Artists use sketchbooks for a myriad of purposes - to capture a moment, to develop an idea, to record a scene... This book advises on how to enjoy keeping a sketchbook and how to make the most of their use. With practical examples throughout, it is a beautiful and valuable guide that will inspire you to pick up a pencil or brush, mark the page and start your own visual diary. Topics covered include looking at different types of sketchbooks - their size, theme and purpose; ideas for drawing and painting in a sketchbook inside, outside or while travelling and advice on professional sketchbooks and scrapbooks.

This richly illustrated book celebrates in words and pictures the beautiful work that award-winning artist Alan Lee produced for J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, and includes dozens of brand-new paintings and pencil drawings exploring the world of Bilbo Baggins. Since The Hobbit was first published in 1937, generations of readers have fallen under its spell. That magic was reignited sixty years later, when Alan Lee was commissioned to produce a special illustrated edition, and his delicate pencil drawings and beautiful watercolour paintings have become for many the definitive vision of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. In this sumptuous, large-format hardback Alan Lee reveals in pictures and in words how he created these images, which would prove so powerful, matching perfectly with Tolkien's own vision, that they would eventually define the look of Peter Jackson's film adaptations and earn Alan a coveted Academy Award. The Hobbit Sketchbook is filled with more than 100 of his sketches and early conceptual pieces that reveal how the project progressed from idea to finished art. It also contains a wealth of brand-new full-colour paintings and sketches drawn specially for this book, which unlock the secrets of how Alan creates his own magic and provide a fascinating insight into the imagination of the man who breathed new life into Tolkien's vision.

Fall in love with watercolours and create beautiful flower paintings that you can be proud of! Fresh and delicate, flowers are the perfect subject for expressive watercolour art. This skill-building portfolio book for absolute beginners will teach you everything you need to know to get started with watercolour painting. Talented artist Robin Pickens introduces you to all the basics of paint, brushes, palette and water, with easy-to-follow advice on opacity, blending, shading and mixing colours. She then guides you step-by-step through eight complete floral watercolour projects. Each project features soft, muted patterns printed on real 90# thick and tactile watercolour paper. The pages are perforated so you can easily remove your art for gifting or display. Just Add Watercolor Flowers also provides gorgeous fully coloured finished examples to inspire your work on each design.

Abstract 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.

TREATISE LEONARDO DA VINCI. Originally published in 1877. PREFACE: Vll ono was Issued by Messrs. Nichols and Son, to which was added a Life of Leonardo by Mr. John William Brown. This gentleman had the privilege of constant admittance not only to the private library of his Imperial and Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Tuscany, but also to his most rare and valuable collection of Manuscripts in the Palazzo Pitti, where ho was permitted to copy from the original docttments and correspondence whatever he con ceived useful to Ms subject. He was enabled to produce what was then the most trustworthy Life of Leonardo that had over appeared. Since that time many new biographies of Leonardo have been written, of which ono of the most important is that by Signor Gustavo TIzielli. The 1835 edition of the Treatise on Painting has long been scarce, It is now reprinted, and the more recent facts which have boon discovered concerning the life of Leonardo, and a full account of Ms manuscripts and his acknowledged paintings have been added. Nicholas Poussins drawings and Albertis designs are reproduced, and great pains have boon taken to make Leonardos work as useful as possible to students of Art. John Francis Bigaud, the translator of the Trattato della Pittura, was born of French parents at Turin, in 1742. His father, who was a merchant, intended his son to follow Ms profession but young Bigaud evinced so strong a talent for painting, that he was allowed to follow his own desires. After he had received good instruction in art from Choralier Beaumont, principal painter to the King of Sardinia, Bigaud travelled much, in Italy, and stayed more especially in Homo, Parma, and in Bologna, where, in 1760, ho was elected a member of tho Olomontino Academy. In 1772, Ragatid loft Italy and wont to Pann, where he remained but a short time Ho then camo to England, and gained much praise for IUH picture of Hercules. In the November of tho year of his arrival ho was elected an Associate of tho Royal Academy, and In 1784 he became a full mombor. With tho exception of a journey on the Continent, I igaud spent tho rest of his life in England. Ho died in 181,0, at Packing-ton, irt Warwickshire, the seat of tho Karl of Aylosford, his obiof patron. In tho parish church at Pacldngton is an alte r-pi0e painted by Itigaud for tho Karl of Aylosford - no to worthy from, the circumstance that it m mipponod to bo tho first work executed in fresco in thifli country. Among other honours in art, Iltgaud was mado a Mem ber of th Royal Academy of Stockholm, and Painter to the King of Sweden. Contents include: THE LIFE OF LEONARDO DA VINCI ... ... xi BE A WING Proportion, ., ... ... ... 1 Anatomy .., ... .. ... ... 10 Motion and Equipoise of Figures ... ... ... 20 Linear Perspective ... .. ... ... 37 INVENTION, OB COMPOSITION ... ... ... ... 45 Expression and Character, ... ... 63 LIGHT AND SHADOW ... ... ... ... ... 67 Contrast and Effect ... ... ... ... 80 Betoes ... ... ... ... ... 81 COLOUBS AND COLOUBING ... .. ... 87 Colours in regard to Light and Shadow ... ... 100 Colours in regard to Back-grounds ... ... 106 Contrast, Harmony, and Eeflexes in regard to Colours 108 Perspective of Colours . M ... ... . . . 1 M Aerial Perspective, .. . 125 X CONTENTS. IAOK MISCELLANEOUS OBSEBVATIONS ... ... ... 135 Landscape, etc, ... ... ... ... 135 GENBBAL INDEX ... ... ... ... ... 157 APPENDIX I. Manuscripts of Leonardoda Vinci ... ... 178 II. Classified Catalogue of Ms principal Paintings Holy families, Madonnas, etc. ... ... 170 Sacred Historical Subjects ... .. 197 Classical Subjects ... ... ... ... 204 Historical Subjects .. ... ... 209 Portraits ... ... ... ... ... J10 Pictures Lost or Missing ..., , S g III...

Artists have always been fascinated with portraying the nude: the beauty and nuances of the human figure are endlessly absorbing. This practical and inspirational book celebrates and continues that enduring and beautiful tradition by encouraging you to discover your own talent and style. Philip Tyler looks in detail at the key skills and themes, such as perception, proportion, composition, colour and facture, that the artist needs. He then investigates ideas and styles, and encourages you to interpret the nude so your paintings have those elusive qualities of vitality and relevance, which can turn a painting into a masterpiece.