By Subject > Art > Art Instruction
It's never too early too late or early to start learning the finer points of your favorite form of art. Dover's Art Instruction books can help beginners and experienced artists alike to express themselves in new and interesting media.
Interested in receiving a copy of the Dover Art Instruction & Fine Art Catalog? Click here to sign up for our catalog mailing list.
Recommendations...
 Perspective Made Easy
by Ernest R. Norling
Perspective is easy; yet, surprisingly few artists know the simple rules that make it so. Remedy that situation with this simple, step-by-step book, the first devoted entirely to the topic. 256 illustrations.
all books in Art Instruction
| |
| |  Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting
by John F. Carlson
The whys and hows of the various aspects of landscape painting: angles and consequent values, perspective, painting of trees, more. 34 black-and-white reproductions of paintings by Carlson. 58 explanatory diagrams.
all books in Art Instruction
| |
|
 Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction
by George Bain
This unique volume clearly demonstrates simple geometric techniques for making intricate knots, interlacements, spirals, Kellstype initials, human and animal figures in distinctive Celtic style. Features over 500 illustrations.
all books in Art Instruction
| |
| |  Animal Sketching
by Alexander Calder
Undisputed master of the simple expressive line. 141 full body sketches and enlarged details of animals in characteristic poses and movements. Calder covers cats, dogs, the elephant, birds, monkeys, and more.
all books in Art Instruction
| |
|
 Hawthorne on Painting
by Charles W. Hawthorne
Collected from notes taken by students at famous Cape Cod School; hundreds of direct, personal aperçus, ideas, suggestions.
all books in Art Instruction
| |
| |  The Practice and Science of Drawing
by Harold Speed
Classic approach to the dynamics of drawing by brilliant teacher with insights and practical advice on line drawing, mass drawing, visual memory, materials, and much more. 84 plates and diagrams.
all books in Art Instruction
| |
|
 Modelling and Sculpting the Human Figure
by Edouard Lanteri
Covers modelling from casts, live models; measurements; frameworks; scale of proportions; compositions; reliefs, drapery, medals, etc. 107 full-page photographic plates. 27 other photographs. 175 drawings and diagrams.
all books in Art Instruction
| |
| |  The Craftsman’s Handbook
by Cennino Cennini
Fifteenth-century handbook, written by a working artist of the day, reveals techniques of the masters in drawing, oil painting, frescoes, panel painting, gilding, casting, more. Direct link to artists of Middle Ages.
all books in Art Instruction
| |
|
| Products in Art Instruction | | |  | 'Drawing Drapery from Head to Toe
by Cliff Young
Expert guidance on how to draw shirts, pants, skirts, gloves, hats, and coats on the human figure, including folds in relation to the body, pull and crush, action folds, creases, more. Over 200 drawings.
|
|  | Abstract Design and How to Create It
by Amor Fenn
Profusely illustrated guide covers geometric basis of design, implements and their use, borders, textile patterns, nature study, and treatment. Over 380 illustrations include historical examples from many cultures and periods.
|
|  | Abstraction in Art and Nature
by Nathan Cabot Hale
Stimulating, thought-provoking guide to finding rich sources of creative abstraction in lines of growth and structure, water and liquid forms, weather patterns, earth colors, many other natural elements. Over 370 photographs and other illustrations.
|
|  | Acrylic Watercolor Painting
by Wendon Blake
Excellent step-by-step coverage of painting surfaces, colors, and mediums as well as basic techniques: washes, wet-in-wet, drybrush, more. 75 paintings demonstrate extraordinary variety of techniques. 126 illustrations, including 21 in full color.
|
|  | Anatomical Diagrams for Art Students
by James M. Dunlop
This indispensable reference focuses on the skeleton's impact on external form and attachments of the muscular system. Over 70 accurate illustrations cover neck, head, trunk, limbs, hand, foot, and face.
|
|  | Anatomy and Construction of the Human Figure
by Charles Earl Bradbury
Two-part treatment illustrates portrayal of bones and muscles with numerous color plates, plus more than 100 diagrams show simple methods of building forms. Excellent for classroom and reference.
|
|  | Anatomy and Drawing
by Victor Perard
Excellent line drawings and annotations of anatomical structure provide the beginning artist with just about everything one needs to know about drawing all parts of the human anatomy. 179 black-and-white illustrations.
|
|  | Anatomy and Perspective: The Fundamentals of Figure Drawing
by Charles Oliver
Clearly and concisely written book covers two subjects seldom treated thoroughly in the same volume. Demonstrations of figure drawing include the use of such simple forms as the cube, cylinder, and sphere. 96 black-and-white figures.
|
|  | Animal Drawing and Anatomy
by Edwin Noble
Written and illustrated by a distinguished artist and art instructor, this volume features valuable insights into reproducing accurate images of horses, cows, dogs, sheep, birds, and wild animals. 233 drawings.
|
| | Animal Sketching
by Alexander Calder
Undisputed master of the simple expressive line. 141 full body sketches and enlarged details of animals in characteristic poses and movements. Calder covers cats, dogs, the elephant, birds, monkeys, and more.
|
|  | Animal Sketching for Beginners
by Len A. Doust
Empowering and enlightening, this handy little book provides the confidence, insight, and guidance to help any sketcher create realistic animal drawings. 31 illustrations.
|
| |  | The Art and Technique of Pen Drawing
by G. Montague Ellwood
Excellent reference describes line technique; drawing the figure, face, and hands; humorous illustration; pen drawing for advertisers; landscape and architectural illustration. Drawings by Dürer, Holbein, Doré, Rackham, Beardsley, Klinger, more. 161 figures.
|
|  | The Art of Animal Drawing: Construction, Action Analysis, Caricature
by Ken Hultgren
Former Disney animator offers expert advice, with over 700 illustrations, on drawing dogs, cats, deer, foxes, rabbits, more. Line, brush technique, mood, action, more.
|
|  | The Art of Cartooning
by Roy Paul Nelson
Tips for using proper tools and techniques; suggestions for drawing the human figure, animals, and backgrounds; how to create comic strips and editorial cartoons. 75 illustrations.
|
|  | The Art of Painting and Drawing Animals
by Fredric Sweney
Practical guide makes it easier for beginners as well as advanced artists to paint everything from dogs, cats, and deer to birds, sheep, and goats. 236 black-and-white illustrations, 26 in color.
|
|  | The Art of Three-Dimensional Design
by Louis Wolchonok
Profusely illustrated guide shows how basic shapes and surfaces — plane, prismatic, cylindric, conical, spherical, etc. — can be adapted and combined to create hundreds of new designs. Over 100 illustrations.
|
|  | The Artistic Anatomy of Trees
by Rex V. Cole
Covers every aspect of trees and how to depict them: balancing tree groups, relationship of light and shade, trees seen against the sky, lines of the branches, and much, much more. 515 illustrations.
|
|  | Basic Drawing
by Louis Priscilla
Beginning with perspective, this commonsense manual progresses to the figure in movement, light and shade, anatomy, drapery, composition, trees and landscape, and outdoor sketching. Black-and-white illustrations throughout.
|
|  | Beginner's Guide to Perspective
by Victor Perard
A distinguished artist and art educator shows clearly how the use of vanishing points and perspective lines can add dramatic depth and dimension to any drawing. 62 illustrations.
|
|
|
|
