This lavishly illustrated sketching and watercolor primer reveals how creating art can enhance any wilderness experience. Featuring simple, step-by-step instructions and 280 examples of the author's own work, "Sketching in Nature" covers tools and equipment; choosing a subject; understanding color and using a color wheel; depicting clouds and weather patterns; and more. 55 color illustrations.
A guide to the pleasures and practicalities of painting outdoors covers choosing materials, adapting to weather conditions, and capturing the ever-changing light.
Grab your pen and seize the day! Make art a part of your everyday life, and everyday life a part of your art. Vast opportunities and great joy await you as you learn sketching "on the spot"--be it in your own backyard, amid the bustle of a busy market, on a hike or wherever you happen to find yourself. Cathy Johnson leads you on this thrilling expedition as you explore ways to turn everyday sights and experiences into a cache of visual memories. She and other artists have opened their sketchbooks to share their favorite subjects, ranging from nature's paraphernalia to aging buildings, crashing waves and beloved pets. You will travel the world through sketches and stories, through deserts and deep woods, cities and small towns. Along the way, you'll pick up helpful tips and clever, on-location improvisations for making your sketching sessions pleasurable, safe and productive. • Chapters focus on sketching subjects close to home, on travels, in nature, in urban settings and from everyday life. • 10+ artists share favorite sketches, tips and techniques. • 15+ demos reveal on-the-spot sketches as they come together. • Includes expert advice on getting the best results from a range of mediums, including graphite, ink, colored pencil, watercolor and gouache. The Artist's Sketchbook is pure delight, full of passion and possibility, ideas and inspirations. You'll learn ways to be prepared, simplify, still your inner critic, embrace the here and now, and in doing so, discover wonders you never thought to look for.
Featuring simple step-by-step instructions and hundreds of illustrations, this sketching and watercolor primer reveals how creating art can enhance any outdoor experience.In this inspirational guide, Cathy Johnson, a nationally recognized artist, naturalist and teacher, offers personal anecdotes, exercises and useful tips that are perfect for every amateur artist. This book covers a wide range of subjects, including:·Tools and equipment·Mixing paints and washes·Selecting a subject to sketch or paint·Capturing the illusion of light·Sketching clouds, flowers, trees, plants and animals·Using field sketches as studies for future paintings·Understanding color and using a color wheel·A source list for art suppliesWith more than 280 of Johnson's own illustrations - both in color and black and white - this book will inspire you to appreciate every detail of the natural world.
Made famous by the French Impressionists in the 19th century, plein-air painting is the time-honored style of painting outdoors, on-site and in one sitting. In The Guide to Painting in Nature, Cathy Johnson offers an inspiring introduction - from selecting materials to weathering the elements - to capture your outdoor moments.
In straightforward text complemented by step-by-step illustrations, dozens of exercises lead the hand and mind through creating accurate reproductions of plants and animals as well as landscapes, skies, and more. Laws provides clear, practical advice for every step of the process for artists at every level, from the basics of choosing supplies to advanced techniques.
Expanding on the philosophy and methods of The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren have developed the first-ever comprehensive book devoted to helping educators use nature journaling as an inspiring teaching tool to engage young people with wild places. In their workshops Laws and Lygren are often asked the how-tos of teaching nature journaling: how to manage student groups in the outdoors, teach drawing skills (especially from those who profess to have none), connect journaling to educational standards, and incorporate journaling into longer lessons. This book puts together curriculum plans, advice, and in-the-field experience so that educators of all stripes can leap into journaling with their students. The approaches are designed to work in a range of ecosystems and settings, and are suitable for classroom teachers, outdoor educators, camp counselors, and homeschooling parents. Full-color illustrations and sample journal pages from notable naturalists show how to put each lesson into practice. Field-tested by over a hundred educators, this book includes dozens of activities that easily support the Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards--and, just as important, it will show kids and mentors alike how to recognize the wonder and intrigue in their midst.
This sketchbook helps kids look more closely at nature and capture what they discover with pencil, pen, and paint. The Nature Explorer's Sketchbook inspires exploration, creativity and observation, with beautiful sketchbook illustrations, ideas and tips, and plenty of space for kids to draw. 20 [ages of instruction andcolor illustrations followed by blank pages, with more hints and examples every ten pages. A perfect tool for home schoolers, environmental education programs, STEAM programs, or to give as a gift to young artists and nature lovers. Ages 10+
In the classic nature work, The Yosemite, the great American naturalist, John Muir, describes the Yosemite valley's geography and the myriad types of trees, flowers, birds, and other animals that can be found there. The Yosemite is among the finest examples of John Muir nature writings.The Yosemite is a classic nature/outdoor adventure text and a fine example of John Muir nature writings. In this volume, Muir describes the Yosemite valley's geography and the various types of trees, flowers and animals that can be found there. John Muir (April 21, 1838 - December 24, 1914) was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is a prominent American conservation organization. The 211-mile (340 km) John Muir Trail, a hiking trail in the Sierra Nevada, was named in his honor.[2] Other such places include Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach, John Muir College, Mount Muir, Camp Muir and Muir Glacier. In Scotland, the John Muir Way, a 130 mile long distance route, was named in honor of him. In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of the Western forests. He petitioned the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite National Park. The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. He is today referred to as the "Father of the National Parks" and the National Park Service has produced a short documentary about his life. Muir has been considered 'an inspiration to both Scots and Americans'. Muir's biographer, Steven J. Holmes, believes that Muir has become "one of the patron saints of twentieth-century American environmental activity," both political and recreational. As a result, his writings are commonly discussed in books and journals, and he is often quoted by nature photographers such as Ansel Adams. "Muir has profoundly shaped the very categories through which Americans understand and envision their relationships with the natural world," writes Holmes. Muir was noted for being an ecological thinker, political spokesman, and religious prophet, whose writings became a personal guide into nature for countless individuals, making his name "almost ubiquitous" in the modern environmental consciousness. According to author William Anderson, Muir exemplified "the archetype of our oneness with the earth", [ while biographer Donald Worster says he believed his mission was "...saving the American soul from total surrender to materialism." 403 On April 21, 2013, the first ever John Muir Day was celebrated in Scotland, which marked the 175th anniversary of his birth, paying homage to the conservationist. Muir was born in the small house at left. His father bought the adjacent building in 1842, and made it the family home.
