The earliest of the decorative silver boxes in the Lion Collection, dating from the mid 17th century, were made to contain tobacco, but by the mid 18th century changing fashions meant that snuff was usually favoured. Often carrying coats of arms, inscriptions and exquisite decorative work, the 278 examples photographed and described in this book are arranged chronologically, demonstrating the history and development of British silver boxes up to the mid 19th century.

Dan Klein and Alan Poole were the foremost promoters of contemporary British and Irish artists working in glass. On Klein’s death in 2009, their extraordinary collection was gifted to the National Museums of Scotland. Illustrated in colour throughout, this catalogue showcases hundreds of these works, from exquisite tableware to dynamic sculptures, and provides biographical information on every artist.

After smoking was prohibited in the 17th century, the Chinese began using snuff as medicine, producing special bottles for its storage. Highly collectable items today, this book explains their allure, with chapters on materials used – glass, jade, quartz – and the motifs and painting styles that decorate some exteriors. Including many photographic examples that reveal the variety of designs (no two bottles are quite the same), Stevens reserves his own favourites for the final chapter. Slipcased.

Rebecca Yue shows how to develop the techniques required to create the loosely drawn, expressive paintings that capture the essence of animal subjects in Chinese art. After explaining basic techniques and materials, Yue describes more specialized methods for various animals, such as the big, bold brushstrokes required for a panda's black patches or wet and dry methods for depicting animals with patterns such as leopards and tigers.

Gouache is a forgiving medium for artists, and particularly useful for beginners. This guide shows how, although traditionally the medium of choice for illustrators, gouache has much to offer the fine artist. After chapters on composition and colour, there are numerous examples of both traditional and contemporary approaches to creating a still-life painting, with Scully’s own step-by-step demonstrations.

The Japanese tradition of manga comic book art with its instantly recognizable bold graphic style has become increasingly popular in the West, influencing the style of Western graphic artists and filmmakers. This manual explains the manga style and its basic forms, provides step-by-step instructions for drawing a host of characters from ninjas and cyberpunk kids to superheroes and monsters, and explores how to render dynamic poses and expressions.

This slim volume, first published in 2004, is written by a world-renowned calligraphy artist and teacher, who has been practising this 3,000-year-old art for over 40 years. Qu Lei Lei covers basics such as how to hold the brush and which tools and materials to use, while black-and-white photographs and illustrations demonstrate the dots and strokes that make up each calligraphic character.

Catering for every level of skill, this collection comprises more than 100 knitting projects, including patterns for cardigans, sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves and socks for children and adults, and blankets, pillows, bags and toys for the home. A substantial section on basic equipment and techniques includes step-by-step illustrated instructions for everything from casting on to seams and blocking, plus a useful photo gallery of stitch patterns.

These 20 ideas for horror knitting include a Shrunken Head in a Jar, a Light-up Ghost and a Zombie Marionette. Although some knowledge of knitting is required, there are detailed instructions on the different stitches used and tools required.

Covering a vast range of textiles, this is a worldwide survey of the ancient and very varied traditions of quilting, patchwork and applique. A source of inspiration for anyone working in these crafts today, the book is full of fascinating examples such as the appliqued uniforms of the Mahdi's followers, pojagi wrapping cloths from Korea, and English 19th-century quilted bonnets. The guide is in three parts - materials, uses, construction - and covers over 50 topics, with some 500 illustrations.

Some tips that make origami simpler for beginners are to use plain paper rather than patterned so that the fold marks are clearer, and to use a bone folder (a plastic tool that allows you to make sharp creases easily). This introduction to paper folding presents 26 projects of varying difficulty from ladybirds and paper boats to spaceships and butterflies. Age 5+

Turkey Red was a 19th-century dyeing process employed by some Scottish textiles companies until 1961. This study examines the techniques used to produce the fabrics, which did not fade, the beautiful prints produced and the international markets where the designs were sold.

Lauren Guthrie was a finalist in the 2013 series of BBC 2's The Great British Sewing Bee. In this book she presents a guide to the basics and her own designs for 20 projects, starting with ‘easy pieces’, including cushion covers and a tote bag, and progressing through simple garments and home accessories to a dress. The book includes full-scale patterns for most of the projects, with instructions and cutting layouts.

Puppets from Thailand, Inca carvings from Peru, the New York skyline, and corals from the Great Barrier Reef: this book contains over 100 outline designs based on crafts, costume, architecture and wildlife from countries across the globe for you to colour or otherwise embellish. There are notes on the origins of each drawing and suggestions for how you might use or colour it.

Incorporating a history of Netsuke and a gallery of examples, the skills and tools you’ll need to get started and some basic techniques, Benson details nine projects to tackle, with colour photographs and step-by-step instructions, from the simple dormouse to the more demanding monkey pot.

Netsuke were originally toggles carved into the shape of animals, symbols or masks, which were attached to a kimono. With details of tools and materials required, this guide explains carving techniques step by step and includes 23 projects suitable for a beginner.

Requiring space and specialist tools, this guide covers every aspect of guitar making, from the best choice of wood to the prevention of buzzes and rattles. The book is clearly laid out and includes useful tips, colour photographs and detailed instructions.

Combining a lifelong interest in natural history with her passion for drawing, Lisa Hooper turned professional in 2006 and has since exhibited throughout the UK. Reproducing over 100 striking examples of her work, here she examines her fascination with birds and the various print media she uses to depict them, describing and illustrating the process of her work, while touching on aspects of her life that have influenced the direction she has followed.

Japanese lacquer-work was in high demand in 17th-century England, but following difficulties sourcing wares from Japan, English craftsmen began imitating the style, creating a ‘japanning’ industry, which thrived in the 18th and 19th centuries. This is the most comprehensive guide available on the subject; it includes many photographic examples of japanning, detailing its origins, techniques used and life for workers in the industry, with specific chapters on craftsmen in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Bilston.

Following George V’s request for modern Ascot trophies, the government began encouraging British design in the 1930s, their plans coming to fruition post-war. This compendium features photographic samples from and biographies of the 50 most influential modern British designer silversmiths, based on one-to-one interviews and family records. Shorter entries are included for a further 170 designer silversmiths, enamellers and engravers, providing a unique, comprehensive record of their craft through to the present day. Slipcased.

Sussex Pottery thrived during the late 18th and early 20th centuries. Small potteries produced ‘brownware’ in the form of flagons, bowls, candlesticks and chamber pots, each piece performing a specific function. With black-and-white photographs, this book, published in 1980, describes the pottery, its makers and the variations in style from one Sussex village pottery to the next. May smell slightly musty due to long storage.

Pewter objects were indispensable in Scottish homes and churches for 350 years, though due to the metal’s recyclability, few artefacts from this period survive. Pewter-makers’ records, however, provide details of the material and the culture that surrounded production. This thoroughly researched guide includes a short history of pewter in Scotland, information on how objects were produced, the pewterers, their markings, and a photographic catalogue of pewter plates, tankards and measures.

Written by curator Aileen Dawson, this comprehensive volume focuses on the British Museum’s Worcester porcelain collection. Made with a ‘hard paste’, Worcester porcelain was more durable than other contemporary wares, and particularly suited the brewing of tea – a custom rising in popularity during the 18th century. In this guide, 101 exhibits are clearly photographed and itemized and many – cups, mugs, sugar bowls, a tea pot – are tea-related, though the collection also features vases, figurines, a punchbowl and a wine cooler.

Through looking carefully at a subject and understanding and interpreting a scene as it appears to them, each artist – whether beginner or improver – can develop their own sketching style. Providing answers to problems such as how to direct light, add shadow and tone or approach complex scenes, and offering information on materials and how to use them, this illustrated guide includes many helpful examples of the author’s own work.

Soon after St Petersburg was established in 1703, jewellers began setting up workshops, and the art flourished further under the reigns of successive queens later that century. In this highly illustrated and informative volume, the author, herself born into a family of St Petersburg goldsmiths, uses letters, portraits, diaries, anecdotes and personal documents to trace the history of individual brooches, bracelets, rings and other items of jewellery – items that often passed through generations of the same families.

Formed deep in the earth, under immense pressure and heat, up to 3,000 million years ago, diamonds were first discovered in India around 800 BCE and have remained among the rarest and highly prized substances ever since. Illustrated with large-format photographs, this impressive book explains the history of the diamond trade and profiles the modern industry from mining, assessing quality, cutting and setting stones to famous royal jewels and celebrity wearers.

The preferred tool of some of the best-known photographers of the 20th century, the Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera is renowned for its high-quality build and excellent lenses and remains highly capable as well as collectable today. This guide to the classic camera tells the history of the brand and profiles the different models manufactured between 1929 and 1981, exploring the lenses, shutters and accessories, giving tips on use and offering advice to anyone wishing to acquire one.

For the absolute sewing novice, this manual provides information on materials and tools, as well as tips on how to measure and get organized. Starting with basic stitches, followed by a simple bunting project, the techniques progress to hemming, binding, gathering and appliqué, while projects include a tote bag, an apron, a cot blanket and a covered coat-hanger.

Explaining one stitch at a time, with clear step-by-step instructions, this manual introduces nine different stitches and provides a project for each one, from a traditional Bangladeshi running stitch cushion cover to a needle case decorated with button-hole stitch cutwork. With information on materials and tools, and templates provided, this is an ideal starting point for anyone new to embroidery.

While 19th-century ladies might pass their time stitching complex needlework patterns in Berlin Wool Work, or copying William Morris designs, working-class women produced items of ‘white work’ to supplement their income. From a patchwork tea cosy and a young boy’s dress to a history lesson stitched into a sampler, this publication presents a richly diverse range of embroidery samples – also incorporating diagrams of stitches – from the extensive collection of Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth, of Gawthorpe Hall, Lancashire.

Celebrated watercolour artist Annette Kane uses examples of her own confident and powerful work to demonstrate direct application of watercolour paint, rather than the traditional build-up of layers. Including advice on brushes, paints and papers to use, she describes techniques from how to create texture and express colour to ways of observing light and shade, and encourages readers to develop their own unique style.

This comprehensive guide for beginners and experienced dolls’ house enthusiasts, whether using 1/12 or 1/24 scales, describes a range of styles, covering historical periods and cultural influences from a Tudor interior to a Zen apartment. The author suggests ways to present miniature scenes featuring purchased items and provides instructions for making items such as tables, a modernist house and a fireplace. Illustrated with colour photographs, the book includes advice on equipment and a list of suppliers.

Matt Chapple, one-time winner of the Great British Sewing Bee, shares his skills, outlining the essential toolkit for marking, cutting, stitching and making patterns. Starting by customizing and decorating existing garments with patches, pockets and darts, the reader can then attempt seven projects from scratch, from a bow tie to a summer dress. There are tips for maintaining clothes and all instructions are clearly explained and well illustrated.

A compendium of advice on love, sex and family life, the Hindu text known as the Kama Sutra was probably compiled in the second century CE from earlier texts, and it is best known for its practical advice about sexual positions. This adult colouring book provides intricate line drawings based on illustrations of those chapters. Sexually explicit.

Inspired by the Scandinavian seasons, this how-to book provides 21 year-round projects: a baby’s winter cover; a quilted birds’ nest for spring (complete with birds); a fishy sampler for the summer, and a colourful tree scarf for autumn. Focusing on quilting, applique and embroidery techniques, there are tips, templates to copy and a section on finding inspiration.

By liberating colour from its subservient role to drawing, abstract artists have found innovative ways to use and develop the pictorial space. In this title, the author complements works by well-known abstract artists with many of his own, giving clear descriptions of choices made and techniques used. He examines the media and tools available, looks at creating a series of paintings, and encourages the reader to paint with confidence.

This comprehensive guide to portrait painting begins with information on materials, painting and composition, followed by five chapters detailing the stages of painting a head from life, and finishes with self-portraits and portraiture. Illustrated with over 100 paintings, the author’s detailed advice draws on his personal experience and knowledge of art history, and includes practical tips and helpful suggestions on how to work with a sitter.

These seven lessons, focusing on watercolour, cover various aspects of landscape painting, from tone and texture to composition and perspective, each including clear instructions for tackling a relevant project, including a desert view, a brooding sky and a Hawaiian beach scene. The book also offers practical information about materials and a detailed account of a sketching trip along the West Coast of Ireland.

The 101 short lessons in this practical guide offer artists a variety of ways to practise and hone key skills. Materials are clearly explained and photographed in the first chapter, and the different exercises are broken down into illustrated steps and graded by level of difficulty. Including shading, contrast, surfaces, brushstrokes, and techniques such as pointillism, the breadth of content will suit beginners and professional artists alike.

Inspired by his belief in an ‘unseen realm of beings’ who live on Earth, the author encourages readers to experiment with their own imaginations. Starting with basic information on materials and tools, the guide touches on colour, tone and perspective, before moving on to detailed descriptions of how to draw fairy features and poses, create magical effects and ultimately realize whole fairy worlds.

‘To mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy is one of the first principles in war.’ As this manual shows, the timeless tactical lessons of the ancient Chinese treatise The Art of War are applicable as much to the chessboard as to the battlefield. Two experienced chess teachers share a selection of Sun Tzu’s pithy advice and, through their analyses of classic games, illustrate how the most successful grandmasters have put each of these ideas into practice.

Using simple Scandinavian style and colours, these projects include traditional folklore bunting and a Christmas stocking, alongside more contemporary iPad and laptop cases, as well as fun ideas for mug warmers and toys for the nursery. All are presented with clear step-by-step instructions, while information on tools, techniques and a list of suppliers can be found with the templates at the back of the book. Felt-tip mark on lower trimmed edge.

After providing basic information about materials and colours, each chapter in this DIY guide focuses on a specific material – including wood, thread, clay and wax – explains how to use it, and offers two or three easy projects to try. From making your own tea-lights to spray-painting a dining chair, these unusual designs can make a striking difference to your home. (References to websites may no longer be valid.)

Incorporating unusual materials into paintings can create interesting 3D effects that trick the eye and attract attention. Inside this guide are ten basic ‘recipes’ for bold, colourful artworks that include unexpected components – from tissue paper and fabric to noodles and rice. With step-by-step instructions and recipe cards to explain materials and techniques, artists are encouraged to explore their media in the same way a creative chef experiments with food.

Creating beautiful portraits requires a variety of skills, from planning the composition to perfecting the details of hair and facial features. This handbook offers valuable and reliable advice, including how to choose a background, how to work out a pose, and methods of ensuring a good likeness.

This guide provides information on many aspects of pastel drawing, from the history of the medium to storing and transporting your work, as well as explaining the meaning of expressions such as ‘working thin to thick’ and the significance of the ‘focal point’.

Covering drawing media including pencil, ink, charcoal, pastel and coloured pencil, this comprehensive ringbound manual explores an array of drawing styles and techniques. The book provides step-by-step sequences comparing different approaches, and offers specific advice on different subjects as well as applied styles such as fashion and textile design.

This book of colouring patterns is inspired by shapes found in masterpieces of modern and contemporary art, such as the dots, spirals and paint splashes used by Close, Escher and Pollock respectively. Each illustration is different from the next, but all have a mesmeric quality, so colouring the design, whatever medium is employed, can be a soothing, relaxing activity.