A practical volume for the home or business owner on landscaping with native, drought-tolerant plants in the Rocky Mountain West. Filled with color illustrations, photos, and design sketches, over 100 native species are described, while practical tips on landscape design, water-wise irrigation, and keeping down the weeds are provided.In this book you will learn how to use natural landscapes to inspire your own designed landscape around your business or home and yard. Included are d...

This book makes watercolour painting simple, straightforward and fun: 43 mini-demonstrations teach a wide range of useful watercolour techniques. 13 step-by-step demonstrations show these techniques applied to landscapes, flowers and other subjects. Page after page of proven approaches for painting clouds, trees, rocks, grass, snow, reflections and more. These are tried-and-true methods that Zoltan perfected over 65 years of painting. Now you can put them to work in your paintings immediat...

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...

Advice & information for choosing, designing & building a greenhouse or potting shed Few outdoor structures are as rich with romance and promise as greenhouses and potting sheds. Inspired gardeners appreciate them for their utility as well as their charm. Even homeowners who are not avid gardeners enjoy the unique ability of these structures to lend a taste of English countryside to any property. Greenhouses & Garden Sheds contains hundreds of beautiful photographs featuring the finest exa...

A must-have reference for every watercolorist!This is your complete guide to watercolor-from basic art concepts and techniques to fun special effects and pointers for painting popular subjects. Secrets of Watercolor, From Basics to Special Effects is a handy reference that beginners and experienced artists simply can't be without.Learn how to:• Work with the right materials• Master all essential techniques• Choose, mix and app...

Artist Craig Nelson shares secrets to drawing faces. From basics like materials, proportion and tone to finer details such as rendering noses from various angles, you will have all the essentials you need to get started drawing portraits immediately. Clear instruction and two step-by-step portrait demonstrations help you to create realistic faces with accuracy and ease.

Help your artistic talent bloom by capturing the beauty of flowers with your brushstrokes from realistic close-ups to impressionistic landscapes.From Agapanthus to Water Lily, this unique artist's reference provides easy-to-follow, plant-specific information on how to paint fifty of today's most popular flowers.• Learn to draw each basic flower shape and then paint a single detailed bloom• Gain full, practical guidance for painting each flower through ...

This "miracle" of a guide book shows readers how to maintain harmony within their environment (Margaret Renkl, The Washington Post).In his groundbreaking book Bringing Nature Home, Douglas W. Tallamy reveals the unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife—native insects cannot, or will not, eat alien plants. When native plants disappear, the insects disappear, impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals. As deve...

Love to paint? Want to learn? Then let's get started!With Jerry Yarnell at your side, it's easy to make your artistic dreams come true. In this fun and easy guide, he provides tips and tricks for mastering one- and two-point perspective - the keys to adding realistic buildings and other man-made objects to your paintings.You'll also find complete step-by-step instruction for painting seven idyllic landscapes, plus proven techniques for pain...

No projects offer more aesthetic or financial satisfaction than DIY masonry and stonework projects. Homeowners can routinely save thousands of dollars in labor costs by buying and installing materials that are now readily available for routine purchase. This book includes traditional techniques for laying concrete adapted to the special needs of ordinary homeowners, but also features cutting edge materials and techniques, such as tumbled concrete pavers, acid-etching for colored concrete s...

Create a tranquil nighttime retreat with a moon garden.Transform your garden into a serene haven that comes alive under the moonlight. This beginner-friendly booklet offers simple steps to design a night-blooming garden that enchants with luminous flowers and soothing fragrances after dusk.Inside, you'll learn how to:Select pale-colored and fragrant plants that thrive in low lightDesign layouts that maximize moonlight re...

Encouraging guidance and easy-to-follow instructions for beginner oil paintersOil painting doesn't have to be rocket science, although some books on the subject make it seem that way. Oil Painting for the Absolute Beginner is a no-fear, no-experience-required guide to enjoyable painting and happy results. Focusing on the needs of the first-time painter, this book covers everything from selecting brushes and setting up your palette to key principles of colo...