Provides down-to-earth, lighthearted instructions for developing basic painting design skills, sharing step-by-step demonstrations and game-like tips while placing an emphasis on watercolor techniques.

A liberating approach to interpreting modern and contemporary art, focusing on twenty major artworks from around the world and representing a diversity of styles, mediums, and artists. With modern art’s proclivity for self-expression, originality, and the abstract, great works can often seem indecipherable. This book provides the tools to help interpret the seemingly bizarre and often intimidating aspects of modern and contemporary art by exploring twenty works in terms of seven key perspectives: history, biography, aesthetics, experience, theory, criticism, and the market. Author, artist, and art historian Simon Morley shows how twenty well-known but little-understood works of art can serve as useful gateways not only for understanding each other, but also for appreciating works by the same artists and the wider world of art in general. Morley points to visual and theoretical dimensions of art that are not immediately obvious, reconstructing the perspectives of artists and the context within which works were made. Seven Keys to Modern Art is a liberating approach, offering a highly practical and universally applicable method of art interpretation and appreciation.

The whys and hows of the various aspects of landscape painting: angles and consequent values, perspective, painting of trees, more. 34 black-and-white reproductions of paintings by Carlson. 58 explanatory diagrams.

A unique system for jump-starting artistic creativity, encouraging experimentation and growth, and increasing sales for artists of all levels, from novices to professionals. Have you landed in a frustrating rut? Are you having trouble selling paintings in galleries, getting bogged down by projects you can’t seem to finish or abandon, or finding excuses to avoid working in the studio? Author Carol Marine knows exactly how you feel—she herself suffered from painter’s block, until she discovered “daily painting.” The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to you), and if you’d like, post and sell it online. Soon you’ll find that your block dissolves and you’re painting work you love—and more of it than you ever thought possible! With her encouraging tone and useful exercises, Marine teaches you to: -Master composition and value -Become confident in any medium including oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolors, and other media -Choose subjects wisely -Stay fresh and loose -Photograph, post, and sell your art online -Become connected to the growing movement of daily painters around the world

In this book, readers will discover an array of special, easy-to-follow tips and techniques for wielding colors and values in a variety of mediums with confidence. They'll begin by learning to master the application of tonal values--the foundation of lights and darks upon which colors depend. Next they'll find clear, concise guidelines for imbuing their work with color--everything from hue, intensity and shadow to color temperature and "broken colors." Finally, they'll learn how to use value and color together to create evocative moods and stunning special effects, such as time of day, the seasons, weather, fog, mist and clouds. Step-by-step demonstrations make learning easy and fun, no matter what the artist's skill level!Rachel Rubin Wolf is a freelance writer, editor and artist. She is the author of more than 20 books including the Acrylic Painter's Book of Styles and Techniques, the Best of Flower Painting and Art from the Parks. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

A unique guide to making sense of modern and contemporary art through seven different approaches, focusing on 20 major artworks from around the world.