Books » Arts & Photography » Art » Techniques » General
Lifelike Drawing in Colored Pencil with Lee Hammond

This companion to the successful "Lifelike Drawing with Lee Hammond" addresses subjects in colored pencil that are largely not covered in the author's previous colored pencil books.Readers will learn to draw flowers, people, animals, water, glass and more from a veteran artist and instructor using reference photos, simple techniques and clear step-by-steps.The book includes before-and-after examples from Lee's students that prove how her simple graphing and blending techniques translate into remarkable drawings; the shape and 'puzzle piece' theories that can apply to anything readers want to draw; more than 40 step-by-steps; and plenty of tips for beautiful drawings.

About the Author
Lee Hammond has authored 21 North Light books. She previously owned and operated the Midwest School of Art in Lenexa, Kansas for 5 years and now has a studio in Overland Park, Kansas where she teaches. Lee is a certified police composite artist on-call for the Kansas City metro area, and she has worked with the popular television series, "America's Most Wanted."

Books » Arts & Photography » Art » Techniques » Watercolour Painting
Being Bold with Watercolour  By Annette Kane, Robin Capon

Internationally renowned painter Annette Kane reveals her secrets for creating bright, vibrant watercolors: special methods of mixing paints; brushstrokes that maximize the power of a composition; and fresh combinations with ink, acrylic, and gouache. She covers each move toward boldness with start-to-finish demonstrations, from still lifes and landscapes to sun and shadow studies.

About the AuthorAnnette Kane is one of the UK's most celebrated watercolourists. She has had successful solo exhibitions in New York and Amsterdam and is regularly exhibited at the Catto Gallery in London. She is also one of the art experts for Channel 4's Watercolour Challenge.

PrizesCovers a range of techniques and advice from colour theory and mixing colours to choosing the right technique for the right subject matter to how to experiment and work adventurously. Emphasising on bold brushwork and strong colour, this book gives any painter confidence to be bold in watercolour.

Books » Arts & Photography » Art » Techniques » Watercolour Painting
Watercolour  By Alison Smith (Edited by)

Watercolour has long been seen as a distinctive part of the British cultural heritage, with British artists widely acknowledged to be among its greatest exponents. At the same time it is a universal and much-loved medium, valued and practiced by devoted amateurs around the world as much as by professional artists.

What can watercolour achieve in terms of technique and expression that no other medium can, and why is it so central to Britain's idea of itself? While most books on the subject focus on watercolour as an immediate response to nature, associated with Romanticism and Impressionism, this book traces its roots from the Middle Ages through to the present day.

Featuring classic works by artists including Turner, Girtin and Samuel Palmer, it also features watercolours by modern and contemporary artists including Anish Kapoor and Terry Frost. Separate sections look at watercolour in cartography and scientific illustration; the way its portability allowed it to capture the impressions of travellers; its arrival as a subject of exhibitions; its facility as a medium of the interior vision of artists including William Blake, Richard Dadd, the Pre-Raphaelites and the Surrealists; and, its adoption as the chosen medium of war artists.

Edited by a leading expert in British art, with contributions from many other acknowledged authorities, this visually stunning book casts new light on an outstanding artistic tradition.

Books » Arts & Photography » Art » Color Theory
Making Color Sing Practical Lessons in Color and Design
 By Jeanne Dobie

This title stimulates new ways to think about colour, generating responses that unlock personal creativity. It features 31 practical and stimulating lessons that teach how to use colour and composition to make paintings come alive. Colour is one of the never-ending mysteries of painting; there is always more to discover.

Through clear, illuminating exercises, this brilliant book stimulates new ways to think about colour, generating responses that unlock personal creativity and allowing artists to express themselves with paint as never before.

Colour is one of the never-ending mysteries of painting; there is always more to discover and explore. In thirty-one practical and stimulating lessons, author Jeanne Dobie offers insights into ways to use both colour and composition to make paintings come alive.

About the Author
Jeanne Dobie was educated at the Philadelphia Museum School of Art (now the Philadelphia College of Art) and served on the faculty of Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, until 1981. She is listed in Who's Who in American Art and is an elected member of both the American Watercolor Society (AWS) and the National Watercolor Society (NWS).

In "Painting Watercolor Flowers That Glow", readers learn to master all of the key aspects of watercolour florals, from basic to more advanced instruction. It includes a detailed chapter of 20 complex flower painting techniques and six full demonstrations of popular, recognizable flowers. Readers also learn the anatomy of a flower, how to paint from life and photographs, and how to set up their flower subjects in beautiful compositions.

About the Author
Jan Kunz was raised in Southern California and received her education at UCLA. She is a signature member of The Western Academy of Women Artists, has exhibited at the prestigious Peppertree Fine Arts Show in California for over seventeen years and has taught watercolour workshops across the US.

Table of Contents
Introduction; Important Things to Know Before You Paint; About Color and Watercolor Paints; Anatomy of Flowers Simplified; Painting Flowers From Life; Painting Flowers From Photographs; Composing a Dynamic Floral Painting; Painting the Illusion of Sunshine; Reference of Essential Floral Painting Techniques; Floral Portraits Step-by-Step; Conclusion; Index.

Books » Home & Garden » Crafts & Hobbies » General
Roses in Watercolour  Ready to Paint
By Janet Whittle

A gardenful of glorious roses in bloom is one of the most beautiful sights of all. Bring those images indoors with Janet Whittle's wonderful paintings of a wide variety of roses in watercolour.

Introduction 4 Materials 6 Transferring the image 9 Pink Rose 10 Yellow Climber 18 Maigold 26 Red Roses 34 White Rose 42 Index 48

About the Author
Janet Whittle is a professional artist and qualified teacher who specialises in flowers and landscapes in watercolour and pastel. She exhibits regularly at the Westminster Galleries in London, and has also shown her work at the prestigious Mall Galleries and other international venues. Greeting cards bearing her work are widely available in Europe and the US and her prints are sold throughout the world. Janet has received awards from the major UK art groups, including the Society of Botanical Artists' Founder President's Honour in 1999, and the St. Cuthberts Mill Award for a picture of outstanding quality in 2001. Also in that year she won The Society of Flower Painters' Award for Excellence for their Jersey Exhibition.

Books » Home & Garden » Crafts & Hobbies » General
Experimental Flowers in Watercolour By Ann Blockley

Well-known watercolour painter Ann Blockley presents flowers through a variety of interpretations, from traditional to unconventional in both technique and concept. In this exciting new book she really pushes the boundaries of watercolour, showing how to paint a stunning range of flowers throughout the seasons. Everyone loves to paint flowers in spring and summer but Ann inspires you to paint dramatic seedheads, foliage, fruit and berries in winter, as well as the more traditional flowers and blossoms. She also demonstrates how to create exciting textures by using collage materials like glitter, sequins, salt and gold paint. Divided by seasons into four sections, Experimental Flowers in Watercolour is a practical and inspirational book aimed at the more experienced flower painter who wishes to take their painting to the next level.

About the Author
Ann Blockley is a well-known and successful watercolour painter and teacher. She is author of five bestselling practical art books, all published by HarperCollins. Ann runs her own very popular watercolour courses, has made a DVD of her painting and regularly writes for Leisure Painter and The Artist magazines. She lives in Gloucestershire.

Table of Contents
Introduction 6 Experimental flowers in watercolour 8 Paint experiments and colour doodles 10 Watercolour and mixed media 12 Surface textures 14 Spring 16 Exploratory sketches 18 Finding inspiration 20 Getting started 22 Playing with ideas 24 Background 26 A fresh look at composition 28 Creative mark making 30 Challenging yellows 32 Using the white of the paper 34 Working spontaneously 36 Exploring watercolour 38 Experimenting with shapes 40 Capturing the essence 42 Choosing a format 44 Summer 46 Exploring a theme 48 Being original 52 Expressive leaves 54 Interpreting your subject 56 Avoiding the literal 58 Starting with collage 60 Choosing your subject 62 Developing ideas 64 Moving on 66 Telling a story 68 The decorative approach 70 Working from life 72 Creating drama 74 Emphasis and echoes 76 Looking for abstract qualities 78 Experimental flower centres 80 Using paper collage 82 Autumn and Winter 84 Vibrant colour 86 Sparkling light 87 Paint textures 88 Leaving something to the imagination 90 Finding your own style 92 Hedgerow tangles 94 Torn and cut paper edges 96 Working creatively 98 Shapes and pattern 100 Using a restrained palette 102 Coloured drawings 103 Tonal values 104 Working with gesso 106 Winter skeletons 108 Finding a fresh approach 110 Food for thought 112 Flowers in the landscape 114 Index 127

Books » Arts & Photography » Art » Techniques » Oil Painting
Radiant Oils Glazing Techniques for Paintings That Glow

By Arleta Pech

Oil artists who want to explore glazing with transparent layers of oil paint, or watercolour artists who want to try their hand at oil painting, will find this book helpful. Readers will learn how to attain realism by applying many glazes of transparent colours to build realistic values and create luminescent paintings that glow with colour and give the appearance of looking through stained glass. More than 10 mini demonstrations and 3 extended painting demos that reinforce the mini lessons are woven throughout the chapters. These demos illustrate key concepts, from creating the background, to preserving edges, to establishing form and finally the finished painting.

About the Author
Arleta Pech is recognised as a leading painter of still life. After enjoying international renown as a top watercolour artist for over thirty years, Arleta began to paint in oil, using her watercolour background to add a luminosity to her oil paintings that is visible in a darkened room.

Books » Arts & Photography » Art » Study & Teaching
How to Paint Like the Old Masters By Joseph Sheppard

This is a glorious 25th anniversary reissue of this classic book. Illuminating & fascinating, it covers the classic art techniques perfected by 16th and 17th century masters. These include Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Titian & Reuben, all enhanced with full-colour demonstrations.This illuminating and fascinating book, reissued for the 25th anniversary of its publication, covers the techniques perfected by 16th and 17th century masters, studying protraits by Titian, Caravaggio, Reubens and Rembrandt and many more.

In this unique book, Joseph Sheppard, a leading contemporary painter, shows you in detailed, full-colour demonstrations the variety of oil painting techniques perfected by the old masters. The techniques Sheppard describes cover the full spectrum from the direct painting (alla prima) of Rubens and Hals to the elaborate underpainting and glazing methods of Rembrandt and Titian. Each chapter is devoted to a different master covering his background, style and techniques.

Books » Home & Garden » Crafts & Hobbies » Papercrafts
The Art Journal Workshop Break Through, Explore, and Make it Your Own

By Traci Bunkers

This book breaks down the entire working process of journaling with step-by-step photos and instructions from start to finish: how to use different media such as paint, photographs, and collage, and contains journaling prompts and exercises. The book discusses the benefits of visual journaling, and includes exercises about what to do when you are in a creative funk or feeling down or uninspired. The book includes a DVD featuring Traci Bunkers creating many of the visual journal pages shown throughout the book. This visual guide enhances the information in the book, showing her work process in a way that goes beyond what can be captured in still photographs or through text.

About the Author
Through her one-woman business, Bonkers Handmade Originals, Traci Bunkers sells her nifty creations. She also creates an artzine called Tub Legs, designs knitwear, and is a knitting, spinning, and crochet technical editor. She teaches workshops and her artwork has been published in numerous books and magazines. She lives in Lawrence, Kansas.


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