Art & Photography

'The Liverpool Art Book' is a tribute to one of the UK's most iconic cities. An impressive artistic collection taking the reader (read more)

'The Liverpool Art Book' is a tribute to one of the UK's most iconic cities. An impressive artistic collection taking the reader on a tour through the colourful spirit of Liverpool and its history: inspired by its vibrant, modern buildings and imposing symbols of commence, its statues of icons such as the Beatles and Cilla Black, and its majestic skyline, Liverpool's very own artists highlight its beauties in the most unique way. (hide)

The lives of the sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf have long been celebrated for their central roles in the development of (read more)

The lives of the sisters Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf have long been celebrated for their central roles in the development of modernism in art and literature. Inspired by European post-impressionism, Vanessa's experimental work places her at the vanguard of early twentieth-century art, as does her role in helping introduce many key names - Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso - to an unsuspecting public in 1910. Virginia took these artistic innovations and applied them to literature, pushing the boundaries of form, narrative and language to find a voice uniquely her own.

Yet their private lives were just as experimental. Forming the core of the Bloomsbury Group, they welcomed into their London and Sussex homes a host of their talented peers and followed their hearts in the pursuit of love. Vanessa's marriage to art critic Clive Bell was shaken early on by his flirtation with her sister, but this allowed her to find happiness with fellow artist Roger Fry. (hide)

Every year, more than ten million visitors from around the world visit the Louvre s 68,000 square meters of gallery space containing (read more)

Every year, more than ten million visitors from around the world visit the Louvre s 68,000 square meters of gallery space containing more than 35,000 works of art. The Louvre is widely considered the most innovative of the world s preeminent museums. This gorgeous tome is a celebration of an enduring institution and the magnificent works of art that it houses.

Rather than showing only isolated images of the artworks themselves, this book shows many of the pieces in the context of the beautiful galleries and spaces where they live, to give the reader an experience similar to being at the Louvre. The Louvre explores the eight centuries of fascinating history surrounding the museum, which began in the Middle Ages as a fortress, then became a royal residence which continued to enlarge, expand, and develop over the centuries with the most brilliant architects and painters being called to work on this architectural masterpiece. In 1793, the Louvre confirmed its role as a temple of the arts when it was made the first national museum open to the public.

Published:8 Sep 2020 (hide)

Posters have the power to influence and inform - so how does a designer hone their creations to have the impact they need?With a (read more)

Posters have the power to influence and inform - so how does a designer hone their creations to have the impact they need?With a special focus on conceptualization, internationally-acclaimed and award-winning designers Natalia Delgado and Scott Laserow takes you though planning, analyzing and creating posters that stop viewers in their tracks. Classic and contemporary examples from around the world show you what can be achieved at the cutting-edge of the medium - from protest and propaganda posters, through pop culture and Swiss style, to animated and interactive designs. (hide)

The name Manet often evokes the provocative, heroically scaled pictures he painted in the 1860s for the Salon, but in the late 1870s (read more)

The name Manet often evokes the provocative, heroically scaled pictures he painted in the 1860s for the Salon, but in the late 1870s and early 1880s the artist produced quite a different body of work: stylish portraits of actresses and demimondaines, luscious still lifes, delicate pastels, intimate watercolours and impressionistic scenes of suburban gardens and Parisian cafe s. Often dismissed as too pretty and superficial by critics, these later works reflect Manet's elegant social world, propose a radical new alignment of modern art with fashionable femininity, and record the artist's unapologetic embrace of beauty and visual pleasure in the face of death.

Published: 25 Jun 2019 (hide)

Simply magical manga in watercolor! Learn how to create beautiful manga art from pencil sketch to finished painting, with this comprehensive (read more)

Simply magical manga in watercolor! Learn how to create beautiful manga art from pencil sketch to finished painting, with this comprehensive guide. As the popularity of Manga art continues to soar, manga and comic book artist Lisa Santrau shows beginners how to create subtle and beautiful manga pictures using pencil and watercolors - the simplest of art materials. Lisa explains the materials and tools needed and then explores the fundamentals of how to draw manga - from color theory and breaking down drawings into basic shapes, to body proportions and faces for both classic manga and chibi manga figures. (hide)

From young love to heartbreak, the fourth book in Christopher Hart's bestselling Master Guide to Drawing Anime series focuses on (read more)

From young love to heartbreak, the fourth book in Christopher Hart's bestselling Master Guide to Drawing Anime series focuses on the hugely popular Romance genre. The newest addition to Christopher Hart's bestselling Master Guide to Drawing Anime series takes on one of the most popular styles in Japanese cartoons: Romance. It provides an overview of romance subgenres and teaches every aspect of drawing anime romance, from common male and female character types to the dramatic--and funny--situations they find themselves in. (hide)

Light is at the heart of photography and plays a fundamental role in creating successful images. Not only does light affect brightness, (read more)

Light is at the heart of photography and plays a fundamental role in creating successful images. Not only does light affect brightness, but it also determines tone, mood, atmosphere, texture, colour and luminosity. Mastering Lighting & Flash Photography contains everything you need to know about controlling and manipulating light to capture the beauty of the world around you in your own signature style.
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This wildly entertaining and educational tome is a journey through the history of British comics - from the birth of the 20th century (read more)

This wildly entertaining and educational tome is a journey through the history of British comics - from the birth of the 20th century to the 80s invasion of American comics by the likes of Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons and Kevin O'Neil (to name but a few), right up to today's up-and-coming British art stars and the talents of tomorrow. Revealing the extraordinary history of the UK's prolific comic book industry from the 19th Century to the 21st, this ground breaking volume celebrates the incredible artists who made a huge impact on British comics and would go on to revolutionize the industry on a global scale. (hide)

For centuries carved writings and artworks in churches lay largely unnoticed. So archaeologist Matthew Champion started a nationwide (read more)

For centuries carved writings and artworks in churches lay largely unnoticed. So archaeologist Matthew Champion started a nationwide survey to gather the best examples. In this book he shines a spotlight on a forgotten world of ships, prayers for good fortune, satirical cartoons, charms, curses, windmills, word puzzles, architectural plans and heraldic designs.

Drawing on examples from surviving medieval churches in England, the author gives a voice to the secret graffiti artists: from the lord of the manor and the parish priest to the people who built the church itself. Here are strange medieval beasts, knights battling unseen dragons, ships sailing across lime-washed oceans and demons who stalk the walls. Latin prayers for the dead jostle with medieval curses, builders accounts and slanderous comments concerning a long-dead archdeacon.
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