Step-by-Step Studio: Drawing Concepts: A complete guide to essential drawing techniques and fundamentals (Volume 3)

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. 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.

Award-winning artist Ken Goldman is an internationally known artist, author, teacher, and art juror. His work has been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in Holland; Paris; Mexico; New York; Boston; Washington, DC; the Oceanside Museum of Art: 100 Artists, 100 Years 1915–2015; the International Fabriano en Acquarello 2015 (Italy); China's Shenzhen International Biennial 2013–2014; and the Shanghai International Biennial 2012–2013. He currently serves as president of the National Watercolor Society. Visit goldmanfineart.com.

William F. Powell was an internationally recognized artist and one of America’s foremost colorists. A native of Huntington, West Virginia, Bill studied at the Art Student’s Career School in New York; Harrow Technical College in Harrow, England; and the Louvre Free School of Art in Paris, France. He was professionally involved in fine art, commercial art, and technical illustrations for more than 45 years. His experience as an art instructor included oil, watercolor, acrylic, colored pencil, and pastel—with subjects ranging from landscapes to portraits and wildlife. He also authored a number of art instruction books, including several popular Walter Foster titles. As a renowned master of color, Bill conducted numerous “Color Mixing and Theory” workshops throughout the US. His expertise in color theory also led him to author and illustrate several articles and an educational series of 11 articles entitled “Color in Perspective” for a national art magazine. Additionally, he performed as an art consultant for national space programs and for several artist’s paint manufacturers. Bill’s work included the creation of background sets for films, model making, animated cartoons, and films for computer mockup programs. He produced instructional painting, color mixing, and drawing art videos.

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, and by major textbook companies such as Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. After studying portraiture with acclaimed artists such as Nelson Shanks and John Sanden, commissioned portrait work soon became an important part of her artwork. She is a signature member of the American Society of Portrait Artists and has contributed to the organization's publications. Diane is also a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, the Graphic Artists Guild, and the Illustrator's Partnership of America.

From an early age, Carol Rosinski could pick up a pencil and transform paper and pencil into a living scene with depth and texture. Since 1985, Carol has worked exclusively with graphite pencil, and she has more than 20 years of experience as both artist and teacher. Carol has worked as an illustrator and shown her artwork in galleries, and her drawings have appeared in a number of publications.