Nobody ever said that oil painting was easy. But it gets much easier and a lot more fun when you follow a step-by-step approach that starts you off on the right foot, helps you build your skills one at a time, and gives you plenty of exercises to develop your craft. That's what you'll find in "Oil Painting For Dummies."

Completely free of arty jargon, this full-color guide has all the hands-on instruction you need to master the basics. You'll see how to plan a painting, build an image in layers, mix colors, and create stunning compositions. You'll also find everything you need to know about oil paints, solvents, and pigments; brushes, palettes, and painting surfaces; and how to keep costs down at the art supply store. Discover how to: Choose the right suppliesSet up your studio and care for your equipmentHandle your materials safelyDevelop your design and composition skillsMake practice sketches and studiesUse broken stroke, dry brush, glazing, scraffito and other brush strokesTry out different compositionsMix any color you wantSimplify tricky still-life subjectsPaint landscapes and common objects out doorsPaint portraits and the human form

Complete with handy color chart, basic materials list, and a very useful viewing square, "Oil Painting For Dummies" is the fun and easy way to discover your inner artist

Colours of Art takes the reader on a journey through history via 80 carefully curated artworks and their palettes. For these pieces, colour is not only a tool (like a paintbrush or a canvas) but the fundamental secret to their success. Colour allows artists to express their individuality, evoke certain moods and portray positive or negative subliminal messages. And throughout history the greatest of artists have experimented with new pigments and new technologies to lead movements and deliver masterpieces. But as something so cardinal, we sometimes forget how poignant colour palettes can be, and how much they can tell us. When Vermeer painted The Milkmaid, the amount of ultramarine he could use was written in the contract. How did that affect how he used it? When Turner experimented with Indian Yellow, he captured roaring flames that brought his paintings to life. If he had used a more ordinary yellow, would he have created something so extraordinary? And how did Warhol throw away the rulebook to change what colour could achieve? Structured chronologically, Colours of Art provides a fun, intelligent and visually engaging look at the greatest artistic palettes in art history - from Rafael's use of perspective and Vermeer's ultramarine, to Andy Warhol's hot pinks and Lisa Brice's blue women. Colours of Art offers a refreshing take on the subject and acts as a primer for artists, designers and art lovers who want to look at art history from a different perspective.

As far as is known, Theophilus's was the only treatise on almost all the major arts that was produced during the thousand years of the Middle Ages. In his preface he presents the philosophical attitudes to the visual arts of a thinking man of the time. In his main text, which he divides into three Books, he explains the contemporary techniques of making wall-paintings, manuscripts paintings, stained glass windows, ivory carvings, and various kinds of metalwork. The first references to oil painting and paper occur in the treatise, which also gives the earliest known instructions for making an organ. Theophilus's treatise has been of interest to scholars for some centuries. It was referred to by Cornelius Agrippa in the sixteenth century, and was the basis of an article by Lessing in the eighteenth. The original autograph manuscript has not survived, but the reconstruction of it by Professor Dodwell is now considered to provide its only definitive text: this comprehensive edition includes an English translation on facing pages and full introductory and textual commentary.

Written and illustrated by master wood engraver Barry Moser, this primer on the art of wood engraving is filled with valuable knowledge including how to prepare a printing block; how to think in the medium's properties of line, shape, and ink; and how to transfer a drawing onto a block. It also offers practical advice on which tools to use for a project and which ink works best. A highly illustrated guide to this art form, Wood Engraving will be useful to experienced and beginner engravers alike. This book features stunning examples of Moser's art and skill to admire and inspire.

A practical approach to all aspects of making porcelain pots and sculptures: from clays and glazes to throwing, handbuilding, slipcasting and decorating. Porcelain is known and highly praised for its delicacy, translucency, fineness and whiteness, but it has always posed particular problems for ceramicists using it. In this revised edition, Peter Lane looks at the development of porcelain in the last few years of the 20th century and at the start of the 21st. He gives particular consideration to the technical achievements, the working practices and aesthetic concerns of ceramicists who work with this most popular medium and its close relative, bone china. The works illustrated in this book demonstrate the confidence and the versatility of contemporary ceramicists who use its special characteristics in exciting and original ways. There are over 350 new illustrations and 75 new artists featured in this updated edition. The result is a breathtaking look at the exciting and innovative work that is currently being done internationally in this field. The wide diversity of porcelain objects will both inspire and enthral potters, collectors and anyone interested in fine ceramics.

The total number of extant Apulian red-figured vases cannot fall far short of 10,000, and the present work (the first of two volumes) is the first attempt to survey the history and development of the fabric as a whole, from its beginnings in the later fifth century BC to its end around 300. It does not attempt to give a complete corpus, but the authors have tried to include all the more significant workshops and to give a representative selection of the minor pieces. Many Apulian vases display a very high level of technical and artistic competence, and the representations upon them are often of remarkable interest, not only for their illustrations of mythological and theatrical themes but also for the light they shed upon the daily life, customs, and religious beliefs of the Greek colonists and native inhabitants of Apulia.

What is creature design? We all have a notion―mostly consisting of evocative images of otherworldly beings galloping, swimming, flying, and often attacking the hero of an epic film or story. But what makes a creature believable? In the follow-up to her bestseller, Animals Real and Imagined: The Fantasy of What Is and What Might Be, world-renowned artist Terryl Whitlatch reveals the secret behind believable creature design: anatomy. How anatomy applies practically to the natural history and story is the prime cornerstone on which successful creature design hangs, whether the creature is real or imaginary. Studying, understanding, drawing, and applying accurate anatomy to an imaginary creature will make viewers suspend their disbelief to welcome a new vision into their worlds. We invite you to immerse yourself in the intricate workings of numerous animal anatomies―and the beauty they possess―in the Science of Creature Design: Understanding Animal Anatomy. Whitlatch’s delightful and charismatic illustrations will inform and thrill readers with every turn of the page. She shares valuable techniques reaped from years working for Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Feature Animation, and on such films as Jumanji, Brother Bear, and The Polar Express. In addition, Whitlatch exemplifies an endless love for real animals that continues to inspire her fantastic imaginary creatures, which have captivated audiences around the world.

Learn to create classic block print patterns for greeting cards, wallpaper, book illustrations and more with Andrea Lauren's easy step-by-step instruction! Artist and Designer Lauren shows you simple techniques for creating your own printing blocks out of art-foam. With no cutting and chiseling, these art-foam blocks can be made into shapes and patterns using only scissors and a pencil. Use these printing blocks, or purchased stamps, to create repeat patterns or bundled groupings to get that classic block print look for wallpaper, book illustrations, framing prints, greeting cards, gift wrap, fabric prints, and so much more! Throughout the book, find inspiration from selected works of block print artists from around the world. The new, easy-to-use block printing materials are great for beginners and skilled artists alike. Make your mark with Block Print!

Let the wisdom and enchantment of timeless fables and fiction help you achieve your creative goals! From celebrated mixed-media artist and author of Create Your Life Book Tamara Laporte, Ever After is a rich collection of step-by-step mixed-media art lessons inspired by fairy tales, folk tales, and classic fiction. Based on one of Tamara's popular series of online classes, Ever After addressesthe most frequently asked question she receives from her students: "How do I develop my own creative style?" In addition to the beautiful art lessons created especially for this book by Tamara and eight other noted mixed-media artists, each chapter offers creative exercises that invite readers to explore stories, their symbolism, and a specific aspect of style development as they work toward and ultimately achieve their artistic goals. The Story of You. Explore the experiences, feelings, and ideas that stir your passion, and how to adapt and change motifs and other visual elements to make them your own. Inspiration: How to Find It, How to Use It. Examine how to stay open to inspiration, incorporate it into your art practice, and integrate it into your artwork. Comfort Zones & Productivity. Learn strategies for working through your fear and dedicating time to your artmaking. Dealing with Challenges & Deepening Your Voice. Find guidance for starting a mindfulness practice to help you deal with harsh feedback, and for allowing yourself the joy of continually evolving your story, your message, and your style. Ever After will teach you to tell your own unique stories through art making so that your wish-to become the artist you've always wanted to be-is sure to come true! Guest Teachers Includes lessons and tips from these renowned mixed-media artists: Kara Bullock Lucy Chen Danita Andrea Gomoll Annie Hamman Marielle Stolp Effy Wild Micki Wilde Fairy Tales, Fables & Fiction Featured stories include: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Bambi Beauty & the Beast Goldilocks & the Three Bears Mulan Peter Pan Sleeping Beauty The Little Mermaid

The Botanical Illustrator's Handbook takes a closer look at how to accurately portray the riches of the botanical world. It tackles and explains many of the difficulties that artists encounter so they can extend and expand their choice of subject matter. Written by a respected artist and drawing on her wealth of experience, it offers new insights and a fresh approach to the wonders of botanical illustration. Topics covered include: advice on the labelling and quality of paper, and choice of pencils, paints and brushes; techniques for the mixing and handling of greens; chapters on magnification, managing detail and using scale bars; and finally, instructions for using perspective techniques, and painting complex structures such as pine cones and umbellifers, and tricky details such as hairs.

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.

Join the art critic Ben Eastham on a private tour of an extraordinary museum. Let him walk you through a building constructed from memory and filled with a series of bewildering art works, while he delivers a guide comprised of personal experience, professional expertise and sympathy. In this stunningly original book, an introduction to contemporary art is combined with the author's own memories and reflections on what art means. With the help of a cast of interfering security guards, pretentious curators, sceptical visitors, angry protestors and elusive ghosts, Eastham proposes that the art of today offers a way of understanding our increasingly strange and complex times. Eastham doesn't ask you to like the artworks in his imaginary museum, but offers the tools for you to formulate and express your own opinion of them. He argues that art should be judged by the feelings it provokes and the conversations it generates: in talking about art, we learn to talk about ourselves and the world in which we live.

In this book, Professor Martin Robertson, author of A History of Greek Art (CUP 1975) and A Shorter History of Greek Art (CUP 1981), draws together the results of a lifetime's study of Greek vase-painting, tracing the history of figure-drawing on Athenian pottery from the invention of the "red-figure" technique in the later archaic period to the abandonment of figured vase-decoration two hundred years later. The book covers red-figure and also work produced over the same period in the same workshops in black-figure and other techniques, especially that of drawing in outline on a white ground. This book is a major contribution to the history of Greek vase-painting and anyone seriously interested in the subject--whether scholar, student, curator, collector or amateur--will find it essential reading.

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.