Archives: Walter Foster Books

Creative Lettering and Beyond combines the artistic talents, inspirational tips, and tutorials of four professional hand letterers and calligraphers for a dynamic and interactive learning experience.

After a brief introduction to the various tools and materials, artists and lettering enthusiasts will learn how to master the art of hand lettering and typography through easy-to-follow step-by-step projects, prompts, and exercises. From the basic shape and form of letters to cursive script, spacing, and alignment, artists will discover how to transform simple words, phrases, and quotes into beautiful works of hand-lettered art.

The interactive format and step-by-step process offers inspirational instruction for a wide variety of fun projects and gift ideas, including hand-rendered phrases on paper and digitally enhanced note cards. Artists will also discover how to apply lettering to linen, coffee mugs, calendars, and more.

Numerous practice pages and interactive prompts throughout the book invite readers to put their newfound lettering skills to use, as well as work out their artistic ideas. Covering a variety of styles and types of lettered art, including calligraphy, illustration, chalk lettering, and more, artists will find a plethora of exercises and tips to help them develop their own unique lettering style.

Acrylic Made Easy: Portraits is a fitting addition to Walter Foster's new dynamic technique and project-driven series devoted to introducing aspiring artists to the fun and engaging world of acrylic painting. Painting portraits is a fundamental subject for any beginning-to-intermediate artist. With a fresh and simple approach, Acrylic Made Easy: Portraits teaches fine artists everything they need to know about setting up and rendering beautiful, dynamic portraits in acrylic. Beginning with an introduction to a variety of tools and materials, artists will learn how to select the right brushes, palettes, paints, paper, and surfaces for their work. Acrylic Made Easy: Portraits also provides valuable information about color theory and mixing for skin tones, planning a composition, and achieving proper perspective. Additionally, artists will learn a range of basic painting techniques, including glazing, scumbling, and stippling, as well as how to paint from photographs, create ambient lighting, arrange a composition, work with multiple subjects, and more. Through simple step-by-step projects, artists will discover how to approach a portrait, beginning with a sketch and progressing to a beautiful finished piece of acrylic artwork. With a diverse range of subjects, artists will find guidance, tips, and stunning artwork to inspire on virtually every page.

Color is a key component in art and painting and a crucial aspect of successfully completing an acrylic painting. Ideal for beginning and intermediate artists seeking to develop their acrylic painting skills, Color Mixing in Acrylic features a range of techniques and valuable instruction for working with and mixing color in this classic medium. With this comprehensive guide, artists will learn how to mix fresh, vibrant colors in acrylic for painting almost any subject. Beginning with detailed information for using acrylic mixing tools and materials, Color Mixing in Acrylic introduces artists to the basics, including supports, color palettes, painting knives, mediums, and other essentials designed to assist in effectively using this fast-drying paint. Artists will learn about color theory, the color wheel, and basic color-mixing concepts, in addition to learning about primary, secondary and tertiary colors; color complements; hue; value; and saturation. Also included is detailed information for learning to mix common acrylics in every major color group, including vibrant greens for landscapes; soft flesh neutrals for portraits; and tints, shades, and tones for every color in between. Information is packaged in a comprehensive, easy-to-follow format and includes plenty of inspiration, so that artists can put their newfound skills to practical use. With its breadth of detail and helpful instruction, Color Mixing in Acrylic is a must-have resource for any acrylic painter's reference library.

The latest addition to the Artist's Library series, Creative Cartooning is a must-have resource for beginning and intermediate artists who want to develop expertise in the art of cartoon drawing. With its contemporary approach to an ever popular and continually evolving art form, Creative Cartooning is an easy-to-use, pencil-drawing guide that offers cartoonists and cartoon-artists-in-training a range of essential information to get started–from providing an overview of the basic tools and materials and directions for understanding character construction, to learning how to use a drawing pencil to express emotions, render gestures, and add personality. Creative Cartooning provides a comprehensive approach to learning the basics, including drawing different body types and head shapes; mastering facial features; rendering hands, feet, props, and costumes; and much more. Plus, artists of all skill levels will find it easy to navigate through this book thanks to straightforward instruction and myriad step-by-step drawing projects featuring a variety of cartoon and illustration styles, including quirky characters, funny animals, talking objects, and more. Creative Cartooning is filled with fun, as well as inspiration, artist tips, and helpful drawing techniques, making it the perfect resource for learning to draw polished, professional-looking cartoons. Subject matter includes: Basic Cartooning Techniques; Mastering Heads, Bodies, Hands and Feet; Drawing Facial Features and Expressions; Rendering Gestures; and Cartooning Animals and Unique Characters.

From the days of the early Masters, oil painting has inspired and intrigued artists of all skill levels. In The Art of Basic Oil Painting, artists interested in learning how to work with this complex and multifaceted medium will find inspiration through clear, step-by-step painting lessons covering a variety of approachable subjects. First, artists will be guided through the tools and materials required for oil painting, including brushes, supports, mediums, palettes, and paint. This inclusive book also has sections on basic drawing techniques and color theory, as well as brief overviews of perspective, composition, lighting, and painting from photographs. Expert oil painters then guide artists along the way by outlining basic painting techniques, demonstrating how to work with various mediums, teaching the intricacies of color mixing, and much more in an easy-to-digest format. Artists will enjoy working their way through step-by-step projects spanning a wide range of appealing subjects–including portraits, landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, and florals. Full of inspiring and beautiful works of art, The Art of Basic Oil Painting also features techniques for rendering light and shadow, creating textures, and achieving lifelike results. With its fresh approach and plethora of tips and techniques, this book provides contemporary instructions for rendering realistic works of art in a long-standing, timeless medium. Whether you are a beginning artist looking to get started in oil painting or an experienced painter looking to improve your breadth of knowledge, The Art of Basic Oil Painting offers a comprehensive guide that no fine oil artist should be without.

Regardless of your medium, a solid understanding of color and its applications is essential. Petite in size but packed with information, this fresh, contemporary take on the subject of color features step-by-step projects and practical tips and techniques to put color knowledge to effective use.

From pigment characteristics and color mixing to color psychology, you’ll find all the insight you need to make dynamic, harmonious, and meaningful color choices in your own works of art.

You’ll find within: discussions and illustrations of the complexities of color and how to use it as a tool for communication; tips for creating vibrant mixes, lively blacks, realistic greens, and flesh tones; and an inspiring collection of fresh and contemporary artwork.

• Begin with an overview of color in the history of art and the science behind color.
• Then learn color basics: the color wheel; hue, saturation, and value; color and value; color temperature; color relativity; and color schemes.
• Everything you need to know about pigments and paints is detailed next.
• With these essentials covered, move on to integrate color with your compositions and painting style as a means of expression.

Harness the power of color in your painting with Color Theory!

How to Draw Manga Chibis & Cute Critters shows how to draw people and animals in the cutest chibi style using simple steps and easy-to-find art tools. Also included are tips and techniques for designing your own chibis!

The word chibis (pronounced “chee-bees”) means “little” in Japanese. Chibis are super cute caricatures of people or animals that have been shrunken and squashed into funny, childlike creatures with big heads, stubby proportions, and silly expressions. With this book, learn to draw chibi people of all ages, dogs, cats, birds, fantasy critters, and more! Also included are tips and techniques encouraging you to design your own chibi creations once you are comfortable with the art style. And templates you can use over and over are included in the back to make drawing easy! No complicated tools are needed; you can create your own chibi art using just a pencil, pen, markers, and paper.

The book opens with helpful sections on tools and materials, essential drawing techniques, color basics, and an examination of chibi faces and bodies. The step-by-step projects show you how to draw chibis of all kinds in any pose and from all angles. Tips and techniques for drawing chibi characters include:

• What makes a chibi?
• Chibi faces
• Chibi front, side, back, and 3/4 views
• Super-chibis
• Basic poses
• Action poses
• Chibi facial expressions
• Chibi hairstyles
• Chibis young and old
• Chibi animals
• Chibi fantasy critters
• Chibi accessories, including clothes and props
• Templates

Written and illustrated by Samantha Whitten and Jeannie Lee, How to Draw Manga Chibis & Cute Critters is perfect for beginning and intermediate artists, lovers of manga and anime, and more. You will love creating your own chibis!