Archives: Walter Foster Books

With Drawing: Flowers, learn to create detailed, realistic flowers in graphite pencil from basic shapes.
 
It’s no wonder we’re naturally attracted to flowers. Their fascinating and varied forms, colors, and textures provide a never-ending source of artistic inspiration. This book shows the step-by-step process of rendering various types of flowers—from their basic shapes to their completed forms. It begins with tools and materials needed to get started, as well as the shading techniques that bring flower drawings to life.

Among the flowers you'll learn to draw:

In this large-format, 40-page reference guide, William F. Powell teaches you how to render a variety of beautiful flowers in graphite pencil, with tips on choosing materials, building with basic shapes, and shading to develop form and realism. With a wealth of detailed step-by-step projects to both re-create and admire, Drawing: Flowers shows artists how to develop a flower drawing to its fullest.
 
The How to Draw & Paint series offers an easy-to-follow guide that introduces artists to basic tools and materials and includes simple step-by-step lessons for a variety of projects suitable for the aspiring artist. Drawing: Flowers allows artists to develop their drawing skills, demonstrating how to start with basic shapes and use pencil and shading techniques to create varied textures, values, and details for a realistic, completed drawing.

Learn the basics of cartoon animation from acclaimed animator Preston Blair with Animation 1!
 
Join acclaimed cartoon animator Preston Blair as he explains and demonstrates the magic of cartoon animation. Learn to develop a cartoon character’s shape, personality, features, and mannerisms; how to create movements, such as walking, running, skipping, and sneaking; and tips on using lines of action and creating realistic motion. From cartooning basics to more advanced animation techniques, Animation 1 is a welcome introduction for artists ready to bring their drawings to life. Full of step-by-step sketches, tips, and drawing techniques, this is a comprehensive guide that no cartoon animation enthusiast should be without.

Subjects covered in Animation 1 are:

 
Designed for beginners, the How to Draw & Paint series offers an easy-to-follow guide that introduces artists to basic tools and materials and includes simple step-by-step lessons for a variety of projects suitable for the aspiring artist. Animation 1 allows artists to widen the scope of their abilities, demonstrating how to animate a character, from character development to movement and dialogue.

Learn to create detailed, realistic horses in graphite pencil from basic shapes.

Drawing: Horses shows you how to render a variety of beautiful horses in graphite pencil, with tips on choosing materials, building with basic shapes, and shading to develop form and realism. With a wealth of detailed step-by-step projects to both re-create and admire, Walter Foster, with assistance from Michele Maltseff, teaches artists how to develop a graphite pencil drawing to its fullest.

With this step-by-step book, Walter Foster renders a variety of horse breeds in pencil and provides tips on adding touches with charcoal, crayon, and brush and ink. He explains not only a number of drawing techniques and special effects but also his own method of developing a drawing. You will learn about various horse breeds—including quarter horse, Clydesdale, Arabian, and Shetland pony—and their proportions, starting with their heads and then progressing to full bodies. And in addition to helpful drawing instruction, Drawing: Horses also contains a wealth of beautiful equine drawings you can both copy and admire! It's a fabulous addition to any artist's drawing reference library.

The How to Draw & Paint series offers an easy-to-follow guide that introduces artists to basic tools and materials and includes simple step-by-step lessons for a variety of projects suitable for the aspiring artist. Drawing: Horses allows artists to develop their drawing skills, demonstrating how to start with basic shapes and use pencil and shading techniques to create varied textures, values, and details for a realistic, completed drawing.

Learn to draw a variety of subjects in graphite pencil from basic shapes.

In Drawing: How to Draw 1—which also features contributions by acclaimed artist William F. Powell—Walter Foster invites you into his artistic world and shows you how to draw a variety of subjects. Even if you’ve never drawn before, you’ll be amazed at how quickly and easily you can render just about anything you’d care to draw.

With Drawing: How to Draw 1, you’ll learn the principles of drawing, as well as all the materials and tools you’ll need to get started. You’ll begin by drawing simple, familiar shapes and quickly learn to transform them into three-dimensional, lifelike forms using just a few easy techniques. And with simple step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn to draw a variety of popular subjects, including fruits, flowers, animals, human portraits, and even cartoons. With the help of Drawing: How to Draw 1, anyone can learn to draw!

Designed for beginners, the How to Draw & Paint series offers an easy-to-follow guide that introduces artists to basic tools and materials and includes simple step-by-step lessons for a variety of projects suitable for the aspiring artist. Drawing: How to Draw 1 allows artists to develop their drawing skills, demonstrating how to start with basic shapes and use pencil and shading techniques to create varied textures, values, and details for a realistic, completed drawing.

Learn the creative, innovative technique of making art by pouring paint with The Art of Paint Pouring.

Featuring easy step-by-step projects, practical tips, and beautiful art from an established paint-pouring expert, this book helps artists of any skill level make colorful, textured art by pouring acrylic paint onto a canvas.

There are many techniques for making poured art, and this book details them all. You will learn to swipe, pour, and more using the manyhow-to projects provided in this book. Also included are chapters on the following:

Written and illustrated by a well-recognized paint-pouring artist, The Art of Paint Pouring is a comprehensive reference that eliminates the need to search online for multiple videos that you would continually have to pause and re-watch. If you are new to paint pouring, you will love the beginners’ tips and instructions that allow anyone to master this contemporary craft.

Start creating stunning works of poured art with The Art of Paint Pouring.

Also from the Fluid Art series, refresh your paint-pouring skills and learn new techniques with: The Art of Paint Pouring: Swipe, Swirl & Spin and The Art of Paint Marbling.

Explore a diverse array of adventurous methods for creating mixed media art with 101 More Mixed Media Techniques.
 
Whether you are an experienced artist or just starting out, you'll discover new, approachable concepts for creating and embellishing your own mixed media art with 101 More Mixed Media Techniques. Following in the footsteps of 101 Mixed Media Techniques, this companion edition explores even more versatile mixed media techniques, from printmaking, wabi-sabi painting, embossing, antiquing, and washi tape to paper collage, ephemera, pyrography, and resists. Each technique is presented with simple, easy-to-follow instructions and beautiful examples from talented mixed media artists.
 
In addition to learning new mixed media techniques, you'll also discover ideas and inspiration for using the methods in your own projects and developing your own personal style.

With more than a hundred options to choose from, 101 More Mixed Media Techniques has something for every artist and is guaranteed to spark new forms of creativity!

Filled with creative exercises, art prompts, templates, and step-by-step projects, The Little Book of Rock Painting encourages interactivity for immediate results, while teaching beginners the fundamentals of the medium in an engaging and fun way.

In The Little Book of Rock Painting, aspiring artists will discover how to gather and prepare their rocks to create masterpieces that are truly one with nature. Written and illustrated by three talented rock-painting artists, the book features a range of contemporary designs to experiment with, from patterns and animals to mandalas and dots. The instructions are easy to follow and invite creativity and originality.

Grab your colors, head outside, and start painting beautiful works of art on stones!

The Little Book of … series focuses on delivering fun, approachable, and interesting art instruction in a fresh, portable format. With its contemporary design, open practice pages, creative exercises, and prompts that encourage interactivity, beginning artists learn the fundamentals of their craft, often with immediate results.
 
Also available from the series:The Little Book of Sketching, The Little Book of Lettering & Word Design, The Little Book of Manga Drawing, The Little Book of Cartooning & Illustration, and The Little Book of Drawing Dragons & Fantasy Characters.

In 101 Mixed Media Techniques, artists of all backgrounds and skill levels will learn and explore fun, cutting-edge techniques in the popular genre of mixed media art.

Mixed media enthusiasts will enjoy learning the essential concepts for creating their own mixed media art—whether they are experienced in its approaches or just starting out. 101 Mixed Media Techniques features a wide variety of traditional and eclectic techniques, including drawing and painting, stamping, stitching, using photos, prepping backgrounds, working with wax, using different kinds of inks, collaging, journaling, and working with encaustics.

Multiple ways to use each technique are provided to inspire and nurture creative freedom in every artist. Each technique is presented in a step-by-step format, beginning with an overview of the required tools and materials. The instructions are straightforward and approachable, so artists of all levels can master them with ease.

The engaging and accessible format caters to individual learning preferences, allowing artists to focus on a single technique or several at a time. Readers will not only learn a variety of techniques, but will also discover new ideas and inspiration for using the techniques in their own projects.

With so many options to choose from, 101 Mixed Media Techniques has something for every artist and is sure to inspire new forms of creativity.

101 Textures in Oil & Acrylic features step-by-step instructions for mastering a variety of the most common surfaces—sand, water, metals, foliage, wood, bark, fabrics, stone, grass, and many more—in oil and acrylic paint. Each page features two similar textures for readers to paint using the easy-to-follow steps.

Half the battle of achieving precise, realistic results in oil and acrylic painting comes down to one’s ability to accurately render surfaces and textures—a challenging feat for even experienced artists. Although many art instruction books focus on learning to paint specific subjects, many fall short when it comes to offering instruction on techniques that help one capture textures adequately.

In 101 Textures in Oil & Acrylic, experienced and talented artist Mia Tavonatti provides artists with the essential skills required to render realistic surfaces in oil and acrylic. Artists will discover tips and tricks for working with both mediums, as well as a variety of techniques, including blending, layering, working with oil and acrylic mediums, creating an underpainting, and more. In addition to valuable step-by-step instructions, general color recommendations offer a quick start guide. This helpful guide includes an index for fast and easy reference, while a short gallery at the end of the book represents various textures in finished works of art.

With its broad range of coverage, easy-to-follow instruction, and helpful tips, 101 Textures in Oil & Acrylic is a must-have art instruction book for artists of all skill levels, sure to be referenced time and again.

Painting with Bob Ross—with artwork created by Bob Ross himself using his specially formulated oil paints, brushes, basecoats, and other tools—introduces artists and Bob Ross fans to the basics of painting landscapes. Everyone will enjoy Painting with Bob Ross, as his “happy accidents” approach makes this challenging subject matter enjoyable for all ages, regardless of skill level and materials used.

“All you need is the desire to make beautiful things happen on canvas…” —Bob Ross

In 1982, The Joy of Painting made its debut on public television. The unrehearsed, unedited show soon became a favorite among aspiring artists and painters. Almost 40 years and 403 episodes after his on-air debut, and decades after his untimely passing, Bob Ross still has enormous global popularity as a beloved painter, affable TV personality, and cultural icon.

With this guide, you can learn to paint a happy tree in seconds, just like Bob Ross! Painting with Bob Ross introduces you to the tools and materials you need to paint beautiful landscapes, as well as basic painting techniques, such as how to load your brush and how to paint with a knife.

Following the introduction are 16 painting projects, each with a complete list of tools and materials needed and instructions for preparing the canvas. Jump into painting with step one, then follow the full-color painting progressions and clearly written instructions until you’ve reached the final step—and your new, joyful work of art! This is the only Bob Ross book with all-color images.

Even if you’re brand new to painting, remember that Bob said, “Talent is nothing more than a pursued interest. All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind.” Throughout this book, Bob’s quotes encourage you to keep going.

So grab your copy of Painting with Bob Ross, relax and unwind, and paint a Bob Ross-inspired landscape! You can paint graceful mountains, ocean waves crashing onto rocks, a winter cabin, a lakeside path, a deep forest river, and many more breathtaking views. And don’t forget to sign each of your masterpieces once you’ve completed the last step!