Learn how use oil paints with this clear and simple guide. Accomplished artist and teacher Norman Long explains all the basics and shows you how to master this versatile, vibrant medium so you can produce beautiful paintings full of life and color. Oils has a handy front section covering all the practical stuff, from choosing the right materials to essential techniques. 10 step-by-step tutorials each broken down into key stages range of subject matter from still life to landscapes to figures clear step-by-step photography and instructions includes special features on painting people, painting outdoors and composition tips and practical advice to help make the most of your paints

Vivienne Cawson's luminous painting style and considered use of flat or patterned backgrounds gives her work a contemporary, beautiful feel all of its own. Published in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as a celebration of their annual Orchid Festival, this stunning book teaches you how to paint a selection of orchids in watercolour. The book contains a thorough techniques section that guides you through Vivienne's decision-making, colour-matching and painting process. It teaches you how to capture form with speed and confidence, practise painting different leaves, flowers, and roots and create different textures with paint. The book contains exercises that will hone your skills and encourage your artistic intuition, followed by three complete step-by-step projects that feature a range of flowers in wild and still-life settings. The paintings feature touches of watercolour pencil and crayon, along with panels of gouache, which complement the delicate watercolours. The book is interspersed with images from the Kew Art Collection, showcasing the rich variety and beauty of this much-loved family of flowers.

Part of the infographic 4-Letter Word series, each containing 4 chapters to teach how to PLAN, MAKE, PLAY and GROW. The words are kept to a minimum as an expert author employs illuminating and entertaining illustrations, infographics, charts, tips and cheat-sheets, to guide you through all the essentials you need to discover and develop your new craft. DRAW is a complete, but easy to study, course in sketching and drawing - the perfect handbook for the aspiring artist. In a series of simple but beautifully illustrated steps, and with a focus on drawing the human form, our expert author describes and demonstrates all the essentials and more. You will discover how to PLAN your studies and plot your equipment; how to observe and understand proportion, and MAKE your first sketches; how to PLAY with different materials and techniques to develop your own style; and how to GROW your drawing and sketching into a business, a mindful meditation, a sociable pastime or a lifelong passion.

Discover how to bring polar animals to life in 6 easy steps. Award-winning artist Jonathan Newey teaches you to transform simple shapes into majestic polar bears, snowy reindeer and awe-inspiring whales. Choose from an albatross mid-flight, a tottering penguin chick and much more. There are 25 different animals to create, in a variety of poses and styles. Each project starts with a few basic outlines and progresses into a finished tonal drawing, and 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 draw polar animals with this inspiring guide.

Vibrancy and impact are qualities that experienced watercolour artists aspire to, and this book provides a full course in how to push the boundaries of this popular medium. Packed with inspirational artworks that cover everything from landscapes and portraits to abstract watercolours, this is an exciting book that will not fail to enthuse artists of all abilities who are seeking new ways of expression through their art. The book begins with sections on materials and equipment, gathering ideas, sketching and colour, followed by in-depth explorations of line, shape and form, perspective and space that provide a fascinating insight into the author's method of working. The fabulous final section on creating impact will provide all you need to produce stunning artworks that seem to leap off the page. With five step-by-step projects to try out the techniques covered in the book, this is a truly inspiring guide that will encourage the reader into new ways of painting.

Transforming unlikely pieces of scrap metal into significant works of art - giving new life to things we throw away - is an accessible, creative and fulfilling activity. This book describes and illustrates the concerns and techniques involved in making this kind of sculpture, looking behind the work at the richness and diversity of an area of sculpture that deserves to be far better known. Topics covered include the role and purpose of sculpture, the particular qualities of sculpture made from scrap metal and the practical processes involved in its making. It also covers sources of scrap metal, identifying metals, reviewing metalworking techniques, creative approaches, different types of sculpture, and the making, finishing and installation of pieces of sculpture.

Overcome the obstacles to your artistic expression Improving your artwork can be as simple as learning how to trust your eyes. Your Artist's Brain shows you how to portray even the most complex subjects by focusing on what you really see - not what you think you see. Expert art instructor Carl Purcell shows you how to overcome dependency on the "intellectual brain" and listen carefully to the more observant "artist's brain." With Your Artist's Brain, you'll learn visual skills and artistic techniques that will instantly make you a better artist, no matter what your medium. 22 step-by-step demonstrations on key relationships between shapes, spaces, subjects, backgrounds, angles, sizes, values and more Easy examples and fun exercises teaching you how to "see" and design great compositions "Points to Remember" sidebars that allow you to quickly grasp each concept Maximize the power of your artist's brain today and embark on the path to creating better art.

The best fantasy manga drawing instruction...now with focus on fantasy! Manga artist and popular YouTuber, Mina "MISTIQARTS" Petrovic, helps you bring your wildest manga fantasies to life. Let your creativity loose as you learn how to draw hair that glows like a rainbow, animals that take human form, strange and outrageous scenery, and so much more. Following a friendly, step-by-step approach, you'll learn how to achieve the sleek, beautifully simple look of manga with a fantasy twist in no time. Create your own unique manga fantasy characters, creatures and mascots Design otherworldly fashions, fierce weapons, cool hairstyles and accessories Put it all together into dynamic fantasy scenes and settings You'll find important basics on feature placement and body proportions, expert tips on everything from fixing mistakes to creating exciting compositions, and six start-to-finish demonstrations on drawing manga fantasy characters from sorcerers to samurai. This book has everything you need to strike the perfect balance in your art between compellingly believable and utterly fantastic.

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).

Leading art instructor and bestselling author Christopher Hart teaches tweens and teens how to draw cool anime characters. When you start with simple shapes, who knows where you might end up? They're key to drawing just about anything--including full-fledged, expressive anime characters. This book, especially geared to the talents of teens and tweens, is loaded with more than 100 step-by-step demonstrations created by Chris Hart. He explains how to draw everything you need to make this popular genre come alive, from dramatic hairstyles to a comically bad kitty that's spilled the milk: faces, figures, emotions, gestures, poses, fashions, and more. Led by a cute mascot who takes them through the book, readers will enjoy these fun, effective, and easy techniques.

Discover the tantalizing true stories behind your favorite colors.
For example: Cleopatra used saffron--a source of the color yellow--for seduction. Extracted from an Afghan mine, the blue "ultramarine" paint used by Michelangelo was so expensive he couldn't afford to buy it himself. Since ancient times, carmine red--still found in lipsticks and Cherry Coke today--has come from the blood of insects.

Giving an insight into how this inspiring and talented artist works, The Addictive Sketcher passes on Adebanji Alade's infectious enthusiasm and will have the reader reaching for a pencil or pen to have a go. Adebanji has a skill and a passion for speaking and motivating his audience in a fun and engaging way, and this is reflected in his writing style. Lively, stimulating and instructive, it is packed with numerous examples of the author's sketches as well as examples of his vibrant finished paintings. Covering pencils, coloured pencils, charcoal and graphite, along with finished oil paintings, this book provides a fascinating insight into the author's techniques. Adebanji's work covers a broad range of subjects, including landscapes, portraits, crowd scenes, urban scenes and seascapes. He's particularly well known for his portraits and working outdoors capturing the life of London where he lives. This book includes examples from a range of subject areas.

Fill your home with original, professional art - and learn to paint at the same time. This innovative new series is a poster book, an art pad and a step-by-step painting book all rolled into one! Each of the five A3 posters are ready to pull out, frame and display. In addition, you can enjoy the calming pursuit of painting each of the pictures yourself using the pre-printed outlines - so no drawing required. The large, landscape format of the book allows each stage of painting to be clearly and comprehensively explained with an innovative annotation approach. Simply pull out the simple, stage-by-stage tutorial pages and pin them to your easel, then paint directly onto the watercolour outline for fantastic results. In this title, Country Scenes, learn to paint a range of inspiring landscapes: journey to a tranquil New Forest stream, a rolling Tuscan hillside and a snowy mountain river, and enjoy 5 masterclasses in landscape painting.

Originally published as Volume 2 of "The Tao of Painting," this is the first English translation of the famous Chinese handbook, the "Chieh Tzu Yuan Hua Chuan" (original, 1679-1701). Mai-mai Sze has translated and annotated the texts of instructions, discussions of the fundamentals of painting, notes on the preparation of colors, and chief editorial prefaces."

A brand new edition of the bestselling book, endorsed by the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, by renowned watercolour artist Adelene Fletcher. From azalea to zantedeschia, this unique watercolour artist's guide offers easy-to-follow, plant-specific information on how to paint over 50 of the most popular species of flower in a crisp and natural style. Adelene teaches you the essential skills of creating a realistic structure and form of a flower by close observation of the pattern of light and shade on petals and foliage. Included are step-by-step photographs, details, and instructions on capturing the individual essence of the flower, together with comprehensive information on the appropriate techniques and colour mixes to use. Glorious full-colour photographs of the finished watercolour show the depth and variety of the plant portraits, from the exquisitely executed passion flower to the bold luminosity of the oriental poppy. Finally, a handy colour key is included for every flower, helping you prepare your palette before delving into your floral portait. If you have never painted flowers before, or have always wanted to capture that specific species on canvas that you've never managed to grow in your own garden, this is the book for you.

Start with a heart shape . . . and end with a beautiful finished piece of art!You'll love Jane Davenport's fabulous, fun, and amazingly easy technique for drawing figures. For aspiring artists, drawing people can be intimidating--but it doesn't have to be. Over years working as a fashion illustrator, Jane Davenport devised her own method of creating in-proportion figures. Her clever core technique involves using equal-size hearts to build the body's structure. And Jane's results have been astounding: her students go from "I can't draw a stick figure" to producing gorgeous, well-proportioned illustrations. After laying out the basics, her imaginative guide walks you through working with different mediums; drawing the head, face, clothing, hair, and features; and constructing figures inspired by fashion, fantasy, life drawing, and more.

Creative Watercolor offers beginners a fun, modern, and practical approach to a timeless medium with instructions on how to paint simple motifs, create elegant lettering, and embellish projects beautifully. Popular watercolor artist and workshop instructor Ana Victoria Calderon shares her step-by-step techniques for painting modern designs in this classic medium. All the fundamentals needed to get started in watercolor are here, allowing you to quickly learn how to create beautiful watercolor paintings. Through a series of easy tutorials and projects, you will: Discover basic materials and tools, plus options for embellishing your paintings Master essential techniques, starting with easy warm-up activities. Then, learn to layer, and get into the flow with watercolor Get an introduction to scanning and digital editing for making multiples Paint a variety of simple, beautiful designs: flowers and leaves, butterflies and critters, fruits and vegetables, and delightful lettering Use what you've learned to create unique, stylish stationery, including beautiful invitations, place cards, menus, monograms, recipe gift cards, thank you notes-any project you can imagine, for any kind of event you can think of! There's never been a better time to dive into the world of watercolor, so why wait? Grab a brush and get painting! Perfect for all skill levels, 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.

Alli Koch has mastered the art of turning simple doodles into beautifully designed floral illustrations. She shares her expertise in this book, a step-by-step guide that teaches everything you need to know about modern florals. You'll learn designs from classic favourites like the rose to today's trendiest florals, as well as succulents and cacti. 'How to Draw Modern Florals' is an introduction, so no experience is needed!

Anyone can produce beautiful botanical paintings with this, the first guided watercolour book. Printed on specialist watercolour art paper and containing step-by-step tutorials, this book is the perfect introduction to producing exquisite illustrations. 15 works by Rachel Pedder-Smith have been recreated by the artist in outline-only form, ready for you to paint, along with recommended colour palettes and artworks to copy. Follow author Rachel's tips for layering colour, or follow the outlines of single stems, blooms or more intricate designs, and create a gallery of floral images. The paper is easily removed, taped down and painted on directly, meaning you can display your colourful creations. If you're feeling more experimental, this paper will also work beautifully with other media such as acrylic paint, artists' pencils and fibre-tip pens.

Now distributed by Oxford University Press for the National Gallery of Art, Artists' Pigments is the first and most complete handbook of its kind. Volume 1 looks at Indian yellow; cobalt yellow (aureolin); barium sulfate; cadmium yellows, oranges, and reds; red lead and minium; green earth; zinc white; chrome yellow and other chromate pigments; lead antimonate yellow; and carmine.

Watercolours are the first choice for many painters, but few master the full potential of the medium. This book encourages you to be bold and colourful. Written by an internationally respected artist and teacher, it offers practical ways of working with watercolours, and shares ideas and thoughts that can make your painting methods more exciting and adventurous. With over 180 illustrations, it is a beautiful book that will be invaluable for both new and experienced painters alike.

As Picasso said: 'It took me a lifetime to Paint Like a Child'. Raw Drawing is not an art class - it is a unique philosophy and a practical resource that teaches you how to draw spontaneously and creatively without any inhibition. Learn how to use signs, lines and shapes to create a new visual language. It's a non-judgmental technique to help you visualize your thoughts, express your emotions, develop your ideas and, why not, relax with a pen or pencil. Since he launched the Raw Drawing initiative in 2017, Italian artist Alessandro Bonaccorsi has given dozens of courses across Italy, helping people expand their creativity. This book brings together all of Alessandro's core teachings, making the power and creativity of raw drawing accessible to everyone. The book is recommended for those over 14 years of age, who are open to let themselves become children again and draw with a carefree mind. Use Raw Drawing to get closer to the heart of things, and learn to appreciate the beauty of the spontaneous.

Distinguished art educator and publisher shows that violating the academic rules of perspective can be as important as adhering to them. Coverage of the picture plane, foreshortening and convergence, three-point perspective, figures in perspective, more. Also analysis of the works of over twenty leading illustrators and artists, including Pieter de Hooch and Paul Cézanne. 349 illustrations.

Stimulating exercises to help beginner to advanced students push the boundaries of traditional drawing. As with most art forms, it's best to comprehend traditional drawing techniques before you break the rules. But once you've mastered the basics, you may find that you gravitate to more abstract ways of rendering everything from still lifes to figures. However, this book is not only about avant-garde style; it is experimental in that it forces the artist out of his or her comfort zone, whatever that might be. In this book, renowned New York University professor, Robert Kaupelis, shares the tutorials that he used with his students, offering illustrations of drawings and paintings from old masters to contemporary artists (and even some outstanding works from his students) to explain techniques. Covering everything from creating form through contour drawings to drawing with new technology, Experimental Drawing helps you zero in on concepts and form ideas that may take your work to a new and more intriguing level. Some of the innovative exercises you'll find here include: * Drawing models while blindfolded * Engaging in group drawing sessions popularized during the Dada era * Utilizing different drawing materials like glass, plastic, feathers, string, sponges, metal dust, and more * Reducing a post's brushstroke from six to one * Using cross-contour lines for a more abstract still life * Integrating a grid system on a carefully rendered scene to create an illusion of distorted space and movement * And much more... This classic volume's inventive and stimulating projects will help serious artists develop their own vision and their own way to draw. Includes more than 200 spectacular drawings by old and modern masters from Michelangelo to Jasper Johns.