Real Artists Don't Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age


Jeff Goins - 2017
    But the truth is that the world's most successful artists did not starve. In fact, they capitalized on the power of their creative strength. In Real Artists Don't Starve, Jeff Goins debunks the myth of the starving artist by unveiling the ideas that created it and replacing them with timeless strategies for thriving, including:steal from your influences (don't wait for inspiration),collaborate with others (working alone is a surefire way to starve),take strategic risks (instead of reckless ones),make money in order to make more art (it's not selling out), andapprentice under a master (a "lone genius" can never reach full potential).Through inspiring anecdotes of successful creatives both past and present, Goins shows that living by these rules is not only doable but it's also a fulfilling way to thrive.From graphic designers and writers to artists and business professionals, creatives already know that no one is born an artist. Goins' revolutionary rules celebrate the process of becoming an artist, a person who utilizes the imagination in fundamental ways. He reminds creatives that business and art are not mutually exclusive pursuits. In fact, success in business and in life flow from a healthy exercise of creativity.Expanding upon the groundbreaking work in his previous bestseller The Art of Work, Goins explores the tension every creative person and organization faces in an effort to blend the inspired life with a practical path to success. Being creative isn't a disadvantage for success; rather, it is a powerful tool to be harnessed.

The Art of Urban Sketching: Drawing On Location Around The World


Gabriel Campanario - 2012
    The Art of Urban Sketching is both a comprehensive guide and a showcase of location drawings by artists around the world who draw the cities where they live and travel.

Create: Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Stuff


Stephen Altrogge - 2012
    God has wired creativity into our DNA, and he expects that every man, woman, and child will be creative for His glory. In this book you will learn how to overcome the fear of being creative, how to get moving on any creative project, and how to finally finish your creative work. The book is short, practical, and to the point. It is full of Biblical wisdom and practical application. It will help you to stop making excuses and to start making stuff.Here's what others are saying about it:This piece on creativity is a gem. Conversational, practical, and biblical. As Christians we have the Creator as our Father, and so we should be the ones with the most creativity. Sadly today Christianity is reduced to corny songs and cheesy t-shirts. However, in this short e-book I was greatly encouraged deep in my soul to step out in faith and be creative knowing my Father already loves me and approves of me in Jesus. Stephen winsomely shows how we aren't just supposed to be creative, but its actually what we were created for! - Jefferson Bethke, poet, author of “Why I Love Jesus, But Hate Religion”Create, by my friend Stephen Altrogge, will inspire you to do just that. It's biblical, gospel-driven, practical, insightful, funny, and only 43 pages. Whether you think you're an artist or not, Stephen will inspire you to do what you do better for God's glory. - Bob Kauflin, author of Worship Matters, director of worship for Sovereign Grace MinistriesStephen Altrogge is a creative guy, and this is a short, easily digestible, Biblical book that will encourage you to be creative and won't cut into your time to be creative. It's also full of practical scriptural wisdom on taking criticism and the value of working hard.- Ted Kluck, award-winning author of several books, including Facing Tyson: Fifteen Fighters, Fifteen Stories and Dallas and the SpitfireOut of nothing God created matter, out of the unformed matter he formed the world, and when he was done he stepped back and enjoyed his work. It was Augustine who suggested musicians do the same thing when they embrace the unformed silence and order bits of time into tones and notes. As Stephen so skillfully shows us in his short book, the same principles for musicians and composers equally apply to bankers and bakers, painters and poets, homemakers and handymen. In the ordering of our small portion of the world we image the Creator. I was made to create. You were made to create. And if you’re not sure what that means for you, or if you’re just not convinced it’s true, read this short book to be persuaded and inspired and (maybe most importantly) disciplined for a life of making stuff.- Tony Reinke, creator of the book Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading BooksThis book is short enough for you to read in an hour, although you may want to take it a few pages at a time, marinating in its wisdom. You'll not only learn how Stephen finds the time to create art in multiple formats, but you'll learn from other skilled creatives as well. In Create, you'll learn how to get started and overcome your fears, how to accept and learn from criticism, how to form habits that will strengthen your creativity, and how to persevere. This will be one of those books that I turn to again and again, when I feel like I've gotten stuck on a sandbar.- Bobby Gilles, songwriter, author, Sojourn Church Director of Communications

The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets: Easy Techniques for Drawing People, Animals and More


Carrie Stuart Parks - 2009
    As award-winning teachers, they have a proven game plan for helping artists of all levels overcome common problems and see immediate improvement in their work. As professional composite artists, they know the tricks and tools for achieving incredibly lifelike results. In this friendly, foolproof guide to drawing, they share it all: Easy-to-master techniques for achieving a convincing sense of depthHow to draw challenging textures like metal and furPutting personality into your portraits40+ step-by-step demonstrations featuring a variety of people, animals and natureEasy enough so that beginners can jump right in, and comprehensive enough to help more accomplished artists refine their skills. This book covers all the essentials, teaching you the secrets of realistic drawing one step at a time, building the skills you need to tackle any subject convincingly--even those you've always thought were beyond your reach. Before you know it, you'll be turning out picturesque landscapes, stellar portraits--any subject that inspires you to put pencil to paper!

Color Mixing Recipes for Portraits: More Than 500 Color Cominations for Skin, Eyes, Lips, and Hair : Featuring Oil and Acrylic - Plus a Special Section for Watercolor


William F. Powell - 2006
    Used books may not include companion materials, may have some shelf wear, may contain highlighting/notes, may not include CDs or access codes. 100% money back guarantee.

The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future


Ryder Carroll - 2018
    Out of sheer necessity, he developed a method called the Bullet Journal that helped him become consistently focused and effective. When he started sharing his system with friends who faced similar challenges, it went viral. Just a few years later, to his astonishment, Bullet Journaling is a global movement. The Bullet Journal Method is about much more than organizing your notes and to-do lists. It's about what Carroll calls "intentional living:" weeding out distractions and focusing your time and energy in pursuit of what's truly meaningful, in both your work and your personal life. It's about spending more time with what you care about, by working on fewer things. His new book shows you how to... • Track the past: Using nothing more than a pen and paper, create a clear and comprehensive record of your thoughts. • Order the present: Find daily calm by tackling your to-do list in a more mindful, systematic, and productive way. • Design the future: Transform your vague curiosities into meaningful goals, and then break those goals into manageable action steps that lead to big change. Carroll wrote this book for frustrated list-makers, overwhelmed multitaskers, and creatives who need some structure. Whether you've used a Bullet Journal for years or have never seen one before, The Bullet Journal Method will help you go from passenger to pilot of your own life.

Art Journal Freedom: How to Journal Creatively with Color & Composition


Dina Wakley - 2013
    But how can you effectively and artistically capture those eye-catching compositions in your art journal?It's true, art journaling has no \rules\" and is a safe place for free expression of your one-of-a-kind life. But knowledge is power and knowing the \"rules\" of color and composition gives you the freedom to use and break them willfully to create the effects you want. Dina shares these principles in a fun and approachable way with dozens upon dozens of unique journal pages to show you just some of the many possibilities.Inside You Will Find: Lessons and tips about composition and color including dominance and repetition, symmetry, contrast and the power of black and white.10 step-by-step technique demonstrations.Dozens of color and design tips and page challenges."

Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go


Les Edgerton - 2007
    Why? If a novel or short story has a bad beginning, then no one will keep reading. It's just that simple. Hooked provides readers with a detailed understanding of what a beginning must include (setup, backstory, the inciting incident, etc.); instruction on how to successfully develop the story problem; tips on how to correct common beginning mistakes; exclusive insider advice from agents, acquiring book editors, and literary journal editors; and much more.

Picture This: How Pictures Work


Molly Bang - 1991
    But what about the elements that make up a picture? Using the tale of Little Red Riding Hood as an example, Molly Bang uses boldly graphic artwork to explain how images -- and their individual components -- work to tell a story that engages the emotions: Why are diagonals dramatic? Why are curves calming? Why does red feel hot and blue feel cold?

The Non-Designer's Design Book


Robin P. Williams - 2003
    Not to worry: This book is the one place you can turn to find quick, non-intimidating, excellent design help. In The Non-Designer's Design Book, 2nd Edition, best-selling author Robin Williams turns her attention to the basic principles of good design and typography. All you have to do is follow her clearly explained concepts, and you'll begin producing more sophisticated, professional, and interesting pages immediately. Humor-infused, jargon-free prose interspersed with design exercises, quizzes, illustrations, and dozens of examples make learning a snap—which is just what audiences have come to expect from this best-selling author.

How to Be an Artist


Jerry Saltz - 2020
    . . . This book is for the artist or non-artist, for the person who gets plain English, for the person who understands that practical talk can coax out the mystical messages that lie underneath." —Steve Martin Art has the power to change our lives. For many, becoming an artist is a lifelong dream. But how to make it happen? In How to Be an Artist, Jerry Saltz, one of the art world’s most celebrated and passionate voices, offers an indispensable handbook for creative people of all kinds. From the first sparks of inspiration—and how to pursue them without giving in to self-doubt—Saltz offers invaluable insight into what really matters to emerging artists: originality, persistence, a balance between knowledge and intuition, and that most precious of qualities, self-belief. Brimming with rules, prompts, and practical tips, How to Be an Artist gives artists new ways to break through creative blocks, get the most from materials, navigate career challenges, and above all find joy in the work.Teeming with full-color artwork from visionaries ancient and modern, this beautiful and useful book will help artists of all kinds—painters, photographers, writers, performers—realize their dreams.

Paper Cutting: Contemporary Artists, Timeless Craft


Laura Heyenga - 2011
    This gorgeous volume features work from 26 contemporary international artists who are creating images of astonishing intricacy, using little more than paper and blade. Featuring a host of new discoveries and including art by such stars as Nikki McClure, Rob Ryan, and Thomas Allen, as well as a number of emerging practitioners, Paper Cutting is sure to engage art buffs and indie crafters alike. An in-depth introduction by paper art expert Natalie Avella illuminates the rich history of the centuries-old form, and a whimsical preface by beloved artist Rob Ryan rounds out this delightful collection.

Several Short Sentences About Writing


Verlyn Klinkenborg - 2012
    It’s the harmful debris of your education—a mixture of half-truths, myths, and false assumptions that prevents you from writing well. Drawing on years of experience as a writer and teacher of writing, Verlyn Klinkenborg offers an approach to writing that will change the way you work and think. There is no gospel, no orthodoxy, no dogma in this book. What you’ll find here isn’t the way to write. Instead, you’ll find a way to clear your mind of illusions about writing and discover how you write. Several Short Sentences About Writing is a book of first steps and experiments. They will revolutionize the way you think and perceive, and they will change forever the sense of your own authority as a writer. This is a book full of learning, but it’s also a book full of unlearning—a way to recover the vivid, rhythmic, poetic sense of language you once possessed. An indispensable and unique book that will give you a clear understanding of how to think about what you do when you write and how to improve the quality of your writing.

Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice


Ivan Brunetti - 2011
    . . Keep it right next to your desk where you can find it at a moment’s notice."—Tim O’Neil, PopMatters.comThe best cartooning is efficient visual storytelling—it is as much a matter of writing as it is of drawing. In this book, noted cartoonist and illustrator Ivan Brunetti presents fifteen distinct lessons on the art of cartooning, guiding his readers through wittily written passages on cartooning terminology, techniques, tools, and theory. Supplemented by Brunetti's own illustrations, prepared specially for this book, these lessons move the reader from spontaneous drawings to single-panel strips and complicated multipage stories.Through simple, creative exercises and assignments, Brunetti offers an unintimidating approach to a complex art form. He looks at the rhythms of storytelling, the challenges of character design, and the formal elements of comics while composing pages in his own iconic style and experimenting with a variety of tools, media, and approaches. By following the author's sophisticated and engaging perspective on the art of cartooning, aspiring cartoonists of all ages will hone their craft, create their personal style, and discover their own visual language.

Drawing the Head and Figure


Jack Hamm - 1962
    Offers simplified techniques and scores of brand-new hints and helps. Step by step procedures. Hundreds of illustrations.