A selection of the most striking images taken from the bestselling "Morphia" series have been gathered together along with a selection of coloured pieces to celebrate the talent of Kerby Rosanes and his fans.

Containing a full-colour section displaying the most accomplished, completed artworks produced by Kerby's fans, along with stylistic comments and opinions from Kerby. The beautiful artworks displayed in the colour section are also included in the black and white section of the book, so you can take inspiration from the colouristas and bring your own images to life.

The brilliance of Peter Paul Rubens' career changed forever the perceptions of painting and painters. Here was a man whose astonishing gifts were allied to a personality so cosmopolitan, engaging, and virtuous that he could mingle as easily with kings as with fellow painters. Rubens' character and achievements fascinated his contemporaries, and these three biographies of the artist show the impact of his life and art on three very different observers. Baglione, an Italian painter and art historian, records the remarkable success of Rubens visits to Rome; Sandrart, a German painter, writes on the later years of his career; and de Piles, one of the greatest early art critics, offers an evaluation of Rubens style that remains one of the most influential ever written.

In 1752 Charles-Joseph Natoire, then a highly successful painter, assumed the directorship of the prestigious Academie de France in Rome. Twenty-three years later he was removed from office, criticised as being singularly inept. What was the basis for this condemnation that has been perpetuated by historians ever since? Reed Benhamou's re-evaluation of Natoire's life and work at the Academie is the first to weigh the prevailing opinion against the historical record. The accusations made against Charles-Joseph Natoire were many and varied: that his artistic work was increasingly unworthy of serious study; that he demeaned his students; that he was a religious bigot; that he was a fraudulent book-keeper. Benhamou evaluates these and other charges in the light of contemporary correspondences, critics' assessment of his work, legal briefs, royal accounts and the parallel experiences of his precursors and successors at the Academie. The director's role is shown to be multifaceted and no director succeeded in every area. What is arresting is why Natoire was singled out as being uniquely weak, uniquely bigoted, uniquely incompetent. The Charles-Joseph Natoire who emerges from this book differs in nearly every respect from the unflattering portrait promulgated by historians and popular media. His increasingly iconoclastic students rebelled against the traditional qualities valued by the French artistic elite; the Academie went underfunded because of the effects of war and a profligate king, and he was caught between two competing institutional regimes. In this book Reed Benhamou not only unravels the myth and reality surrounding Natoire, but also also sheds light on the workings of the institution he served for nearly a quarter of a century.

A glorious essay by Winston Churchill about one of his favourite pastimes, painting. The prefect antidote to his 'black dog', a depression that blighted his working life, Churchill took to painting at the age of 40. It became a passion that was to remain his constant companion.

What would an animal look like if it were a human? The question is actually a contradiction in terms, and Tein Lucasson's answer is as humorous as it is creative. With digital photo technology, he combines pet portraits with human poses, celebrating each animal's unique personality, while drawing on his passion for costume and art history. Open up Animal and discover a raccoon sporting a sailor's suit, an aristocratic pig enthroned above a roulette table, and a giraffe grinning in its thick wool sweater. Text in English, German, and Italian.

Art & Fear is about the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way. Drawing on the authors' own experiences as two working artists, the book delves into the internal and external challenges to making art in the real world, and shows how they can be overcome every day. First published in 1994, Art & Fear quickly became an underground classic, and word-of-mouth has placed it among the best-selling books on artmaking and creativity. Written by artists for artists, it offers generous and wise insight into what it feels like to sit down at your easel or keyboard, in your studio or performance space, trying to do the work you need to do. Every artist, whether a beginner or a prizewinner, a student or a teacher, faces the same fears - and this book illuminates the way through them.

'A warm and inspiring invitation to put down our phones, pick up a pencil and start really looking at the beauty all around us.' - Kathy Clugston, presenter of Gardeners' Question Time Learn to let go of your worries and lose yourself in nature with this practical guide to sketching for pleasure, not perfection. Most of us know that creativity and time outdoors are good for our wellbeing, yet so many of us struggle to find the time or motivation to step away from our screens. But there's a solution! Combining quick and easy exercises with the latest research on nature connection, wellbeing and creativity, The Green Sketching Handbook will inspire you to pick up a pencil and get started. Inspired by her own journey from climate scientist who hadn't tried drawing since childhood to artist and nature lover, Dr Ali Foxon will show you how to embrace your wobbly lines, unhook from a fear of criticism and create a habit that makes you feel good, not inadequate. You will learn more about yourself and your unique relationship with nature, finding out what brings you comfort and joy. Best of all, you'll create vivid and evocative memories of all your outdoor adventures, big and small, even if you're convinced you can't draw.

Take your art in a bold new direction-go gouache! In Creative Gouache, artist Ruth Wilshaw shares her step-by-step techniques for creating brilliantly vibrant effects with this easy-to-master medium, a perfect companion for transparent watercolor. In this comprehensive guide to gouache, you'll: Get an overview of essential materials and surfaces. Learn basic handling and coloring-mixing techniques, including layering, creating blends, and adjusting opacity, plus troubleshooting tips for common challenges, such as dealing with shifts in color and value from wet to dry. Explore how to paint fun, simple motifs, flowers, butterflies, landscapes, and lettering. Discover fun gouache techniques, such as adding texture and painting gradients and blends. Learn how to incorporate other mediums with gouache, including paint pens, colored pencil, and watercolor. Use what you learn to create inspiring projects such as dimensional artwork, clay decor pieces, and cheerful banners. See what you can create with gorgeous, wall-to-wall color with Creative Gouache! Perfect for creative beginners, the books in the Art for Modern Makers series take a fun, practical approach to learning about and working with paints and other art mediums to create beautiful DIY projects and crafts.

This volume is an in-depth and exquisitely illustrated guide to the Second Age of Middle-earth, one of the least-explored periods of Arda's history. The Illustrated World of Tolkien: The Second Age, is the follow up companion to the best-selling The Illustrated World of Tolkien, and gathers together artwork, charts, and fascinating and scholarly writing from renowned Tolkien expert David Day. Exploring the languages, poetry and elements of the heroic ages of Norse, Greek and Roman mythologies that may have influenced Tolkien's writing, it is a reference guide for any fan of Tolkien's work, Tolkien's world and the imaginative brilliance his vision inspired. The Second Age is made up of two great narrative channels: on the one hand the rise and cataclysmic downfall of the island-kingdom of Númenor and its aftermath, and on the other the forging of the Rings of Power and the rise to power of the new dark lord. Tolkien's sources for his Second Age are, of course, as rich and varied as ever and this book delves into some of these influences and shows how the power of Tolkien's imagination is manifest even in the lesser-known parts of his legendarium. This work is unofficial and is not authorised by the Tolkien Estate or HarperCollins Publishers.

Ranunculus offers advice on how to care for and propagate these colourful cultivated members of the buttercup family. Naomi Slade explores a wide range of ranunculus species and cultivars, all beautifully photographed by Georgianna Lane in their technicolour glory from palest pink to deep burgundy via white, orange, red and yellow. Pert as a rosebud and blousy as a dahlia, Ranunculus asiaticus is the flower of the moment. From ancestors that grew wild in the eastern Mediterranean, these Persian buttercups have been bred and selected to create fully double blooms; with layers of delicate, tissue-paper petals sculpted to perfection and available in a range of colours to suit any occasion. The buttercup family is a huge and diverse one, however, and the genus Ranunculus contains not just these exotic florists' darlings, but a whole range of their close relatives too. Some are familiar: when fields and lawns are sprinkled with golden meadow buttercups, we can be sure that spring has arrived. Yet there are also rare mountain blooms, perched on crags and fed by the melting snow, and forms of Ranunculus that thrive in pond margins or flourish in fast-flowing streams. Naomi Slade explores the world of buttercups, from their wild origins to their most successfully cultivated and most popular forms. Some are easy to grow, some less so, and this book offers tips and advice to help the reader embrace not just those near-wild forms that lend themselves to naturalistic planting schemes, and the exquisite, collectible alpines, but also the brilliant, desirable, Persian buttercups that are so perfect for cutting and arranging.

Following on from the overwhelming success of our Unicorns and More Colouring Kit comes two brand new titles featuring lovely llamas and more, and magical mermaids and more.

Gorgeous illustrations on each page, these pastel marker kits are just waiting for you to add depth, texture and just a little bit of magic with the pastel markers and glitter glue!

Take your colouring to the next level with these Kaleidoscope Colouring Kits!

Presented in a beautiful gift format, this engaging book aims to introduce to a general audience the National Trust's vast collection of paintings through a selection of 100 important examples from the 14th to the 20th centuries. Paintings displayed in properties now cared for by the National Trust across England, Wales and Northern Ireland amount to one of the finest collections of historic fine art in the world. Indeed, many National Trust houses should perhaps be considered miniature 'National Galleries' for their counties as they display works by some of the most renowned European artists of all time including Titian, El Greco, Holbein, Rubens, van Dyck, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Canaletto, Hogarth, Stubbs, Angelica Kauffman, Edward Burne-Jones, James Tissot, Max Ernst, Vanessa Bell, Barbara Hepworth and Stanley Spencer, to name but a few. Selected by National Trust curators from over 13,000 works, the 100 paintings showcased in this book are arranged chronologically, each accompanied by an illuminating, easy-to-read caption. The book ends with a handy glossary of terms and a list of National Trust properties that house important paintings.

Combat stress and anxiety and release your own inner creative with this beautiful mindful watercolour book. In this simple and vibrant guide, hugely popular Instagram muse @TerryRunyan explores the art of watercolour through the lens of mindfulness, presenting activities and projects which you can paint along with as you allow your creative side to flourish. This watercolour guide is easy and accessible for beginners, as Runyan gently delves into the basics of the artform, starting with simple techniques which you can follow along with, as well as presenting some fun projects ideas for painters to explore. Alongside beautiful examples of the techniques and styles explored in the book, Runyan also encourages readers to practice mindfulness as they paint, and explores the ways in which art can be used to help improve mental health. Exploring the idea of 'perfectly imperfect watercolours', Runyan places emphasis on self-expression and allowing yourself to make mistakes. Painting Happiness also includes fun projects for readers to try at home, including: Turning blobs into birds Creating wild hairstyles Experimenting with different prompts to paint at least one thing a day From technical skills and notes on materials to insight into the creative process, this book has everything you need to start flourishing in watercolour.

Russell Krabill's church membership study for young believers. This pupil book is a workbook with 12 lessons for 12 weeks of work. Instead of a catechism with questions and answers, Krabill has interwoven Christian doctrine into the lessons. Included are projects which put the new believer to work.

Award-winning illustrator Gabriel Campanario first introduced his approach to drawing in "The Art of Urban Sketching," a showcase of more than 500 sketches and drawing tips shared by more than 100 urban sketchers around the world. Now, he drills down into specific challenges of making sketches on location, rain or shine, quickly or slowly, and the most suitable techniques for every situation, in "The Urban Sketching Handbook" series.

It's easy to overlook that ample variety of characters that walk the streets everyday. From neighbors, dog walkers and shoppers to dancers and joggers, the people that move through the cities and towns are fascinating subjects to study and sketch. In "The Urban Sketching Handbook: People and Motion" Gabriel lays out keys to help make the experience of drawing humans and movements fun and rewarding. Using composition, depth, scale, contrast, line and creativity, sketching out citizens and the way they move has never been more inspirational and entertaining. This guide will help you to develop your own creative approach, no matter what your skill level may be today. As much as "The Urban Sketching Handbook: People and Motion" may inspire you to draw more individuals, it can also help to increase your appreciation of the folks around you. Drawing our postal workers, shopkeeps and neighbors, is a great way to show your appreciation and creativity.