Overcome your artist's block and explore what drives you artistically! Artist and teacher Nita Leland shows how to be creative in daily life to develop and strengthen your natural curiosity, flexibility, independence and playfulness--all with the end-goal of creating more inspired, unique personal artwork. Enjoy a variety of fun activities designed to exercise your creative muscle, including how to make an autobiographical collage, creating an idea jar for when you need a random jumpstart, and how to make "dull" subjects more interesting. Learn to push your creative boundaries by trying new methods in dozens of types of media including paper crafts, Japanese brush painting, creative quilting, inventive photography, grown-up finger painting, monotype and more.

- 110+ activities that inspire creativity

- Artists of all skill levels and mediums can tap into their creativity through exciting techniques and exercises

- Inspirational tips and advice for taking creative risks to make more meaningful artistic statements

- Inspiring art from 100 contributing fine artists and crafters in every medium coaching readers to creative success

Draw Fabulous Furries

Furries are so much fun to draw, people have been doing so for thousands of years. By crossing animal traits with human, you can create some fantastic characters with distinct personalities.

The authors of "Draw Furries" bring you more of the best step-by-step lessons for creating anthropomorphic characters. You'll learn everything from furry anatomy, facial expressions and poses to costumes, coloring and settings You'll also learn how to create characters that convey the various personalities and spirits of the animals they resemble. "Draw More Furries" is packed with 20 new furries, "scalies," and mythological creatures with lessons covering everything from drawing mouths and muzzles to paws, feathers and fur. The anthropomorphic creatures you can create with these easy-to-learn lessons are limitless

But you won't just stop there. Lindsay and Jared take you to the next level by showing you how to build a scene from start to finish. From dinosaur warriors to snow leopard pirates, you'll be drawing all kinds of fun, furry friends in no time

• Loaded with more than 50 step-by-step demonstrations for a variety of characters from furries to mythological creatures.
• Extended demonstration shows how to build a scene from initial concept drawings and character development to a final colored scene.
• See a variety of different styles of art from guest artists who share their processes for creating lively characters.

Date Me is a collection of comics that tells stories of dating in a wheelchair, social situations sculpted by people's response to a wheelchair, and the struggle of trying to fit in from a different perspective. Dating is hard enough as an able-bodied person. Throw in the variable of a wheelchair and the "hard" becomes "almost not worth it." Kristin Beale shares stories of her crazy family, the unique and often lousy ways people interact with her because of her disability, and her often failed attempts at dating in a wheelchair with a strained, but ongoing determination not to give up. Relatable for many people who have dated in the 21st century, Date Me offers a different perspective from a wheelchair user and how to interact with them. With a few extra indiscriminate stories thrown in, Kristin's stories keep readers entertained as she reveals the struggles and triumphs of living in a wheelchair in today's world.

Featuring elegant designs and high-quality paper, Floating Worlds Japanese Prints Coloring Book is the perfect stress-reliever for fans of classical Japanese woodblock prints. The floating world of Geisha, Kabuki actors, cherry blossoms and the majestic Mt. Fuji--with this coloring book for adults you are there, recreating woodblock prints of people, landscapes, flora and fauna. This fine art, adult coloring book includes 22 woodblock prints from the Ukiyo-e genre, all ready for the touch of your colored pencils or fine markers. A copy of the richly-colored original print sits opposite your coloring "canvas" to use as a reference, or not. Before beginning, enjoy a little of the story behind the image, as each print comes with a brief yet fascinating introduction to the original work. Altogether, it's the perfect way to relax and have fun with art. When your masterpiece is complete, tear it out at the perforation to frame and display.

Computers can calculate perspective angles and create a drawing for us, but the spontaneity of mark making, the tactile quality of a writing surface, the weight of a drawing instrument, and the immediacy of the human touch are sensations that keep traditional drawing skills perpetually relevant. The sensuality and convenience of the hand persists and will survive as a valuable communication tool, as will the need to accurately express your ideas on paper. As a professional, understanding the foundations of drawing, how we process images, and how we interpret what we see are principal skills. Understanding linear perspective enables artists to accurately communicate their ideas on paper. The Complete Guide to Perspective Drawing offers a step-by-step guide for the beginner as well as the advanced student on how to draw in one-point through six-point perspective and how to make scientifically accurate conceptual illustrations from simple to complex situations.

Explore exciting new ways of using graphite, charcoal and mixed media to create dramatic landscape drawings, under the expert tutelage of Robert Dutton. The Innovative Artist series provides a unique insight into the methods and materials used by leading contemporary artists who are pushing the boundaries of their art. Through numerous examples of the author's work alongside practical demonstrations, each book provides a fascinating exploration of the artist's creative process that will inspire the reader to move forward on their own artistic journey. This book is aimed at artists who wish to explore new ways of using a variety of drawing media to create striking, dramatic landscapes. Author-artist Robert Dutton uses his expressive, loose style of drawing and painting to capture, with great emotion, the power and drama of the landscape. Robert combines media such as liquid graphite, inks, metallic inks, charcoal and water-soluble painting and drawing pastels, and also experiments with collage work. Predominantly focusing on working in black and white, Drawing Dramatic Landscapes explores basic drawing techniques using a limited range of media, then introduces new techniques and products as the reader progresses. This is a highly-instructive guide to the techniques Robert himself uses, with numerous exercises and larger step-by-step projects throughout the book showing how he works. Alongside these are numerous examples of the author's finished artworks accompanied by informative captions explaining the methods used to create them, thereby providing both instruction and inspiration. Robert works outdoors from life much of the time, later finishing his artworks in the studio. His work is both achievable and aspirational, making this a highly-attractive book for established artists who wish to gain insight into the work of their contemporaries who are experimenting with new and innovative techniques.

"There's no grandstanding or showmanship, just solid, honest instructions and demonstrations that produce solid, worthwhile results." - Artbookreview.net Snow scenes make wonderful subjects for beginner watercolour artists - all you need is the know-how and confidence to give snow depth, sparkle and just the right amount of colour. Popular artist and author Grahame Booth will show you how to achieve beautiful results, using just three brushes, three paints and nine fantastic projects. Starting with a small but perfectly formed tool kit of three brushes, a mixing palette, watercolour paper and three tubes of paint, Grahame guides you step-by-step through nine projects, starting with a simple scene and progressing on to more complex ones. Even if you have never picked up a paintbrush, you will be amazed at what you will achieve by the end of this book. And along the way you will have learnt all the skills you need to start painting wonderful snow scenes of your own.

The papers in this volume constitute a substantial body of work that provides a wide-ranging overview of current research on the technology and practice of Old Master paintings, covering some 700 years of European painting, from the thirteenth century to the early twentieth century, including works by Guido da Siena, Bellini, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Fernando Gallego, Holbein, Caravaggio, El Greco, Rubens, Murillo, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Whistler, van Gogh and Munch. Six of the contributions focus on technological or historical aspects of specific artists' materials. These papers were presented at a conference held at the National Gallery to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the National Gallery Technical Bulletin. The Bulletin has a long history of publishing interdisciplinary research on the technical examination of paintings to inform both art-historical study and issues relating to the material history of a work. This type of research was the central focus of the conference and provided the overall thematic link between the contributions presented. Contains essays on the work of a wide range of artists, including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Hans Holbein, Albrecht Altdofer, Caravaggio, Rubens, Thomas Gainsborough, Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Christen Kobke, Bartolome Esteban Murillom and El Greco.

Life Drawing for Artists teaches a contemporary approach to figure drawing that includes both the familiar poses-standing, sitting, lying down-but also how to capture figures in movement and in more dynamic and engaging positions. Author Chris Legaspi is a dedicated, life-long artist and admired instructor who is known for his dynamic figurative drawings and paintings, and as a successful illustrator in the entertainment industry. Whether you are an aspiring illustrator, art student, or a professional artist looking to develop your abilities, Life Drawing for Artists shows how to build your skills by combining fundamental building blocks, such as gesture lines, shape and design, structure, value control, and edge or line control. You'll focus on different skills while working on both quick timed drawings and longer detailed drawings. The book covers important topics, such as drawing different views, understanding perspective, foreshortening strategies, and how to deal with various lighting conditions. The examples and tutorials explore virtually every pose scenario, as well as many active and dynamic movements. Breathe drama into your figures as you master the fundamentals with this fresh approach to life drawing. The For Artists series expertly guides and instructs artists at all skill levels who want to develop their classical drawing and painting skills and create realistic and representational art.

Foam Patterning and Construction Techniques: Turning 2D Designs into 3D Shapes explains how to create your theatrical prop, puppet, or costume design using the unique and tricky medium of foam. Step-by-step instructions, photographs, and explanations illustrate how to translate your design from paper to reality by creating custom "skin" patterns, followed by creation of a foam mockup. The book details how to bring your project to life with varied finishing techniques, including using fur and fabric coverings and dying and painting foam. Numerous supplies, tools, and safety procedures and protocols are also covered.

The art of welding wrought iron has been practiced by village smiths in their forge fires for centuries. Gas and electric arc welding are however comparatively recent developments. This introductory book explains the process as it has been developed and used in industry, and its applications to model engineering. Welding, by oxy-acetylene or electric arc, is a skill in increasing demand and one for which the basics can be learned without great difficulty. In this book, the author sets out the basic techniques and the art for oxy-acetylene welding, brazing, flame-cutting and electric arc welding with mild steel, cast iron, stainless steel, copper, brass and aluminium etc in sheet plate or cast form.

Although much of model engineering work is a matter of making one part to fit another and thus may obviate the need for the sophisticated means of measuring often called for in production engineering, the accuracy of a finished job begins with the exactness of the initial making out and continues with the accuracy of measurements made during the progress of the work. How to use measuring equipment and how to mark out work - not always the simple matter it might at first seem - are essential skills for any engineer and the purpose of this book is to show how they may be acquired and employed.

An easy-to-follow, yet comprehensive beginner's guide to drawing. In The Complete Guide to Drawing for Beginners, experienced art instructor Yoshiko Ogura explains the basics of pencil drawing through a series of lessons that provide insights on artistic composition, simulating highlights and shadows, depicting realistic forms, rendering texture and creating a sense of depth in your artwork. At the beginning of the book, she provides you with all the information you need to get started--what materials to buy, how to prepare your work surface, pencils and erasers--even how to sit correctly when drawing. Once you know these, Ogura provides a series of easy and clear step-by-step lessons showing you how to draw simple objects while gaining an understanding of the essential concepts of perspective, how to convey hard and soft surfaces and textures, composition and balance. From here, you progress to more complex shapes and objects including landscapes and portraits of people and animals, as she explains all the additional concepts needed to draw these realistically. This book teaches you how to draw the following interesting subjects: Simple forms (an apple, a milk carton, an egg, a mug) Hard & soft surfaces (fabric, a loaf of bread, a stone, a book) Transparent objects (water droplets, a glass) Complex objects (a piece of squash with seeds and pulp, a sunflower) Human anatomical features (hands, faces) Landscape elements (trees, buildings) Animals (a cat, a parakeet) Still life (fruit, flowers) Plus, many other inspirational examples and ideas! By the end, all your drawings will begin to look impressively polished and realistic! As you work through the lessons, you'll master all the skills and knowledge that seasoned artists demonstrate in their work.

Originally developed in the 18th century as a visual supplement to botanical nomenclature, botanical illustration and art uniquely fuse art and science by documenting the parts, details, and life cycles of plant species. In Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists, eminent botanical artist and veteran workshop instructor Karen Kluglein reveals her secrets for rendering leaves, flowers, berries, and branches both accurately and beautifully. The book begins with a brief history of the art form, followed by guidance on developing observational skills for this genre, key botanical terms and concepts, and the differences among botanical illustration, botanical art, and flower painting. The chapters that follow offer detailed guidance and demonstrations for drawing and painting botanicals in a variety of mediums: Drawing. Explore loose gestural drawing, precise measuring and rendering, and working from photographs with graphite, colored pencil, finepoint markers, pen and ink, and silverpoint. Painting. Master color mixing, washes, layering, gradations, values, and adding details in watercolor, gouache, and acrylic, plus guidance on adding "personality" to your work and knowing when a painting is done. Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists shows artists at all skill levels how to translate careful observations into stunning works of art. The For Artists series expertly guides and instructs artists at all skill levels who want to develop their classical drawing and painting skills and create realistic and representational art.

Attention all creatives: learn how to power up your creativity! If you're longing to take your vision, energy, and output to the next level, this book is the resource you need to make it happen. Author Rachael Taylor-successful artist, pattern designer, entrepreneur, and cofounder of the Make It In Design online education platform-shares creative motivation and guidance that will help you achieve your goals and thrive. Identify how to begin, find and sustain inspiration, and cultivate creative courage Clarify your vision and consider how you need to evolve Stay motivated and establish creative longevity Shift gears to set sights on your next goal as you reach each destination Create with intention and acknowledge-and embrace-your creative power Whether you're just starting out on your creative path, or you're looking to fruitfully channel your creative practice toward a career or side hustle, Power Up Your Creativity offers practical advice and support for upping your creative game and achieving your dreams. So, what are you waiting for?