Art & Photography

"Life drawing is not only about learning to draw the body accurately; it also teaches you to translate our complex three-dimensional (read more)

"Life drawing is not only about learning to draw the body accurately; it also teaches you to translate our complex three-dimensional world... to the confines of a sheet of paper." Eddie ArmerImprove your drawing skills and learn how to observe the human form with this simple practical course. By applying a few basic rules, the shape of a body can be both accurately and artistically captured in as little as two minutes, using only a small selection of artist's materials.

Feel encouraged as you start your life-drawing journey by accomplishing an effective, straightforward pose, formed across a few straight lines and drawn with a standard pencil. Then, work with ease through each of Eddie's beautifully drawn projects to tackle fundamental methods for sketching, designed to steadily introduce you to invaluable techniques that will bring your work to the next level. Every project includes fully-illustrated step by steps and helpful advice on the drawing method used. (hide)

Today Berthe Morisot (1841 1895) is considered a major Impressionist artist, a recent development despite the respect received in (read more)

Today Berthe Morisot (1841 1895) is considered a major Impressionist artist, a recent development despite the respect received in her lifetime from peers Edgar Degas, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. As the only female member of the Impressionist group at its founding in late 1873, Morisot played a major and multifaceted part in the movement, and her works were prized by pioneering dealers and collectors. Lush illustrations from throughout Morisot s career depict her daring experimentations and her embrace of modern subjects in the city and at the seaside: fashionable young women, and intimate, domestic interiors.
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Foreword by Chris Packham This beautiful book accompanies the photographic competition celebrating some of the best bird photography (read more)

Foreword by Chris Packham This beautiful book accompanies the photographic competition celebrating some of the best bird photography of the year. The Bird Photographer of the Year competition celebrates the artistry of bird photography, and this large-format book is lavishly illustrated to reflect this. A celebration of avian beauty and diversity, it is a tribute to both the dedication and passion of the photographers as well as a reflection of the quality of today's modern digital imaging systems.

The book includes the winning and short-listed images from the competition, now in its third year, showcasing some of the finest bird photography, with a foreword by BTO President and head judge, Chris Packham. A proportion of the profits from the book goes directly to the BTO to support their conservation work. The advent of digital technology has revolutionised photography in recent years, and the book brings to life some of the most stunning bird photography currently on offer. (hide)

Here is a dazzling celebration of one of the most admired illustrators working today, with a specially produced print exclusive to (read more)

Here is a dazzling celebration of one of the most admired illustrators working today, with a specially produced print exclusive to this limited, slipcased edition. Noma Bar's innovative, playful style has made him one of the most sought-after illustrators working today, with a broad range of commissions from magazines and newspapers - including Empire, the New York Times, Wired, the Guardian and Time Out - and numerous private and advertising clients. His use of negative space and minimalist forms creates images with multiple readings that can delight and shock in equal measure.

Each of Bar's illustrations tells a story that is hidden in the details, with the message revealing itself as you look more closely. Here, Noma Bar has handpicked his most iconic illustrations and favourite works, each one displaying the distinctive style that has established his reputation. The works are organized into thematic chapters such as 'Pretty Ugly' (portraits), 'In Out' (sex), 'Life Death' (conflict), and 'Less More' (daily life).
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The body remains a battleground. Politicized, conceptualized and increasingly shared, our often-paradoxical relationship with the (read more)

The body remains a battleground. Politicized, conceptualized and increasingly shared, our often-paradoxical relationship with the human form is nothing new, but finds itself heightened in the digitised, virtualised era of the `post-industrial' body. No longer a tool but a work-in-progress, our bodily expectations bound from fantasy to reality, beauty to tyranny, art to commerce and curiosity to obsession, leaving us dreaming of other bodies and alternate lives. (hide)

An illustrated, comprehensive guide to botanical painting written by the Society of Botanical Artists. In this new book the Society (read more)

An illustrated, comprehensive guide to botanical painting written by the Society of Botanical Artists. In this new book the Society of Botanical Artists provides a comprehensive guide to the different styles and methods of botanical painting, harvesting the talent of both Members and Distance Learning Diploma Course students around the world, past and present. Botanical Painting features techniques and materials for all levels and demonstrates how these skills can be used to develop your own expertise.

There are chapters on drawing with graphite and metal point, coloured pencil, body and watercolour in plant portraiture and illustration as well as 'The Mixed Bunch'. The inclusion of the historic methods used for egg tempera and metal point, as well as the technique required for working on vellum, makes this a valuable source of advice on subjects not readily available elsewhere. (hide)

While highly finished drawings and paintings frequently feature in histories of botanical art, the preparatory sketches, first impressions (read more)

While highly finished drawings and paintings frequently feature in histories of botanical art, the preparatory sketches, first impressions and creative thoughts on paper behind them are rarely seen and have often remained hidden and locked away. Botanical Sketchbooks brings these personal and vividly spontaneous records gloriously back into the light. In a series of biographical portraits organized thematically into four sections, the book illuminates a range of intriguing characters, from many different countries and cultures, including Germany, France, Italy, America, Australia, Japan and China.

Sketchbooks proper are joined by notebooks, journals, albums, loose pieces of paper, works on vellum, manuscripts, letters, herbarium sheets and marginalia - even one drawing on the back of an envelope. Turning the pages of this book will be an invitation to relive extraordinary experiences, imagine lost worlds, and be immersed in the endeavours, observations and motivations of the makers of such beautiful and enchanting art.
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Visual Music is a one-of-a-kind guided tour through the visual art of creative polymath Brian Eno. Featuring more than 300 images (read more)

Visual Music is a one-of-a-kind guided tour through the visual art of creative polymath Brian Eno. Featuring more than 300 images of Eno's installation, light, and video artwork, this exquisite volume is the definitive monograph of a contemporary master. In addition to page after page of full-color art, Visual Music features Eno's personal notebook pages, his essay "Perfume, Defense, and David Bowie's Wedding," an interview with the artist, scholarly essays, and an original-for-the-book piece of free downloadable music.
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Bridget Riley has made screenprints throughout her career, extending the principles of her paintings into a new, reproducible medium. (read more)

Bridget Riley has made screenprints throughout her career, extending the principles of her paintings into a new, reproducible medium. Bringing together the complete, updated inventory of this substantial body of work, this volume explores Riley's development as a printmaker and her relationship to the screenprint medium. Newly revised, updated and designed, this catalogue raisonne richly illustrates Bridget Riley's graphic work in a larger, enhanced format.

Alongside a full-colour inventory of the prints are updated essays by Lynn MacRitchie and Craig Hartley and an additional essay by Robert Kudielka, which provide a greater context for Riley's work. This revised volume, a co-publication with The Bridget Riley Art Foundation, also benefits from supplemental material including an artist biography and selected solo and group exhibition history.
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This book provides a thorough introduction to and exploration of deep sky astrophotography for the digital photographer. With over (read more)

This book provides a thorough introduction to and exploration of deep sky astrophotography for the digital photographer. With over 280 images, graphs, and tables, this introductory book uses a progressive and practical style to teach readers how to image the night sky using existing, affordable equipment. The book opens with a brief astronomy primer, followed by chapters that build progressively to explain the challenges, offer solutions, and provide invaluable information on equipment choice through image capture, calibration, and processing in affordable software.
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