It is 1948. Japan is rebuilding her cities after the calamity of World War II her people putting defeat behind them & looking to the future. The celebrated painter Masuji Ono fills his days attending to his garden his house repairs his two grown daughters & his grandson & his evenings drinking with old associates in quiet lantern-lit bars. His should be a tranquil retirement. But as his memories continually return to the past
- to a life & a career deeply touched by the rise of Japanese militarism
- a dark shadow begins to grow over his serenity.

...

Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are small cards measuring 2.5 X 3.5in (6.5 X 9cm) which you can decorate in whatever style you choose using a wide range of materials & techniques. Once completed ATCs can be traded (never sold) giving everyone the opportunity to collect unique & original pieces of art! Inspiring & fun they allowing artists of all abilities to share their creativity with others both locally at craft fairs shows & classes & globally via the internet. This book provides numerous ideas for a wide range of ATCs based on many different methods & techniques. Experienced artists & craftworkers will love the challenge of creating smaller pieces of work & beginners will find the smaller scale of the pieces less daunting. Whatever your ability you are bound to find something that will inspire & excite you! ...

Create & swap mini works of art! The simple act of sharing 21/2 x 31/2 pieces of art known as Artist Trading Cards knows no boundaries & brings like-souls together like no other form of communication can. Unique statements passionate emotions & favorite interests can all be expressed in these miniature works of art that are always traded never sold. Artist Trading Cards Workshop will not only teach you how to create your own cards combining one or more of the 25+ techniques demonstrated in step-by-step photos it will also share the ins & outs of trading finding & organizing card swaps & how to trade with others across the miles or even the continents. Discover ways to create colorful collage backgrounds make cards from fabric incorporate painting stamping phone book pages tissue paper string stencils & much more-all is revealed in step-by-step photos but thats not all. Youll also: Learn the ins & outs of trading-where to look what to swap. Find creative ways to store the cards youll soon be collecting. Be inspired by the cards from 60 talented contributors & over 200 beautiful cards. Become a part of the world-wide phenomenon that starts with Artist Trading Cards Workshop & share a piece of yourself today! Create. Collect. Swap. ...

Artists will love this book the definitive guide to capturing facial expressions. In a carefully organised easy-to-use format author Gary Faigin shows readers the expressions created by individual facial muscles then draws them together in a section devoted to the six basic human emotions: sadness anger joy fear disgust & surprise. Each emotion is shown in steadily increasing intensity & Faigins detailed renderings are supplemented by clear explanatory text additional sketches & finished work. An appendix

Includes:: yawning wincing & other physical reactions. Want to create portraits that capture the real person? Want to draw convincing illustrations? Want to show the range of human emotion in your artwork? Get The Artists Complete Guide to Facial Expression"!"

...

This comprehensive handbook is packed with practical & insightful solutions to common problems for both drawing & watercolour media. It features clearly explained techniques for a wide range of popular themes
- including landscapes buildings animals flowers still life & people. Its innovative spread design highlights common problems & provides simple & effective solutions. Its small format means the artist can take this indispensable guide wherever they go.
...

Breathe Life into Your Animal Drawings Wildlife artist Doug Lindstrand has spent 30+ years observing animals in nature & capturing them on paper. In this book he distills his expertise into key lessons for drawing any animal in a charming realistic style. Inside a whole herd of step-by-step exercises & demonstrations (43 to be exact!) cover a broad range of subjects & challenges including how to draw: Short long & patterned fur Mouths eyes ears & horns Various poses including seated standing & moving A diversity of animals domestic & wild--from housecats to big cats from tiny cottontails to massive African elephants. Nothing intimidating here! Starting with easy sketches youll learn to gradually refine basic shapes into lifelike dogs wolves deer sheep horses bears giraffes owls eagles geese & other magnificent creatures. With this classic & time-tested approach youll be able to draw not only the animals illustrated on these pages but any animal that touches your artistic soul. ...

Author Michael Massen presents his thorough & novel approach to drapery by first describing clothing & drapery as basic shapes & then illustrating how the mechanics of physics cause these shapes to bend fold or wrinkle in predictable ways. Expanding upon these principles the book details how to use these concepts to render all types of clothing in any medium. Fully illustrated techniques & examples from old world & contemporary masters from Raphael to Walt Disney make this book the definitive text on the subject of rendered clothing & drapery & a comprehensive resource. ...

The Artist's Way provides a twelve-week course that guides you through the process of recovering your creative self. It aims to dispel the 'I'm not talented enough' conditioning that holds many people back & helps you to unleash your own inner artist. Its step-by-step approach enables you to transform your life overcome any artistic blocks you may suffer from including limiting beliefs fear sabotage jealousy & guilt & replace them with self confidence & productivity. It helps demystify the creative process by making it a part of your daily life. Whatever your artistic leanings this book will give you the tools you need to enable you to fulfil your dreams. ...

There's an art to choosing men.. .but Thea's just discovering it. Fed up with looking after a houseful of students Thea Orville throws caution to the winds & takes off to Ireland with Rory a charming but feckless artist. But Thea's old life isn't so easily cut off. The arrival of Molly her bossy friend demanding to see Rory's stunning paintings (and to find out what Thea is up to) is bad enough but why did she have to bring Petal Thea's most annoying lodger along for the ride? & worst of all Petal is accompanied by her uncle the enigmatic Ben a man Thea has sworn never to like. The timing is terrible
- Rory's dog is about to have puppies
- but even more alarming is that the more Rory pursues Thea the more maddeningly attractive she finds Ben...

...

Newly available in paperback this comprehensive companion to the Arts & Crafts movement reviews its background history personalities & glorious products. The origins of the movement are identified & the inspiration of its founder William Morris craftsman poet & social reformer is celebrated. Such key exponents as Charles Rennie Mackintosh Frank Lloyd Wright & Gustav Stickley are considered in detail & information is provided on the distinguishing characteristics of each designers contribution. Illustrated with 300 meticulously researched images this is a rich & invaluable general survey & an important work of reference for the collector. ...