Archives: Walter Foster Books
Learn to use colored pencils and watercolor pencils to create vibrant, exciting works of art!
*Named One of the 54 Best Colored Pencil Drawing Books of All Time by BookAuthority*
Modern Colored Pencil delves into all the basic techniques and concepts required to create fresh, colorful works of colored pencil art. Talented artist and author of Your Year in Art and Modern Drawing (both from Walter Foster Publishing) Chelsea Ward takes you on a lively, easy-to-follow exploration of colored pencils in this book. It is packed with creative exercises and projects designed to show you how to work with the versatile, approachable colored pencil medium.
Modern Colored Pencil begins with a brief introduction to various tools, such as pencils (including colored pencils, graphite pencils, and watercolor pencils), papers, and other tools. This handy book also demonstrates often-complicated concepts, such as color mixing, shading, texture, and more, in an easy, approachable manner. Once you have a handle on the basics, explore how to create dynamic color palettes, use basic shapes and techniques to render a range of subjects, and create various marks and textures.
From beautiful florals and nature motifs to animals and everyday items, Modern Colored Pencil provides a fresh, contemporary, and enjoyable approach to learning how to create vivid artwork in colored pencil.
The Modern Series of books offers a fun, contemporary approach to working with traditional art media, demonstrating that with the right type of instruction, encouragement, and tips, drawing and painting success can be achieved by any artist or creative type.
Also in the Modern Series:Modern Acrylic, Modern Drawing, and Modern Watercolor.
*Named One of the 54 Best Colored Pencil Drawing Books of All Time by BookAuthority*
Modern Colored Pencil delves into all the basic techniques and concepts required to create fresh, colorful works of colored pencil art. Talented artist and author of Your Year in Art and Modern Drawing (both from Walter Foster Publishing) Chelsea Ward takes you on a lively, easy-to-follow exploration of colored pencils in this book. It is packed with creative exercises and projects designed to show you how to work with the versatile, approachable colored pencil medium.
Modern Colored Pencil begins with a brief introduction to various tools, such as pencils (including colored pencils, graphite pencils, and watercolor pencils), papers, and other tools. This handy book also demonstrates often-complicated concepts, such as color mixing, shading, texture, and more, in an easy, approachable manner. Once you have a handle on the basics, explore how to create dynamic color palettes, use basic shapes and techniques to render a range of subjects, and create various marks and textures.
From beautiful florals and nature motifs to animals and everyday items, Modern Colored Pencil provides a fresh, contemporary, and enjoyable approach to learning how to create vivid artwork in colored pencil.
The Modern Series of books offers a fun, contemporary approach to working with traditional art media, demonstrating that with the right type of instruction, encouragement, and tips, drawing and painting success can be achieved by any artist or creative type.
Also in the Modern Series:Modern Acrylic, Modern Drawing, and Modern Watercolor.
Mindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting teaches you to create your own beautiful, Japanese-inspired ink wash paintings while cultivating a mindful approach to making art.
Centuries ago, Buddhist monks used black ink and brushes to practice mindfulness and create gorgeously harmonious works of art called "sumi-e paintings." The popularity of sumi-e, or ink wash painting, continues to this day. Mindfulness remains an essential element of sumi-e painting, allowing artists to focus on their surroundings, live in the moment, and feel present—thereby reducing their stress.
Walter Foster’s new Mindful Artist series encourages you to enjoy working in your favorite media to create art from a reflective point of view—an inspiring, relaxing experience that emphasizes the creative process, rather than the end result. These books are designed to help you move past creative obstacles, like a perfectionist attitude toward making art or self-defeating concerns about your personal talent and abilities. These guides will not only help you stay mindful throughout the process, but also to find personal meaning in the artwork you create. Mindful Artist: Birds & Botanicals publishes in November 2021.
Mindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting opens with an introduction explaining the links between mindfulness and sumi-e and how they enhance one another. Sections on “The Four Treasures,” as the tools needed for sumi-e painting are called; brushstrokes and painting techniques; and “The Four Gentlemen,” or the most common subjects in sumi-e painting, ensure that you have a solid background before getting started on the simple, approachable step-by-step painting projects. Throughout the book you can find stunning full-page artwork, tips for remaining mindful while you work, creative prompts and exercises, inspirational ideas, and suggestions on how to add color to black ink pieces.
Learn to practice mindfulness while you master the popular art of ink wash painting with this inspiring and supportive guide.
Centuries ago, Buddhist monks used black ink and brushes to practice mindfulness and create gorgeously harmonious works of art called "sumi-e paintings." The popularity of sumi-e, or ink wash painting, continues to this day. Mindfulness remains an essential element of sumi-e painting, allowing artists to focus on their surroundings, live in the moment, and feel present—thereby reducing their stress.
Walter Foster’s new Mindful Artist series encourages you to enjoy working in your favorite media to create art from a reflective point of view—an inspiring, relaxing experience that emphasizes the creative process, rather than the end result. These books are designed to help you move past creative obstacles, like a perfectionist attitude toward making art or self-defeating concerns about your personal talent and abilities. These guides will not only help you stay mindful throughout the process, but also to find personal meaning in the artwork you create. Mindful Artist: Birds & Botanicals publishes in November 2021.
Mindful Artist: Sumi-e Painting opens with an introduction explaining the links between mindfulness and sumi-e and how they enhance one another. Sections on “The Four Treasures,” as the tools needed for sumi-e painting are called; brushstrokes and painting techniques; and “The Four Gentlemen,” or the most common subjects in sumi-e painting, ensure that you have a solid background before getting started on the simple, approachable step-by-step painting projects. Throughout the book you can find stunning full-page artwork, tips for remaining mindful while you work, creative prompts and exercises, inspirational ideas, and suggestions on how to add color to black ink pieces.
Learn to practice mindfulness while you master the popular art of ink wash painting with this inspiring and supportive guide.
Discover how to create vibrant, colorful watercolor paintings of a wide range of animals.
With Colorways: Watercolor Animals, learn to paint all your favorite animals, from an elephant and a whale to a dog, cat, fish, and more. Each step-by-step demonstration shows not only how to capture the animal’s likeness, but also how to use color to create magical, otherworldly, and whimsical paintings.
In these tutorials, you will also learn how to use watercolor paint to suggest texture and fur on your animal subjects. Along the way, you will find technique instruction and tips for using different types of strokes, working with various brush shapes and sizes and using washes and underpaintings. Geared toward advanced beginners and more experienced watercolorists looking to play with color, this book offers fun subject matter and eye candy for all art lovers.
The Colorways series teaches artists how to employ color across a variety of media in unique and imaginary ways to create innovative and inspired artwork. Focusing less on realistic artistic representations and more on creating expressive art, this series invites you to break the standard rules of color and let your imagination and artwork soar to new heights in order to create unconventional, whimsical, and fanciful works of art.
Learn the customary rules of color, and then bypass them, with the help of Colorways: Watercolor Animals, a book that encourages you to use color for personal expression while painting your favorite animals.
Featuring drawing lessons, step-by-step projects, and open practice pages, The Little Book of Drawing Dragons & Fantasy Characters teaches beginning artists how to draw dragons, fairies, mythological beasts, and more.
Step-by-step projects, creative exercises, interactive prompts, and helpful tips and techniques bring this popular drawing subject to life and invite creativity and personalization. Drawing techniques, such as value, shading, and creating texture and perspective, are included to help artists of all skill levels learn to draw accurately. Learn to draw fur, scales, wings, tails, and how to put them all together to create your own unique fantasy characters and artwork.
More than 15 step-by-step projects include:
Step-by-step projects, creative exercises, interactive prompts, and helpful tips and techniques bring this popular drawing subject to life and invite creativity and personalization. Drawing techniques, such as value, shading, and creating texture and perspective, are included to help artists of all skill levels learn to draw accurately. Learn to draw fur, scales, wings, tails, and how to put them all together to create your own unique fantasy characters and artwork.
More than 15 step-by-step projects include:
- Western Dragon
- Eastern Dragon
- Water Dragon
- Hydra
- Centaur
- Fairy
- Minotaur
- Griffin
- Unicorn
- And more!
In the popular, established The Little Book of… series from Walter Foster Publishing, artists and art hobbyists alike delight in learning a variety of fun, approachable, relevant, and interesting art topics in a portable format boasting a fresh, contemporary, and interactive design. Open practice pages, creative exercises, and art prompts encourage interactivity for immediate results while teaching beginners the fundamentals of the featured medium in a fun, engaging way.
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 Rock Painting.
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 Rock Painting.
Learn to draw and paint more than 100 of your favorite everyday items!
Step-by-step projects, prompts, and creative inspiration make it fun and easy to draw your outfit, your favorite foods, your garden, and much more using drawing and painting tools you already have on hand.
From learning to draw and paint plants, flowers, and bicycles to the neighborhood café and the contents of the kitchen cabinet, Draw Every Little Thing demonstrates just how easy it is to render the world around you with little more than a pencil, paper, and paint.
Following a brief introduction to the joys of simplistic drawing and painting, this aesthetically pleasing book familiarizes you with a range of drawing tools and materials, including graphite pencil, pen and ink, colored pencil, and gouache, before offering a quick overview of basic color theory. Each subsequent chapter is then devoted to a specific theme—kitchenalia, hobbies, neighborhood haunts, and much more—and packed with simple step-by-step drawing projects.
This accessible book encourages you to jump around so you can draw what immediately inspires you. Interactive prompts, creative exercises, and inspiring ideas make the process fun and engaging. Easy techniques and helpful instructions show you how to develop your own personal style, as well as add color to your drawings using gouache and colored pencil. Crafty projects round out the book, allowing you to use your newfound drawing and painting skills.
Filled to the brim with whimsical artwork and loads of creative ideas, Draw Every Little Thing encourages artists of all skill levels to draw any time inspiration strikes.
The Inspired Artist series invites art hobbyists and casual art enthusiasts to have fun learning basic art concepts, relaxing into the creative process to make art in a playful, contemporary style.
Expand your creative exploration of the everyday with the fun follow-up book, Inspired Artist: Paint Every Little Thing (September 2021). Also from the series, find even more artistic inspiration with Block Print for Beginners (March 2021) and Watercolor Painting at Home (October 2021).
Step-by-step projects, prompts, and creative inspiration make it fun and easy to draw your outfit, your favorite foods, your garden, and much more using drawing and painting tools you already have on hand.
From learning to draw and paint plants, flowers, and bicycles to the neighborhood café and the contents of the kitchen cabinet, Draw Every Little Thing demonstrates just how easy it is to render the world around you with little more than a pencil, paper, and paint.
Following a brief introduction to the joys of simplistic drawing and painting, this aesthetically pleasing book familiarizes you with a range of drawing tools and materials, including graphite pencil, pen and ink, colored pencil, and gouache, before offering a quick overview of basic color theory. Each subsequent chapter is then devoted to a specific theme—kitchenalia, hobbies, neighborhood haunts, and much more—and packed with simple step-by-step drawing projects.
This accessible book encourages you to jump around so you can draw what immediately inspires you. Interactive prompts, creative exercises, and inspiring ideas make the process fun and engaging. Easy techniques and helpful instructions show you how to develop your own personal style, as well as add color to your drawings using gouache and colored pencil. Crafty projects round out the book, allowing you to use your newfound drawing and painting skills.
Filled to the brim with whimsical artwork and loads of creative ideas, Draw Every Little Thing encourages artists of all skill levels to draw any time inspiration strikes.
The Inspired Artist series invites art hobbyists and casual art enthusiasts to have fun learning basic art concepts, relaxing into the creative process to make art in a playful, contemporary style.
Expand your creative exploration of the everyday with the fun follow-up book, Inspired Artist: Paint Every Little Thing (September 2021). Also from the series, find even more artistic inspiration with Block Print for Beginners (March 2021) and Watercolor Painting at Home (October 2021).
With Drawing: People, learn to create detailed, realistic drawings of people in graphite pencil from basic shapes.
Successfully drawing people is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, artistic experiences. Drawing: People shows you how to capture the unique characteristics of people in graphite pencil, with tips on choosing materials, building with basic shapes, placing proportionate features, and shading to develop form and realism. With more than 40 step-by-step projects to both re-create and admire, artist William F. Powell teaches artists how to develop a portrait drawing to its fullest. He explores basic drawing techniques as well as art concepts that apply to drawing people, including proportion, perspective, and composition.
This 40-page, large-format guidebook includes in-depth information on how to render facial features, heads from various angles, and the figure in action, step by step. With this helpful guide, you'll even discover specific tips and tricks for drawing individual body parts, such as eyes, ears, noses, lips, hands, and feet. And the wealth of beautiful, inspiring examples ensure that Drawing: People will be a welcome addition to any artist’s drawing reference library. Drawing people can be tricky, but with this step-by-step guide, you’ll be rendering realistic portraits in no time.
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: People 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.
Successfully drawing people is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, artistic experiences. Drawing: People shows you how to capture the unique characteristics of people in graphite pencil, with tips on choosing materials, building with basic shapes, placing proportionate features, and shading to develop form and realism. With more than 40 step-by-step projects to both re-create and admire, artist William F. Powell teaches artists how to develop a portrait drawing to its fullest. He explores basic drawing techniques as well as art concepts that apply to drawing people, including proportion, perspective, and composition.
This 40-page, large-format guidebook includes in-depth information on how to render facial features, heads from various angles, and the figure in action, step by step. With this helpful guide, you'll even discover specific tips and tricks for drawing individual body parts, such as eyes, ears, noses, lips, hands, and feet. And the wealth of beautiful, inspiring examples ensure that Drawing: People will be a welcome addition to any artist’s drawing reference library. Drawing people can be tricky, but with this step-by-step guide, you’ll be rendering realistic portraits in no time.
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: People 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 one of art's most interesting and challenging subjects. Packed with practical advice, helpful tips, and fundamental drawing techniques, The Art of Drawing People explores how to capture detailed poses and likenesses in graphite pencil.
With step-by-step instruction from a variety of artists, you’ll find plenty of helpful tips on choosing the right tools and materials, fundamental drawing techniques, developing value and shading, and setting up an effective composition, as well as important information about the influences of anatomy, bone structure, and musculature. Detailed examples of facial features, hands, and feet will help guide you through the most challenging aspects of drawing people.
Whether drawing from life or from photographs, this comprehensive drawing guide is the perfect first step for beginning artists. Follow along, step by step, as professional artists reveal their drawing secrets. With practice, you’ll soon be able to capture amazing likenesses in your own pencil drawings. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
With step-by-step instruction from a variety of artists, you’ll find plenty of helpful tips on choosing the right tools and materials, fundamental drawing techniques, developing value and shading, and setting up an effective composition, as well as important information about the influences of anatomy, bone structure, and musculature. Detailed examples of facial features, hands, and feet will help guide you through the most challenging aspects of drawing people.
Whether drawing from life or from photographs, this comprehensive drawing guide is the perfect first step for beginning artists. Follow along, step by step, as professional artists reveal their drawing secrets. With practice, you’ll soon be able to capture amazing likenesses in your own pencil drawings. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Learn everything you need to know to get started with acrylic painting in Painting: Acrylic Basics.
From the detailed instructions in Painting: Acrylic Basics, aspiring artists will discover the basics of acrylic painting through engaging, inspirational lessons and useful artist's tips from painter Janice Robertson. Also included is helpful information for beginning to intermediate painters about selecting the right paintbrushes, supports, and paints to get started in acrylic painting. Additionally, artists will discover practical tips for using basic and special acrylic painting techniques to render textures, suggest dimension, and create special effects.
This large-format, 40-page painting guide offers a variety of approachable and easy-to-follow projects, including dynamic landscapes, colorful still life, and sweeping vistas. The step-by-step projects in this book are:
From the detailed instructions in Painting: Acrylic Basics, aspiring artists will discover the basics of acrylic painting through engaging, inspirational lessons and useful artist's tips from painter Janice Robertson. Also included is helpful information for beginning to intermediate painters about selecting the right paintbrushes, supports, and paints to get started in acrylic painting. Additionally, artists will discover practical tips for using basic and special acrylic painting techniques to render textures, suggest dimension, and create special effects.
This large-format, 40-page painting guide offers a variety of approachable and easy-to-follow projects, including dynamic landscapes, colorful still life, and sweeping vistas. The step-by-step projects in this book are:
- Monochromatic Painting (lake and mountain landscape scene)
- Creating an Underpainting (flowers and apple still life)
- Using Artistic License (rooster)
- Capturing Nature (snowy rocks and trees)
- Creating Mood (a cottage on the lake)
With engaging, inspirational lessons and useful artist's tips, Painting: Acrylic Basics will help you master this beautiful medium.
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. With comprehensive instruction, plenty of artist tips and tricks, and beautiful artwork to inspire, Painting: Acrylic Basics is the perfect resource for any aspiring acrylic painter.
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. With comprehensive instruction, plenty of artist tips and tricks, and beautiful artwork to inspire, Painting: Acrylic Basics is the perfect resource for any aspiring acrylic painter.
Whether you’re a master painter or an absolute beginner, watercolor is the perfect partner for your painting pleasure—and Painting: Watercolor Basics teaches you everything you need to know to get started in the medium.
Discover how to bring dimension and depth to your watercolor paintings with Painting: Watercolor Basics. Featuring the artwork of Deb Watson, this large-format, 40-book offers a brief introduction into tools and materials before jumping into the easy-to-follow, step-by-step projects. Each project includes a list of colors needed, instructions on color mixing, and other tips and techniques needed to complete the painting, such as rendering light and shadow and creating realistic textures.
The painting projects included in this book are:
Discover how to bring dimension and depth to your watercolor paintings with Painting: Watercolor Basics. Featuring the artwork of Deb Watson, this large-format, 40-book offers a brief introduction into tools and materials before jumping into the easy-to-follow, step-by-step projects. Each project includes a list of colors needed, instructions on color mixing, and other tips and techniques needed to complete the painting, such as rendering light and shadow and creating realistic textures.
The painting projects included in this book are:
- Creating the Illusion of Depth (ladybug on a flower)
- Evoking Mood (winter scene)
- Adding Interest (young girl in profile)
- Creating Texture with Salt & Masking (bunny rabbits on a log)
- Capturing Essential Details (cardinal bird perched on a branch)
- Rendering Soft Edges (tulip flowers in a pot)
With engaging, inspirational lessons and useful artist's tips, Painting: Watercolor Basics will help you master this beautiful and luminous medium.
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. Painting: Watercolor Basics allows you to widen the scope of your artistic abilities, demonstrating how to begin with a basic sketch and then develop your painting step by step with special techniques that will bring your painting to life.
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. Painting: Watercolor Basics allows you to widen the scope of your artistic abilities, demonstrating how to begin with a basic sketch and then develop your painting step by step with special techniques that will bring your painting to life.
Learn to create strikingly realistic animal drawings in colored pencil beginning with basic shapes.
Drawing: Animals in Colored Pencil shows you how to render a variety of beautiful animals in graphite pencil, with tips on choosing drawing materials, building with basic shapes, and shading and coloring to develop form and realism. In this comprehensive, 40-page book, accomplished artist Debra Kauffman Yaun shares her artistic insights and techniques.
The book opens with essential information on choosing art tools and materials, understanding color theory, and creating basic pencil strokes. It then covers special colored pencil techniques, such as hatching, burnishing, layering, and blending. Finally, the author demonstrates how to accurately depict an assortment of adorable animals––including favorite family pets, wildlife, and birds––in a series of clear, step-by-step lessons. In-depth, easy-to-follow instructions allow aspiring artists to develop their drawing skills, guiding them from simple sketches to the final flourishes.
The included drawing projects are:
Drawing: Animals in Colored Pencil shows you how to render a variety of beautiful animals in graphite pencil, with tips on choosing drawing materials, building with basic shapes, and shading and coloring to develop form and realism. In this comprehensive, 40-page book, accomplished artist Debra Kauffman Yaun shares her artistic insights and techniques.
The book opens with essential information on choosing art tools and materials, understanding color theory, and creating basic pencil strokes. It then covers special colored pencil techniques, such as hatching, burnishing, layering, and blending. Finally, the author demonstrates how to accurately depict an assortment of adorable animals––including favorite family pets, wildlife, and birds––in a series of clear, step-by-step lessons. In-depth, easy-to-follow instructions allow aspiring artists to develop their drawing skills, guiding them from simple sketches to the final flourishes.
The included drawing projects are:
- Rooster
- Shetland sheepdog
- Gray squirrel
- Horse
- Lory bird
- Leopard
- Maine coon cat
- Alpaca
- Box turtle
- Red fox
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: Animals in Colored Pencil 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.