Books in St. Martin's Library series

In this essential guide, accomplished artist Patti Mollica walks you through the most important aspects of color theory as they relate to oil and acrylic painting. From pigment characteristics and color mixing to color psychology, you'll find all the information you need to make dynamic, harmonious, and meaningful color choices in your own works of art. Regardless of your medium, a solid understanding of color and its applications is essential. With a fresh, contemporary take on the subject of color, this essential guide features step-by-step projects and practical tips and techniques to put color knowledge to effective use. You'll find within:Discussions and illustrations of the complexities of color and how to use it as a tool for communicationTips for creating vibrant mixes, lively blacks, realistic greens, and flesh tonesAn inspiring collection of fresh and contemporary artworkColor Theory begins with an overview of color in the history of art and the science behind color, followed by a presentation of color basics: the color wheel; hue, saturation, and value; color and value; color temperature; color relativity; and color schemes. Everything you need to know about pigments and paints is detailed next. With these essentials covered, move on to integrate color with your compositions and painting style as a means of expression. Harness the power of color in your painting with Color Theory!

In the heart of Indianapolis in the mid 1960's, through a twist of fate and fortune, a pretty young girl came to live with a thirty-seven-year-old mother and her seven children. What began as a temporary childcare arrangement between Sylvia Likens's parents and Gertrude Baniszewski turned into a crime that would haunt cops, prosecutors, and a community for decades to come…When police found Sylvia's emaciated body, with a chilling message carved into her flesh, they knew that she had suffered tremendously before her death. Soon they would learn how many others―including some of Baniszewski's own children―participated in Sylvia's murder, and just how much torture had been inflicted in one HOUSE OF EVIL

He Looked like the Perfect Dad...Shortly before Christmas of 2001, the bodies of Mary Jane Longo and her three young children, Zachary, Sadie Ann, and Madison were discovered. They'd been murdered and dumped off the Oregon coast in Yaquina and Alsea Bay. The youngest victim was only two years old. Their father, Christian Longo, was missing.And Became One of America's Most WantedWithin days, the twenty-seven-year-old all-American dad was added to the FBI's list of Ten Most Wanted fugitives. As law enforcement officials scoured northern California in pursuit of the suspected family-killer, Longo was already looking for a new job-and a new life-under a new name. Believed to be skilled in identity theft, Christian Longo was on the run. Now investigative reporter Carlton Smith takes a journey into the heart of darkness-from Longo's masquerade as a devoted family man and finally to his capture at a beach camp in Mexico-to uncover the unfathomable trail of a deadly master of deception.

Explore the colorful art of painting in pastel with this compelling how-to guide. Pastel Step by Step provides all the information beginning artists will need to start working with hard pastel, soft pastel, and pastel pencil to create realistic, expressive works of art. The book begins with basic information on composition, color theory, value, and special techniques, such as scumbling, glazing, and cross-hatching. Then experienced artist Marla Baggetta guides you through 12 colorful and compelling pastel painting projects, step by step. And along the way, you will find plenty of practical tips and useful advice for creating your own impressive works of art in pastel.

Pencil Drawing includes comprehensive instructions for drawing a variety of subjects in pencil. A renowned master in the field, Gene Franks explains how to develop your drawings from start to finish, teaching specific techniques for shading, contrast, texture, detail, and more. You will learn all aspects of pencil drawing as you follow the easy-to-follow instructions for drawing everything from animals and people to household items in no time at all. All you need is this book, a pencil, and a little perseverance!

They Were The Perfect Family. . .For twenty years, Ken and Kristine Fitzhugh and their two sons had lived lives of comfortable middle-class normality in the university town of Palo Alto, California. Then came the shocking news that Kristine Fitzhugh was dead, the victim of a terrible accident... By the time the Palo Alto Police Department looked closer at the death of Kristine Fitzhugh, there could be only one conclusion. Someone had murdered Kristine in her own home, inflicting a series of horrific blows to the back of her head, and then cleaned up the mess to make it look like an accident. Who would do such a thing? Protesting his innocence, Kenneth Fitzhugh was arrested and tried for the murder of his wife. And as the case progressed, one by one, the hidden secrets of the Fitzhugh family came spilling out. . .

Chinese brush painting is an ancient art form associated with grace, simplicity, and precision. With this wonderful addition to the Artist’s Library Series, you too can learn the secrets to painting in this classic, fluid style. Inside, accomplished Chinese brush artist Lucy Wang covers the fundamentals of this medium, such as handling the brush and creating elegant strokes, as well as information on the history of the art form. Then she guides you step by step through a series of painting lessons, from flowers and animals to a landscape and a traditional figure.

In 1989, Aileen Wuornos cruised Florida's I-95 for strangers and free rides. By 1990, seven of the men who had crossed her path had met their fate at the end of her .22 caliber pistol. Convicted in six of the murders, she claimed self-defense--then in turn blamed her ex-husband, her family, her lesbian lover, her defense team, the media, the Gulf War, and bum luck for the cold-blooded slayings.Written by the reporter who broke the story, this the startling account of Wuornos's brutal killing spree, which led to one of the most highly publicized trials, convictions, and executions in all of American crime.