How Art Works

Sarah grew up in London, then studied German and Fine Art in Oxford and Hamburg. She joined Usborne after working at Profile Books and Thames & Hudson, and now spends her time writing about art, investigating germs and devising ways to stave off boredom - all the important things, basically.

1 What is art?

2 Can anything be art?

3 How do you look at pictures?

4 How are paintings made?

5 Fit for a king

6 What is an artist?

7 What makes pictures look 3D?

8 Shadows and highlights

9 How's it all arranged?

10 Varying viewpoints

11 How do you make a sculpture?

12 How does colour work?

13 Wild colours

14 How can art trick your eyes?

15 Where can you see art?

16 What is a still life?

17 Does art have to be serious?

18 How do portraits work?

19 Who's in the picture?

20 Who's missing?

21 How does art tell stories?

22 A hidden story

23 Should art be beautiful?

25 Why so big? Why so small?

26 What's an art movement?

27 Can a cartoon be a work of art?

28 What's an installation?

29 Explosive ideas

30 Why do artists make self portraits?

31 Painting your own story

32 What is abstract art?

33 How are prints made?

34 An unexpected view

35 Can a photograph be art?

36 Why do artists try and shock you?

37 Art and politics

38 An anti-war message

39 What's it worth?

40 What do art museums do?

41 When was it made?

42 Glossary

43 Usborne Quicklinks