In an age where most everything is mass-produced and technology has become the filter through which we experience much of life, there is a growing appreciation of the handmade. From scented soaps to designer jeans, leather wallets and jewelry, furniture and bicycles, we place more value in goods that were crafted by hand, feeling a human connection. Handmade Art explores the art and artists who exemplify the movement through the skill of their craftsmanship and their creative vision. With forty material experts working with embroidery and felt, paper cutting or folding, linocut stamps, clay or wood to revive old crafts or seek new ones, all the while providing helpful tips and techniques as they share the inspiration for their work.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 256

Dimensions: 190 x 250 mm

Publication Date: 31-03-2018

One of the few under-examined aspects of Picasso's life and work was his love of animals. The son of a pigeon breeder and an aficionado of bullfighting, Picasso had an eye trained for capturing an animal's movement, shape, and personality - often with just a single line. Organised around the different types of animals that played a role in the artist's life and body of work - from his beloved dachshund, Lump, to dogs, cats, and doves, among others - each chapter offers personal accounts, amusing anecdotes, and wondrous works of arts. The perfect gift for lovers of animals or Picasso's art, this exquisite treasury of expertly rendered creatures is filled with humour, warmth, and the tremendous bonds between man and animal. Includes a preface by Davis Douglas Duncan.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 120

Dimensions: 144 x 188 mm

Publication Date: 12-11-2014

This book contains a year’s worth of tips and ideas on learning how to use watercolours and improving your drawing techniques. It discusses issues such as the materials needed for watercolors, the properties of colour, different colour combinations, and the different wet and dry techniques. Featuring many examples and illustrations, as well as clear and informative texts, this volume is an essential tool for anyone who enjoys painting with watercolours. It also contains a chapter on gouache and another on the most common objects of inspiration, including portraits, landscapes, animals, and flowers.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 172

Dimensions: 203 x 225 mm

Publication Date: 16-03-2018

Aimed to fashion students and designers, Palette Perfect is both a practical guide and an inspirational book that proposes a reflection on the universe of colour combinations, the moods and atmospheres they evoke and how we associate particular places and emotions to special colours. Each chapter explores a particular mood and describes the corresponding feelings and colour combinations, using as examples exquisite photographs of objects, still-lives, landscapes, interiors and fashion. At the end of each chapter, a wide variety of palettes representing the chapter’s particular mood or atmosphere is included.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 304

Dimensions: 148 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 01-03-2018

Influenced by the likes of Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares and Francisco Coloane, Claudio Romo’s work is highly original, blending literary fantasy with adventure in a way that is never cliché or expected. Equally talented as both writer and illustrator for his works, he believes that the “two forms of narrations” combine to create “a single fabric: ourselves.” In A Journey in the Phantasmagorical Garden of Apparitio Albinus, we explore the flora and fauna and other wondrous phenomena of a miraculous garden filled with denizens as small as symbiotic insects, made up of both plant and animal life forms, and as large as a planet, Atanasius Uterinus, that contains a sun within its very core. According to Romo, the ‘book’ best represents the human race, “a place where different traditions and kinds of knowledge interact.’ Who are we to argue.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 60

Dimensions: 200 x 290 mm

Publication Date: 01-02-2018

One of the most challenging task for a product designer is certainly to combine form and function in an effective way. Creativity, thus, is an important asset for them, if they want to find the right balance. This book features different examples from all over the world of how inventiveness results in outstanding and original products, in the form of furniture, decorative objects, lamps and toys. The volume includes product descriptions, photographs, and designers’ sketches which show the design processes. A must-have for both students and professionals of product and interior design.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 210 x 285 mm

Publication Date: 01-02-2018

Denim jeans, perhaps the most ubiquitous article of clothing to be found in the world today did not always enjoy such widespread appeal. Prior to the 1950’s, denim was largely worn by the working class, be it farmers, construction or factory workers as a durable, utilitarian fabric that held up well against the elements. The earliest proponents were likely the miners of the American West, who in the 1800’s toiled away underground, occasionally leaving some remnants behind for posterity. For some, this history holds a deep fascination bordering on fanaticism as these archaeologists of denim risk life and limb to explore abandoned mines in search of these elusive treasures. Piecing together their finds from all eras and brands to stitch together a picture not only of the history of denim, but also often the histories of their wearers. With beautiful fashion photography and details, vintage ads and photos, this is a must for any serious jean collector or afficianado.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 268

Dimensions: 240 x 305 mm

Publication Date: 16-02-2018

This homeowner's guide shows you how to build 35 useful and attractive outdoor features to enhance your yard and garden. Complete Book of Outdoor DIY Projects is the ultimate resource for constructing a wide variety of professional-looking, stylish structures, using stone, brick, wood or water. With step-by-step instructions and clear color photographs, all you need is basic equipment and easy-to-learn skills. Projects include stone paths, garden archways, Japanese stone gardens and bamboo fountains, raised and free standing brick planters, pavers, decorative screen walls, rustic benches, and much more. Each project is accompanied by detailed information on which tools to use, exactly what materials are required, how long it will take to make, and the level of difficulty involved, along with handy tips and time-saving techniques.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 208

Dimensions: 216 x 279 mm

Publication Date: 15-03-2018

The professional advice and the sheer beauty of these projects make this title a must-have reference for every power carver! The go-to reference for power carving, updated and revised Expanded reviews featuring the latest tools: A complete buyer's guide to exciting new tools from Dremel, Foredom, and other manufacturers 22 step-by-step projects from Woodcarving Illustrated magazine—the woodcarver's authoritative source for 20 years: Including birds, fish, mammals, walking sticks, and more Contributions from today's top names in woodcarving: Frank Russell, Jack Kochan, Wanda Marsh, Lori Corbett, Chuck Solomon, Dave Hamilton Stunning photos of finished work and step-by-step techniques Improved performance, versatile attachments, and lower prices have placed power tools within the reach of every woodworker. Celebrating 20 years of power carving wizardry, this big book presents all-time favorite projects and patterns from Woodcarving Illustrated, the leading how-to magazine for carving enthusiasts. If you have been thinking about trying your hand at power carving, or are looking to expand your power carving skills, this powerhouse collection is exactly what you need. It features a stunning gallery of work and a complete buyer's guide to exciting new tools from Dremel, Foredom, and other manufacturers. Covering everything from the basics of safety to the strategy for texturing feathers, Power Carving Manual, Second Edition offers expert information, insight, and inspiration from today's top power carvers, including Frank Russell, Jack Kochan, Wanda Marsh, Lori Corbett, Chuck Solomon, and Dave Hamilton.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 168

Dimensions: 216 x 279 mm

Publication Date: 19-03-2018

Atlas of Empires tells the story of how and why the great empires of history came into being, operated and ultimately declined, and discusses the future of the empire in today's globalized world. Featuring 60 beautiful and detailed maps of the empires' territories at different stages of their existence and organized thematically to reflect the different driving forces behind empires throughout history (such as faith, nomadic culture, nationhood and capitalism), each section discusses the rise and fall of the empires that existed in a region: their government and society, wealth and technology, war and military force, and religious beliefs. From the earliest empires of the Sumerians and the Pharaohs to the modern empires of the USSR and the European Union, this is a story that reveals how empires are created and organized, how later empires resolve the problems of governance faced by earlier empires, and how the political and cultural legacies of ancient empires are still felt today.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 203 x 254 mm

Publication Date: 16-03-2018