With dozens of beautiful, original designs and detailed explanations, this Chinese paper cutting book is a great reference for beginners. Paper cutting is a popular papercraft in today's multicultural world, embracing a great variety of themes, designs and images. In China, its birthplace, it is regarded as an elegant traditional folk art. Chinese paper cuts reflect many aspects of life, including prosperity, health and the harvest. Paper cuts are typically used to decorate walls, windows and doors, or as patterns for embroidery and lacquer work. Rich in cultural tradition, with a long history of over 1,500 years, Chinese paper cutting was listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. Easy to learn, paper cutting only requires paper and scissors which can be used to create a wide range of interesting paper cut outs. Instruction and inspiration can be found in The Beginner's Guide to Chinese Paper Cutting. This Chinese crafts book introduces all the basic elements of Chinese paper cutting, including the necessary preparation, basic techniques, simple practices and appreciation. The book's clear directions and illustrations will allow anyone to explore the art of paper cutting and start making their own works of art.

· An introductory guide for beginners to kirigami · 24 projects for kirigami pop-up cards, vases, boxes, lanterns, holiday decorations, and more · Designs include animals, sentiments, succulents, flowers, fruits, trees, and more · Combine the art of origami and papercutting to discover a new Japanese art hobby · Projects are easy to master for any craft at any level

A Beginner's Guide to Chinese Brush Painting teaches this ancient art form in an easy-to-understand way--no prior experience necessary! As one of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world, Chinese brush painting has been used for thousands of years to create images that harness the imagination, and capture the inner spirit of a subject--be it an animal, landscape or tree. All you need for this simple, but beautiful, art form is black watercolor paint, white paper, a brush and some creativity! An introduction tells you about the history of brush painting, and also gives tips for holding your brush, achieving different shades and collecting your materials. After that, the book takes you step-by-step through more than 35 hands-on activities--including basic strokes, putting them together to create an object or scene, the importance of leaving open space and even writing some Chinese calligraphy. With the help of this book, artists of all ages can learn to paint: Bamboo stalks, branches and leaf clusters A knotted pine tree and its delicate needles A snail with a spiral shell and little body peeking out from underneath A waterfall gliding down the side of a mountain And much more! You'll find that this activity will help you learn to center your mind and thoughts, and your masterpieces will be inspiring decorations or great gifts for friends and family. Get started learning this "soft martial art!"

Provides instructions for making cut paper designs in the style of European folk art.

Easy-to-use patterns. All original designs. Tips for effective cutting.

Learning Chinese can be frustrating and difficult, partly because it's very different from European languages. Following a teacher, textbook or language course is not enough. They show you the characters, words and grammar you need to become proficient in Chinese, but they don't teach you how to learn them! Regardless of what program you're in (if any), you need to take responsibility for your own learning. If you don't, you will miss many important things that aren't included in the course you're taking. If you study on your own, you need to be even more aware of what you need to do, what you're doing at the moment and the difference between them. Here are some of the questions I have asked and have since been asked many times by students: How do I learn characters efficiently? How do I get the most out of my course or teacher? Which are the best learning tools and resources? How can I become fluent in Mandarin? How can I improve my pronunciation? How do I learn successfully on my own? How can I motivate myself to study more? How can I fit learning Chinese into a busy schedule? The answers I've found to these questions and many others form the core of this book. It took eight years of learning, researching, teaching and writing to figure these things out. Not everybody has the time to do that! I can't go back in time and help myself learn in a better way, but I can help you! This book is meant for normal students and independent language learners alike. While it covers all major areas of learning, you won't learn Chinese just by reading this book. It's like when someone on TV teaches you how to cook: you won't get to eat the delicious dish just by watching the program; you have to do the cooking yourself. That's true for this book as well. When you apply what you learn, it will boost your learning, making every hour you spend count for more, but you still have to do the learning yourself. This is what a few readers have said about the book: "The book had me nodding at a heap of things I'd learnt the hard way, wishing I knew them when I started, as well as highlighting areas that I'm currently missing in my study." - Geoff van der Meer, VP engineering "This publication is like a bible for anyone serious about Chinese proficiency. It's easy for anyone to read and written with scientific precision." - Zachary Danz, foreign teacher, children's theatre artist About me I started learning Chinese when I was 23 (that's more than eight years ago now) and have since studied in many different situations, including serious immersion programs abroad, high-intensity programs in Sweden, online courses, as well as on the side while working or studying other things. I have also successfully used my Chinese in a graduate program for teaching Chinese as a second language, taught entirely in Chinese mostly for native speakers (the Graduate Institute for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at National Taiwan Normal University). All these parts have contributed to my website, Hacking Chinese, where I write regularly about how to learn Mandarin.

Paint the classic subjects that inspired ancient Chinese masters. This book introduces the venerable art of painting with ink on rice paper using traditional techniques developed over a thousand years ago. It is ideal for a beginner hoping to practice a large variety of techniques and subjects. With this practical guide, you will learn to paint: Towering landscapes The elegant Four Gentlemen Plants like bamboo, orchids, plum blossoms, and chrysanthemums Five animals from the Chinese Zodiac The basic strokes used in calligraphy And more! Known as a "soft martial art," brush painting is as meditative as it is artistic. As you move through the lessons and exercises, you'll gain insight into and appreciation for the symbolism, historical context, techniques, and mindfulness associated with this ancient art form.

A complete guide to all the techiques with more than 100 project ideas.--Title page.

Designed to boost draping confidence and design creativity, Fashion Pattern Cutting is a step-by-step guide to the pattern cutting process, from finding inspiration for a fashion-forward design through to creating the finished product. - Clear visuals show each step from mood board to patterns and possible design variations - Written in a friendly, approachable style by an experienced designer and teacher - Provides readers with the tools and techniques to experiment and create their own unique designs Fashion Pattern Cutting is a creative pattern cutting book that pushes the boundaries of experimentation on the mannequin stand. In this book, experienced fashion designer Zarida Zaman explains how to make garments bearing in mind the relationship between fabric, drape, weight and 3D forms. Taking architecture, origami and natural forms as her three key sources of inspiration, the author shows how to create varied and exciting contemporary styles using crisp folds, bold shapes and natural fabrics. Written in an accessible style with clear visuals and plenty of tips and tricks, the book gives readers the tools and confidence to experiment creatively. Included in this book are hand-drawn illustrations of pattern pieces, complete with measurements, and suggestions for how to apply techniques across a range of garments. The patterns reveal the deceptively simple draping techniques used to create stylish, minimalist designs, and enable readers, whether beginners or experienced pattern cutters, to put together stunning and innovative designs themselves.