Big-Eye Art: Resurrected and Transformed provides a compelling introduction to the genre, including a dazzling array of more than 150 astonishing works by twenty-two big-eye fantasy artists, both renowned and emerging, among them Blonde Blythe, Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Misha, Mark Gleason, and Vicki Berndt. The book shows how dolls, and Japanese anime and manga, along with popular culture and Gothic and fantasy elements, have altered the face of this haunting, sometimes disturbing and challenging art form. A wide range of big-eyed works is featured, and essays by the artists reveal how they came to develop and create their particular visions. As big-eye and fantasy art collide and fuse in a remarkable resurgence, this spectacular and captivating book demonstrates why masterpieces by the leading practitioners of the moment are once again stealing the hearts of the masses.

• The classic study of the cosmological principles found in the patterns of Islamic art and how they relate to sacred geometry and the perennial philosophy. • 150 color and black-and-white drawings of Islamic patterns. • Explains how these patterns guide the mind from the mundane world of appearances to its underlying reality. For centuries the nature and meaning of Islamic art has been wrongly regarded in the West as mere decoration. In truth, because the portrayal of human and animal forms has always been discouraged on Islamic religious principles that forbid idolatry, the abstract art of Islam represents the sophisticated development of a nonnaturalistic tradition. Through this tradition, Islamic art has maintained its chief aim: the affirmation of unity as expressed in diversity. In this fascinating study the author explores the idea that unlike medieval Christian art, in which the polarization of such forms and patterns was relegated to a background against which to set sacred images, the geometrical patterns of Islamic art can reveal the intrinsic cosmological laws affecting all creation. Their primary function is to guide the mind from the mundane world of appearances toward its underlying reality. Numerous drawings connect the art of Islam to the Pythagorean science of mathematics, and through these images we can see how an Earth-centered view of the cosmos provides renewed significance to those number patterns produced by the orbits of the planets. The author shows the essential philosophical and practical basis of every art creation--whether a tile, carpet, or wall--and how this use of mathematical tessellations affirms the essential unity of all things. An invaluable study for all those interested in sacred art, Islamic Patterns is also a rich source of inspiration for artists and designers.

American artist Ed Ruscha began making prints and drawings consisting of one word on an often monochromatic, abstract background in the late 1950s. Since then the exploration of language-based imagery has become a hallmark of his work. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1937, Ruscha moved to Los Angeles in 1956, excited by the newness, mobility and freedom represented by the Southern California landscape. Pulling elements from the visual language of the commercial world, he has made hundreds of 'word' prints, drawings and paintings that exhibit an interplay between bold letters and atmospheric backgrounds. This book reproduces 575 'word' works by Ruscha. Arranged by the artist, these images become a sort of novel without an obvious plot, a series of words with an implied narrative.

Surveys useful tools, materials, and techniques for the professional illustrator

This volume validates the status of American antique frames and their place in art history. Wilner (proprietor of a company that specializes in period frames) includes essays by art scholars, museum curators, private collectors, and art world luminaries who discuss every relevant topic from frame history and construction to the aesthetic criteria of matching frame to picture. Extensively illustrated with color and b&w photographs that showcase frames in relation to the paintings they border and as works of art themselves. Oversize: 10x12. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

"4to, 203pgs. Text is augmented with many color plates and illustrations.

Art and Spiritual Transformation presents a seven-stage journey of transformation from the darkened soul to the light of spiritual illumination, revealing the primal role of art in liberating the soul. Includes a meditation practice to experience the spiritual energy in art.

Essays by Roman Zieglgansberger, Marion Bornscheuer, Christofer Conrad, Christian von Holst and Katja Matauschek.

Gathers together essays on video art, covering such aspects as its history, and its relationship to the media, fine arts, and culture

Fairies, mermaids, and angels have captivated imaginations throughout the centuries. Embodying all that is feminine, sparkly, and magical, these fantastic creatures have found their ways into countless stories, films, and works of art that appeal to people of all ages. And now anyone can discover how to bring them to life in watercolor with this delightful 64-page guide. Inside, artist-author Meredith Dillman shares the methods of her unique artistic style, which is influenced by Pre-Raphaelite paintings, turn-of-the-twentieth-century book illustrations, and modern-day Japanese manga—a combination that results in beautiful, contemporary artwork. Meredith provides instruction specific to creating the mythical beauties and their whimsical surroundings, showing readers how to draw and paint faces, bodies, hair, clothing, and more. The author also guides readers through several inspiring projects, demonstrating how to re-create the magic step by step.