Barron's Beginner Art Guides are substantial books that pack in lots of information at a value price. Covering the fundamentals of art, each guide provides a series of projects, presented in order of difficulty, and supplemented with practical suggestions, ideas for color experiments, and techniques for creating special effects.

The final page of each book presents a capsule biography of a famous artist whose work offers classic examples of the title's central subject.

Hardcover. 64 pages. 8¼" × 11" (21 cm × 28 cm).

Drawing with Charcoal, Chalk, and Sanguine Crayon — This volume summarizes basic art principles for art students and ambitious amateurs who want to expand their knowledge, and presents several dry-medium projects to complete. This title also presents a brief yet enlightening illustrated discussion of James Ensor, a Belgian artist particularly noted for his work in charcoal, chalk, and sanguine.

Painting the Human Figure — This book instructs in the fundamentals of anatomy drawing. A series of projects featuring full-color illustrations depict male and female figures in standing, sitting, reclining, and action poses. Included are practical exercises for painting both nude figures and clothed models for portrait studies.

Painting with Acrylics — This book shows artists how to explore the technical possibilities of acrylic pigments and use this gratifying medium to produce imaginative and original paintings. Among the many hands-on projects provided are a collection of landscape and still life paintings. Presented in order of increasing difficulty, each project is supplemented with advice and practical suggestions to help you achieve professional-looking results.