Take Art

Have you ever wanted to pick up a pencil and have a go at drawing something, but felt that you didn't know where to begin? For so many people, the only thing stopping them from creating their own drawings and paintings is the belief that they can't do it. A couple of generations ago, everyone knew how to sketch and paint and here, at last, is a book that will show you just how simple it is to pick up a pencil and recapture that lost art. This wonderfully simple book will show you exactly where to begin and once you start, you won't want to stop! Starting with how to sketch the basics, such as simple faces, the book progresses in easy-to-follow, step-by-step stages that will have you sketching away in no time. After that, it will show you how to move on to working with other materials such as acrylic and watercolour paints. Packed full of useful advice and tips, Take Art will show you all the tricks of the past that artists have used to make their pictures work, how to create a 'likeness', ideas to make simple but beautiful paintings, hints to make your pictures look good and much, much more. It will become an invaluable reference tool and you'll never want to put your sketchbook and pencil down!

Christian Furr is the youngest artist to have officially painted Queen Elizabeth II when, at the age of 28, he was chosen by the Queen from a shortlist of artists. His most recent official portraits include Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor. Christian was one of he judges on the ITV's A Brush with Fame and he is the 'Celebrity Art Club' artist on Channel 4's Richard and Judy show. In June 2004, Christian collected an Association of Colleges Gold Award at the education alumni who have gone on to achieve excellence in their chosen field.