"[The Shadow Drawing] reorients our perspective, distills a life and brings it into focus—the very work of revision and refining that its subject loved best." —Parul Sehgal, The New York Times | Editors' Choice An entirely new account of Leonardo the artist and Leonardo the scientist, and why they were one and the same man Leonardo da Vinci has long been celebrated for his consummate genius. He was the painter who gave us the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and the inventor who anticipated the advent of airplanes, hot air balloons, and other technological marvels. But what was the connection between Leonardo the painter and Leonardo the scientist? Historians of Renaissance art have long supposed that Leonardo became increasingly interested in science as he grew older and turned his insatiable curiosity in new directions. They have argued that there are, in effect, two Leonardos—an artist and an inventor. In this pathbreaking new interpretation, the art historian Francesca Fiorani offers a different view. Taking a fresh look at Leonardo’s celebrated but challenging notebooks, as well as other sources, Fiorani argues that Leonardo became familiar with advanced thinking about human vision when he was still an apprentice in a Florence studio—and used his understanding of optical science to develop and perfect his painting techniques. For Leonardo, the task of the painter was to capture the interior life of a human subject, to paint the soul. And even at the outset of his career, he believed that mastering the scientific study of light, shadow, and the atmosphere was essential to doing so. Eventually, he set down these ideas in a book—A Treatise on Painting—that he considered his greatest achievement, though it would be disfigured, ignored, and lost in subsequent centuries. Ranging from the teeming streets of Florence to the most delicate brushstrokes on the surface of the Mona Lisa, The Shadow Drawing vividly reconstructs Leonardo’s life while teaching us to look anew at his greatest paintings. The result is both stirring biography and a bold reconsideration of how the Renaissance understood science and art—and of what was lost when that understanding was forgotten.

Drawing is not a talent, it's a skill anyone can learn. This is the philosophy of drawing instructor Brent Eviston based on his more than twenty years of teaching. He has tested numerous types of drawing instruction from centuries old classical techniques to contemporary practices and designed an approach that combines tried and true techniques with innovative methods of his own. Now, he shares his secrets with this book that provides the most accessible, streamlined, and effective methods for learning to draw.

Taking the reader through the entire process, beginning with the most basic skills to more advanced such as volumetric drawing, shading, and figure sketching, this book contains numerous projects and guidance on what and how to practice. It also features instructional images and diagrams as well as finished drawings. With this book and a dedication to practice, anyone can learn to draw!

Push your watercolor painting to the next level by mastering the use of color, light, and shadows. Go beyond trying to copy what you see by designing with shapes, shadows, and highlights. Deepen the expressive nature of your paintings as you capture the subject's luminosity. Master painter William B. Lawrence offers hands-on techniques and insights for intermediate to advanced artists. Light and color take the viewer on a journey. Properly harnessed, they can convey emotion, create a mood, or tell a story. Whether your work is realistic, expressive, or abstract, the options are unlimited. Lawrence explores pattern, hue, contrast, and texture in this treasured classic. Using a combination of theory, demonstration, and practical suggestions this new arsenal of tools, will help you grow as an artist. Other techniques covered include: How to design with light and shadow The use of overlapping patterns How light can express movement Learning to use light and dark to add drama and intensity to your work Discover how to guide the viewer's eye through floodlights, spotlights, and other advanced light-manipulation techniques. Painting Light and Shadow in Watercolor will help you create radiant watercolor paintings and give you greater painting pleasure as you develop new skills which bring your imagination to life.

Without shading, even a beautiful drawing can appear flat. But artists can learn to add dimension to their work with these techniques, illustrations, and exercises that show how to achieve effects with light and shadow.

(back cover) Titles in Barron's Drawing Academy series guide beginning students through a detailed training course in the art of drawing. The books open with basic instruction, then proceed to analyze the details that make up a successfully executed drawing. Drawing Academy titles make fine self-instruction manuals and can also serve as textbooks in formal art classes. LEARNING BY DOING Constant practice teaches you to analyze the characteristics and understand the difficulties you must overcome in developing techniques to produce light and shadow effects. Exercises will teach you mastery of strokes, shadings, and tonal ranges. ANALYSIS It is not enough to practice. You must also learn to see. The Analysis Section following each exercise shows how professional artists resolve difficulties and achieve desired graphic effects in their drawings. You'll learn to profit from others' achievements and incorporate some of their solutions and effects into your own work. SKETCHBOOK A section at the end of each chapter is the sketchbook section. It allows you to analyze the difficulties you encountered and isolate different parts of your overall composition to measure your success in attempting light and shadow effects, tone-building processes, applying tonal scales, and fully developing your draftsman's skills. Available titles in Drawing Academy Series: The Basics of Drawing Line and Shading in Drawing Light and Shadow in Drawing

Provides instructions on adding light and shading effects to drawings.

Learn how to create the illusion of three-dimensional space in your drawings It is as mundane as it is astounding: placed in the right way, a couple of lines on paper create three-dimensional space. To be more exact, the illusion of space. The interest in three-dimensional drawing may initially arise from the intention to depict visible reality. However, the creation of depth is a fascinating challenge in every artistic composition. Drawing Perspective Methods for Artists is suitable for beginners and professionals alike. Authors Peter Boerboom and Tim Proetel have arranged, commented on, and with a guiding hand intuitively and tangibly presented 85 fundamental methods of three-dimensional illustration, offering a refreshing, simple approach to the graphic depiction of three-dimensionality.