The legendary Art Students League of New York teacher offers 100 fine drawings and in-depth instruction in this guide to drawing virtually every aspect and posture of the human hand. He covers it all: the back of the hand and palm, nails, bones, tendons, muscles, the arch, veins, and more.

Just as an athletic coach expects to see significant physical growth from players in ten weeks, the reader of Artist Strength Training can expect impressive results in her creative stamina in just ten weeks as well. Ten chapters address such things as how to generate stamina, overcoming resistance, making distinctive and individualized work, dismantling "the Committee" (that group of inner critics), discovering grace through small acts of making, writing a new version of the traditional artist statement and determining what the reader needs to keep showing up daily to create meaningful work. In addition, each chapter also includes creative exercises and tips to encourage exploration of the exercises from several angles. Finally, for additional inspiration and encouragement, six contributing artists will be seen going through the entire process, too, sharing how each has improved and evolved (including progressive examples of their artwork).

Best-selling author Christopher Hart goes 'manga chic' with this guide to drawing the edgy fashions found in the popular Japanese genre. Packed with tutorials, his stylish drawing bible offers many enticing projects for aspiring artists, from creating classic outfits worn by popular manga characters to depicting the newest trends emerging from Tokyo. Chris explains how to draw eyes and hairstyles as well as figures, body types and poses; mix and match movement to the image, and design complementary colour schemes, add a sense of movement to the image and design exciting wardrobes for all seasons. He demystifies topics that typically puzzle beginners, from capturing the creases and folds of clothing to drawing patterns on fabric. A troubleshooting guide covers common problem areas so fans will quickly learn how to transform their basic manga characters into compelling fashion plates.

This guide helps artists learn to draw natural-looking figures. Hart portrays everyday, real-life gestures on human-looking foundation figures: standing, sitting, kneeling and reclining, with arms folded, ankles crossed, hands on hips and more, all shown from various angles. He also explores deeper concepts such as perspective, illusion of depth, casting shadows and foreshortening, and provides step-by-step tutorials that take artists through complete, naturally posed figure drawings from start to finish.

With over 10 million views and growing, Mark Crilley's "Realism Challenge" YouTube videos have an enormous worldwide legion of fans and have been featured on sites such as Yahoo News and Reddit. Now, for the first time, Crilley pulls back the curtain to reveal his artistic tricks and secret methods for creating these astonishing renderings. The Realism Challenge leads artists through Crilley's use of pencil, watercolour, pastel, and gouache to produce life-like, seemingly impossible drawings of common household objects like playing cards, crumpled paper, leaves, and seashells that look just like photographs. Each lesson builds off the previous, with sidebars covering specific techniques-such as rendering drop shadows, applying white highlights, and building from light to dark-that artists can master in order to conquer The Realism Challenge.

A fresh new guide to contemporary palette knife painting for beginner and experienced artists, featuring step-by-step tutorials on colour mixing, mark making, and a variety of painting techniques to create your own unique abstract, landscape, and floral paintings. Publisher's note: regrettably there were some production problems with the first printing of this title. We have recalled the affected books and new stock is now available. Author and artist, Melissa McKinnon, has designed this book to take both the beginner and experienced artist on a journey into impasto painting. She begins with an overview of the essential tools and materials you'll need to get started. Included are detailed instructions to make your own stay-wet palette and how to combine thickening mediums with acrylic paint to achieve the ideal consistency. There are simple practice exercises to get you comfortable using a palette knife, mixing colours and blending with a brush. Melissa explains how to sculpt and control the paint to create a variety of stunning textural effects. She demonstrates several mark making techniques that you can use alone or in combination to create your own expressive textured paintings, as well as an introduction to colour theory and tips on composition. Once you feel confident with the tools and paint, you'll learn how to create twelve different textured landscape, floral, and abstract paintings with step-by-step instructions. This series of paintings was designed to help you put all of the techniques and colour theory you've learned into beautiful paintings of your own. Melissa generously shares her knowledge and expert tips gained from years of experience developing her unique approach to palette knife painting. She values experimentation and is always evolving her technique. The last two projects explore alternative painting methods inviting you to take your paintings one step further by incorporating new materials and experimental techniques. Using the instructions in this book you will become equipped to take your practise further and continue to develop the skills you need to improve your artwork. This book will become a trusted resource in your studio, one that you can refer back to again and again as you grow and evolve as an artist. When speaking about the book Melissa says: "Painting with a palette knife can be intimidating even for experienced artists. My goal is to simplify the process and show you how easy and enjoyable this technique really is. Textured Art is is a deep dive into my unique painting process that I've developed over a lifetime of art making. Designed for both beginner and experienced artists, I'll teach you step-by-step everything you need to know to create colourful textured paintings of your own. I'm confident this book will become a trusted resource in your studio, one that you can refer back to again and again as you grow and evolve as an artist."

Dave White introduces the simple but effective techniques that he uses to paint stunning, dramatic seascapes with beautiful and realistic skies. He demonstrates spattering, blending backgrounds, painting horizons, finger painting clouds and foam. There is expert advice on the anatomy of waves and how they rise and collapse, creating ripples, surf, foam and spray. Clear instructions show how to paint effective reflections and beaches to improve your seascapes. The sky section shows effective techniques for painting all types of cloud, with some innovative methods such as tipping up the surface to let dilute paint run, to create cirrus clouds. Dave's method of creating depth in sea, beach and sky using lines projected from the vanishing point will radically improve readers' seascapes. There is a section of moods and sunsets full of beautiful, dramatic examples. Finally three step by step projects show how to paint a beach panorama with a rolling wave, a spectacular sunset over a calm sea and waves crashing on rocks.

'Rendering' is the reproduction or representation of an architect's design in the form of a drawing of the building as it will appear, complete with accessory details such as trees, traffic and people. It is also much used in preparing drawings for engineers, designers and manufacturers, and in advertising and industry generally. Rendering with Pen and Ink is the classic guide to rendering techniques and methods - the standard work in its field. Its authoritative text and illustrations make it indispensable for students and staff in art colleges and universities everywhere.

"...by far the best primer [on perspective] I've ever seen. If you have other books, throw them away and buy this. You won't regret it." - Artbookreview.net Learn how to master perspective and create convincing drawings of the three-dimensional world with the help of artist and teacher, Tim Fisher. Every aspect of perspective, from zero- to multi-point, is explored and explained in simple terms that everyone can understand. In addition to landscapes and buildings, you will learn how to apply perspective to people, animals, boats, reflections and more. There is also expert advice on drawing curved objects and inclined planes, a run-down of common mistakes, and an inspirational chapter on moving beyond a rigid application of the rules to draw freely and instinctively. Clear diagrams and finished drawings are included throughout, along with numerous exercises so that you can put your new skills into practice. This is a revitalized edition of Drawing Masterclass: Perspective (ISBN: 9781782211112).

Leading equine illustrator Jennifer Bell has revised this beautiful and ever-popular book, which is designed to assist budding artists of all ages. Its encouraging text and inspiring illustrations will help the reader understand basic horse anatomy and the mechanics of movement, as well as the art techniques necessary to draw and paint horses with success.

In this beautiful book, Naomi Okamoto passes on her experience and knowledge of Sumi-e - traditional Japanese ink painting that uses only ink, white space and simple brushstrokes to capture the essence of an object, person, animal or scene. With her deep understanding of both the technical and spiritual aspects of this ancient art, she guides the reader expertly through the materials required and the techniques involved, successfully conveying as she does so the cultural and historical background to this exquisite artform. There are numerous ink paintings and simple exercises throughout, making this book ideal for anyone wishing to acquire the skills associated with Sumi-e, as well as an understanding of the philosophy behind it.

Unleash the Beasts

"For millennia historians, artists and scientists have chronicled their ideas and discoveries of mythological and magical monsters in encyclopedias known as bestiaries. From Asia to America, Japan to the jungles of South Africa, the vast menagerie of exotic and legendary creatures has populated the imaginations of all cultures for centuries."

Beautifully illustrated and fantastically detailed, "Dracopedia: The Bestiary" is a modern, but no less unsettling reimagining of the ancient version. It is an A-to-Z artist's guide to animals of the legendary world. Some, like the griffin and yeti, may be familiar to you. Others--like the enigmatic questing beast and ferocious manticore--may seem new and strange. Some may even haunt your dreams. Inside the bestiary, you will find:

• Secrets of each animal's evolution--origins, habitat, anatomy, diet and more.
• Fantastic illustrations created using pencil sketches and digital coloring.
• Four-stage demonstrations taking you from concept and design to under-painting and finishing details.

Painting Light and Color in the Modern Landscape is a guidebook to help artists of all skill levels to create watercolors that are imbued with light and mood by working with value and color. For beginners, the basic materials and techniques are covered in detail, based largely on questions the author had when he was learning and the questions that his students ask him today. The remainder of the book is filled with practical lessons intended to advance the overall knowledge and confidence of the reader. One aspect that will be unique to this book is that the author will share personal, disastrous learning experiences with readers as a means of both encouragement and entertainment and to illustrate the point that anyone can learn, anyone can improve and anyone can master this particular subject matter. In addition to 12 individual step-by-step demonstrations , approximately 27 gallery pieces with detailed explanations of the painting techniques and concepts used to create the painting.

Featuring more than 600 sketches depicting a vast array of fantastic beasts and beings, Draw Like an Artist: 100 Fantasy Creatures and Characters is a must-have visual reference for student and aspiring artists, illustrators, and animators for fantasy, gaming, and augmented or virtual reality-anyone who's seeking to improve their realistic drawing skills and create compelling mythological marvels. This contemporary step-by-step guidebook demonstrates fundamental art concepts like proportion, anatomy, and spatial relationships as you learn to draw a full range of amazing life forms-including unicorns, mermaids, dragons, vampires, and zombies-all shown from a variety of perspectives. Each set of illustrations takes you from beginning sketch lines to a finished drawing. Author Brynn Metheney's classic drawing style will make this a go-to sourcebook for years to come. Learn how to: Establish basic shapes and symmetry Articulate lines for body shapes, forms, and shading Add defining details Draw Like an Artist: 100 Fantasy Creatures and Characters is a library essential for any artist who's interested in learning how to draw these richly imagined and visually and culturally influential legendary beings. The books in the Draw Like an Artist series are richly visual references for learning how to draw classic subjects realistically through hundreds of step-by-step images created by expert artists and illustrators.

All watercolour landscape artists need to know how to paint water, and in this book Terry Harrison excels in demystifying the painting process. Here he shares his expert advice and no nonsense tips and techniques for producing quick, effective paintings of water. There are two or three-step exercises for painting water in all its varied moods and situations, including ripples, reflections, puddles, streams, breaking waves, choppy water, surf, bridges, riverbeds, boats, and much more. There are then ten step-by-step demonstrations that can be produced in half an hour: a misty lake, track with puddles, ford, waterfall, lazy river, stormy sea, cliffs, fishing from a boat, sunset estuary and fishing boat.

Figure Drawing For Dummies appeals to both new art students and veteran artists who find it difficult to proportionally draw the human form. The illustrations and examples in Figure Drawing For Dummies are designed to help readers capture this elusive figure.

Perfect for children, parents or anyone else keen to try their hand at face-painting anything from tigers, aliens and sharks to unicorns, rainbows and superheroes.

Do you know how to draw a square, triangle, and rectangle? Well, then, you know how to draw! Rough: Drawing in 2 Strokes and 3 Moves provides you with a way to start drawing that is based on a very simple observation: the human body, as well as everything surrounding us, can be broken down into elementary and basic geometric shapes. The technique that author and teacher Pierre Pochet shows you here has no fine art or academic ambitions. Instead, it shows you how to quickly draw from memory a facial expression or a bodily movement, to flesh out a picture, to create a perspective, or to sketch a scene. This approach to drawing is particularly useful for those who have no artistic training but who are considering a career in a creative field, whether that be advertising, design, or graphics . . . as well as for anyone who simply wants to learn how to draw!

A practical and inspirational book of printmaking techniques and modern working practices. This book is your basic and essential guide to a wide range of printmaking techniques. Through step-by-step instructions, it covers the processes of monotype, relief, intaglio, collagraph, screenprinting and lithography, explaining basic methods and recommending tools, types of paper, equipment and materials necessary for each, as well as highlighting safe and sensible working practices. A handy chapter also teaches you how to edition and frame your prints. This new, expanded edition covers modern working practices and recent techniques such as printing with carborundum. Designed as a practical book, it is also full of inspiration for all budding printmakers.

Painting flowers is a joyful experience - to capture and celebrate the colour, form and beauty of flowers in watercolour is an endlessly exciting pursuit. This book encourages you to experiment and play when you paint, to enjoy the process of creating a painting, and to develop your own style as you observe and render either a single stem or a full floral abstract. By moving from the tight constraints of botanical illustration, it encourages a looser style of floral paining that allows for a more personal and unique interpretation of the subject.

In Geninne's Art: Birds in Watercolor, Collage, and Ink, popular Santa Fe artist Geninne Zlatkis presents a personal field guide to how she creates her charming paintings and collages of birds and nature. Brimming with inspiring examples of the artist's work, this beautiful book takes you inside Geninne's studio for an in-depth look at how she creates. You will discover, step by step, how this devoted artist spends time photographing nature, selecting her materials, and developing her personal imagery. Explore: How her studio is set up, how she works, and what materials and tools she uses How she captures nature with both a camera and phone for reference Her artistic process through the step-by-step creation of 5 watercolor paintings, 5 collages, and 5 ink drawings, with notes on each medium and technique As a special bonus, the book includes 32 pages of collage papers, painted and selected by Geninne, for you to use as you explore and develop your own artistic voice. Vibrant, detailed, and richly imaginative, Geninne's interpretation of the birds she has observed so closely will inspire you to use the natural world as fodder for your paintings, drawings, and collages.

Absolutely the most thorough guide to pastel materials and techniques ever assembled in a single volume, this is the book for anyone working with pastels, from beginners to experienced artists looking to develop more professional skills. Defining the pastel medium broadly-color in stick form to be used for drawing and painting simultaneously-the author creates works of sensuous textures and colors, ranging from subtle to intense. He uses traditional soft and hard pastels, as well as oil pastels and oil sticks, showing the effects produced by each in step-by-step demonstrations. Included are sophisticated ways to combine pastels with water, acrylic, alkyd gels, and oil paint for stunning mixed-media results.