This book is ambitiously inter-disciplinary. Its eleven works, in full colour, form a striking contribution to the commonwealth of colour studies and to a possible unification of C. P. Snow's Two Cultures. Colour and inter-disciplinarity go hand in hand. This so often involves the authors leaving the comfort zone of their original specialty and striving for excellence in another. The personal story of Franziska Schenk is but one good example. Colour in Art, Design and Nature may be divided into four main sections, defined in terms of the authors themselves. First, there are two contributions by biologists. Second, the largest section is by practicing artists. Third, there are two engineering-based contributions. Finally, two contributions address some of the historical proponents of colour theory and art. It seems that our perceptions of aesthetics and beauty must be very flexible indeed so as to find absolute opposites equally fascinating. If so, it goes to show how wonderful are the construction and operation of the human brain. Does psychology win in the end? Does colour lead to a single culture?"

Charcoal is a versatile and dramatic medium with incredible potential for expression. This stunning book shows you how to create a drawing using its subtle, complex and bold qualities to best effect. Through step-by-step demonstrations and tasks, it explores the process, explaining how to capture a scene or the feeling of a scene, and, essentially, how best to fix an image to the page. With over 200 illustrations, this beautiful book is a compelling guide for everyone who wants to work with this elusive and powerful medium. Topics covered include: The basics of charcoal - explains the material, its qualities and ways of using it; Charcoal lenses - advises on how to choose interesting subjects with the use of photography and sketchbooks, and how to build a library of visual references; Mark making - includes techniques for complete beginners, as well as more advanced ideas for those hoping to develop and refine their work; Demonstrations - shows how to use the techniques and build a body of work; Soft pastel - suggests ways of combining charcoal with pastel to add colour to your work; Tasks and extensions - gives tips for trying and exploring ideas further to develop your own skills and to create a unique style to your work and finally: Protecting your work - advises on the key techniques used for fixing, photographing, storing and framing your work.