You can not stand underneath the masterwork that is the Sistine Chapel without considering the genius and painstaking work that went into its creation. Michelangelo Buonarroti never wanted to paint the Sistine Chapel, though. Appointed by the temperamental Julius II, Michelangelo believed the suspiciously large-scale project to be a description for failure conspired by his rivals and the "Warrior Pope." After all, Michelangelo was not a painter-he was a sculptor.

A must-have reference for every watercolorist!
This is your complete guide to watercolor—from basic art concepts and techniques to fun special effects and pointers for painting popular subjects. Secrets of Watercolor, From Basics to Special Effects is a handy reference that beginners and experienced artists simply can't be without.

Green living begins at home, and New Green Home Solutions tells you how. Most of the energy-derived pollution we produce comes as a direct result of our homes - how we heat them, how we cool them, how we keep them well-lit and full of things that make our lives so comfortable. The good news is that we have tremendous power to create change.

Nothing enlivens a room like a touch of nature. Taking the terrarium trend to the next level, this stunning guide will inspire crafters, garden lovers, and décor fans to turn flowers, leaves, and branches into striking, organic décor. Acclaimed designer and stylist Shane Powers presents 20 simple yet arresting projects for bringing natural tranquility to any space. Suited for garden enthusiasts and black thumbs alike, the projects use a range of live and dried plant materials to create colorful dried floral garlands, eye-catching willow wreaths, intriguing water gardens, and timeless succulent landscapes. With step-by-step instructions, styling and container ideas, helpful resources, and gorgeous photography, Bring the Outdoors In offers countless ways to welcome the natural world into any space.

Feng Shui Style is a striking design book from Stephen Skinner, the man instrumental in focusing Western attention on the ancient art of feng shui. Discussing various common themes of feng shui—such as water, alignments, mountains and wind—Skinner demonstrates these concepts in 26 houses, restaurants and galleries in London, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

This inspirational book allows readers to dream about their ideal bathroom and kitchen, but it doesn't stop there: Kitchens & Baths for Today & Tomorrow also helps readers transform their dreams into reality. From simply practical to fabulously luxurious, this book is written specifically for do-it-yourselfers.

Color is an integral part of any design solution. Design Elements, Color Fundamentals is an essential resource for designers who want to create memorable design and successfully communicate with their audience. It is the second book in Rockport's Design Elements series, which focuses on the core elements of design.

No matter how beautifully decorated a room is, it doesn't matter if no one can see it. Interior designers know the importance of good lighting placement, because it is the key that can literally transform a home.

What if someone told you that you could make your home look gorgeous, be more energy and cost efficient and be kind to the environment at the same time? With the help of Jean Nayar and the experts at PointClickHome.com now anyone can remodel, renovate, or decorate their home, all without hurting the planet.

All over the world, consumers are discovering the merits of the small space lifestyle, abandoning the work and burdensome expense that goes with living in a "McMansion" in favor of the elegance and practicality of living in cozier spaces. From young homeowners who have rediscovered the joys of loft-style homes in the city , to empty-nesters who prefer smaller, more manageable living spaces, millions of homeowners have migrated to the "not-so-big" style of living.

Freehand examines around 200 sketches and illustrations by young contemporary artists, in each case highlighting and explaining the drawing techniques, qualities, and effects with extended captions, insightful tips, and practical advice. Four main categories unify the book: Principles, Drawing Media, Types of Drawing, and Subjects. Each sketch clearly indicates which principle is being exemplified, the media used, the subject of the drawing, and the type of drawing. A detailed category index at the front of the book lists each page where similar examples may be found, enabling the reader to easily identify and cross reference subjects that have been drawn in similar styles. Advice covers composition, shading, subjects, silhouettes, working with pencils, pen and ink, and charcoal. This helps the reader understand the way in which similar subjects and styles are executed by different artists, and also inspires them to use the tips in the book to build on their own unique talent. If you're going to learn to draw, what's the point of only drawing one way? Standing apart from the host of how-to drawing books, Freehand accesses practical information via the images u a unique approach that focuses on the way subjects can be treated through different drawing styles, rather than elaborate techniques to master one single style. This gives the reader a much wider skill set allowing them to capture or create the essence of any image in more than one way.

The comic book universe is adventurous, mystifying and filled with heroes, villains and ComicCon attendees. This book by one of Wired magazine's art directors traverses the graphic world through a collection of pie charts, bar graphs, timelines, scatter plots and more. Super Graphic offers readers a unique look at the intricate and sometimes contradictory storylines that weave their way through comic books and shares advice for navigating the pages of some of the most popular, longest-running and best-loved comics and graphic novels out there. From a colourful breakdown of the DC Comics reader demographic to a witty Venn diagram of superhero comic tropes and a Chris Ware sadness scale, this book charts the most arbitrary and monumental characters, moments and equipment of the wide world of comics.

The area around your home is your haven, your sanctuary, your refuge from the noise and irritation of traffic, eyesores, and nosy neighbors. Or at least it could be if there was some sort of barrier between your front yard and the sidewalk, or if you didn't have to stare at the back of the neighbors' garage when you want to relax on your patio.

The comic book universe is adventurous, mystifying, and filled with heroes, villains, and cosplaying Comic-Con attendees. This book by one of Wired magazine's art directors traverses the graphic world through a collection of pie charts, bar graphs, timelines, scatter plots, and more. Super Graphic offers readers a unique look at the intricate and sometimes contradictory storylines that weave their way through comic books, and shares advice for navigating the pages of some of the most popular, longest-running, and best-loved comics and graphic novels out there. From a colorful breakdown of the DC Comics reader demographic to a witty Venn diagram of superhero comic tropes and a Chris Ware sadness scale, this book charts the most arbitrary and monumental characters, moments, and equipment of the wide world of comics.

This, the fourth book in the Drawing in Color series, teaches readers how to draw realistic animals with colored pencils. Lee Hammond's amazing easy-to-follow techniques enable you to render a variety of wonderful animals, from cats and dogs to horses, squirrels, tigers and more. These skills can be used to draw any kind of mammal accurately. Hammond's special graphing system makes all the difference, helping to translate the animal poses seen into drawings on the page. You'll also learn other important illustration techniques, including layering, blending and shading. Additional guidelines help duplicate realistic eyes, ears, mouths, feet, fur, and hide. You'll feel like you can draw from the start with achievable examples, even if you're a first-timer.

Materials are the stuff of design. From the very beginning of human history, materials have been taken from the natural world and shaped, modified, and adapted for everything from primitive tools to modern electronics.

In recent years the construction of buildings made of plastic has increased dramatically. Originally used for temporary structures like the BMW Pavilion in Frankfurt, plastic is now employed in many permanent buildings as well, including the recent Catholic church in Radebeul by Staib/Behnisch.

Given its importance for consumer satisfaction and thus brand success, apparel fit is a major challenge for retailers and brands across the industry. Consequently there have been major developments in sizing research and how it can be used in apparel design. This book reviews how these developments are affecting clothing design for different groups of consumers.

Enter the magical world of fantasy manga!
Draw wizards, warriors, elves, knights, dragons, goblins and many more enchanted beings and creatures from faraway lands!

This book contains everything you need to know to improve your watercolour skills in 12 easy steps. "Watercolour Workshop II" is for artists who want to improve their skills. Starting with materials and techniques, warm-up exercises encourage you to build your expertise and confidence. Easy-to-follow step-by-step projects designed to train your eye and develop your skills show you what to do, and demonstrate key techniques used to create light, mood, perspective and balance. Clear explanations of the principles of watercolours encourage you to tackle subjects ranging from simple studies to city scapes and portraits, while "building the image" illustrations provide at-a-glance overviews of the projects. Galleries of contemporary artwork demonstrate how successful artists approach different topics from depicting a fairground at night to a still life of food with tips helping you to develop your personal style. It presents a fresh approach to practical art helping you achieve the best results.

This title is for those who have always wanted to paint but don't know where to start, create artworks of your own with maximum success and minimal frustration. Essential techniques are demonstrated in 12 step-by-step projects, while the overview feature keeps you on track, showing the entire project sequence. Written by practising artists, you will be encouraged to create your own style and develop skills that will breathe new life into your paintings.

A hands-on book design students and designers alike will welcome.Elements of Design is a tribute to an exceptional teacher and a study of the abstract visual relationships that were her lifelong pursuit. Rowena Reed Kiostellow taught industrial design at Pratt Institute for more than fifty years and the designers she trained-and the designers they're training today-have changed the face of American design.

User interface design is a challenging, multi-disciplinary activity that requires understanding a wide range of concepts and techniques that are often subjective and even conflicting. Imagine how much it would help if there were a single perspective that you could use to simplify these complex issues down to a small set of objective principles. In UI is Communication, Everett McKay explains how to design intuitive user interfaces by focusing on effective human communication. A user interface is ultimately a conversation between users and technology. Well-designed user interfaces use the language of UI to communicate to users efficiently and naturally.