The intimate relationship of Japanese tattooing with the dark world of the yakuza has helped cover this form of artistic expression with an aura of mystery. But the culture of irezumi is deep and rich in meanings, shapes and motifs that have gone from color woodblock prints to being applied to the skin to beautify and protect their bearers. This book reveals the meaning and the secrets behind the most significant motifs from traditional Japanese tattooing-such as mythological and supernatural creatures, animals, Buddhist deities, flowers and historical characters-and turns this art form into a path toward personal knowledge and individual expression. Readers will discover the origin and meaning of each visual representation of the most frequent themes in this art form. Irezumi itai begins with a brief review of the history of Japanese tattoo art and then examines each subject (water, mythological animals, real animals, mythological characters, historical characters, flowers, shunga and yokai) through images and descriptive texts; it also includes a gallery of original designs by the author and a glossary.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 16.5 x 23.5 mm

Publication Date: 20-11-2018

Caught between travel guides and artists' books, the travel diary has swung between a journalistic documentary style and visual expression. It is a literary and artistic genre that is composite and plural, heterogeneous and subjective. This book illustrates the great scientific and journalistic adventures in history, from the Egyptian campaign to the war in Iraq, while describing the artistic techniques and contemporary trends in travel sketchbooks. It also explores more intimate territories, capturing the essence of our world to preserving the remembrances. Between text and image, this stunning collection travels through the centuries revealing the most beautiful pages of a very human adventure. The book ends with a complete overview of the different genres (from the educational trip to reportage) and types of travel diaries (from sketchbooks to audiovisual works), as well as the very diverse techniques used by different artists (from pencil work to the graphic arts and mixed techniques). As memories of other places, travel notebooks chronicle the experience of getting to know the place we visit and ourselves. They have been companions of artists from Durer to Philip Delord, going through the orientalists and explorers. AUTHOR: Pascale Argod, who holds a PhD in information and communication sciences, is lecturer at the Bordeaux University. As member of a research group on cultural and visual studies, she does research on travel sketchbooks and travel diaries and holds a blog on the topic

Bind: hardback

Dimensions: 22 x 24 mm

Publication Date: 29-03-2019

French artist Lapin can be defined as a mobile illustrator who carries his sketchbook and his compact sketching gear to the street, to the bar, to the metro, to Tokyo, or New York. Sometimes funny, sometimes elegant, always virtuosically drawn, this annotated travel journal offers a portrait of his adopted home city, Barcelona.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 120

Dimensions: 210 x 150 mm

Publication Date: 29-11-2016

This redesigned and full-colour second edition by best-selling author Elisabetta Drudi is an inspirational sourcebook of the drawing techniques required to render fashion details. It contains all the knowledge required to make accurate tech- nical drawings of all imaginable variations of collars, pleats, flounces, gathers, drapes and necklines, and it includes 4,000 original fashion drawings. This title offers an extended, topic- by-topic guide to acquiring and perfecting the skills needed to produce realistic and precise fashion plates that accurately reflect a designer's creative vision. The volume's breadth of information and attention to detail make this worldwide best- seller an invaluable resource for designers, illustrators, artists, students and anyone who enjoys fashion design.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 384

Dimensions: 195 x 285 mm

Publication Date: 08-10-2020

This book is an essential and practical tool for designing and creating fashion accessories for men and women. Intended for fashion students and professionals, the book includes different pattern techniques for each accessory and explains production processes so that readers can incorporate them into their professional practice, in addition to identifying and providing the information needed to recreate a wide range of accessory models. It includes descriptions of materials, examples of patterns and designs and different possible finishes through illustrations, photographs, technical drawings and texts that clearly explain the production process of each artisanal and industrial piece. As items that provide personality and originality to one's personal style, fashion accessories have become essential to completing the "look" for each occasion. With the help of this manual, having in-depth knowledge about the creation of different pieces, from a bag to a pair of shoes to hats, gloves, ties and buttons -even clothing for dogs-, is a great way to get started in this branch of the fashion field.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 210 x 300 mm

Publication Date: 20-07-2019

This book analyzes the fundamental aspects of graphically depicting a wide variety of jewelry. The relationships of volume, balance between full and empty, treatment of metal surfaces, warm and cool materials and the relationship between the support and the stone are explained in depth along with ways to illuminate jewelry, treatment of light and chiaroscuro play to add depth. The book begins with simple geometric structures and moves on to explore more complex forms through a range of distortions and multiplications. The goal is not to show finished pieces of jewelry but to provide the tools that will enable readers to acquire a work method that allows them to represent their ideas effectively. From orthogonal and axonometric projections to techniques (watercolor, tempera, ink, mixed technique) and different possible supports, readers will find a source of inspiration for developing their own designs. Rings, tiaras, precious stones, bracelets and chains) are graphically represented in this book as if they were real, along with effects such as depth, gloss and transparency.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 208

Dimensions: 210 x 300 mm

Publication Date: 17-10-2018

Brimming with illustrations, this stunningly original book presents the role of light in art throughout history. This richly illustrated book takes readers on a tour through the history of art to learn how artists have used light (and its lack of it as shadow) to make a statement about their subject matter or create a specific mood, with examples by masters such as Giotto, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Courbet, Turner, Klimt, and many more, as well as theoretical approaches starting with Plato and Aristotle, moving on to Descartes, Newton, Goethe and Chevreul. Throughout history, artists have played with light, approaching it as both a subject and tool to create the desired atmosphere, convey ideas, and inspire emotions in the viewer. In medieval frescoes, rays of light stood for the presence of the divine, while 17th-century Dutch painters used light to indicate depth and construct an impactful setting. The Impressionists wanted to depict light itself and the way it plays upon the surfaces of objects in the form of color. Photography and film have used light, both natural and artificial, to make things visible in the first place. This volume delves into these and many more topics and constitutes a perfect reference book for artists, students, scholars, and art lovers. AUTHOR: Massimo Mariani holds a degree in painting from the Accademia di Brera (Milan, Italy) and has exhibited in numerous galleries in Italy. He has published books on diverse topics, such as cinema, art, the representation of femininity, poetry, and Freud and the subconscious, and has written articles about the art world for Grafica & Disegno. His most recent publication is What Images Really Tell Us, a volume about visual rhetoric in advertising and graphic design. SELLING POINTS: . Brimming with illustrations, this stunningly original book presents the role of light in art throughout history . The informational journey within this volume starts from the theory of light to the various manifestations of light in artistic practice . It features renowned works of art by great artists such as Giotto, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Vermeer, Courbet, Turner, and Klimt . The author of What Images Really Tell Us is back with a captivating essay filled with references to art, film, philosophy, colour theory, and science 300 colour illustrations

Bind: paperback

Pages: 200

Dimensions: 172 x 246 mm

Publication Date: 30-04-2022

New Necklaces is the third book curated by jeweler and author Nicolas Estrada. A very special selection of impressive pieces by more than 180 artists from all over the world, this book showcases the current trends in contemporary jewelry and how boundaries in concept, materials and techniques are being pushed by jewelry designers today. From those that look back to classic forms and materials to the most daring, experimental and surprising ideas, each of the 500 necklaces included in this book has something that makes it unique and relates strongly to today's social, cultural and artistic reality. With prefaces by German jeweler Julia Wild and Leo Caballero, owner of the Barcelona gallery Klimt 02, specialized in contemporary jewelers.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 250

Dimensions: 193 x 245 mm

Publication Date: 01-10-2019

Lauren Wager's follow up to her bestselling Color Collective's Palette Perfect features a fresh approach to colour combinations with entirely new palettes, organised by season. What colour is summer? Is it a cool and translucent swimming pool aquamarine, brilliant watermelon red, or the pale pink interior of a seashell? If these colours define summer, what colour is autumn? How about winter? And spring? In Palette Perfect, Volume 2, designer and best-selling author Lauren Wager explores the multiple possibilities of seasonal color applications, leading the reader through an inspirational presentation of image pairings and colour combinations. The colour palettes are portrayed in a fresh and dynamic way that allows the reader to see how certain colours play off each other in foreground and background, close together and further apart. This format is a different take on colour palettes than Volume 1, and still provides the RGB and CMYK values for artists that would like to translate the colours for web and print. This volume - both a practical guide and inspirational book for designers, illustrators, architects, and crafters, as well home decoration and fashion lovers, professional or otherwise - provides examples of colour application within the worlds of contemporary art, fashion, interiors, photography and graphic design. It is a carefully gathered collection of colour palettes and stunning images with a touch of the unexpected, utterly successful in its aim.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 304

Dimensions: 148 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 30-04-2022

The World's Best Typography: The Yearbook of the Type Directors Club of NY (published for the first time 1980) is a bible of inspiration for typography practitioners and enthusiasts. Within its pages, top creatives as well as publishers and students can find role models, fresh trends, inspiring content and new sources of inspiration. Readers will be inspired by the intersection of craftsmanship and creation, of classical skills and trailblazing innovations. Here, trends are identified and set, as the around 750 awarding-winning designs and some 35 new fonts presented clearly illustrate. Designers from all over the world compete to appear in the book. Previously divided into two competitions, one each for Communications Design and Typeface Design, the program is now a single competition consisting of three disciplines: Type Design, Typography and, for the first time, Lettering, which has its own jury. The Award for Typographic Excellence is the ticket to the best agencies in the world. The yearbook also reflects the latest typography trends, sets standards, is a collector's item and distinguishes its owners as visual thought leaders.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 360

Dimensions: 210 x 285 mm

Publication Date: 05-09-2023