James Thomson's epic poem The City Of Dreadful Night first appeared in 1874 and acheived in its day some fame and was read by many, but in the decades that followed the poem and the poet sank into obscurity, becoming known only to a few. Thomson's poem is a deeply questioning and extremely dark vision of the City that we inhabit, but more than that it challenges the illusions that inhabit us. Thomson - athiest, alcoholic, anarchist and insomniac - speaks to us all frm the place where we live. This new edition is illustrated with eight drawings by Clifford Harper, and will hopefully help give the poem a new audience, and a new fame. Includes a critical biography of Thomson and his work by Dr Philip Tew. Agraphia is Harper's own publishing imprint, and as you'd expect, the books are exquisitely designed, illustrated and printed.

Find beauty and happiness in nature and create beautiful drawings and prints with this stunning guide to the mindful art of drawing floral patterns. Drawing can be a powerful tool to combat anxiety, stress and depression. In From Petal to Pattern, New York-based pattern designer and illustrator Michelle Parascandolo teaches us how the act of drawing repeated floral shapes can connect us to nature, reminding us to look around ourselves and notice the world which surrounds us. With step-by-step guides to 20 intricate patterns for us to recreate at home, this gifty how-to book helps us explore the meditative practice of drawing through the creation of repeating flower patterns. From bouquets to blocks of densely-packed flowers, the botanical patterns in this book cover all styles, from folk art to tropical, and also offers tips for creating your own original designs. With mindful affirmations as well as flower facts and lore, this book combines creative self-expression with art-therapy principles and an appreciation of the natural world. Accessible for all artistic abilities, from total beginners to experienced artists, this book teaches us how to make these colourful and bright designs into attractive prints, so you can apply them to materials of your choosing to fill your home with beautiful blossoms!

Best-selling artist and art instructor Mark Crilley, whose YouTube manga instruction videos have received more than 10 million views and counting, presents the most complete look yet at the variety of creative options available in the world of manga. Crilley fills each chapter with gorgeous, original artwork created with a variety of tools and in a variety of manga-inspired styles. He pairs each piece with information on the materials used and the inspiration that led to its creation. Manga Art provides readers the chance to hear from one of the leading artists in the field of manga instruction, as he reveals the creative secrets behind over 100 pieces of original, never-before-seen artwork.

In his graphic biography Nick Cave: Mercy on Me, Reinhard Kleist paints an expressive and enthralling portrait of the musician, novelist, poet, and actor. It is, according to Nick Cave himself, "a complex, chilling and completely bizarre journey into Cave World." Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: An Art Book collects Kleist's moody and expressive portraits of the musician and his band, spanning 30 years of writing, recording, and live performance. Kleist also returns readers to Cave's imaginative world with comic book reimaginings of "Deanna," "The Good Son," and "Stagger Lee." Filled with visual delights, this record-size art book is a kaleidoscopic portrait of Nick Cave's wide-ranging career as a storyteller, musician, and cultural icon.

Learn to draw in 30 days with public television's favorite drawing teacher. Drawing is an acquired skill, not a talent--"anyone" can learn to draw All you need is a pencil, a piece of paper, and the willingness to tap into your hidden artistic abilities. "You Can Draw in 30 Days" will teach you the rest. With Emmy award-winning, longtime PBS host Mark Kistler as your guide, you'll learn the secrets of sophisticated three-dimensional renderings, and have fun along the way. Inside you'll find: Quick and easy step-by-step instructions for drawing everything from simple spheres to apples, trees, buildings, and the human hand and faceMore than 500 line drawings, illustrating each stepTime-tested tips, techniques, and tutorials for drawing in 3-DThe 9 Fundamental Laws of Drawing to create the illusion of depth in any drawing75 student examples to help gauge your own progress

In just 20 minutes a day for a month, you can learn to draw anything, whether from the world around you or from your own imagination. It's time to embark on your creative journey. Pick up your pencil and begin today

Figure Drawing for Artists: Making Every Mark Count is not a typical drawing instruction book; it explains the two-step process behind juggernauts like DreamWorks, WB and Disney. Though there are many books on drawing the human figure, none teach how to draw a figure from the first few marks of the quick sketch to the last virtuosic stroke of the finished masterpiece, let alone through a convincing, easy-to-understand method. That changes now! In Figure Drawing for Artists: Making Every Mark Count, award-winning fine artist Steve Huston shows beginners and pros alike the two foundational concepts behind the greatest masterpieces in art and how to use them as the basis for their own success. Embark on a drawing journey and discover how these twin pillars of support are behind everything from the Venus De Milo, to Michelangelo's Sibyl, to George Bellow's Stag at Sharkey's, and how they're the fundamental tools for animation studios around the world. Not to mention how the best comic book artists since the beginnings of the art form use them whether they know it or not. Figure Drawing for Artists: Making Every Mark Count sketches out the same two-step method taught to the artists of DreamWorks, Warner Brothers, and Disney Animation, so pick up a pencil and get 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.

Learn to Draw Celtic Designs is a treasure trove of beautiful Celtic designs that are a constant source of fascination for people all over the world. It features more than 50 original, ready-to-use patterns that can be drawn and decorated in authentic Celtic style.These sinuous knots, mythical creatures, and ornate braids make fantastic adornments for a variety of arts and crafts, including woodworking, pyrography, leatherwork and needlecraft.Each intricate design can be easily altered to create dozens of additional patterns for your own artwork, giving you the potential to create hundreds of new designs.

A reference work for artists providing a system for visualizing the hand in an infinite number of positions from a multitude of angles. Drawings show anatomical structures, actions, functions, movement and foreshortening.

A visual, large-format compilation of some the finest architectural drawings from Sir John Soane's extensive collection.Architectural Drawings casts light on the magnificent architectural drawings of neo-classical architect, teacher and collector, Sir John Soane that are otherwise concealed in archives. This book, featuring artworks handpicked from what was probably the first comprehensive collection of architectural drawings in the world, numbering 30,000 at the time of his death in 1837, celebrates a life spent procuring curiosities. The collection encompasses the hands of Montano, Thorpe, Wren, Talman, Hawksmoor, Vanbrugh, Gibbs, Kent, Chambers, Adam, Clerisseau, Pecheux, Wyatt, Playfair, Nash and, of course, Soane himself. The quality of Soane's collection of drawings is scarcely paralleled elsewhere and on account of their fragility, these items are infrequently seen by the public. This innovative book draws together the most exquisite and important works from the collection for the first time, showing the extraordinary connoisseurship of Sir John Soane while also exploring what drove Soane to amass such a collection and the provenance of his various significant acquisitions.This book illustrates the story of Soane as a collector of architectural drawings, but a story which is not normally available to the public, and will provide a sumptuous opportunity to peruse some of the finest architectural drawings in existence.

From Zappa hurting someone to Kurt Cobain hurting himself. From trees of peace (except one) to bicycles of terrorism and crappy nappies, this book contains everything you ever need to know - and some things you wish you didn't This is to be Sexton Ming's first ever mass market paperback, and the first book ever to be devoted to his strange and wonderful drawings. Ming is a writer/musician/painter extraordinaire and his meandering mind can take you on an otherworldly journey steeped in so much black humour, tangential weirdness and biting observation of the human race it makes this world a much better place. He is little known in mainstream culture but is in fact world famous. He was a founding member of the Medway Poets, has appeared on over 20 albums, painted some of the strangest paintings in the world, supported Sonic Youth live, was called a failed intellectual by Ralph Steadman, once saved Billy Childish's life

Create a More Beautiful World with a Little Hand-Lettered Love! Messages from your own hand are an intimate and powerful means of expression and communication. Happy Hand Lettering offers you instruction and encouragement to begin creating beautifully written words right away. From selecting the best tools and supplies, to forming your first simple letters, everything you need to begin your calligraphic journey is here. Learn beginning-level techniques for brush lettering, nib lettering and modern lettering as you progress from strokes to letters and from words to phrases. Discover ideas for using your new lettering skills in a practical way--envelopes, gift tags, decor and more. Brush up on composition basics, typography terms and an exploration of a variety of mediums. Enjoy the process of learning something new. Start crafting hopeful and happy messages today!

Drawing the Head for Artists is the definitive modern guide to drawing the human head and portrait, featuring the classic mediums and methods of the Old Masters. Written by celebrated portrait artist and veteran studio instructor Oliver Sin, this richly informative and beautifully illustrated volume leads readers step-by-step through his method, from establishing a point of view to applying the timeless principles for creating an accurate and expressive likeness. Among the topics covered: Essential Materials & Techniques:Learn about necessary supplies and basic drawing techniques, including hatching, various stroke styles, and blending. Applying the Essentials: Explore how the concepts of sight-sizing, value, negative space/shapes, and plane changes factor into a portrait's underlying structure. Techniques for Creating Depth & Dimension:Investigate how contrasting shapes, overlapping forms, and linear and atmospheric perspective are used to enhance depth. Creating the Illusion of Three Dimensions: Examine how edges-contours as well as changes in value-are used to convey three-dimensional form. Brimming with striking images that document all the phases and details of the author's process, Drawing the Head for Artists inspires and informs all artists, from aspiring to accomplished, on how to successfully portray the physical subtleties and emotional eloquence of the human face. 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.

Many of us want to learn "how to draw." But as artist Anthony Ryder explains, it's much more important to learn what to draw. In other words, to observe and draw what we actually see, rather than what we think we see. When it comes to drawing the human figure, this means letting go of learned ideas and expectation of what the figure should look like. It means carefully observing the interplay of form and light, shape and line, that combine to create the actual appearance of human form. In "The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing," amateur and experienced artists alike are guided toward this new way of seeing and drawing the figure with a three-step drawing method.
The book's progressive course starts with the block-in, an exercise in seeing and establishing the figure's shape. It then build to the contour, a refined line drawing that represents the figure's silhouette. The last step is tonal work on the inside of the contour, when light and shadow are shaped to create the illusion of form. Separate chapters explore topics critical to the method: gesture, which expresses a sense of living energy to the figure; light, which largely determines how we see the model; and form, which conveys the figure's volume and mass. Examples, step-by-steps, and special "tips" offer helpful hints and practical guidance throughout.
Lavishly illustrated with the author's stunning artwork, "The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing" combines solid instruction with thoughtful meditations on the art of drawing, to both instruct and inspire artists of all levels.

In Sketching Women, three professional studio artists (Kozo Ueda, PhD, Takahiro Okada, PhD and Minoru Hirota, PhD) join forces to show you how to sketch the female figure through 55 step-by-step drawing lessons. Each instructor walks you through their philosophy for croquis sketching. Croquis sketches are quickly-rendered drawings that capture the essentials of a subject's form and pose with relatively few expressive lines. There are four levels of sketching described in the book: 1-minute croquis: very rapid gesture drawings that capture only the artist's impressions of the form, and where the pencil stays in contact with the paper for practically the entire session 2-minute croquis: another quick sketch, but with more attention paid to the character and rhythm of the lines and how they help to express the essence of the form 5-minute croquis: a more finished drawing where added tonal variations suggest volume and anatomical details 10-minute croquis: more of a finished drawing than true croquis, the longer session allows the luxury of adding fine details such as the facial expression, the character of the hands and clothing texture Learn to sketch the following: Individual body parts (including faces) and their bone structure and muscles Standing and sitting poses Nudes and clothed figures Light and dark tonal variations Dynamic poses Color drawings You'll quickly hone your sketching skills with this life-drawing classroom-in-a-book. The expert advice and observations, dozens of poses to study, as well as easy-to-understand notes and tips make it easy to understand how the skeleton, muscles and posture all come together to express the uniquely female form.

Discover 100 wonderful and majestic creatures to draw! Whether you have your favourites already, or are looking for inspiration from a range of diverse habitats including rainforests, mountains, polar regions or the African savannah, you're bound to discover an animal in this book that you will find irresistible - and you will just want to pick up your pencil and start drawing! Each animal is broken down into three or four simple stages that lead you effortlessly through to the finished drawing. There are no written instructions to follow - just basic shapes and pencil strokes. Even if you've never drawn anything before, you will be amazed at how quickly you will achieve incredibly impressive drawings. Every project also shows two finished examples of the animal - one shaded with pencil and the other with colour. This is the perfect book for budding artists yearning to draw their favourite animals. The material in this book is taken from the following books in Search Press's successful How to Draw series: Mountain Animals, Polar Animals, Rainforest Animals, African Animals.

Contributions by Kenneth Baker, Jaqueline Berndt, Albert Boime, John Carlin, Benoit Crucifix, David Deitcher, Michael Dooley, Damian Duffy, M. C. Gaines, Paul Gravett, Diana Green, Karen Green, Doug Harvey, Charles Hatfield, M. Thomas Inge, Leslie Jones, Denis Kitchen, Jonah Kinigstein, John A. Lent, Dwayne McDuffie, Andrei Molotiu, Alvaro de Moya, Kim A. Munson, Cullen Murphy, Gary Panter, Trina Robbins, Antoine Sausverd, Rob Salkowitz, Art Spiegelman, Scott Timberg, Carol Tyler, Brian Walker, Alexi Worth, Joe Wos, and Craig Yoe Through essays and interviews, Kim A. Munson's anthology tells the story of the over-thirty-year history of the artists, art critics, collectors, curators, journalists, and academics who championed the serious study of comics, the trends and controversies that produced institutional interest in comics, and the wax and wane and then return of comic art in museums. Audiences have enjoyed displays of comic art in museums as early as 1930. In the mid-1960s, after a period when most representational and commercial art was shunned, comic art began a gradual return to art museums as curators responded to the appropriation of comics characters and iconography by such famous pop artists as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. From the first-known exhibit to show comics in art historical context in 1942 to the evolution of manga exhibitions in Japan, this volume regards exhibitions both in the United States and internationally. With over eighty images and thoughtful essays by Denis Kitchen, Brian Walker, Andrei Molotiu, Paul Gravett, Art Spiegelman, Trina Robbins, and Charles Hatfield, among others, this anthology shows how exhibitions expanded the public dialogue about comic art and our expectation of "good art"-displaying how dedicated artists, collectors, fans, and curators advanced comics from a frequently censored low-art medium to a respected art form celebrated worldwide.

The blank page can be daunting, but 10 Step Drawing: Flowers offers an easy jumping-off point for any doodler to be creative. Featuring illustrated tutorials for drawing 75 irresistible flowers - from exotic wildflowers, to aquatic flora, garden posies and beautiful succulents - every image is fun and easy to replicate in ten simple steps using just a pen and paper. Handy prompts help the reader without giving them dry, prescriptive instructions, and every flower has its own distinctive character. 10 Step Drawing: Flowers is sure to encourage even the most nervous amateur artist to dust off their pen and doodle. Other titles in the series: 10 Step Drawing: Animals.

'This is botanical illustration at the highest level.' - The Artist Christabel King is the foremost botanical artist at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, world leaders in the study and preservation of plant species. Here she shares her passion for depicting plants, both in scientific illustrations and in looser botanical art. This inspiring guide covers everything you need to know: choose a subject and create a vibrant composition; accurately sketch, shade and colour leaves, flowers, cacti and more; finally, press and preserve your own treasured specimens. A chapter on travel drawing gives a flavour of the author's worldwide experience, and there are many of her beautiful plates from the prestigious Curtis's Botanical Magazine. There is a helpful section on suitable subjects for beginners and a glossary of terms, to get you started in the beautiful art of botanical illustration.

Capture the mystery and magic of the ocean by drawing this collection of 28 aquatic creatures. Award-winning artist Jonathan Newey teaches you to transform simple shapes into characterful creatures including dolphins, clownfish, crabs, jellyfish, whales, sharks, turtles and more. There are 28 different sea creatures to create, in a variety of poses and styles. Each project starts with a few basic outlines and progresses into a finished tonal drawing; a final coloured version shows you how to develop your drawing even further. Perfect for beginners, as well as budding artists, you'll be amazed how easily you too can bring the ocean to life with this inspiring guide.

Let acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe take you on an unforgettable journey across Middle-earth, from Bag End to Mordor, in this richly illustrated sketchbook fully of previously unseen artwork, anecdotes and meditations on Middle-earth. Middle-earth has been mapped, Bilbo's and Frodo's journeys plotted and measured, but it remains a wilderland for all that. The roads as yet untravelled far outnumber those down which J.R.R. Tolkien led us in his writings. A Middle-earth Traveller presents a walking tour of Tolkien's Middle-earth, visiting not only places central to his stories, but also those just over the hill or beyond the horizon. Events from Tolkien's books are explored - battles of the different ages that are almost legend by the time of The Lord of the Rings; lost kingdoms and ancient myths, as well as those places only hinted at: kingdoms of the far North and lands beyond the seas. Sketches that have an 'on-the-spot' feel to them are interwoven with the artist's observations gleaned from Tolkien's books as he paints pictures with his words as well as his pencil. He also recollects his time spent working alongside Peter Jackson on the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies. Combining concept work produced for films, existing Middle-earth art and dozens of new paintings and sketches exclusive to this book, A Middle-earth Traveller will take the reader on a unique and unforgettable journey across Tolkien's magical landscape.

This elegant & accessible primer from master contemporary artist Juliette Aristides distils the drawing process into its essential elements. In "Lessons in Classical Drawing", award-winning author, artist and teacher, Juliette Aristides breaks down the drawing process and shows what all great drawing has in common. The book conveys a start-to-finish overview of the drawing experience and shows what to tackle when first starting a drawing and then how to lay the groundwork for each subsequent step in creating a well-crafted drawing. Packaged with a companion DVD, which aims to eliminate any gaps in the learning process, the reader becomes a virtual participant in a drawing workshop filmed at the Santa Repararta School in Florence, Italy.

A visually rich guide that can help aspiring and experienced artists master the stunning yet often complex techniques used to create dazzling watercolor backgrounds in only a few simple steps. Watercolor paintings are highly regarded for their delicate strokes, incandescent washes, and ethereal pigments. But the very beauty of this medium also makes it challenging for painters. Unlike oil and acrylic paints which can be easily applied and maintain their appearance after drying, the primary water base of watercolors alters the shape of the paper as well as the appearance of the paint as it dries. A leading expert in watercolor painting and highly regarded teacher, Yuko Nagayama has developed a unique and fool-proof twelve-step system to help you become proficient in creating exquisite landscapes as well as detailed objects and backgrounds using this popular medium. You Can Paint Dazzling Watercolors in Twelve Easy Lessons includes a list of necessary tools for watercolor painting, tutorials on different paints, instructions on mixing colors on a palette, and initial sketching techniques. Powered by Yuko's unique method and filled with helpful illustrations, You Can Paint Dazzling Watercolors in Twelve Easy Lessons will inspire you to diversify your skills and create beautiful works of art.