Books in the Dover Art Instruction series

Exhaustive, profusely illustrated guide to technical aspects of sculpting in stone, metal, wood, other materials. Tools, techniques, modelling, casting, firing, much more. 281 illustrations.

The guidance to be found within these covers reflects the author's inspired ability as a teacher and artist of the highest magnitude. It is probably the finest book on the subject of drawing the human form that I have ever seen.--Irving Shapiro, A.W.S., Director, American Academy of ArtThis unique guide offers a bold, innovative approach to drawing from life. Instead of teaching the traditional method of building up a drawing from lines, leaving mass and tone till later, noted art instructor Douglas R. Graves takes precisely the opposite tack. The student is encouraged to begin seeing and thinking in terms of tonal masses immediately. This approach enables students to draw quickly and accurately without the need for a line drawing first. The author compares it to learning to paint with charcoal.Step-by-step demonstrations and over 200 of the author's own drawings offer inspiration and practical guidance in the technique. You'll learn how to see tonal quality, how to key a drawing, how to translate color into black and white, and valuable techniques for keeping the figure from looking stiff. Other topics include the role of alignment in achieving proper proportions, foreshortening, male and female figure distinctions, the use of modeling to achieve added dimension, drawing the face, positioning the figure, and many other aspects of life drawing.For students of drawing--beginner to expert--this book is an invaluable guide not just to drawing from life but to the essential principles of observation, composition, and draftsmanship that underlie all successful drawing and painting. It belongs in the library of every artist. For this edition, the author has revised previous chapters and added a new one on Different Modes of Charcoal.Revised and enlarged Dover (1994) republication of the work published by Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1971.

In this thought-provoking practical guide, a noted artist and educator demonstrates that learning to violate the rules of perspective (profitably) is as important for the practicing artist as learning the principles of perspective themselves. Only in this way can students free themselves from the constraints of tradition and find their own imaginative paths. However, it is vital that students first have a solid grasp of classical perspective before they can think about adapting it creatively.In presenting the principles of perspective drawing, Mr. Watson devotes a chapter each to step-by-step discussions of such topics as the picture plane, foreshortening and convergence, the circle, the cone, three-point perspective, universal perspective, figures in perspective, and much more. To illustrate his points he offers expert analysis of the works of such leading illustrators as John Atherton, V. Bobri, R. M. Chapin, Jr., Albert Dorne, Robert Fawcett, Constantin Guys, W. N. Hudson, Carl Roberts, Ben Stahl, and Aldren A. Watson, as well as drawings by Pieter de Hooch and Paul Cézanne. The result is a ground-breaking study that artists, illustrators, and draftsmen will find invaluable in learning to create works with convincing perspective.Ernest W. Watson taught at Pratt Institute for over 20 years, co-founded and served as editor-in-chief of the magazine American Artist, and co-founded the prestigious art publishing house of Watson-Guptill.Dover (1992) republication of How to Use Creative Perspective, originally published by Reinhold Publishing Corporation, New York, 1955.

Intermediate and advanced art students receive a broad vocabulary of effects with this in-depth study of light. The guide offers detailed descriptions that start with the basics--the direction of light, reflections, and shadows--and advance to studies of light in natural and manipulated situations. Examinations of subtler light effects include foreshortening, field effects, multiple light sources, colored light, depicting the light source, and the behavior of light on shiny surfaces.Lavishly illustrated with diagrams and paintings, this volume applies its principles to figure, still life, and landscape paintings. Author Ted Seth Jacobs stresses the importance of comparing real-life vision to the canvas, since no system of rules can substitute for close and careful observation. Jacobs points out common errors, suggest light effects that artists should keep in mind, and discusses how preconceptions can be put aside in order to see the world more clearly.Dover (2104) republication of the edition originally published by Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1988.

An inspiring sourcebook, this guide helps artists discover a wide variety of subjects and ideas for their next sketch. More than 140 of the author's drawings illustrate nostalgic scenes, old engravings, atmospheric effects, photographs, and landscapes.

Concise guide features easy steps for realistic depictions of trees. Discover shading, composition, shadow, and outlining techniques that add vitality and expression. Over 100 illustrations spotlight Oak, Willow, Pine, Palmetto, more.