educational

Costume design is storytelling. And to do it successfully, you need to understand the five functions of a costume: to connect to plot and theme, establish the structure of society, put in a specific time and place, indicate personality, and reveal a passage of time. It is an exciting and challenging craft that involves a thoughtful and thorough examination of these various elements in order to give a costume life. In animation, games, and illustration, in particular, the designer needs to be acutely aware of the unique characteristics and limitations of each medium―from solid research approaches and basic production pipelines to audience experience and ideal tools of the trade. Talking Threads: Costume Design for Entertainment Art, backed by decades of experience of five industry professionals, provides an in-depth exploration of these functions and format considerations to equip artists with the necessary knowledge and mindset to develop strong narrative-informed costume designs. Each chapter is packed with creative exercises, detailed tutorials, inspiring designs, and invaluable insights that will help artists of all levels confidently and efficiently tackle their next costume adventure.

Graphic L.A. is part practical instruction, part guided meditation on the importance of color values and objects in art. The reader is led by the professional instruction of Robh Ruppel; instructor at the Art Center College of Design, Gnomon School of Visual Effects, and Concept Art Academy. He is also a multiple award-winning art director of video games. By reducing environments down to basic shapes and colors (or “symbols”), Robh builds astounding images. Robh documents the progression of building an image while referencing basic techniques. By using color with surprisingly bold brushstrokes, he produces images of incredible depth with intricate handling of light and shadow. It is a rare exploration into simplicity without resorting to minimalism. Readers will be certain to take away both a sense of admiration for Robh Ruppel’s work and a greater understanding and appreciation for the importance of color value relationships in all forms of art. This second edition includes sixteen new images and their accompanying words of wisdom.

The human body is a challenging subject to depict because of its intricate complexity and movement. “To do it well requires an in-depth knowledge of anatomy and an awareness of what lies beneath all parts of the body, for the greatest figurative art gives the impression that there is a living skeleton inside the body,” notes artist and veteran art educator Rey Bustos. With Rey’s Anatomy: Figurative Art Lessons from the Classroom, Bustos provides essential anatomical information, detailed studies, and valuable drawing tutorials to equip artists with a basic understanding of the skeletal structure and muscle system of the human body. Having taught figure drawing for 30 years, he presents complex concepts in a remarkably accessible manner, referencing works from the Old Masters to demonstrate how an artist can take the same anatomical knowledge and express it in diverse and personal ways and, with study and practice, portray the human form without being hindered by the process or the intellect. Rey’s Anatomy explores anatomy first, followed by daily drawing exercises to help refine one’s figurative work, while featuring the extraordinary work of his students throughout the book―alongside his own―a testament to how his lessons have benefited generations of artists.

How to Paint Landscapes Quickly and Beautifully with Watercolor and Gouache reveals quick and effective painting setups and techniques to depict any landscape. From simplifying complex scenes and making smart choices about portraying light and texture, to establishing an effective color palette to enhance mood, world-renowned entertainment and fine artist Nathan Fowkes shares priceless lessons that he has developed over twenty five years of painting a broad range of places. His detailed tutorials and thoughtful insights will help you create more impactful, gallery-worthy landscapes on location―without an easel―in record time.

Cinematics Storyboard Workshop is for any artist who wants to learn how to create professional, production-ready storyboards for film, animation, television, and video game cinematics. Modeled on the Cinematics course by artist and educator Gregg Davidson, this must-have guidebook is a concise, in-depth guide to the fundamentals: from storyboard mechanics and camera angles, to shot progression and staging, as well as current digital storyboarding and previsualization practices. Founder of The Animation Academy, Charles Zembillas, called Cinematics Storyboard Workshop “one of the best books on learning how to storyboard.”

No matter what stage artists are in their careers, “it’s necessary to look toward the future eager to learn and to be better every day,” writes artist and best-selling author Marcos Mateu-Mestre (Framed Ink, Framed Perspective Vol. 1 & 2) in his latest book, Framed Drawing Techniques, which is packed with opportunities to do just that. In exquisite and thoughtful detail, Mateu-Mestre lays out distinct approaches to drawing in the book’s chapters—The Ballpoint Pen, Graphite Pencil, The Digital Way, and The Gray Scale—outlining the benefits and challenges of each, and specific techniques that can be applied to one’s work in all the mediums to achieve the greatest results. Alongside his important technical lessons, on everything from depicting reflected light on a character’s hair to how to add rain to dramatize a scene, is Mateu-Mestre’s awe-inspiring artwork, which serves to educate and motivate artists of all levels to discover what incredible storytelling is possible with a single pen or pencil (or tablet).

The Silver Way: Techniques, Tips and Tutorials for Effective Character Design by Stephen Silver offers invaluable instruction from one of best teachers in the industry. Whether you’re a professional artist interested in improving your drawing skills, or an aspiring designer fresh out of high school looking to add to your portfolio, The Silver Way will help you build your confidence and strengthen your work in order to successfully design characters for any project, in any style. Chockfull of helpful—and entertaining!—drawing techniques and easy-to-follow tutorials developed through his decades of experience as an artist on popular animated shows (Kim Possible, Danny Phantom, The Fairly OddParents) and as the owner of Silver Drawing Academy, The Silver Way is the kind of educational art book you’ll revisit again and again for guidance, encouragement, and inspiration.