Complete guide to drawing & painting (Reader's Digest) [Hardcover]

Editors of Reader's Digest (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0895779560 | ISBN-13: 978-0895779564 | Publication Date: August 25, 1997

Here, in one volume, is all you need to know to draw and paint, even if you have never tried before. This comprehensive book covers all of the most popular drawing and painting media, and provides detailed information about equipment and materials.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Here in one volume, is all you need to know to draw and paint, even if you have never tried before. This authoritative and comprehensive book covers all of the most popular drawing and painting media, and provides detailed information about equipment and material.

* Covers pencils, charcoal, pen and ink, watercolor, oil, acrylic, and pastels

* Contains over 800 full-color illustrations, including step-by-step, specially commissioned demonstrations of all the art techniques in the book

* Introduced by bestselling author Stan Smith

* Clear text and easy-to-follow details enable artists at all levels of expertise to create more exciting pictures and find shortcuts to great results.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction by the popular and accomplished artist, Stan Smith.

I'm a firm believer that anyone can learn to draw or paint. But you can't expect simply to pick up a pencil or paintbrush and start to draw like Leonardo da Vinci or paint like Van Gogh. All the great artists had to work at their craft, and you'll have to do the same. The first step is to learn the fundamentals of drawing and painting. Just as you have to learn vocabulary, spelling, and grammar in order to speak or write a language, so too in art you have to learn to handle the tools of the trade and to develop certain skills in order to produce a good picture. Learning to draw, getting perspective right, knowing how to mix colors, and much, much more-these things are the spelling and syntax of art. Complete Guide to Drawing and Painting sets out to show you all the basic skills and techniques you will need. The book is divided into a number of chapters that deal with the important disciplines of art. We begin with drawing, which needs a good deal of practice-ideally every day! You'll also learn about color and composition-these are important no matter which media you work in. Certain techniques, however, are specific to a particular medium, so drawing implements, watercolors, oils, acrylics, and soft pastels are all covered separately. You'll learn new methods that you can use at once to improve your work, and discover shortcuts to accurate picture-making. Find out how to make objects appear to advance or recede, and learn new ways to add texture to your paintings-scratching into the paper, scraping paint off, or layering it on. The techniques in this book are the artist's tools. You can use them in your own way, developing your own styles and systems of working. Remember, reading this book is only a starting point. with practice you'll master these techniques, unlock the creativity within you, and learn to express your ideas and feelings through your art. So pick up your materials and get going. Good luck, and above all, enjoy yourself. - Stan Smith

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Readers Digest (August 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895779560
• ISBN-13: 978-0895779564
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,426,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)