Archives: Walter Foster Books
Designed for absolute beginners, Brushstrokes: Acrylic uses large brushstrokes and thick, creamy paint to help budding artists create bright, dynamic paintings in practically no time at all. After a quick overview of the basic tools and materials—including surfaces, brushes, and paints—and a brief introduction to choosing and mixing colors, Brushstrokes: Acrylic demonstrates how to use just a few thick brushstrokes to create works of art in a bold, effortless style. From vibrant birds and florals to charming animal portraits and still life, follow along with these step-by-step projects to create quick-and-easy masterpieces—a perfect formula for artists just getting started.
Brushstrokes: Acrylic provides a unique introduction to acrylic painting, from choosing the right brushes and paints to creating inspired works of art using easy painting techniques—no experience required.
The Grown-Up's Guide to Making Art with Kids includes drawing and painting projects featuring popular, kid-friendly, and on-trend subjects—like dinosaurs, pets, flowers, and robots—that adults and kids can create together. Guided practice pages invite interactivity and allow children and adults to draw and paint the same subjects, side by side, for a fun-filled joint activity. The book’s artwork is colorful, cheerful, approachable, and done using ordinary, easily available art tools, including markers, crayons, colored pencils, and acrylic paint.
In addition to drawing lessons, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Making Art with Kids also includes projects and ideas for using artwork created from the prompts in the book to make crafts, including a map, pop-up art, paper dolls, and much more.
The Grown-Up’s Guide to Making Art with Kids teaches valuable drawing, painting, and crafting skills to both kids and adults; inspires creativity; and encourages family togetherness. What better way to avoid screen time than by drawing, painting, and creating together with your kids? Follow-up books in the series that are also ideal for kids and adults to do together include The Grown-Up's Guide to Painting with Kids and The Grown-Up's Guide to Crafting with Kids, both publishing in June 2020.
Folk Art Fusion shows you how to blend classic subjects with new techniques to create unique works of art. In this re-issued hardcover gift edition, professional artist Heather Galler explores a colorful combination of art styles and presents them step by step in her modern folk art paintings. Learn how traditional folk art continues to influence today’s painters as you learn to create your own contemporary folk-art paintings.
Even if you’re new to creating art, Folk Art Fusion will have you following along easily with step-by-step projects that are as varied as they are colorful. You'll create art from classic subjects, including: flowers, animals, architecture, sugar skulls, portraits, and more. Some of the vibrant folk art pieces you'll learn to replicate are Frida Kahlo, Day of the Dead, Maneki Neko, and Russian Nesting Dolls.
Colorful, contemporary, and inspirational, Folk Art Fusion allows artists of all skill levels to quickly discover the joy of creating modern, globally inspired art in this time-treasured genre.
The surface you draw or paint on impacts everything in your artwork, from its texture and brightness to color and durability. Artist Toolbox: Surfaces & Supports covers the drawing and painting surfaces and supports that all artists should know. With this art book, you'll learn the basics and finer points of working on:
- Canvas
- Paper
- Panels
- Textiles
- Metal
- Glass
- Stone
Artist Toolbox: Surfaces & Supports is packed with visual examples, step-by-step tutorials, and demonstrations on the practical aspects of working with graphite and colored pencils;charcoal and pastel;and watercolor, acrylic, and oilpaints. With this reference guide that no artist's library should be without, you can also learn how each support will take a medium.
The Artist Toolbox series presents practical reference guides designed for beginning artists interested in fully understanding the focus and function of essential art tools of the trade.
Drawing: Cats & Kittens is a fun and interactive artist's resource that invites you to combine your love for your furry, feline friends and creating stunning artwork. Jam-packed with knowledgeable tips and skill-refining tutorials, artists of all levels will love traveling through this comprehensive guide to drawing.
This intuitive guide covers everything from choosing the right tools and materials to step-by-step projects where you will learn to draw a variety of gorgeous and frisky felines! Get exclusive tips and tricks from an expert, including how to set up a composition using the grid method, exploring value and contrast with blending and shading techniques, and how to render various feline features, such as different fur textures, expressive eyes, and the sleek shapes and forms that make these animals fun and extraordinary subjects.
Drawing: Cats & Kittens guarantees easy-to-master techniques and valuable, detailed instruction that will help you achieve beautiful cat portraits with the realistic results you've been searching for.
Creating portraits is fun and easy with Playful Painting: People. This colorful guide will have you creating beautiful portraits of women and men in no time, as well as nature motifs and animals. Whether you’re an aspiring, beginning, or more advanced artist, you can learn to work with affordable, approachable tools, such as colored pencil, gouache, watercolor, pen and ink, and pencil, to create your own portraits.
Every portrait is customizable, allowing you to add your own personal embellishments. Pick up a variety of tips and techniques that will show you how to paint whimsical patterns, accessories, and famous faces.
Playful Painting: People isn’t just a collection of skills to learn; it’s a fun, fresh take on an age-old art form.
Featuring projects that instruct artists of all skill levels how to draw and paint subjects that include quaint homes, pretty patterns, colorful gardens, picturesque farms, beautiful birds, and textured florals, this book features American-themed folk art infused with a modern twist.
Beginning with an overview of what folk art is, followed by introductory topics like color, tools and materials, and drawing and painting techniques, Folk Art Fusion: Americana also includes 16 simple step-by-step projects done in approachable and popular mediums. Rounding out the book is a gallery of folk-art pieces sure to inspire lovers of all things Americana.
Simultaneously fresh and nostalgic, Folk Art Fusion: Americana draws on America’s rich artistic tradition and heritage and provides a fun, accessible take on creating beloved scenes from the heartland.
Created especially with beginning artists and art enthusiasts in mind, Art Studio: Flowers is the perfect instructional book for those wanting to learn how to draw and paint a variety of beautiful flowers in colored pencil, acrylic, watercolor, and more!
Featuring more than 35 step-by-step projects, as well as dozens of technique tutorials, this comprehensive resource will help artists of all skill levels gain the confidence they need to transform their love of vibrant botanicals into beautiful works of art. From traditional flower subjects, such as roses, tulips, and zinnias to a stunning wild flower field, lilac still life, and summer garden, there is something for everyone in this wide-ranging book—whether you are simply exploring art as a hobby or are an aspiring fine artist.
From an affectionate French Bulldog and astute Boxer to a sassy tabby cat, if you love animals and art, then your tail will be wagging with each of our easy-to-learn lessons and the humor that goes with them. You’ll be an expert in gouache, pencil, and ink in no time!
Playful Painting: Pets is the first title in Walter Foster’s new compact and portable Playful Painting series, and it is aimed at artists, doodlers, and painting enthusiasts. There has never been a better time to learn to paint and illustrate whimsical portraits of your pets and favorite animals! Startup is easy, with minimal tools and materials required.
You’ll be inspired to create when you see our gallery of dozens of cute cat and dog breeds (plus mixes!) as well as birds, pigs, rabbits, and other favorites. Then, when you’re ready, dive into exclusive bonus content to see how to use finished artwork in fresh and clever ways.
Artist Faye Moorhouse illustrates this book in her signature friendly, quirky style. Not an artist? Playful Painting: Pets is a perfect gift for the animal lover in your life and a must-have for anyone who’s shared their life and living space with furry or feathered friends.
Artist Toolbox: Painting Tools & Materials is an easy-to-use guide which focuses on teaching you the fundamentals of working with paint and the tools that come with it.
In Artist Toolbox: Painting Tools & Materials, artists will discover the important differences in brush styles, sizes, shapes, and types; how each brush is used to create different types of strokes; and how different types of brushes interact with various paints and supports.
You will learn how to properly load brushes with paint, how to shape brushes to create specific strokes and effects, when to choose synthetic hair over natural hair, and much more. Experienced art instructors focus on the key concepts and practical aspects of working with specific tools, materials, and mediums to impart a complete understanding for those seeking to learn the fundamentals of painting.
The Artist Toolbox series provides easy-to-use reference guides for beginning and aspiring artists. While many instructional art books gloss over important concepts, focusing instead on how to replicate a piece of art, the Artist Toolbox series breaks down the whats, whens, whys, and hows of each relevant tool or technique, clearly demonstrating its purpose and how to employ it to achieve your desired effects.