This beautiful book explores the world of colour in the plant kingdom and introduces the artist to effective practical methods of using colour in botanical painting. It focusses on the relevance of making accurate observations of colour in botanical specimens and recognizing the value and importance of using colour theory to achieve successful results. With over 500 images, this elaborately-illustrated guide uses the author's finished artwork, diagrams, and step-by-step tutorials to explain the important role of colour in this compelling genre. This book is a must for all aspiring botanical artists, illustrators and students.

Zenspirations dangles are unique patterns that add interest and texture to any design. Although they may look complicated, they are actually quite easy to create! All you need is a pen, a piece of paper and your imagination. Gifted calligrapher and designer Joanne Fink shares her fun and relaxing techniques for adding dangle patterns to your drawings. Whether you like to journal, draw or doodle, you'll find intriguing ideas here for crafting, designing and decorating with dangle patterns. This expanded edition includes a bonus workbook section that gives you a place to play, experiment and create new, exciting dangle designs. This is where you can practice drawing all the dangle design components, experiment with new techniques and develop your own unique dangle style.

A step-by-step guide on how to create personal and contemporary linocut prints. A linocut is a relief print created by carving a design into a printing block. It is the uncut surface, not the carved away areas, that gives you your image when you roll it with ink, lay paper on top then apply pressure to produce a print. With 18 easy-to-follow projects that can be adapted to suit your own ideas, experienced printmaker Sam Marshall guides you through the whole process - from the drawing to the carving to the inking to the printing - of creating your own beautiful prints and handmade cards whether you are working from your kitchen table or a more advanced studio set-up. By taking inspiration from everyday life, Sam helps you to build your confidence with observational drawing. Featuring step-by-step projects, the book demonstrates a range of skills with low-cost materials to produce simple linocuts, reduction linocuts and colourful multi-block prints. You will also learn more experimental techniques such as combining monoprint, chine colle, jigsaw linocuts and rainbow rolls and pick up handy tips on subjects such as 'noise' and editioning your prints. Beautifully illustrated with photographs of Sam's own drawings and linocuts, and featuring the work of 5 talented printmakers, Linocut is an essential guide to linocut printmaking. Packed with creative and practical advice to guide and encourage you, whether you're just starting out, returning to the craft or looking to expand your printmaking skills.

There’s no doubt about it: whether you’re a newbie or a dab hand, drawing can often be daunting. That’s why cartoons are the best place to start! From the co-creator of the best-selling Hirameki: Draw What You See comes a stylish yet playful approach to drawing cartoons, designed to excite even the most tentative artists. Over several decades teaching in schools and art colleges, Austrian cartoonist Peng has developed expert knowledge of the building blocks of drawing and sketching. As he shows, creativity can come from anywhere. Entire sketches can spring up from the simplest lines or curves. Even found objects can spark brilliance – who knows, maybe a stone or leaf could provide the next flash of inspiration!

Peng’s easy-to-follow guide inspires confidence and creativity by showing how even complete novices can quickly learn how to draw characters and develop their own individual style. Starting with the basics of figure construction and moving through to expression, movement and animals, the artist conjures up delightful cartoons with wicked humour and a lightness of touch. Simple tips and exercises reveal how anyone and everyone can master the art of drawing, encouraging the reader to experiment with a variety of techniques executed through brush, pencil and pen. Don’t be afraid of drawing, concludes Peng, in this enjoyable and addictive starter book – you make the rules.

With this high-quality sketchbook, experienced and aspiring manga artists can take what they've learned about drawing manga and create their own manga graphic novels. The opening pages of this sketchbook include information on filling the panels, creating drama with angles, using speech balloons, and creating special effects. After that, the book is divided into six sections, each with a cover template and blank, black-framed panels that allow artists to create different manga stories from start to finish. The possibilities are endless!

Revered among artists - including the great Norman Rockwell and comics superstar Alex Ross - for his mastery of figure drawing and clean, realist style, Loomis's hugely influential art instruction books have never been bettered.

Hailed by the American Academy of Art as "one of the most brilliant contributions that figure drawing has ever received" Loomis's books are packed with beautiful examples to help you master anatomy and capture the human form at any age, in movement and at rest.

For the first time, this attractive box set collects two of Loomis' most popular works to create the ultimate guide to drawing the human body. This set is perfect for students, amateur artists, and professionals alike.

An award-winning fantasy artist and the creator of "Dinotopia," James Gurney instructs and inspires in "Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist." Renowned for his uncanny ability to incorporate amazing detail and imagination into stunningly realistic fantasy settings, James Gurney teaches budding artists and fans of fantasy art step-by-step the techniques that won him worldwide critical acclaim. This groundbreaking work examines the practical methods for creating believable pictures of imaginary subjects, such as dinosaurs, ancient Romans, alien creatures, and distant worlds.
Beginning with a survey of imaginative paintings from the Renaissance to the golden Age of American illustration, the book then goes on to explain not just techniques like sketching and composition, but also the fundamentals of believable world building including archaeology, architecture, anatomy for creatures and aliens, and fantastic engineering. It concludes with details and valuable advice on careers in fantasy illustration, including video game and film concept art and toy design.
More than an instruction book, this is the ultimate reference for fans of science fiction and fantasy illustration.
"Gurney's "Imaginative Realism" is a gold mine for artists who want to create images that sing with authority and delight the viewer with rich otherworldly visuals." --Erik Tiemens, concept artist, "Star Wars: Episodes II and III"
""Imaginative Realism" is an indispensable, flawless reference for vision makers in any discipline to create their own imaginative realms." --Frank M. Costantino, ASAI, SI, FSAI, JARA, cofounder, American Society of Architectural Illustrators

Learn to draw by sketching what surrounds you everyday. In Observational Sketching, author Mariko Higaki-an ISDA Gold Award-winning industrial designer based in Japan-teaches you how to practice and learn to sketch by using well-established observational techniques. Perspective, proportion, lines, shapes, shading, and many other techniques can be learned through everyday practice and observation of the items you come in contact with everyday, from a backpack to your sunglasses. This book addresses how to approach sketching a range of shapes and materials and how to disassemble each object to accurately capture its unique design elements. Inspiration and examples from the author and other well-known artists accompany a variety of projects that you can try right away and skill-building projects that will strengthen your talent. Find within: An introduction to observational sketching The basic concepts and tools used in observational sketching Observation techniques Illustrated step-by-step instructions for creating observational sketches of 20 common objects, from a alarm clock to a wooden stool Hone your artistic skills with this daily sketching practice. Whether you are an urban sketcher or an industrial designer, this books should be part of your reference collection.

'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.

During his career as one of America's most sought-after illustrators, Andrew Loomis (1889-1959) taught at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, and in 1939 he codified his lessons in his first manual, "Fun with a Pencil." Four years later it had already been through six printings, and he followed up over the next two decades with a series of even more successful how-to books that remain the gold standard for artists to this day.
"Creative Illustration" is considered Loomis's magnum opus, which was aimed primarily at the professional-level illustrator. Divided into seven sections: Line, Tone, Color, Telling the Story, Creating Ideas, Fields of Illustration, and Experimenting and Studies, this book is filled with instructions, tips, insider experiences, and incredible illustrations.

The characteristics of watercolour naturally complement botanical art and this beautiful book shows you how to make the most of this versatile medium. It starts by guiding you through the complexities of painting flowers, with advice on materials and colour mixing, using colour to achieve translucency and clarity, building confidence with step-by-step examples and the importance of observation and botancial accuracy. It then creates detailed and beautiful compositions for the more experienced botanical artist. This new book has ideas and tips on composition and how to include animal life and is structured by season to include a range of flowers and plants.

Create your own chibi world with fun and adorable step-by-step drawing exercises, including over 60 fantasy creatures and characters featuring different accessories, clothing, facial expressions, and poses. These fantasy creatures and animals will make you squeal with delight! Chibi is Japanese slang for "short," and the characters in Cute Chibi Mythical Beasts & Magical Monsters live up to this description with their cute roly-poly bodies that make them extremely lovable and huggable. Phoebe Im, creator of Bobblejot, has a cute and easy drawing style that is made accessible through this how-to book for artists of all levels. Cute Chibi Mythical Beasts & Magical Monsters features easy-to-follow instructions to help you enjoy the world of chibi, incorporating dynamic expressions and poses to challenge your skills. Along with the step-by-step instructions, there are inspiration pages with fun accessories and clothing, facial expressions, and different poses as well as a digital workshop to guide you on how to make quick drawings on your phone or tablet. Learn how to draw these fantasy creatures in cute chibi style: Gnome Troll Mermaid Fairy Golem Cyclops Big Foot Unicorn Dragons (various species) Vampire Zombie Chimera Pegasus Phoenix Loch Ness Monster Griffon Cerberus Sphinx Werewolf Practice and expand your drawing skills as you create adorable chibi beasts and creatures with this fun and accessible book.

If you are the sort of person who has ever had a spare moment at work (and let's face it who isn't) then this is the book for you. A neat little pocket format means you will never be without access to its stress-relieving pages. Finish the doodles, create your own and generally have fun at work with the Bored at Work Pocket Doodle Book! Creative, fun, partly finished doodles and other ideas adorn every page of this hilarious book. Sharpen your pencil to scribble in the spaces, colour in the shapes and add your own works of art.

Chinese brush painting is an ancient art, steeped in history, symbolism and ritual, and closely linked to Chinese calligraphy. This beautifully illustrated book takes you on a journey through the history, techniques and materials that will enable you to produce stunning paintings of flowers, birds, animals and landscapes. Topics covered include: he history of Chinese painting materials and how to use them; advice on basic brush strokes, colour mixing and brush loading; step-by-step guide to completing a composition of a variety of subjects and finally, instruction on mounting your work for display. Written by a respected artist and teacher, it covers traditional techniques as well as more recent innovative ideas, and reveals the beauty and mastery behind this art.

Drawing the human face has a timeless and universal appeal, though it's often perceived as being difficult to achieve. Carole's book removes the mystery from portrait painting, and makes the subject accessible to even absolute beginners. She shows you in easy step-by-step stages how to use line, tone and form to capture a likeness and give it both personality and expression. Containing simple exercises along with longer step-by-step projects, this book leads you by the hand through the different elements of the face, allowing you to gradually build your skills before leading on to successfully describing your subject's likeness and character. Composition, clothing, props and more personal characteristics like age and hairstyles are all covered. The book also includes information on drawing from life.

Learn all the steps necessary to create four whimsical, decorative concrete garden ornaments. With 177 clear color photos and informative text, readers discover the techniques for mixing concrete, creating wire armature frameworks, applying and detailing the concrete, and painting the piece once the concrete mix has set. \nFollowing T.J. Neils techniques, you will successfully complete a turtle planter, a gnome planter, a tree stump planter, and a working dolphin fountain. This book will be a joy for everyone who likes to work with their hands.

Julia Kay's Portrait Party is an international collaborative project in which artists all over the world make portraits of each other and share them online. After years of exchanging portraits, tips and techniques within the group, in Portrait Revolution these artists are now sharing their art, their words, and their inspiration with everyone who is interested in or would like to get started with portraiture. Here you can find information on using different media, how to handle difficult portrait issues, and more. Portrait Revolution showcases 450 portraits by 200 artists, in a wide variety of media from oil painting to iPad art, watercolour to ballpoint, linocut to mosaic. There are a range of styles from realistic to abstract and interpretations by multiple artists of the same subject.

A book of 25 floral sketches printed on lovely watercolor paper invites artistic experimentation with only a brush and paint. Each page is double-sided, offering the opportunity to paint the same page in different ways. The author shares painting tips for each sketch and advice for discovering the artist within. Also included is a painting tutorial and handy color wheel. Each book is small enough to carry anywhere and simple to use. Creativity is an escape, and this book offers a delightful way to make art regardless of skill level.

Learn how to letter and create fun, adorable illustrations featuring everyday objects in this step-by-step guide-with tips, tricks, and practice space to kickstart your creative journey. In this effervescent approach to art instruction, artist Jesi Rodgers opens up her tool kit, sharing techniques, inspiration, and encouragement to teach the creatively curious how to draw and paint adorable projects. Adorable Art Class explores Jesi's quirky, bright, and captivating art style. The lessons show how to create supercute illustrations of the kinds of things we see every day: Flowers Teacup Bike Cat Taco Donut Apple Along the way, we learn about color, materials, tools, and finding your creative voice. With helpful prompts and projects using a range of techniques and mediums, from pencil sketching to marker coloring, anyone can master this cute and adorable art style.

Bold Exciting Powerful A new level of artistic expression! Every artist strives to achieve the kind of painting that commands attention from across the room and delights the eye up close. In this book, artist and workshop teacher Patti Mollica walks you through surprisingly simple and efficient strategies for achieving that kind of powerful composition, whatever your subject. Complete with timed exercises and start-to-finish painting demonstrations, this book is for any artist who feels overwhelmed by where to start or daunted by the urge to paint everything in sight. Patti Mollica's mindful approach will lead you to better, bolder results, as well as greater confidence and joy in the process. So load your palette with ample paint, grab some fat brushes and get ready to paint fast, paint loose, paint bold. Start with a strong, simple value statement Get expressive with color Be brave with your brushwork 5 technique exercises 5 start-to-finish painting demonstrations Paint fearlessly!

Turn that old, dilapidated chair that has been sitting in your garage or basement into a decorative piece of art for your children's bedroom or playroom. In this new DIY book, master painter Sammie Crawford takes you through seven step-by-step chair-painting projects: bear, bunny, Mother Goose, panda, puppy, Raggedy Ann and Andy, and Wild Animals. There's also a bonus Christmas Rocking Horse project. With color photographs and patterns, as well as lists of supplies and color palettes, this book gives you the details you need to replicate the designs in full or add your own creative ideas. This book is perfect for painters of all skill levels.