Published as medical books while he was teaching anatomy and dissection at the University of Padua, they include the Tabulae Sex (1538), intended as an aid to students; the magnificently illustrated De Humani Corporis Fabrica (1543), and the companion volume, the Epitome (1543). Individually, these books are milestones in the history of medicine. They also offer one of the most magnificent collections of anatomical drawings ever published. The plates were executed with such vitality and originality that they have been attributed to the most talented illustrators of the sixteenth century, not to mention Vesalius himself. Many of the drawings, in fact, were products of Titian's famous atelier. For this edition of the Vesalius illustrations, Dover has combined the best existing plates and text. The illustrations have been reproduced from the sumptuous (1934) Munich edition of Vesalius titled Icones Anatomicae. The Munich plates were struck for the most part from the original wood blocks then in the collection of the Library of the University of Munich. These priceless art objects were destroyed in the bombing of Munich during World War II. Aside from the original copies of the woodcuts (of which only a few complete sets are known), the Munich restrikes are the best representations of the Vesalian anatomical drawings, for they preserve much of the freshness and richness of the 1543 edition. The text of this Dover edition has been faithfully reproduced from an edition of Vesalius published by World Publishing Company in 1950. The editors, distinguished authorities on sixteenth-century medicine, have provided a very comprehensive history of Vesalius, his career, and excellent explanations of the legends surrounding the illustrators, artists, and publishers involved with the production of his books. No other source will provide the general reader, bibliophile, art historian, artist, or historian of science and medicine with such complete data on Vesalius and his fabulous anatomical illustrations.

    By the author of The Tao of Watercolor, this book, the second in her “Path of Painting” series, offers creative artists of all levels empowering guidance based on Zen principles.

    His people and places floating magically in space, shown on full-page plates with illuminating text, give readers fresh insights into a beloved master.

    

    

    It is probably the finest book on the subject of drawing the human form that I have ever seen." — Irving Shapiro, A.W.S., Director, American Academy of ArtThis unique guide offers a bold, innovative approach to drawing from life. Instead of teaching the traditional method of building up a drawing from lines, leaving mass and tone till later, noted art instructor Douglas R. Graves takes precisely the opposite tack. The student is encouraged to begin seeing and thinking in terms of tonal masses immediately. This approach enables students to draw quickly and accurately without the need for a line drawing first. The author compares it to learning to "paint" with charcoal.Step-by-step demonstrations and over 200 of the author's own drawings offer inspiration and practical guidance in the technique. You'll learn how to "see" tonal quality, how to key a drawing, how to translate color into black and white, and valuable techniques for keeping the figure from looking "stiff." Other topics include the role of alignment in achieving proper proportions, foreshortening, male and female figure distinctions, the use of modeling to achieve added dimension, drawing the face, positioning the figure, and many other aspects of life drawing.For students of drawing — beginner to expert — this book is an invaluable guide not just to drawing from life but to the essential principles of observation, composition, and draftsmanship that underlie all successful drawing and painting. It belongs in the library of every artist. For this edition, the author has revised previous chapters and added a new one on "Different Modes of Charcoal."

    This comprehensive, well-illustrated volume offers readers a fascinatingly detailed historical overview as well as a practical course in lettering techniques. Subjects include early writing forms; Roman lettering; runes and medieval hands; the Carolingian minuscule and derivative types; humanistic writing and derivative fonts; the effects of the Industrial Revolution on lettering; and much more. Hand-lettered illustrations accompany the text, along with comments on the stylistic and historic position of each style. The second portion of the book offers a 65-page practical course in lettering, including thousands of insights and technical hints for achieving numerous classic styles of letter formation.Perfect for anyone wishing to learn the history of lettering, or to study exquisite specimens of the major lettering styles from the Greeks to the present day, this volume also offers an outstanding resource for students who need a supplementary text that covers not only letter forms and their history but also layout and other techniques.

    Documents how Whistler's revolutionary approach to pictorial design set the stage for geometric abstraction in 20th-century art.