The ancient philosophy of wabi-sabi honors the imperfect, the transitory and the humble. Cold wax is a perfect vehicle for artists wishing to explore this aesthetic. In this guide, you'll learn how to use this incredibly malleable medium--in combination with oil paint and other mediums--to add layers of texture, atmosphere, depth and meaning to your paintings while developing a more intuitive artistic voice.No matter what your experience level, learning to paint with cold wax will ...

Are you inspired by the little things, the bits others might overlook? A crack in the sidewalk? The trunk of a fallen tree? Shards of broken pottery? Do you want your artwork to speak to the abstract nature of color, and shape and texture, composition and mood?With Wabi-Sabi Art Workshop, you'll learn to use your appreciation for the simple things in life--the ordinary, the aged, the humble--as your inspiration for making expressive, intuitive art. You will come to embrace...

Transform your sketchbook to art!The artist's journal is a great place to start a library of personal marks, doodles and ideas. The reader is introduced to basics such as choosing a journal and then immediately guided into techniques such as color mixing, drawing and a variety of surface designs. The reader is encouraged to experiment and play in the journal to try out new directions for creating works of art. The art journal becomes the starting point for bigger p...

How to use painting mediums such as acrylic, watercolor, oil paint, ink, tempera, and pastels in combination with glazes, gesso, wax, and other materials for use in collages, scrapbooks, memory boxes, photo albums, and individual art pieces.

Collage Lab offers artists and crafters a fun and experimental approach to making art. The book is organized into 52 different labs which may, but don't need to be, explored on a weekly basis. The labs can be worked in any order, so that readers can flip around to learn a new mixed-media technique or be inspired by a particular collage theme or application. The underlying message of this book is that artists can and should learn and gain expertise through experimentation and play. There is...

A workshop-style book, oriented to the wide community of crafters and artists including those interested in paint, surface design, mixed media, and collage, which explores a wide variety of innovative and experimental paint techniques. Chapters cover composition, abstraction, texture, layering, using found objects, encaustic, integrating text, and adding digital imagery.

Unlock the Artist WithinCollage is the perfect medium to help you unleash your creative potential. You can gather materials from just about anywhere, glue them down on a surface and magically create a work of art. There are no mistakes, only discoveries. What could be more exciting?In Collage Discovery Workshop, acclaimed collage artist Claudine Hellmuth shares 15 of her favorite collage techniques and invites you to play with basi...

Get ready to make great art!New Creative Collage Techniques is filled with the guidance you need to make striking collages with a range of materials and mediums. It's fun and easy to jump right in, whether you're an experienced artist looking for something new or a new artist looking to make something unique. From basic methods to the latest innovations, this guide illustrates more than 60 exciting collage projects complete with detailed instruction, quick...

Reveal your own uniquely beautiful layers by painting with poetry.Layered Impressions is the muse you need to marry your love of written expression and your passion for paint, revealing the colors of your true nature--the whispers from your soul. Katie Kendrick leads you into her world of impressionistic painting and shares her techniques for creating art that is as authentic and multilayered as you are. Through projects such as a mobile-l...

Hands-on, full-color instruction in this versatile painting mediumAcrylic paint is easy to use, quick to dry, a cinch to clean up, and relatively inexpensive–which makes it a great medium for amateur artists. Following a simple step-by-step approach, Acrylic Painting For Dummies provides hands-on instruction and easy-to-follow exercises in acrylic painting techniques and styles, making the medium accessible to would-be artists at all levels. Featuring larg...

Overcome the obstacles to your artistic expressionImproving your artwork can be as simple as learning how to trust your eyes. Your Artist's Brain shows you how to portray even the most complex subjects by focusing on what you really see - not what you think you see.Expert art instructor Carl Purcell shows you how to overcome dependency on the "intellectual brain" and listen carefully to the more observant "artist's brain."W...

"Bonsai art is the display of a landscape - without the landscape."?--NobuKajiwara ?This quote couldn't be truer. Growing and sculpting bonsai trees can be quite a satisfying hobby. It is a hobby however, that requires a tremendous amount of patience. When you take a simple sapling and mould it to your desire, you'll be rewarded with a beautiful piece of art you can truly be proud of!?The term bonsai literally means plant in a pot or tray planting. Bonsai however is much more than simply a...