The Art of Spirited Away


Hayao Miyazaki - 2001
    Features commentary, color stills, sketches, storyboards, and illustrations used to envision the rich fantasy world of the film. Also includes a complete English-language script.

Comic Artist's Reference: People and Poses


Buddy Scalera - 2006
    It features six step-by-step demonstrations by well-known artists, so readers can learn firsthand from the pros.

The Art of Color: The Subjective Experience and Objective Rationale of Color


Johannes Itten - 1961
    Subjective feelings and objective color principles are described in detail and clarified by color reproductions.

Botanical Illustration Course with the Eden Project: Drawing and watercolour painting techniques for botanical artists


Rosie Martin - 2006
    Devised by an award-winning botanical artist who teaches at the Eden Project, this course takes you from basic drawing techniques to advanced skills required for the analysis of complex forms in watercolour. Following the syllabus of the botanical illustration course at the acclaimed Eden Project in Cornwall, this book offers you the opportunity to perfect the many techniques used to produce beautiful and informative plant portraits.Full of practical information, and with easy-to-follow exercises, the book includes: Pencil Drawing; Shapes in Nature; Plant dissection and bisection; Perspective; Use of tonal contrast; Line drawing and pencil shading; Colour and pigment mixing; Application of watercolour; Highlights and shiny surfaces; Composition and arrangement.

Live Learn: Expressive Drawing: A Practical Guide to Freeing the Artist Within


Steven Aimone - 2009
    Written by arts educator Steven Aimone, it’s packed with solid, friendly, hands-on instruction, as well as inspiring images, and backed by the trusted AARP name. Aimone teaches an accessible style called expressive drawing that emphasizes line and mark, rather than rendering a specific object, which for many people, can create barriers to self-expression. Exercises start off simple and quick, encouraging readers to work on instinct and feeling, while the later ones focus on detail and refinement. The book features hundreds ofimages of work by well-known artists from Debuffet to Jim Dine—and each chapter includes a profile of someone who came to drawing late in life and achieved recognition.

Image Transfer Workshop: Mixed-media Techniques for Successful Transfers


Sandra Duran-Wilson - 2009
    This book presents step-by-step techniques for 35 image transfer processes, extensive tips for fixing mishaps and examples of how to combine transfers in finished pieces of mixed-media art.This comprehensive guide features:35 Techniques: This book focuses exclusively on making transfers--from simple tape and gel medium transfers to more complex and out of the box techniques, like solar silk screens and plastic wrap transfers.Troubleshooting: Image Transfer Workshop includes extensive answers to help fix problems in transfers gone wrong. You'll learn what to watch for, what to do to get great transfers every time.Dual Styles, Dual Approaches: The authors' different styles illustrate how transfer techniques can take on completely different looks. Finished pieces of art for each technique and a section of completely stepped-out projects are sure to inspire you!Let Image Transfer Workshop help build your image transfer confidence.

Billy Showell's Botanical Painting in Watercolour


Billy Showell - 2016
    In this her fourth book she reveals in depth the techniques she uses to produce her stunning works of art. Every aspect of botanical painting is covered, including the materials and tools you need, preserving your specimens, drawing, painting, color mixing and composition. Richly illustrated throughout with step-by-step demonstrations and examples of Billy’s work, this book is a visual feast as well as an invaluable source of expert guidance and inspiration. With a diverse range of subjects that include flowers, foliage, fruit and vegetables, Billy provides an insight into her painting techniques that artists of all abilities will find both informative and inspirational.

How to Draw Modern Florals: An Introduction to the Art of Flowers, Cacti, and More


Alli Koch - 2017
    She shares her expertise in How To Draw Modern Florals, a step-by-step guide that teaches everything you need to know about modern florals, including:Tools of the trade Where to find inspiration The anatomy of a flower The basic shapes for drawing a flower You'll feel as though you're sitting down with Alli at a coffee shop as she walks you through the process of drawing and designing all aspects of modern florals. You'll learn designs from classic favorites like the rose to today's trendiest florals, as well as succulents and cacti--some of Alli's favorites!How to Draw Modern Florals is an introduction, so no experience is needed! If you can draw an S or a C with a pen, Alli can teach you to draw a beautiful, modern floral design.

The DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics


Klaus Janson - 2003
    Legendary comic book inker Klaus Janson uses DC’s world-famous characters—including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman—to demonstrate an array of inking techniques, covering such topics as using textures, varying line weights, creating the illusion of three-dimensionality, and working with light and dark. Janson’s lively, step-by-step instructions are informative, exciting—and clear enough for even beginners to follow. In addition, every technique shown in this guide conforms to actual industry standards. The perfect how-to on everything from basic inking materials to storytelling techniques, this one-stop sourcebook is packed with a wealth of tested techniques, practical advice, and professional secrets for the aspiring comic artist.

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?

Interaction of Color


Josef Albers - 1971
    Conceived as a handbook and teaching aid for artists, instructors, and students, this timeless book presents Albers’s unique ideas of color experimentation in a way that is valuable to specialists as well as to a larger audience.Originally published by Yale University Press in 1963 as a limited silkscreen edition with 150 color plates, Interaction of Color first appeared in paperback in 1971, featuring ten representative color studies chosen by Albers. The paperback has remained in print ever since and is one of the most influential resources on color for countless readers.This new paperback edition presents a significantly expanded selection of more than thirty color studies alongside Albers’s original unabridged text, demonstrating such principles as color relativity, intensity, and temperature; vibrating and vanishing boundaries; and the illusions of transparency and reversed grounds. Now available in a larger format and with enhanced production values, this expanded edition celebrates the unique authority of Albers’s contribution to color theory and brings the artist’s iconic study to an eager new generation of readers.

Syllabus: Notes From an Accidental Professor


Lynda Barry - 2014
    She believes that anyone can be a writer and has set out to prove it. For the past decade, Barry has run a highly popular writing workshop for nonwriters called Writing the Unthinkable, which was featured in The New York Times Magazine. Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor is the first book to make her innovative lesson plans and writing exercises available to the public for home or classroom use. Barry teaches a method of writing that focuses on the relationship between the hand, the brain, and spontaneous images, both written and visual. It has been embraced by people across North America—prison inmates, postal workers, university students, high-school teachers, and hairdressers—for opening pathways to creativity.Syllabus's takes the course plan for Barry’s workshop and runs wild with it in her densely detailed signature style. Collaged texts, ballpoint-pen doodles, and watercolor washes adorn Syllabus’s yellow lined pages, which offer advice on finding a creative voice and using memories to inspire the writing process. Throughout it all, Barry’s voice (as an author and as a teacher-mentor) rings clear, inspiring, and honest.

Foundations in Comic Book Art: SCAD Creative Essentials (Fundamental Tools and Techniques for Sequential Artists)


John Paul Lowe - 2014
    In Foundations for Comic Book Art, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)—a leading force in art and design education—enlists one of its top instructors, John Paul Lowe, to provide aspiring comic book makers with a thorough primer for creative comics, featuring must-know concepts like contour drawing, mastering perspective, using photo-reference, and adding digital patterns. Examples from the works of SCAD faculty, alumni, and students are paired with Lowe’s easy-to-follow, step-by-step lessons and exercises for readers, demonstrating the vital processes all would-be sequential artists have to know before joining the ranks of the comic book–making elite.

Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive


David B. Levy - 2006
    Here’s an insider’s guide to getting into that industry, staying there, and getting ahead. Author David B. Levy has interviewed the top pros in animation, including Steven Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants; Al Brodax, producer of Yellow Submarine; Teddy Newton, character designer on The Incredibles; Linda Simensky, senior director of PBS Kids; John R. Dilworth, creator of Courage the Cowardly Dog; and dozens of others to get their insights on creating a portfolio or reel, meeting animators, networking, and making the leap from working for others to pitching and selling. A resource section lists animation schools, film festivals, studios, Web sites, and publications to get budding animators off to an animated start.

Bold Visions: The Digital Painting Bible for Fantasy and Science-Fiction Artists


Gary Tonge - 2008
    Artists will learn to create a wide range of subject matter from futuristic spacescapes and revolutionary vehicles to medieval landscapes and beautiful maidens. An in-depth materials section introduces all the equipment you are likely to need, from computer hardware and software to more traditional art media. A detailed basic techniques section caters to both newcomers to the digital medium and those who wish to brush up on their skills.