A groundbreaking and essential survey of the art of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, offering an in-depth discussion of the development of the artist and positioning her work within a wider history of portraiture. Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Fly In League With The Night celebrates the work of one of the most significant and acclaimed figurative painters of her generation. Fact and fiction fuse in Yiadom-Boakye's paintings: they appear to be portraits, yet the people she depicts are not real but invented. Created from a composite of found images and her own imagination, her characters seem to exist outside of a specific time or place: they feel at once familiar yet mysterious. This ambiguity resonates again in the enigmatic titles she gives to her artworks. The artist is also a writer of poetry and prose, and for her, the two forms of creativity complement each other: 'The things I can't paint, I write, and the things I can't write, I paint.' This perceptive and engaging publication provides a comprehensive account of Yiadom-Boakye's practice over the past two decades. With contributions by the celebrated poet Elizabeth Alexander and curators Andrea Schlieker and Isabella Maidment, alongside new writing by Yiadom-Boakye, Fly In League With The Night reflects the dual aspects of the artist's career as both a painter and a writer and offers an intimate insight into her creative process.

Cabinet cards were America's main format for photographic portraiture throughout the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Standardized at 61/2 x 41/4 inches, they were just large enough to reveal extensive detail, leading to the incorporation of elaborate poses, backdrops, and props. Inexpensive and sold by the dozen, they transformed getting one's portrait made from a formal event taken up once or twice in a lifetime into a commonplace practice shared with friends. The cards reinforced middle-class Americans' sense of family. They allowed people to show off their material achievements and comforts, and the best cards projected an informal immediacy that encouraged viewers to feel emotionally connected with those portrayed. The experience even led sitters to act out before the camera. By making photographs an easygoing fact of life, the cards forecast the snapshot and today's ubiquitous photo sharing. Organized by senior curator John Rohrbach, Acting Out is the first ever in-depth examination of the cabinet card phenomena. Full-color plates include over 100 cards at full size, providing a highly entertaining collection of these early versions of the selfie and ultimately demonstrating how cabinet cards made photography modern. Published in association with the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Exhibition dates: Amon Carter Museum of American Art: August 15-November 1, 2020 Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA): August 8-November 7, 2021

An indispensable guide for anyone interested in improving and developing their fantasy art figures. Fantasy artists are unlikely to use models to draw from life but, to be successful, their creations must have a grounding in reality. This book by successful comic and fantasy artist Glenn Fabry, teaches you the principles of anatomy, from musculature and skeletal structure through to movement. You can then develop your artistic style by breaking and bending the rules of anatomy through practical exercises and demonstrations, accompanied by incredible finished artworks. The step-by-step exercises help you to fully understand the subtle movements that combine to create expressions, and the flowing movements that constitute actions. Anatomy for Fantasy Artists trains you in creating professional quality illustrations for comic book art, graphic novels, fantasy posters, sci-fi book covers and illustrations, and even computer games. In this book you will find valuable instruction from experts in the field, expanded from the original edition with additional pages that feature many more how-to, step-by-step illustrations. Instruction starts with the basics of human anatomical drawing and musculature, facial expressions, hands and body language, and then follows with a review of the principles of perspective and composition. Subsequent sections instruct on ways to distort, develop, and transform the human figure, giving it features that range from monstrous or magical to super-agile or larger than life, including dynamic poses for superheroes and villans, as well as fantasy female poses. Detailed artist's references and step-by-step instructions show how to build bodies that truly stretch the imagination. You also learn how to render characters in many different dynamic action poses, such as flying, spinning, punching, and jumping, as well as how to express each character's emotions through facial expressions. The cast of characters includes wizards, ogres, werewolves, winged avengers, goblins, aliens, enchantresses, barbarians, robots and more. Author Glenn Fabry is a successful comic book and fantasy artist who has spent many years working in this field including work for both DC and Marvel Comics. Through his professional experience he has honed his skills, which he generously shares in this book, alongside professional artists Michael Cunningham and Ben Cormac.

A compelling collection of self-portraits from throughout recorded history, revised to include captivating contemporary works

The challenge of interpreting and recreating their own likenesses has proven irresistible to artists throughout the ages. Originally published more than 80 years ago and last revised in 2000, this wholly new edition for 2018 presents a selection of powerfully evocative works by many of the world's greatest artists - from Dürer and Rembrandt to Marina Abramović, David Hockney, and Cindy Sherman - working in painting, photography, sculpture, and performance. Flowing in a chronological sequence, with interspersed artist quotes, it features essays by Julian Bell and Liz Rideal. This is both a useful resource and a thoughtful celebration of a much-loved art form.

Born like Venus on the half shell from the centuries-long tradition of the nude in painting, the nude first appeared as a subject matter in photography with the introduction of the medium itself, between 1837 and 1840, and has continued as an ever-evolving theme through changing technical developments and cultural mores to the present day. This volume surveys the subject of nudity from the earliest surviving photographs of Greek and Roman sculpture through studies of living nude models for aesthetic or scientific purposes to the burgeoning practice of exploring the human body as pure form. The seventy-eight works, selected from the extensive collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum and further contextualized here in the essay Masterworks of the Nude, span the entire arc of the history of photography in a manner that is both fresh and illuminating. Among the sixty-four photographers included are nineteenth-century masters Julia Margaret Cameron, Edgar Degas, and Thomas Eakins; early-twentieth-century artists Man Ray, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Weston; mid-twentieth-century innovators Bill Brandt, Harry Callahan, and Minor White; late-twentieth-century image makers Diane Arbus, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Herb Ritts; and contemporary artists Chuck Close, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, and Mona Kuhn.

David Hockney's continuing belief in the importance of the portrait and his virtuoso skill in creating a sense of close communication between artist, sitter and viewer has resulted in some of the best-loved works of the postwar era. From the 1950s on, Hockney's most persistent subject matter, in paintings, drawings, collages and photoworks, has been of people usually very close to him, as well as of himself. These works are narratives of autobiographical relationships: they reflect the intimate and often intense stories of this artist's life. They also explore different formal ways of representing the passage of time and at the same time the unavoidable but marvellous stillness of portraits. The works include fascinating sequences as he paints his mother or Henry Geldzahler or Celia Birtwell on and off for decades; the special qualities attached to depictions of lovers; and the range of celebrities, writers and artists - Billy Wilder, Armistead Maupin, W.H. Auden, Henry Moore, Christopher Isherwood - who have been part of a very full life. The text by a distinguished European critic and curator reinforces the point that this hugely popular English-born artist, who made America his second home, has become a figure of worldwide appeal.

With the first centerfold image of the radiant Marilyn Monroe, Hugh M. Hefner masterminded a cultural icon: Playboy 's Playmate of the Month. This voluptuous new edition celebrates every nude centerfold from every issue of Playboy, from 1953 to February 2016. Initially published a decade ago, and now comprehensively updated, this must-have edition boasts 734 nude centerfolds and decade openers from literary luminaries, including an all-new essay by Elizabeth Wurtzel on the last decade of centerfolds, and a redesigned package that perfectly captures the complete cultural and aesthetic arc of the Playboy centerfold. With contributions by: - Robert Coover - Paul Theroux - Robert Stone - Jay McInerney - Daphne Merkin - Maureen Gibbon - Elizabeth Wurtzel

Text in English & German. As a photographer, the challenge is in capturing the very moment that a fluid substance interacts with the body in a way that will take the viewer on a sensual adventure, inviting not only to their visual sense but also invoking sensations of touch, taste, and imagination. When successful, the result is a unique moment frozen in time, never to be repeated. The result is photographic imagery that is sensual, provocative and erotic. Living close to Washington DC, Jim spent many years photographing landscapes, monuments, masonry and still lifes, and his stunning images have adorned the offices of doctors, lawyers and dentists. It was not until his daughter requested Jim capture a few maternity images for her that he turned his sights to portrait photography. With this new found passion, Jim completely immersed himself in the study of lighting, posing, and the business of photography, and soon found himself perfecting what was quickly becoming his specialised genre, the fine art nude. Always striving to aim higher, to always improve, and, yes, to push the envelope even further. When asked to pick his best image, Jim says "the best is yet to come".

Award-winning artist Hashim Akib's striking portraits are at the heart of this inspirational book. The subject of portraiture is seen by many as the zenith of art, and Hash's easygoing, unpretentious style puts fantastic results within the reach of hobby artists and aspiring professionals alike. Assuming nothing and starting from the basics - making it suitable even for the enthusiastic beginner - this book includes six step-by-step projects to follow; along with friendly but in-depth advice on colour palettes; skintone; composition; working from photographs and models; markmaking; lighting; atmosphere and much more. The book covers many types of portraiture - from the self-portrait to full-length portraits - all presented in Hash's striking, free and contemporary style.

In our imaginings of Paris, painter and graphic artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) has no small role to play. In his prints, posters, paintings, and drawings, the artist immortalized the city's Belle Epoque nightlife and put the northern neighborhood of Montmartre on the global map of creative-hedonist hotspots. The son of old French nobility, Toulouse-Lautrec seems to have been drawn early on to visions of a demimonde, centering his attention on the dance halls, cabarets, and brothels of Montmartre and adopting famed dancers and singers as his subjects, most notably Jane Avril. His works include both lively performance scenes and quiet, tender "after-hours" portraits such as The Sofa and In Bed. Stylistically, he mastered both bold graphics, as celebrated in his promotional posters of Jane Avril, and a loose yet evocative sketchwork. Though he died aged just 36, due to complications from alcoholism and syphilis, Toulouse-Lautrec's cultural influence was immense. This introductory book takes a walk through his world of singers, dancers, musicians, and prostitutes to reveal an artist of great humanity, striking figurative skill, and a pronounced sense for the energy and stories of a city. About the series Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Art series features: a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance a concise biography approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

The human figure in sculpture is a powerful form, capable of great expression and depth. Sculpting the figure in any medium is a rewarding practice, but one that presents special challenges for the maker. Tanya Russell, founder and principal of the Art Academy in London, details the whole creative process for sculpting the figure, from the fundamental conceptual and practical considerations through to the finished and presented work. She covers essential tools and equipment, methods for building armatures, and the processes for creating not only realistic, but also abstract and expressive figures, in a variety of styles and materials. Techniques are supported by practical exercises with step-by-step instructions and images. The book is filled with the inspiring works of contemporary sculptors, all of whom are tutors, students, or alumni of the Art Academy. Modelling and Sculpting the Figure is an essential companion for beginners and established artists alike.

In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries there was one art form in which English artists excelled above all their continental European counterparts: the painting of miniatures. This fascinating book explores the genre with special reference to two of its most accomplished practitioners, Nicholas Hilliard and Isaac Oliver, whose astounding skill brought them international fame and admiration. Four centuries ago, England was famous primarily for its literary culture - the dram a of Shakespeare and Ben Jonson and the works of the great lyrical and metaphysical poets. When it came to the production of visual art, the country was seen as something of a backwater. However, there was one art form for which English artists of this period were renowned: portrait miniature painting, or as it was known at the time, limning. Growing from roots in manuscript illumination, it was brought to astonishing heights of skill by two artists in particular: Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619) and Isaac Oliver (c .1565-1617). In addition to exhibiting the exquisite technique of the artists, portrait miniatures express in a unique way many of the most distinctive and fascinating aspects of court life in this period: ostentatious secrecy, games of courtly love, arcane symbolism, a love of intricacy and decoration. Bedecked in elaborate lace, encrusted in jewellery and sprinkled with flowers, court ladies smile enigmatically at the viewer; their male counterparts rest on grassy banks or lean against trees, sighing over thwarted love, or more modestly express their hopes in Latin epigrams inscribed around their heads. Often set in richly enamelled and jewelled gold lockets, or beautifully turned ivory or ebony boxes, such miniatures could be concealed or revealed, exchanged or kept, as part of elaborate processes of friendship, love, patronage and diplomacy at the courts of Elizabeth I and James I /VI. This richly illustrated book, like the exhibition it accompanies, explores what the portrait miniature reveals about identity, society and visual culture in Elizabethan and Jacobean England.

With a body built for sex, and a mind for solving crime (through the use of sex, of course), Magenta is a take-charge kind of woman! She needs no mutant ability or radioactive bug-bite to access her amazing abilities - a tight dress and some silky underwear will do! Any man (or mildly bi-curious woman) is putty in her hands, as Magenta uses her amazing sexuality to get to the bottom...of the case! Starting her own detective agency with her friend Lucrezia (who also puts the "bust" in crime-busting), these two ladies solve mysteries the average law-enforcement agencies don't have the libido for! Written by Celestino Pes and illustrated by Nik Guerra, Magenta is presented in a retro "John Willie" style, but her adventures are wickedly timeless. More mouth-burning spiciness from Italy, brought to the US by SQP!

The North Sea oil industry plays a vital role in the UK economy. Oil was first pumped ashore thirty years ago and based on current estimates there are still thirty further years of oil reserves to be claimed from the sea. This exhibition aims to capture the vibrant community of people working throughout the sector. Scottish portrait painter Fionna Carlisle will create 24 new portraits representing a cross section of the people working in the oil industry, from employees of major international corporations to the self-employed. There are portraits of geologists, rig-builders, economists, helicopter pilots, the technical and service staff on the rigs themselves, and many others - all of whom have been chosen to represent the many aspects of this vital industry.

Design creative characters inspired by real people. Let Mike Mattesi show you how to use life drawing to discover the poses, features and personalities which form the basis of character and then build, develop and 'PUSH' your drawings to new heights of dramatic and visual impact for believable characters audiences can relate to. Packed with color illustrations and photographs of the models who inspired them. With step-by-step explanation of how the characters were developed and exercises for you to sharpen your skills this is everything you need to bring your characters to life.

Superstar artist GUILLEM MARCH is well known for his DC Comics work (Batman, Joker, Harley Quinn) and his creator-owned Image book, KARMEN. This companion to the sold out COVER GIRLS showcases his best and most breathtaking artwork, including beautifully crafted European adult projects like Monika and The Dream. Plus, more than two hundred full-color images including covers, pin-ups, sketches, and process work all celebrating the female form. It also features a delightfully spicy 20-page comic released in English for the first time ever, as well as his run of acclaimed Vampirella covers.

This volume collects some of the best covers and other artwork from rising star GUILLEM MARCH (Gotham City Sirens, Catwoman). More than one-hundred, full-color images featuring the sexiest girls from his stunning work for Eros Magazine and Playboy Spain, never-before-seen in the U.S., plus much unpublished art.

Posing Sex: Toward a Perceptual Ethics for Literary and Visual Art views the long and provocative tradition of representing the sexual act in Western art as an occasion for challenging assumptions about personhood. It is uncontroversial that what Singer dubs the "sex image," the artist's posing of human figures in the act of coitus, is an enduring compositional armature for artists from antiquity to the present. Singer, however, makes the quite controversial claim that this aesthetic practice, in literature and painting especially, serves as a powerful metier for exploring how the mind is continuous with the sensuously lively body rather than its rationalistic antagonist. Singer draws upon a rich philosophical tradition-from the Greek Stoics, Descartes, Spinoza, and Hegel to contemporary theorists of perception and aesthetic agency-to show how the stakes of aesthetic experience epitomized in the sex image are essentially ethical. Referencing a broad range of image-based artworks-literary, painterly, and cinematic-Singer illustrates the proposition that "posing sex" broadens the scope of our knowledge about how feeling reciprocates with reason-giving.

With this, his fourth book, American photographer Richard Murrian smashes through the boundries of fantasy, and together with a new band of celestial beauties, takes us on an electrifyingly erotic visual journey into passion and desire.