Discover the esoteric power of the mandala with 30 relaxing and creative art activities. Talented artist Valentina Harper opens up a world of sacred circles in this inspiring coloring book for grown-ups. You don t need to have the skills of an artist to personalize these rich, intricate drawings. Valentina Harper offers valuable tips on her distinctive, easy-to-learn patterning techniques. And as an added bonus, best-selling craft author Marie Browning joins the fun with insightful coloring advice. Printed on high quality extra-thick paper that won t bleed through, all pages are pre-perforated for easy removal and display. They re perfect for decorating with markers, gel pens, watercolors, or colored pencils."

Tattoo artist Megan Massacre presents a beautiful collection of her best work, with instructive how-to and inspiration for both professional tattoo artists as well as tattoo aficionados. With a personal behind-the-scenes peek into the making of a tattoo, from concept to execution, plus fan favorite tattoos and tattoo cover-ups, this approachable, full-color paperback will feature everything Massacre has learned over the years. Part idea sourcebook, part tattoo opus, this is an art book that tattoo fans will be eager to read and display.

Paint Lab is packed with unique and experimental techniques and ideas in painting. This hands-on book is organized into 52 units, which may, but don't need to be explored on a weekly basis. The labs can be worked on in any order, so that you can flip around to learn a new mixed-media technique or be inspired by a particular painting theme or application. The underlying message of this book is that, as an artist, you should learn and gain expertise through experimentation and play. There is no right or wrong result, rather you will find new forms of expression in your work and gain confidence in your skills. Designed to inform and inspire new artists and rekindle passion for painting in experienced artists, this book offers a range of exercises broken down by theme: Who (artist-inspired), What (tools and materials), When (a time-based concept), Where (a sense of place), and How (inspired by a technique or method). Paint Lab is illustrated with brilliant full-color images and multiple examples of each exercise. This book offers you a visual, non-linear approach to learning painting techniques, and reinforces a fun and fearless approach to creating art.

The Colors of Photography aims to provide a deeper understanding of what color is in the field of photography. Until today, color photography has marked the "here and now," while black and white photographs have been linked to our image of history and have formed our collective memory. However, such general dichotomies start to crumble when considering the aesthetic, cultural, and political complexity of color in photography. With essays by Charlotte Cotton, Bettina Gockel, Tanya Sheehan, Blake Stimson, Kim Timby, Kelley Wilder, Deborah Willis. Photographic contributions by Hans Danuser and Raymond Meier.

This inspiring sketchbook is part of the new "20 Ways "series from Quarry Books, designed to offer artists, designers, and doodlers a fun and sophisticated collection of illustration fun. Each spread features 20 inspiring illustrated examples of 45 themes - tree, tulip, shell, owl, peacock feather, mushroom, cloud, and much, much more-over 900 drawings, with blank space for you to draw your take on "20 Ways to Draw a Tree."This is not a step-by-step technique book--rather, the stylized flowers, trees, leaves, and clouds are simplified, modernized, and reduced to the most basic elements, showing you how simple abstract shapes and forms meld to create the building blocks of any item that you want to draw. Each of the 20 interpretations provides a different, interesting approach to drawing a single item, providing loads of inspiration for your own drawing. Presented in the author's uniquely creative style, this engaging and motivational practice book provides a new take on the world of sketching, doodling, and designing.
Get out your favorite drawing tool, and remember, there are not just "20 Ways to Draw a Tree"

We are the result of our experiences; hence, focusing on what is carried out in our day-to-day is what makes life extraordinary. This illustrated journal presents 10 artists from all over the world that take small daily luxuries, nature, and welfare as inspiration to evoke instants of fleeting happiness.

A study of a largely forgotten optical device and its relation to notions of opacity, transparency, and imagination. In this first full-length study of a largely forgotten optical device from the eighteenth century, Arnaud Maillet reconfigures our historical understanding of visual experience and meaning in relation to notions of opacity, transparency, and imagination. Many are familiar with the Claude glass as a small black convex mirror used by artists and spectators of landscape to reflect a view and make tonal values and areas of light and shade visible. In a groundbreaking account, Maillet goes well beyond this particular function of the glass and situates it within a richer archaeology of Western thought, exploring the uncertainties and anxieties about mirrors, reflections, and their potential distortions. He takes us from the magical and occult background of the "black mirror," through a full evaluation of its importance in the age of the picturesque, to its persistence in a range of technological and representational practices, including photography, film, and contemporary art. The Claude Glass is a lasting contribution to the history of Western visual culture.

"The Alchemy of Paint" is a critique of the modern world, which Spike Bucklow sees as the product of seventeenth-century ideas about science. In modern times, we have divorced color from its origins, using it for commercial advantage. Spike Bucklow shows us how in medieval times, color had mystical significance far beyond the enjoyment of shade and hue.

Each chapter demonstrates the mindset of medieval Europe and is devoted to just one color, acknowledging its connections with life in the pre-modern world. Colors examined and explained in detail include a midnight blue called ultramarine, an opaque red called vermilion, a multitude of colors made from metals, a transparent red called dragonsblood, and, finally, gold.

Today, "scarlet" describes a color, but it was originally a type of cloth. Henry VI's wardrobe accounts from 1438 to 1489 show that his cheapest scarlet was 14.2s.6d. and that scarlets could fetch up to twice that price. In the fifteenth century, a mid-priced scarlet cost more than two thousand kilos of cheese or one thousand liters of wine. This expense accounts for the custom of giving important visitors the "red carpet treatment."

The book looks at how color was "read" in the Middle Ages and returns to materials to look at the hidden meaning of the artists' version of the philosopher's stone. The penultimate chapter considers why everyone has always loved gold.

Spike Bucklow is a conservation scientist working with oil paintings at the Hamilton Kerr Institute in Cambridge.

Cette etude innovante retrace le parcours de l'ecrivain, musicien, dramaturge et peintre italien Alberto Savinio afin d'evaluer sa place dans l'avant-garde parisienne. Elle examine l'apport litteraire et la pratique de l'art moderne du frere de Giorgio de Chirico, cet autre Italien adopte par la capitale francaise. Cette etude couvre de maniere exhaustive l'oeuvre de Savinio durant la periode 1911-1937, annee de publication de son roman autobiographique Tragedia dell'infanzia. Elle replace ainsi l'artiste italien au coeur de l'avant-garde et du modernisme, le situant dans une lignee qui va d'Apollinaire a Marinetti et Breton, entre autres. L'auteur demontre que Savinio, artiste pluridisciplinaire, a participe activement a la revolution artistique et a la recherche de " l'homme nouveau " qui ont preoccupe les avant-gardes du debut du XXe siecle. Elle eclaire ainsi de facon originale une dimension peu connue de la contribution italienne a l'elaboration des idees et des pratiques d'avant-garde a Paris dans la premiere moitie du dernier siecle.

"This is a must-read for the nervous novice as well as the world-weary veteran. The book guides you through every aspect of exhibit making, from concept to completion. The say the devil is in the details, but so is the divine. This carefully crafted tome helps you to avoid the pitfalls in the process, so you can have fun creating something inspirational. It perfectly supports the dictum--if you don't have fun making an exhibit, the visitor won't have fun using it." --Jeff Hoke, Senior Exhibit Designer at Monterey Bay Aquarium and Author of "The Museum of Lost Wonder"Structured around the key phases of the exhibition design process, this guide offers complete coverage of the tools and processes required to develop successful exhibitions. Intended to appeal to the broad range of stakeholders in any exhibition design process, the book offers this critical information in the context of a collaborative process intended to drive innovation for exhibition design. It is indispensable reading for students and professionals in exhibit design, graphic design, environmental design, industrial design, interior design, and architecture.

Refresh your creativity and boost your motivation to draw with the expert help of The Drawing Ideas Book. If you're stuck in a rut - or simply just stuck - this book is filled with ideas for what to draw, how to draw and even where and when to draw. Packed with arresting examples of creatives' drawings and sketchbooks from all over the world, it's sure to fire up your creativity. Imagine it, doodle it, sketch it, ink it and more. Discover the infinite possibilities of this essential art form, from its key mediums to unusual processes, across subjects from figure drawing and landscape sketching to abstract compositions.

From basic skills to sketch construction using grids, frames, and shapes to the creation of tone, texture, color, and detail, and experimentation with digital rendering, Freehand Sketching helps you build your drawing skill and confidence through mastery of fundamentals. Carefully designed exercises guide you step by step in effective sketching in the studio and in the field. Also covered are helpful topics such as useful equipment, observation skills, framing and editing sketches, rendering people, and keeping a journal. An array of the author s lively sketches as well as examples from other architectural professionals fill the pages of Freehand Sketching, making this an ideal handbook for architecture and design students and all who wish to be more effective at visual communication."

Take your creativity to the next level with the ultimate artist's bible! Covering everything from how to draw and paint to ceramics, sculptures and printmaking, you'll get the most out of your passion for art with this beautifully illustrated artist's handbook. It also includes newer areas such as digital art and animation - perfect for modern artists! Discover everything you need to help you release the artist within! This essential art book includes: - All areas of visual art; including drawing, painting, 3D art, printmaking, textiles, and digital arts including photography - Each section is written by an acknowledged expert in that field - both practising professionals and university-level teachers - Comprehensive coverage of equipment and tools, including step-by-step sequences, where appropriate on how to use - Techniques are illustrated in step-by-step sequences by professional artists, with basic skills leading on to more advanced techniques Whether you're dipping in to find a specific painting technique or browsing for artistic inspiration, this artist's reference book covers all the elements of painting and drawing. Brush up on the art basics like choosing the right tool, mixing watercolours, and preparing a canvas. Take your skills further and learn how to glaze a pot, try out 3D printing and mosaic, or create a digital collage. The Artist's Manual will help you become a more confident, creative artist. Equipment, materials, and methods are fully explained and beautifully illustrated. Perfect for artists of every skill level, you'll be creating your own masterpieces in no time with this guide to art. It's a must-have for every artist's studio!

Sidney Nolan (1917-1992) is renowned for an oeuvre ranging from views of Melbourne's seaside suburb St. Kilda to an iconic series on outlaw hero Ned Kelly. Working in factories from age fourteen, Nolan began his training spray painting signs on glass, which was followed by a job cutting and painting displays for Fayrefield Hats. Such employment offered him firsthand experience with commercial synthetic paints developed during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1939, having given up his job at Fayrefield in pursuit of an artistic career, Nolan became obsessed with European abstract paintings he saw reproduced in books and magazines. With little regard for the longevity of his work, he began to exploit materials such as boot polish, dyes, secondhand canvas, tissue paper, and old photographs, in addition to commercial and household paints. He continued to embrace new materials after moving to London in 1953. Oil-based Ripolin enamel is known to have been Nolan's preferred paint, but this fascinating study-certain to appeal to conservators, conservation scientists, art historians, and general readers with an interest in modern art-reveals his equally innovative use of nitrocellulose, alkyds, and other diverse materials.

Woodturning is as popular as ever -- a constantly growing segement in the woodworking world and one of the most wide-reaching woodcrafts among artists and hands-on crafters. It s appeal is based on the short learning curve, the minimal equipment, and the sheer joy of learning to make something out of wood with one s own hands. But, unlike a lot of crafts that rely on individuality and creative thinking, the initial techniques of woodturning must be mastered. While at first liberating, these same techniques can eventually be confining because in mastering them, one must follow the lead of others. At a certain point, woodturners can feel that mastering the techniques has become the end in itself as they lose sight of their true pursuit: to create one s own original style. In fact, some woodturners, who believe they aren t creative enough, will simply continue to master techniques while imitiating the style of others. Terry Martin, the author of The Creative Woodturner and a woodturning artist, instructor, and photographer for over thirty-years, believes this goes against the fundamental nature of creating and being an artist. There is no right or wrong and the pursuit of originality should be the goal of every woodturner. Best of all, creativity can be learned and the ability to think and see in one s own artistic style can be achieved. The Creative Woodturner is not your usual how-to woodturning book. It won t tell you what a chuck is, how to sharpen a scraper, or how to turn a goblet. Instead, this book is a how-to for unlocking curiosity, how to break the rules, and for following one s own artistic path with confidence. Designed to give readers a wide-persepective on creativity, The Creative Woodturner begins first with insightful commentary, quotes, and examples from the woodturning and art community that will both inspire and inform. In addition, the author shares his Idea Tools: questions to ask during the planning and creative process that are as important to the creation of the woodturning project as any equipment in the shop. Finally, 16 one-of-a-kind projects from boxes and vessles to bowls and one-of-a-kind scultpures are featured that will spark the creative mindset of any woodturner. Each project is documented with instructions and crisp photography highlighting the key steps, techniques, and tasks necessary for completion. In taking the reader through each project, the author pulls back the curtain on his woodturning magic and shares his vision and how the Idea Tools and creative thinking emerges in each project. An inspiring and enjoyable read not only for woodturners, but for any artist, The Creative Woodturner will anyone to think and see differently so time is spent at the lathe or whatever creative pursuit it is -- creating the original ideas instead of imitating someone else."

Art Journal Color Art Journal Composition Art Journal Freedom

Color is all around us and we often find ourselves drawn to particular combinations or arrangements. But how can you effectively and artistically capture those eye-catching compositions in your art journal?

It's true, art journaling has no "rules" and is a safe place for free expression of your one-of-a-kind life. But knowledge is power and knowing the "rules" of color and composition gives you the freedom to use and break them willfully to create the effects you want. Dina shares these principles in a fun and approachable way with dozens upon dozens of unique journal pages to show you just some of the many possibilities.

Inside You Will Find:

• Lessons and tips about composition and color including dominance and repetition, symmetry, contrast and the power of black and white.
• 10 step-by-step technique demonstrations.
• Dozens of color and design tips and page challenges.