Sketching and carving both visualize and memorize a given image, but within Nowau culture the manner in which this is achieved in a canoe prowboard is entirely different than in a conventional drawing. When studying the impressive ceremonial canoes of Kitawa, in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea, G.M.G. Scoditti became struck by the absolute predominance of the artist's mind in the process of creating images: all its stages, its uncertainties and experimentation, must unfold within its silent, rarefied space. Only once fully formed can the image be revealed to the village in material form. Reflecting on the absence of orthographic writing within Nowau culture, and finding parallels with poetic and musical composition, Scoditti gained further insight into the Nowau processes of creation through the critiques the Kitawan carvers made of his own fieldwork sketchbooks. Spurred on by their curiosity, the anthropologist handed over his art materials to the master carvers to make their own drawings on paper or cardboard. Traditional pigments used on the polychrome canoe prowboards were added to the unfamiliar media of watercolour, acrylic, coloured pencils and ballpoint pen. Three-dimensional ornamentation became two-dimensional as images of self-decoration and huts were added to those of prowboards. This exercise was all the more fascinating given the prohibition of drawing on the surface of the wood before carving. On return to Italy, further graphic dialogues unfolded when an architect and an artist from the tradition of Italian Abstraction responded with their own intriguingly different interpretations of the canoe prowboard and its relationship to the Nautilus shell. All these drawings are brought together in this book, along with Scoditti's own sketches from fieldwork and ethnographic collections in Newcastle upon Tyne and Rome. 'The fieldworker's or museum ethnographer's sketches are never going to be quite the same. Through the double filter of Kitawan philosophy and Scoditti's ruminations, the apparently simple triad of sketch - drawing - carving opens out into a discourse on the creative mind. The Kitawan creator - here primarily the male carver - does not have to demonstrate how he creates, and what springs from these pages have a fascination of their own. Several distinctive hands, Kitawan and Italian, reflect from different interpretive and professional vantage points on the very process of drawing through doing exactly that, drawing. The result are images that delight and challenge, sensitively assembled, beautifully reproduced. An extraordinary record of creativity, and a rare corpus of visual memorials.' - Professor Dame Marilyn Strathern, University of Cambridge

Although written in 1913, this brilliant and authoritative guideto drawing is still highly relevant today. Speed, a highly regardedpainter in his time, takes the student comprehensively throughapproaches, techniques and materials and illustrates them allwith diagrams and paintings from both his contemporaries andthe Masters. He also discusses various aspects of the science andphilosophy of art, such as the use of proportion, the nature of talentand the definition of beauty.This handsome new edition from Benediction Classics containsall the original plates and diagrams and would be a great addition tothe resources of any budding artist.

Celebrating the best drawings by contemporary artists! The celebrated Strokes of Genius series follows the beautiful, ongoing story of contemporary drawing through the work and words of some of today's top artists. Focusing on the theme "Creative Discoveries," this thoughtfully curated 9th edition features the artists' most compelling aha! moments. Triggers for these artistic epiphanies are wide ranging--from experiments with new materials, to private meanderings in a little notebook, to fleeting moments of magical light, and one particularly charismatic pelican. Artists and art lovers alike are sure to be inspired by the resulting energy and expressiveness showcased on these pages. 140 modern-day masterpieces in charcoal, pencil, pastel, colored pencil, scratchboard, pen and ink, and more A breathtaking diversity of styles and approaches Subject-themed chapters include animals, the human figure, still life, outdoor scenes, and portraits Comments from the artists offer fresh-from-the-studio advice, insights, and anecdotes not found anywhere else "The greatest creative discoveries are those that find you." --Carolyn Judson, p73

Nei Jing states, "Without entering and leaving, there is no development; without ascending and descending, no transformation, absorption, and storing."

This miniature bestiary contains some 250 illustrations of more than 100 mythical beings: fire-breathing dragons, sinuous sea serpents, mischievous leprechauns, high-spirited unicorns, the lumbering Golem, fluttering fairies, and many other wondrous creatures drawn from global folklore and mythology. They are depicted in a wide variety of artistic media, from painting and sculpture to jewellery and ceramics, from ancient times to the present. An insightful text explores the history of these creatures and their cultural roles. All lovers of myth and fantasy will delight in this Tiny Folio.

Learn important drawing skills with 30+ step-by-step demonstrations of favorite subjects. Learning how to draw is fun, so whether you've never drawn before or have been drawing for years, grab a pencil and some paper, and let's have fun drawing together! Each of the 30+ lessons focuses on a different topic, technique, or concept, promoting learning through clear step-by-step demonstrations for successful drawings. No experience necessary! Readers will get creative and have fun learning how to draw with this essential addition to any art-instruction library.

Dinosaur skeletons, eggs, bones, and fossils have become increasingly coveted objects for collectors. Dinosaurs are Collectible explores the reasons for their popularity and tells the stories behind the many illustrious finds from the past. This beautifully illustrated and printed publication by the author of Wonders are Collectible and Wunderkammer includes a chapter devoted to dinosaurs in both high and popular culture, and features an exceptional collection of prints, photos, drawings, and micrograph scans.