Drawing Concepts (Step-by-Step Studio)

With easy-to-follow, in-depth instruction from four accomplished artists, Step-by-Step Studio: Drawing Concepts teaches the foundational skills beginning artists need to get started with graphite pencil.

Step-by-Step Studio: Drawing Concepts offers the fundamental information beginning artists need to kick off their creative pursuits in graphite pencil. Featuring in-depth instruction on composition, value, creating textures, using and manipulating photo references, and more, Step-by-Step Studio: Drawing Concepts is the perfect guide for you as a beginning or intermediate artist.

After an introduction to art tools and materials and very basic techniques, four accomplished artists offer insight, tips, and helpful demonstrations that illustrate important art concepts and techniques. You will also find an impressive and varied selection of step-by-step projects to re-create, including still lifes, flowers, animals, landscapes, and portraits in the four sections.

• Values: Covers shapes, form, the light source, how to create depth, and the elements of design.
• Dynamic Compositions: Discusses viewpoint, the golden mean, symmetry and asymmetry, focal points, landscapes, and negative space.
• Realistic Textures: Focuses on rendering the many different textures found in traditional still lifes, animals, people, plants and flowers, and landscapes.
• Step-by-Step Exercises: Includes additional drawing projects, such as a teddy bear, landscape, horse, floral still life, portrait of a girl, and fruit and wine.

Throughout the book, artists Ken Goldman, William F. Powell, Diane Cardaci, and Carol Rosinski offer practical and easy-to-understand drawing techniques and art principles, but also encouraging words. The journey through Step-by-Step Studio: Drawing Concepts is not about making perfect drawings; it's about making each drawing better than the one before it, while having a great time.

The books in the Step-by-Step Studio series are project driven and introduce beginning artists to the fundamental tools and techniques of their chosen medium. Easy-to-follow step-by-step projects help beginners hone their skills while creating artwork across a variety of subjects, from still life and landscapes to animal portraits and botanicals.

About the Authors

William F. Powell studied at the Art Students Career School in New York and the Louvre Free School of Art in Paris, France. His work has been represented in major galleries and reproduced in the form of illustrations, prints, and limited edition collectors plates. He has been professionally involved in fine art, commercial art, and illustration for more than 45 years. He holds awards for the technical side of his art, which has been used in major space and environmental programs.

Diane Cardaci was classically trained at the Art Students League of New York City, Parsons School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts. Her passion for both realism and nature led her to start her professional art career working as a Natural Science Illustrator in New York City, where she specialized in medical and natural science illustrations. Her work has been published by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, as well as by major textbook companies such as Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.