Most Popular Books by Susie Hodge

Showcasing world-famous paintings from London''s National Gallery, this engaging interactive guide provides a first look at art--plus a free app that allows kids to create their own virtual gallery. Focusing primarily on the Western European tradition, each spread is filled with glorious images and informative, bite-sized chunks of information. "Did You Know?" and "Art Lesson" boxes (including projects) appear throughout.

A guide to modern art that describes different styles of modern art, profiling major works and artists, and offers tips for how to look at modern art, where to see it, and how to understand it.

This book is an essential volume for anyone wanting to learn more about this fascinating and ground-breaking artist, and to study his greatest works in one collection. The book follows his early experiences and artistic education, as well as his personal life, shedding light on why Monet became the painter he did. The second half is a gallery of more than 300 of his works with analysis of each painting.

Impressionism has captured the imagination of people the world over since its first exhibition in Paris in 1874. People have long sought to understand how and why the Impressionists created their paintings and how their techniques might be replicated. Susie Hodge reveals the answers to these questions by assessing the techniques and styles of the great masters of Impressionism and showing how artists today can use their methods. An informative introduction explains how the Impressionist movement came about, explores its historical context, and defines the style and inspiration of the artists involved. The heart of the book, however, focuses on eight major Impressionist painters -- Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Cassatt, Degas, Cezanne, Seurat and Van Gogh -- revealing how they worked and analyzing their well-known paintings. Each case includes step-by-step demonstrations that show the reader exactly how to re-create Impressionist painting details in appropriate style.

This book brings an era to life with vivid stories and information from those who were there. During World War Two, 90% of the British population remained civilians. The War affected daily life more than any other war had done before. The majority of British people faced this will fortitude, courage and determination and this is their story, the telling of events and situations that forced their ingenuity and survival instincts to rise. Make do and mend came to mean so much more than reworking old clothes and this book describes the enterprise that went on and has long been forgotten. From the coasts and the countryside, this is how those at home faced and fought the war passively, particularly women whose job it was to keep the home fires burning. These ordinary people were crucial to the war effort; without their courage and inventiveness, the outcome could have been very different. Packed with interviews, photographs and other firsthand information, this book will appeal to all those who were there, but even more for those with little or no experience of World War Two, who will gain insights into the humor, strength and creativity that emerged in the face of hardship and tragedy. The book explores how people lived in Britain during times of fear, hardship and uncertainty; how they functioned and supported those away fighting and how they dealt with the enormous challenges and adversities

The Short Story of Women Artists tells the full history - from the breakthroughs that women have made in pushing for parity with male artists, to the important contributions made to otherwise male-dominated artistic movements, and the forgotten and obscured artists who are now being rediscovered and reassessed. Accessible, concise and richly illustrated, the book reveals the connections between different periods, artists and styles, giving readers a thorough understanding and broad enjoyment of the full achievements that female artists have made.

An expert account of the post-Impressionist artist, Paul Gaughin, who defied convention to pursue his art in the South Seas; stunning illustrated throughout. ,

A perceptive and detailed account of the artist, Paul Cezanne, who uniquely bridged the gap between the Impressionist and the Cubist movements."

The Short Story of Modern Art explains the how, why and when of modern art – who introduced certain things, what they were, where they were produced, and why they matter. Simply constructed, the book explores 50 key works – from the realist painting of Courbet to a contemporary installation by Yayoi Kusama – and then links them to the most important movements, themes and techniques. Accessible, concise and richly illustrated, the book reveals the connections between different periods, artists and styles, giving readers a thorough understanding and broad enjoyment of modern art.

This book has been compiled from the following titles: How to draw babies and children, How to draw faces, How to draw hands and feet, Hot to draw people, How to draw people in action.

Called the greatest Spanish painter by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was born in 1599 in Seville, and as early as 1620, he was established as a painter, producing many genre scenes, notably Old Woman Frying Eggs, and religious subjects, such as The Adoration of the Magi and Christ in the House of Martha and Mary. This informative book outlines his royal connections and influences and describes his most dramatic and emotive works. There is also a magnificent gallery of 300 glorious images. This beautifully illustrated book is essential reading for anyone who would like to learn more about this master of painting, who influenced so many later artists, and whom Édouard Manet called the ‘painter of painters’. • A comprehensive reference book on the life and works of Diego Velázquez, the most important painter in the Spanish Habsburg court of King Philip IV • Offers a fascinating study of this individualistic artist’s education, family life and influences, and all his outstanding works • Explores Velázquez’ progression from painting pictures of everyday life to portraits of the Spanish royal family, notably the artist’s crowning achievement in his most recognized work, Las Meninas • Features a wonderful gallery of Veláquez’ paintings, accompanied by an expert analysis of each work, and a description of his style and technique

Painting.

The Art of Fine Gifts: Twentieth-century painter, designer and wood engraver Eric Ravilious was responsible for a fascinating range of different works, from illustrations for books to designs for ceramics for the established Wedgwood pottery firm. This gorgeous new book features beautiful woodcut images of countryside life, watercolours of rolling landscapes and many of Ravilious'' acute and profound war paintings.

A biography and gallery of one of Spain''s great masters, stunningly illustrated throughout.

Artist, architect and draughtsman, one of the great masters and one of the most influential painters of the High Renaissance, Raphael produced a huge body of work during his short working life. His artistic development took place in Umbria, Rome and Florence, where he met Michelangelo and Leonardo, and was influenced by their dynamic and evocative images. Some of his subsequent work reflected his admiration for them. In Rome, he painted The School of Athens, a major fresco depicting the greatest thinkers and philosophers of the past and present. His beautiful style is reflected in the second part of the book in a gallery of around 300 of Raphael''s major paintings and drawings, with an analysis of each in the context of his life, his technique and oeuvre. Raphael was one of the greatest artists of all time; his death in 1520 marked the end of the 16th century.

A sumptuous illustrated biography, history and gallery of the acclaimed artist of the late 19th and early 20th century.

This expert book covers the fascinating and romantic history that surroundes the order of the Knights Templar. It charts the rise and influence of the order, its changing fortunes, losing their base in Jerusalem in the Third Crusade, the fall of Acre and the destruction of the order by Pope Clement V and Philip IV of France. The speculative myths and questions about these legendary knights are fully discussed, as are controversial claims and conspiracies that have surrounded them for centuries. Among these are whether the Templars discovered America and if they were the guardians of the Holy Grail. With well-researched text and evocative illustrations this volume shows the historical legacy of the Templars and how they have influenced contemporary organizations, art, literature and legend.

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