Making Art Special

A guide to teaching art to children with cognitive and motor disabilities in a classroom or other setting. Includes over fifty, full color, illustrated lessons, with step-by-step instructions, as well as helpful information for creating your own lessons. The new and improved second edition contains larger pictures.

A behind-the-scenes look at the world of special effects discusses a wide range of ingenious techniques--from computer graphics and optical compositing to matte printing and model construction--used in such films as "Star Wars," "Poltergeist," and "Raider

Andrea Mantegna: Making Art (History) presents the art of Mantegna as challenging the parameters of the history of art in the demands it makes upon historical interpretation, and explores the artist’s potentially transformative impact on the study of the early Renaissance. Features an array of new methodologies for the study of Mantegna and early Renaissance art Critically addresses the question of iconography and “literary” art, as well as the politics of the monographic exhibition Includes translations of two seminal accounts of the artist by Roberto Longhi and Daniel Arasse, key texts not previously available in English Explores the Mantegna’s potentially transformative impact on the study of the early Renaissance

"A fun-filled art activity book that will encourage kids to express themselves while teaching them about key artistic styles and a selection of pioneering artists from history"--

Every human society displays some form of behavior that can be called “art,” and in most societies other than our own the arts play an integral part in social life. Those who wish to understand art in its broadest sense, as a universal human endowment, need to go beyond modern Western elitist notions that disregard other cultures and ignore the human species’ four-million-year evolutionary history. This book offers a new and unprecedentedly comprehensive theory of the evolutionary significance of art. Art, meaning not only visual art, but music, poetic language, dance, and performance, is for the first time regarded from a biobehavioral or ethical viewpoint. It is shown to be a biological necessity in human existence and fundamental characteristic of the human species. In this provocative study, Ellen Dissanayake examines art along with play and ritual as human behaviors that “make special,” and proposes that making special is an inherited tendency as intrinsic to the human species as speech and toolmaking. She claims that the arts evolved as means of making socially important activities memorable and pleasurable, and thus have been essential to human survival. Avoiding simplism and reductionism, this original synthetic approach permits a fresh look at old questions about the origins, nature, purpose, and value of art. It crosses disciplinary boundaries and integrates a number of divers fields: human ethology; evolutionary biology; the psychology and philosophy of art; physical and cultural anthropology; “primitive” and prehistoric art; Western cultural history; and children’s art. The final chapter, “From Tradition to Aestheticism,” explores some of the ways in which modern Western society has diverged from other societies--particularly the type of society in which human beings evolved--and considers the effects of the aberrance on our art and our attitudes toward art. This book is addressed to readers who have a concerned interest in the arts or in human nature and the state of modern society.

�Dissanayake argues that art was central to human evolutionary adaptation and that the aesthetic faculty is a basic psychological component of every human being. In her view, art is intimately linked to the origins of religious practices and to ceremonies of birth, death, transition, and transcendence. Drawing on her years in Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and Papua New Guinea, she gives examples of painting, song, dance, and drama as behaviors that enable participants to grasp and reinforce what is important to their cognitive world.��Publishers Weekly�Homo Aestheticus offers a wealth of original and critical thinking. It will inform and irritate specialist, student, and lay reader alike.��American AnthropologistA thoughtful, elegant, and provocative analysis of aesthetic behavior in the development of our species�one that acknowledges its roots in the work of prior thinkers while opening new vistas for those yet to come. If you�re reading just one book on art anthropology this year, make it hers.��Anthropology and Humanism

Transforming an actor into a character for film or theater takes a great deal of skill, prowess, and creativity, and in this new edition, author Todd Debreceni empowers you with just those qualities. From his years of film, TV, and theatrical experience, he shows you tips and techniques that will have you applying your own makeup effects like a pro in no time. Along with walking you through genre-specific considerations (horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and so on) Todd also teaches you about the gear you will need, how to maintain your kit, how to take care of the actor's skin, how to airbrush properly when HD is involved, and so much more. Learn how to sculpt and mold your own makeup prosthetics, with a focus on how human anatomy relates to sculpture, to create the most realistic effects. Recipes scattered throughout the book show you exactly what you need and how to use it, helping you to create the best SFX makeup applications. Case studies feature some of the world's top makeup effects artists including Steve Wang, Thom Flouts, Ve Neill, Neill Gorton, Greg Nicotero, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Jordu Schell, Howard Berger, Matthew Mungle, Christien Tinsely, Vittorio Sodano, and Tami Lane. Put your new techniques into practice right away and see how some of the looks from the book were achieved with the step-by-step tutorials on the companion website, www.focalpress.com/cw/debreceni. New to this edition: * Animatronics * Specialty contact lenses * Collapsible core molds * Contoured or conforming molds * Making resin and silicone eyes * Even MORE information about silicone rld's top makeup effects artists including Steve Wang, Thom Flouts, Ve Neill, Neill Gorton, Greg Nicotero, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Jordu Schell, Howard Berger, Matthew Mungle, Christien Tinsely, Vittorio Sodano, and Tami Lane. Put your new techniques into practice right away and see how some of the looks from the book were achieved with the step-by-step tutorials on the companion website, www.focalpress.com/cw/debreceni. New to this edition: * Animatronics * Specialty contact lenses * Collapsible core molds * Contoured or conforming molds * Making resin and silicone eyes * Even MORE information about silicone

Bring out your child’s creativity and imagination with more than 60 artful activities in this completely revised and updated edition Art making is a wonderful way for young children to tap into their imagination, deepen their creativity, and explore new materials, all while strengthening their fine motor skills and developing self-confidence. The Artful Parent has all the tools and information you need to encourage creative activities for ages one to eight. From setting up a studio space in your home to finding the best art materials for children, this book gives you all the information you need to get started. You’ll learn how to: * Pick the best materials for your child’s age and learn to make your very own * Prepare art activities to ease children through transitions, engage the most energetic of kids, entertain small groups, and more * Encourage artful living through everyday activities * Foster a love of creativity in your family