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An Introduction to Art Techniques
A comprehensive guide for the enthusiastic beginner and the experienced artist alike, this beautifully illustrated guidebook encompasses seven basic elements of art technique in one comprehensive volume. The subjects included are drawing, perspective, watercolor, pastels, oil painting, acrylics, and mixed media.
Easy-to-follow projects -- from drawing natural forms to creating a photo collage -- teach you all the essentials of each subject and inspire you to go on to master more complex techniques. Close-up, step-by-step photographs show artworks being created before your eyes, revealing the secrets of how professional artists produce their work. And the book covers wide range of specific subjects -- from mixing watercolors to blockprintmaking, from tonal drawing to oil painting in layers -- to give a truly comprehensive overview of what you need to know to be a visual artist.
Artists Ray Smith, Michael Wright, and James Horton specialize in each medium and have written clear and authoritative texts. With expert knowledge and accessible presentation, this is an top-quality art course in book form.
Easy-to-follow projects -- from drawing natural forms to creating a photo collage -- teach you all the essentials of each subject and inspire you to go on to master more complex techniques. Close-up, step-by-step photographs show artworks being created before your eyes, revealing the secrets of how professional artists produce their work. And the book covers wide range of specific subjects -- from mixing watercolors to blockprintmaking, from tonal drawing to oil painting in layers -- to give a truly comprehensive overview of what you need to know to be a visual artist.
Artists Ray Smith, Michael Wright, and James Horton specialize in each medium and have written clear and authoritative texts. With expert knowledge and accessible presentation, this is an top-quality art course in book form.
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
D.K. Publishing
7,308 books1,699 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 3, 2008
Excellent reference book on art techniques.
Especially good for painting - with photos on every page.
Really helps to understand all of the products associated with painting - glazes, brushes, etc.
Especially good for painting - with photos on every page.
Really helps to understand all of the products associated with painting - glazes, brushes, etc.
July 16, 2012
This is my bible. anything that i need to know about a medium is in this book. The is the ultimate artist's companion. simple explanations, very easy to understand. well worth the money.
September 18, 2008
AWESOME book!! Helped me tremendously in my art work, in college and just every day use! I recommend this book to ANYONE who loves art, creates art, reads about art or just has a general interest in art.
January 1, 2018
An Intro to Art Techniques, from the DK Art School, is a massive tome I purchased years ago when I resumed painting. I didn’t realize I had not written a review and wanted to. I have moved twice since purchasing this book and it is one of the few books of art instructions that I kept. Though much of the information seems basic now, I still refer back to this book often for things I can’t store in my mind. Techniques in the use of color was what I needed to learn initially. Now I’ve learned much more from this all inclusive book. Considering my moves and constant referring back to the pages, this book has an incredibly sturdy cover that holds up well. After all these years, my book looks nearly new. Included are sections on most art mediums, about brushes and canvasses, paints, composition, and on and on. I can’t begin to mention all that is included in this big book. I recommend this thick volume of art instruction to both beginners or those seeking to refresh their knowledge with any art medium.
July 24, 2021
Good for perspective
June 14, 2022
I love it super duper ❣️❣️❣️
April 26, 2010
I was required to take an art appreciation class in college to graduate--and I loved it! It brought back my earlier days when I used to love to draw (and even won second prize in an inter-school city-wide art contest.) So next I took a course on painting at the university--only to be bitterly disappointed. We weren't taught technique. No siree. We were told to paint a banana, then our teacher went around and when she got to me told me I should use purple or something! Use my imagination! This is why you can go to museums and see paint splatters hung up as art. So then I went out and bought this--and this I was pleased with. Because it covers all sorts of tools, materials and techniques not dreamed of by high school (and it seems college) art teachers: Drawing, Perspective, Watercolor, Oil Painting, Acrylics, Mixed Media. Sure, this lends itself to both traditional and modern styles--but if you're going to make your banana purple, at least you'll better know your options!
March 22, 2014
This book is great. First of all, it's simply beautiful in terms of the countless illustrations in it (mostly drawings, paintings, and technique photographs), all of them beautifully composed on the pages. (You have to see it to appreciate what I'm saying.) Second, the book really does introduce you to many, many techniques. Granted, most of us will never master any technique by reading a few pages or by looking at some illustrations, but this book introduces you to so many techniques and it gives you somewhere to start experimenting. Armed with a book like this, an aspiring artist (especially one capable of silencing her own inner critic) could really create some satisfying art.
July 11, 2011
I was studying the application of acrylic painting mostly.
February 2, 2014
My go to book, easy and summarized info when I need to go back to basics
December 19, 2014
great for learning the basics of a bunch of different mediums
August 23, 2021
Read this when I was younger. It was perfect for an intro into techniques that are not commonly taught. The book is well organized and very detailed.
November 8, 2013
This is a great reference book of art techniques and projects.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews