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Articles & Books From Art & Architecture
The complete, full-color graphic design guide for beginners The field of graphic design is constantly evolving, with new design tools, methods, technology, and modes of expression being introduced all the time. Graphic Design For Dummies will teach you how to get started, introducing you to basic design principles as well as the latest best practices, software, and trends.
Get started with the powerful visual language and storytelling medium that is manga Manga is a unique style of drawing. It's also a great way to make topics like history and politics appealing to a wide audience. Manga For Dummies teaches you the basics of drawing in the manga style. This step-by-step guide shows you how to apply the basic rules of manga figure drawing, whether you're a complete beginner or a professional artist.
Article / Updated 10-24-2023
Geometric perspective (sometimes called linear perspective) makes subjects in a drawing look like they recede into distant space, appearing smaller the farther they are away from you.Geometric perspective can also create the illusion that you are either above or below the subject of a drawing. Using geometric perspective makes your drawings appear three-dimensional (rather than flat), and more realistic.
Step by Step / Updated 10-24-2023
Here, you’ll find five downloadable mandalas to color. You can color the more basic images with less detail with crayons or markers, but the incredibly detailed mandalas might require a steady hand and a fine-tip marker or pencil. Color them however you’d like.Check out this mandala, which combines detailed areas in the center with larger spaces on the outer part of the design.
Article / Updated 10-24-2023
Light and shadows visually define objects. Before you can draw the light and shadows you see, you need to train your eyes to see like an artist.Values are the different shades of gray between white and black. Artists use values to translate the light and shadows they see into shading, thus creating the illusion of a third dimension.
Article / Updated 10-24-2023
Composition refers to the organization, arrangement, and combination of objects within the borders of a drawing space. For a great drawing, you want to bring the eyes of the viewer toward your center of interest within an aesthetically pleasing composition.Composing a drawing well engages your viewers. Many "rules" define a good composition, but these rules are only guidelines.
Article / Updated 10-24-2023
Drawing animals brings with it its own set of artistic difficulties. Most animals are always fully dressed. Their fashion statements vary from critter to critter, come in a variety of fashionable patterns, and sometimes change with the seasons, and you must take this all into consideration if you want to draw them well.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-06-2023
Discover everything you need to know to get started with drawing, including what supplies and styles to use to create different types of drawings. You'll also find ways to come up with ideas about what to draw.Get started drawing with basic suppliesIf you’re new to drawing, you’ll want to gather a few must-have supplies.
Article / Updated 03-22-2023
In the trend of coloring as a form of relaxation, one of the most popular types of patterns to color is the mandala. Mandalas are usually circular geometric patterns. Some people find the drawing and coloring of a mandala as a form of meditation. As they focus on coloring in the patterns of the form, they relax, their mind grows quiet, and they may enter into a spiritual space.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-21-2022
Learning about color never ends! For hands-on learning, why not try some watercolor painting? Information about watercolor paints and techniques are available from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, including colorful examples from the museum’s collection.For further reading about color, explore the Faber Birren Collection of Books on Color at Yale University.