'Finally! Art without terror!' PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE
'Puts art in our lives, our homes, our hearts' RICHARD CURTIS
'A breath of fresh air' PHILIPPA PERRY
'Read it, enjoy it and be liberated' DAILY MIRROR

What is art, where do I find it, and once I’m in front of it, what am I supposed to think about it?

Kate Bryan is a self-confessed art addict who has worked with art for over twenty years. But before she studied art history at university, she’d been into a gallery just twice in her life and had no idea she was entering an elitist world.

Now, she’s on a mission to help everybody come to art. Like playing or listening to music, or cooking and eating great food, reading or watching films, making art or looking at other people’s deserves to be an enriching part of all our lives.

So here, in HOW TO ART, is a nifty way to take art on your own terms. From where it is to what it is, to tips on how to actually enjoy really famous artworks like the Mona Lisa, to how to own art and make art at home, through to vital advice for making a career as an artist and even how to make your dog more cultural, How to Art gives art to everyone, and makes it fun.

Laced throughout with original artworks by the very down-to-earth artist David Shrigley

'Like food, art has that wonderful ability to bring us joy. Kate is the perfect expert to help us all develop a more meaningful relationship with art.' JAMIE OLIVER

'Joyous and liberating ... if art slightly scares you, or if you’ve ever stood in front of a painting feeling gauche and tongue-tied, you’re going to love it.' INDIA KNIGHT

'The definitive "how to" guide to not being intimidated by the world of art and artists. It brings joy, which is a powerful thing.' MARIA BALSHAW, DIRECTOR OF TATE

The visual arts enrich our lives in so many ways, presenting beauty, emotion, and ideas—but sometimes looking at art is confusing and challenging. This volume in the Art Essentials series, How to Understand Art, sets out to enhance the viewer’s experience by breaking down the elements of art to provide a firm basis for simple enjoyment as well as further understanding.

With one hundred visual examples drawn from across the globe, the emphasis is on how to assess art objectively—a key skill for any art student, museum visitor, or cultural enthusiast. Art historian and museum lecturer Janetta Rebold Benton teaches the reader to reevaluate their experiences of looking at art by learning to move beyond “I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like,” toward an understanding of “why I like it.”

By looking at artists’ materials and techniques, such as drawing, painting, printing, photography, sculpture, and decorative art, Benton makes it possible to assess what can (and cannot) be done in certain media. With these tools at hand, it’s possible to break down any work of art. Further framing the lesson, there is a section devoted to six key artists that have had a particularly notable and innovative influence on the history of art. Perfectly aimed at students and the general reader, this indispensable guide encourages everyone to develop confidence in experiencing, analyzing, and appreciating art.