From one of the biggest names in Art Nouveau design comes this splendid visual encyclopedia of superior artistic studies of plants and flowers. Its 120 images were selected from a rare, century-old, four-volume set of botanical illustrations. Cherry blossoms, clematis, crown imperial, and other specimens appear side by side in full-page plates that contrast magnificent color renditions with meticulous black-and-white drawings.A leading designer in the Art Nouveau movement, M. P. Verneuil was particularly interested in the decorative potential of flowers, and he created countless realistic and imaginative floral patterns. In this collection, he spotlights the work of such popular artists as Alphonse Mucha, M. Méheut, and other distinguished illustrators. Captions identify each image. A very useful, wide-ranging reference, this volume will delight artists and lovers of botanical illustration.
Over thousands of years, the art of Chinese paintings has been refined into an exquisitely developed system of visual representation. But until the publication of this volume, there was no single source that bridged the gap between the philosophical and imitative methods of instruction. Alison Stilwell Cameron, daughter of famed World War II General Joseph Stilwell, spent her early childhood and teenage years in China where she studied under two renowned Chinese artists — Yu Fei-am and Prince P'u Ju of the imperial family. Having achieved wide recognition for her mastery of Chinese painting, she distilled her knowledge in this book, providing step-by-step instruction for those with no art training at all.Starting with an explanation of the physical tools of the art, she describes the basic strokes and the creation of Chinese characters before moving on to demonstrate the use of these strokes to represent trees, flowers, rocks, boats, insects, birds, and other subjects. These elements are then combined to produce finished Chinese paintings, «the kind of pleasing and satisfying pictures that thousands of amateurs have been producing in China for centuries.»Enhanced with hundreds of illustrations, including 36 in full color, this handsome volume also contains a chapter on the mounting process, a valuable bibliography, and an index. It is an invaluable guide to an art, which — once mastered — will not only delight viewing audiences but will bring satisfaction throughout the artist's lifetime.
In the brief span of his life and career, Aubrey Beardsley (1872–98) galvanized public attention in 1890s London with his exotic renderings of subjects, which often projected the sensual and the grotesque. This splendid volume brings together the best of Beardsley's work — a rich selection ranging from illustrations for Laclos's Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Balzac's La Comédie Humaine to magazine cover designs, book plate silhouettes, title-page ornaments, and delightful mini-portraits of major composers. Also included are two photographs of the artist, consisting of private portrait studies by Frederick H. Evans.Over 180 beautifully reproduced black-and-white plates capture the uniqueness of Beardsley's vision and reveal the seductive power of his art. Among the illustrations are brilliantly conceived vignettes from Le Morte D'arthur, Venus and Tannhäuser, Salome, and Lucian's True History as well as enchanting creations for The Yellow Book (an influential British arts quarterly), and much more.Characterized by bold black masses, elongated shapes, and sensually provocative figures, these works are the product of a remarkable individual style that transformed the art of illustration. Reproduced here in an inexpensive high-quality format, they are certain to thrill not only Beardsley enthusiasts but anyone interested in the early years of modern graphic art.
French artist Hilaire Germaine Edgar Degas (1834–1917) is best known for his studies of the human figure, his ballet dancers, his portraits, and his occupational groups. In his drawings, Degas's working methods can be seen and studied, and his always-human figures can be enjoyed as much as in the finished works — if not more.<BR>Reproduced in this book are 100 of Degas's drawings, including eight in full color. They range from early studies to portraits of Manet, Madame Hertel, Madame Camus, Durnaty, and others to sketches of dancers and nudes, race track scenes, travel scenes, and other works from 1856 to 1900. The drawings reflect Degas's outstanding way of capturing scenes and his development of the careful casualness that was to make him foremost among the Realist-Romantic artists. The images also reveal his new uses of space and artistic focus, qualities he received from other artists in the Impressionist group. There are works in varied media — pencil, crayon, pastel, charcoal, and many others — and there are studies for paintings and sculptures that show his working methods.<BR>Most of these drawings cannot be seen anywhere else in published form. The edition from which these drawings were taken now commands high prices on the rare book market, when it can be found. Art students, collectors, and others who want to see the many styles of Degas will find that this collection contains many of his finest works.<BR>
Ever since Eve's first blush, clothes have girded, graced and transformed the female physique. Fascinating and insightful, The Corset and the Crinoline is an illustrated history of clothing's attendant underpinnings — especially those that whittled the female waist to its most slender proportions. Reproduced from a rare 1868 fashion publication, each page reveals how the use of wood, whalebone, steel, hoops, and tight laces had a gripping influence on shaping the figures of women from ancient Greece to nineteenth-century Vienna.Enlivened by excerpts from authentic letters, magazine articles, and satiric poems, over fifty exquisite black-and-white engravings highlight the wardrobes — and what was worn underneath them — of a Persian dancing girl, an ancient Egyptian woman, a Roman lady of high rank, Queen Elizabeth, Marie de Medici, a woman of the French revolutionary period, and many more. Costume designers, artists, and anyone interested in the history of fashion will be captivated!
At the turn of the twentieth century, Arthur Wesley Dow literally «wrote the book» on composition—and this is it! Dow's Composition exercised an enormous influence on emerging modern artists of a century ago. A thought-provoking examination of the nature of visual representation, it remains ever-relevant to all the visual arts.A well-known painter and printmaker, Dow taught for many years at Columbia University and acted as a mentor to countless young artists, including Georgia O'Keeffe. His text, presented in a workbook format, offers teachers and students a systematic approach to composition. It explores the creation of freely constructed images based on harmonic relations between lines, colors, and dark and light patterns. The author draws upon the traditions of Japanese art to discuss a theory of «flat» formal equilibrium as an essential component of pictorial creation. Practical and well-illustrated, this classic guide offers valuable insights into modern design.
Anyone who has mastered the art of writing can learn to draw, according to this accomplished artist and author of several fine art books. Confident that most people have the ability to express themselves artistically once they have acquired the right techniques, Richmond offers his tried-and-true methods of drawing and composition in this easy-to-follow guide."The short road to success" begins with a brush. Richmond advises novices to forego the use of a pencil, since it demands a higher degree of accuracy than the beginner possesses. When a brush is used, the ink glides over the paper easily and is more likely to bring desired results. Starting with simple lines and curves, then moving on to various elements—from clouds and trees to castles and cottages—Richmond offers exercises to train the eyes and hand to work together. In step-by-step pictorial sequences, he effectively illustrates how to construct a successful landscape, offers tips on perspective—and even uses several great works of art for lessons in composition. Invaluable for students and teachers, this guide will help artists at every level bring landscapes to life.
The author of this superb guide was not only a renowned watercolor painter but also a brilliant teacher with an unmatched talent for conveying to his students the techniques and aesthetic philosophy underlying great paintings. Years after becoming award-winning painters themselves, his students still quote his «Whitneyisms» to remind themselves of all that is most important in creating art. This fine guide, the distillation of Edgar Whitney's teaching, is one of the most useful, comprehensive, and popular watercolor painting books every published — almost a cult classic. Starting with the nuts-and-bolts basics — including choice of paper, colors, palette, and brushes — and with exercises to give the beginner experience in using washes on both dry and wet paper, the book presents a full course of watercolor painting. The author gives specific, detailed instructions for creating landscapes and for painting portraits and figures — instructions that come vividly to life in two 16-page full-color sections showing the steps involved in creatiang seven of his own watercolors. Other chapters focus on drawing; the principles and elements of design; and matting, framing, and selling completed works of art. Beautifully designed and illustrated, this invaluable book will be treasured by all watercolorists — from complete beginners to experienced painters looking for ways to improve their own paintings.
Few books of costume design will prove more useful to artists, students, stage designers, and scholars than this volume. Presenting detailed drawings in a continuous chronological format, it provides a history of costume design through the ages, from the first century A.D. to 1930.Culled from sculpture, lithographs, paintings, illuminated manuscripts, engravings, caricatures, fashion plates, photographs, and magazines, these illustrations have been carefully redrawn to bring out essential lines as well as all the details. Men, women, and children are shown in authentic dress, in characteristic period postures, and coiffed in contemporary hairstyles — even their gestures and bearing offer the reader insight into the attitudes and manners of their times. Due to the acceleration of change in styles, the book moves from single pages representing entire centuries to one-page-per-year depictions of fashion development. In all, more than 1,400 illustrations chronicle the full sweep of two millennia of Western garb, from Roman noble to Victorian dandy, from Elizabethan lady to Jazz Age schoolboy — all in easily accessible form.Painstakingly researched and meticulously detailed, this book will be a valuable asset and resource for students, illustrators, costume and cultural historians — anyone interested in the history of fashion.
This concise guide features easy-to-follow steps for capturing the natural beauty and magnificence of trees. Over 100 illustrations spotlight dozens of different varieties, including Oak, Willow, Pine, and Palmetto. Topics include shading techniques, composition, portraying shadow and light, and approaches to outlining.Author and illustrator Victor Perard, a graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, was an art instructor at New York City's Cooper Union for twenty years. This informative volume reflects his extensive teaching experience and provides practical advice for artists at every level.