 'Rule of Thirds' to modern mantras like 'Design isn't art.' Myths, like the one of the struggling artist, are dispelled, while other rules are merely confirmed with the help of quotes by artists, theorists and art enthusiasts.

With hundreds of recipes for some of the most popular and enduring high-fire glazes, this reference will prove a boon to ceramists who want to master this complex and versatile aspect of the art. Author John Britt, who served as Clay Coordinator at the respected Penland School of Crafts, has personally tested many of the recipes, and carefully reviews every one. He offers a thorough examination of glaze materials, chemistry, and tools, and presents the basics of mixing, application, and firing procedures. There's a wealth of information on various type of glazes, including copper, iron, shino, salt/soda, crystalline, and more. An exhaustive index of subjects and a separate index of glaze recipes will help ceramists find what they need, quickly and easily.

This easy-to-use easel format book is ideal for both complete beginners and more experienced artists who want to expand their skills. It contains clear instructions, reliable advice and friendly encouragement to unleash your creativity. It features over 600 illustrations and photographs lead you step by step through each project. It features carefully planned lessons that teach you how to draw the detailed features of people and pets. It offers easy-to-follow guidance on composition, perspective, medium, and the best sitting position for drawing. In this title, projects include household objects, winter tree, Victorian house, portrait of a girl, and ducks on the pond. From flowers and still lifes to landscape and family portraits - you can learn how to draw in just 15 simple, fun lessons. All you need to get started is some basic equipment and a sketchbook. Then just follow the step-by-step directions to learn time-tested techniques for using pencils, pens, pastels and charcoal, and watch your artwork form before your eyes. A useful introduction contains guidance on types of easel, sitting positions, basic equipment and choosing a sketchbook, as well as simple instructions for basic shapes. The chapters that follow cover Still Life, Flowers and Trees, Landscape, People and Portraits, and Animals. Each project is illustrated with detailed stage-by-stage pictures, including close-ups of difficult sections. The practical easel format makes this book easy to use by any aspiring artist.

DON'T use comic sans (except ironically!) but DO worship the classic typefaces like Helvetica and Garamond. Graphic Design Rules is a handy guide for professional graphic designers, students, and laymen who incorporate graphic design into their job or small business. Packed with practical advice, this spirited collection of design dos and don'ts takes readers through 365 rules like knowing when to use a modular grid-and when to throw the grid out the window. All designers will appreciate tips and lessons from these highly accomplished authors, who draw on years of experience to help you create good design.

Abstract Expressionism was the defining movement in American art during the years following World War II, making New York City the centre of the international art scene. But what the heck did it mean! The drips, the spills, the splashes, the blotches of colour, the wild spontaneous energy signifying what?

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM FOR BEGINNERS will not only help you understand, but, also, appreciate the art of some of the most iconic figures in modern art Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler and others. Explore their lives and artistic roots, the heady world of Greenwich Village in the 1940s and 1950s, the influence of jazz, the voices of critics and the enduring legacy of a uniquely inspired group of artists.

The ultimate introduction to global art, presenting 30,000 years of creativity in one lavishly illustrated book. Discover all you need to know about art history in this definite guide. Art: The Definitive Visual Guide brings a gallery of more than 2,500 of the world's finest paintings and sculptures into your home. Spanning 30,000 years, from cave paintings to contemporary art, this stunning chronological exploration of every major artistic movement introduces the major milestones of each period, from the tomb paintings of Ancient Egypt, Qing Dynasty Chinese art, through to 20th century Cubism and African art today. Dedicated spreads explain how art works, for example introducing how artists use colour and composition. A visual timeline of key works gives an overview of the scope of each major movement, and each era and art movement is introduced with key information, placing art in the context of its time. Accessible to art novices as well as seasoned enthusiasts, Art: The Definitive Visual Guide is a must-have for any bookshelf.

Discover all the secrets of hybrid and combination techniques used in printmaking. Hybrid Prints reveals the secrets of hybrid and combination techniques used in printmaking. Combined techniques are often used by printmakers as innovative ways of achieving particular results, and then not fully acknowledged or detailed in the information that accompanies the print when it is exhibited. Combination printmaking has a long history, but the explosion of media now available to printmakers has opened up many new possibilities. Learning the techniques associated with creating hybrid prints is often a case of trial-and-error as most printmakers closely guard the secrets of how they make their unique prints. This book is a must-have for student and practising printmakers printmakers as it finally reveals and explains many 'secret' methods and techniques.

Take your time to relax and colour in these super cute original designs from illustration artist Meni Tzima. These beautiful line drawings can be filled in and coloured any way you want. In this book you will find cupcakes, funny bunnies, flowers, sweet candies, cactus, happy cats, donuts, hearts and stars. When you're finished colouring, simply remove the pages, place them in a frame and hang them on your wall!

Expand, inspire and invigorate your calligraphy practice today. Packed with fresh ideas for calligraphy techniques, styles and subjects, this book is a visual feast of inspiration for all abilities, whether you're new to calligraphy or looking to reinvigorate your practice. Boost your creativity with the help of more than 80 artworks by contemporary, international calligraphers, each demonstrating an interesting or innovative approach. Techniques include hot foiling, laser cutting and brush calligraphy, as well as general inspiration such as practising calligraphy on baubles, making calligraphy wrapping paper and customising your own tools. Explore both new and old methods and discover the basic skills to excel at this ancient art form. The art of calligraphy is the ultimate way to relax, restore and create beautiful pieces of art - and this book is sure to renew your creativity.

Perfect for children, parents or anyone else keen to try their hand at face-painting anything from tigers, aliens and sharks to unicorns, rainbows and superheroes.

When Danny Gregory's life was turned upside down by tragedy, he learned to cope by teaching himself to draw. The result was a complete transformation of his life, his priorities, his career, and the way he saw the world. In handwritten chapters full of his lush watercolor illustrations, Danny now offers readers a program for reconnecting to their own creative energies, using drawing as an example. He gently instructs us in the art of allowing ourselves to fail, giving up the expectation of perfection and opening our eyes to the beauty around us. The result is the permission to express ourselves fully and take part in the creative process without fear. Artist or not, readers of all stripes will find inspiration in this unique and beautiful book.

Got manga? Christopher Hart's got manga, and he wants to share it with all his millions of readers--especially the beginners. With "Manga for the Beginner," anyone who can hold a pencil can start drawing great manga characters right away. Using his signature step-by-step style, Hart shows how to draw the basic manga head and body, eyes, bodies, fashion, and more. Then he goes way beyond most beginner titles, exploring dynamic action poses, special effects, light and shading, perspective, popular manga types such as animals, anthros, and shoujo and shounen characters. By the end of this big book, the new artist is ready to draw dramatic story sequences full of movement and life.

Colour your way to better focus! Colouring books ... for grown-ups. Remember the long hours spent colouring in the lines of your most-cherished colouring books, full box of crayons within reach, the demanding adult world tuned out? Secretly long for an excuse to retreat back into that world? Now you can. Find your inner artist and colour your way to better focus! Mindfulness helps us to appreciate the world around us - to feel centred, less stressed and more fully alive. Art for Mindfulness offers the perfect aid - 60 intricate blank vintage fabric patterns to help focus your mind, unlock your creativity and calm your conscious as you pour colour into them. With an introduction from art therapist and mindfulness practitioner Imi Lo, plus accompanying quotes with each illustration to inspire meditation as you go through, Art for Mindfulness is the beautiful colouring book for grown-ups you can mindfully complete. So pick up your pencil, unleash your creativity and watch your well-being thrive!

If you love drawing people but don't know where to start, this is the book for you! 10 Step Drawing: People will help you turn simple lines or shapes into lifelike images in just 10 steps. There are instructions for the individual elements of the face and body, as well as complete faces and people. With advice on basic equipment and colouring techniques, each drawing includes colour palettes so readers can easily find the right tones for their drawing. Learning to draw has never been so simple!

Prepare for the cutest world tour ever with Kawaii Doodle Cuties! YouTube celebrity artist Pic Candle will show you how to draw kawaii characters from every stop on the map! The Japanese word kawaii translates to "cute," and this how-to book is chock-full of super-adorable characters from your favorite spots around the globe. With doodles of food, nature, animals, architecture, fashion, and more, you will learn to draw cute artwork from countries all over the world! Learn how to draw a darling Eiffel Tower, macaron, and beret from France. Or master how to draw precious natural wonders Like Australia's Great Barrier Reef and enchanting architecture like India's Taj Mahal. Or sketch fashion fun like a K-pop skirt from South Korea and charming transportation like a tuk tuk from Vietnam. Kawaii Doodle Cutiesfeatures over 100 lovable, huggable characters and includes simple step-by-step illustrations and instructions, search-and-find puzzle patterns that you can color, and inspiration pages. Thanks to this adorable crash course in doodling all things kawaii, you'll soon be enhancing your notebooks, stationery, artwork, and everything with unbelievably adorable illustrations! 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.

Sketchbooks are an essential part of the creative process for artists of all disciplines, ranging from textiles and jewellery to interior design, printmaking and ceramics. The sketchbook is a complete record of the creative process which, it can even be argued, is more important that the finished object at the end of this process. This book is a vital resource for artists of all levels including students, makers and collectors, as it not only gives practical advice about building your own sketchbooks but also provides examples of different artists' working methods. Extraordinary Sketchbooks takes the reader through different themes and functions for sketchbooks, including drawing to collect visual research, course work, developing concepts and suggestions for making simple and quick visuals into exciting images. An inspiring gallery of examples from a range of artists including recent graduates, practising artists and lecturers and working professionals form a variety of art and design industries. A fantastic resource for artists everywhere.

The legendary Samurai, and the sharp-edged katanas they mastered, are the point of this thrill-seeking guide to drawing swordfights, battle scenes and skirmishes. The Complete Guide to Drawing Dynamic Manga Sword Fighters provides a highly detailed series of lessons--ideal for digital artists--starting with the body, the fighter's stance and the various ways your characters can be twisted, torqued and turned into powerful poses. No detail is overlooked: from the grip on the weapon to the intense look on your character's face. Also included is an entire chapter devoted to the various razor-sharp weapons your characters can come armed with. This invaluable manga drawing guide then concludes with a gallery of full-color scenes, poses and anime stills showing important, aspirational details: captivating scenes, compelling characters and powerful weapons at the ready. With this book, intermediate artists of all ages can refine their style and add intensity, authenticity and drama to their stories. Enjoy as your characters slash, fence and fight their way through your own custom-designed action manga.

Paint with best-selling author Charles Evans as he introduces the System3 range of inks and acrylics. System3 is a well-established brand of inks, acrylics and heavy body paints manufactured by Daler-Rowney; it is readily available worldwide, including the US and UK, and is economically priced, making it affordable by students as well as amateur artists. Painting with System3 aims to inspire, instruct and encourage an experimental approach to painting with this versatile range of media, taking it out of the classroom and into the field. Daler-Rowney ambassador Charles Evans teaches the reader about the variety of products in the range and explores creative and innovative ways of using - and combining - the inks and paints on different supports, including watercolour paper, canvas and wood. As the first book to showcase the properties and versatility of System3 inks and acrylics, Painting with System3 takes a highly practical approach to introducing the potential of the range, with exercises and 13 step-by-step projects to help the reader carry forward the skills they have acquired. Charles also features his artwork using the media, as further inspiration on what can be achieved with System3.

Creating engaging and believable creature designs is a difficult and enjoyable task. The monsters, aliens and fantasy animals that grace our TV and cinema screens represent the hard work and dedication of a team of incredibly talented artists and designers. This book aims to unlock their world and introduce the fundamentals skills of creating movie quality designs. Covering key topics like animal anatomy and functionality as well as techniques to create unique and engaging designs, this expansive book will be packed full of advice and guidance from some of the most impressive and renowned artists working in this field in the world today.

"Drawing - The Process" is a collection of papers, theories and interviews based on the conference and exhibition of the same name held at Kingston University in 2003.

Much debate and research is currently undertaken in this area and it is the intention of the book to galvanize this, while providing a vehicle for deep enquiry. The publication will firstly comprise a collection of refereed papers representing a breadth of activity and research around the issues of drawing within the broad context of art and design activity. The second dimension of the book will be an examination of the drawing processes of high profile practitioners.
The publication will encompass the best contemporary investigation of a subject pivotal to art and design activity, and should be recognized as a fundamental text for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.