We’re celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens with the Museum of London! In the UK’s first major exhibition on the author for over 40 years, the Museum of London is recreating the atmosphere of Victorian London through sound and projections and more. You’ll be taken on a haunting journey to discover the city that inspired his writings. Paintings, photographs, costume and objects illustrate themes that Dickens wove into his works, while rarely seen manuscripts including Bleak House and David Copperfield – written in the author’s own hand – offer clues to his creative genius.

Get into the spirit of London with these great offers from TheHobbyWarehouse!

Inside Dicken's London

Inside Dickens’ London – Our Price £7.99

Get a great deal on Michael Paterson’s essential guide book to the town that Dicken’s knew and loved,  Inside Dickens’ London is a fascinating insight into London in the mid 1800s.  It explores  the city as it was then: a dangerous adn sometimes brutal place by drawing on Dickens’ own descriptions of the city.

Get even more deals on Dickens in today’s Hobby Warehouse eNewsletter!

Teashop Treats Review:

This book is cute as a button with adorable illustrations and some really good recipes for cakes, scones, biscuits and even the savouries that have become staples in the Teashops around the country.  If you’re planning a teaparty, it’s the perfect place to start. Lace doilies at the ready? Let’s cook!

Rich Chocolate Torte Recipe

• 170g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
• 75g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 4 eggs
• 100g light muscovado sugar
• 30g plain flour

Serves: 10

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 -20 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 180C(gas mark 4). Grease a 23 cm round cake tin with butter and line it with baking parchment.
2. Break up the chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl  with the butter. Set the bowl over a pan of almost boiling water, making sure the water is not touching the base of the bowl. Stir until melted, then remove form the heat.
3. Meanwhile, put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture has increase considerably  in volume and leaves a trail in on the surface when the beaters are lifted out. (If using a hand whisk or rotary beater, set the bowl over a pan of almost boiling hot water while you whisk, making sure the water is not touching the base of the bowl.)
4. Add the chocolate mixture to the whisked mixture and fold it in with a metal spoon. Sift the flour over the top and fold it until it is combined.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, gently spreading it to the edges, and level the surface. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until the top of the cake feels just firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out.

My notes:

Before you put it in the pan, the mixture is quite stiff, and it will keep it’s shape whilst cooking so it you want a smooth torte you may need to get in there with a spoon. Mine was really tasty. Definitely worth a try.

For how to books on photography, railways, travel, trivia, writing, crafting and more visit The Hobby Warehouse. We’ve still got a great range at better than  great prices.

For all art related books please go to Painters Books!

Top of the pile is a prize for £50 voucher at RUBooks. Wowser! You could spend that on anything in the shop including great music titles like Madonna or even The Rolling Stones!   This book has all the world famous moves, more than 100 classic pictures and great stories from the band. Not one to be missed, especially  if you’re name is Angie. Enter here.

Rockin' Rolling Stones coffee table book with a mug for your...coffee

Next up is one for all of the railway fans out there You can win Memories of Steam AND Lost Joys of Railways! You’ll have steam coming out of your ears… with joy of course!  Enter here.

We’re also giving away copy of Greenpeace’s loveletter to our frozen planet, new coffee table book, The Arctic: Treasure of the North  by Bernd Rommelt and Dr. Thomas Henningsen.  We’re talking breathtaking pictures of polar bears, ice flows, landscapes and wildlife from around the fragile arctic circle.  And you can win your very own copy! Enter here.

We know that  you’ve got a bit of a wild side, that why we’ve got some fabulous deals on wonderfully inspirational wildlife photography books with our 10% off deal live until 12  Dec. Wonderful prices on books with great pictures of lions and tigers and…yes, there are a few robins as well.

You can even get a great bargain on the book for the London Natural History Museum exhibition that everyone is talking about the Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Portfolio 21. We’re talking 160 pages of up close and personal beautiful imagery and just£18 this week until 12 Dec, it’s difficult not to

And don’t miss this great title from Mr. George Lepp, Wildlife Photography: Stories from the Field at only £11.99. It’s full of engaging tales from the field and technical know-how. Written with his wife Kathryn Vincent Lepp, Wildlife Photography describes the exciting, sometimes terrifying adventures behind their favourite wildlife images. Join Lepp on location as he follows lions on the hunt; documents the rise and fall of ocean tides in order to create the perfect shorebird picture and climbs the mountains where high-altitude creatures dwell.

In honour of the mayhem that is ‘Black Friday’ we’ve got a ma-husive 50% off sale on ALL of our David and Charles Books. That includes great works on painting, photography and drawing. There are almost 200 items in the sale, but here are some of our top picks.  Sale ends Sunday 27 November, so get in quick!

Claudia Nice is nice, so nice she’s willing to share all (well some) of her top tips for drawing and painting all different types of trees in her book, Drawing and Painting Trees in the Landscape.  Whether you’re out in the wild or sketching from photos, this bestseller has all the step by step instructions you’ll need to get every leaf, branch and twig just the way you want it.

Drawing & Painting Trees in the Landscape by Claudia Nice

Buy now for only £7.49

A fabulous book by a fabulous photographer, David Noton‘s Full Frame is a gurt lush proper nice coffee table book with some genuinely breath taking photos from around the globe.  From the man that brought you Waiting for the Light,

Full Frame sees Noton set about achieving ‘the perfect shoot’. Of course this is not just pretty pictures, the book also reveals invaluable photography tips on how to capture the essence of a location, develop your creative process and uncovers some of the secrets that make his work so widely admired.  With this book in hand you’ll be be able to turn your next holiday into a masterpiece.

Full Frame by David Noton

Buy now for only £12.49

Our final entry is one from American artist Richard McKinley his book, Pastel Pointers: Top 100 Secrets for Beautiful Pastel Paintings,  is not just full of quality printed information it also includs a 30minute DVD….from the man himself! The book covers everything you’ll need to know about how to blend, shade, push and smudge your pastel pieces into place.

Pastel Pointers: Top 100  Secrets for Beautiful Pastel Paintings

Buy now for only £8.49

Guy Edwardes' Snow Drops

1. 100 Ways to Take Better Nature & Wildlife Photographs

For photographers heading into the winter wild 100 Ways to Take Better Nature & Wildlife Photographs by Guy Edwardes is essential reading.  Armed with a good pair of wheelies, a very large thermos flask, Edwardes’ will be a great companion on blustery days. The book covers how to work in cold climates, how to get great pictures of leaves and seeds, tips on photographing migrating birds and a section specifically dedicated to how to shoot wildlife in winter. And with post production notes and amazing snaps, this is a great tool no matter the weather.

Winter Landscape by Tony Worobiec

2. The Landscape Photography Bible

Winter brings special challenges for photographers from the elements and limited light, and The Landscape Photography Bible  is designed to exorcise these demons from your final prints.  It is just what it says on the tin: a tome of great importance that if followed religiously will bring you clarity and photographic inner peace. Written by trusted source and renowned photographer Tony Worobiec, the book is a great reference for even advanced photographers including a wealth of technical knowledge on things like software, filters, lighting and lenses.

I passionately believe that landscape can be successfully taken in all weathers. – Tony Worobiec

Fog Edge in Mist by Tont Worobiec

3. The Complete Guide to Night & Low-Light Photography

Another entry from Tony Worobiec proves that lighting needn’t be a barrier to creating fab snaps close to solstice, in fact with Worobiec’s The Complete Guide to Digital Night & Low-Light Photography, it should be a breeze. The whether your indoors for the Christmas party, trying to squeeze the last bit daylight out of that Boxing Day walk on the beach or taking in the town on New Year’s Eve, Worobiec has a solution for photographers of all levels. Sections on equipment, techniques, situations, and digital editing are will help to improve photo sessions on a gloomy day or in the depths of night.

Terry Harrison, artist and author

Terry Harrison grew up in Norfolk. His early art education was basic and he nerver dreamed that one day he would become an artist. At fifteen, Terry moved to Hampshire and was inspired by a brilliant art teacher. He took ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels in art, then won a place at Farnham Art School at the age of sixteen. He became a graphic artist, but continued to paint in his spare time. In 1984 Terry gave up his job to paint full time. He demonstrates to artists’ groups and teaches on painting holidays. He has also developed a range of his own brushes and paints. He is also the author of many best selling art books on painting with acylics and watercolours and now lives in the Cotswolds.

Terry Harrison book highlight

The new What to Paint series is perfect for readers who already have some painting skills and experience, but are looking for inspiring painting subjects. Each book has 24 beautiful full-page size paintings, a colour palette for each one and informative captions pulling out details, tips and techniques used in various parts of the painting. At the back of the book there is a free outline for each painting for readers to transfer or scan on to watercolour paper. There are also instructions on transferring the images, and on selecting parts of the outlines to create new compositions.

Create beautiful trees quickly and easily with Terry Harrison’s unique watercolour trees techniques. Using a range of brushes he demonstrates how simple it is to paint many of his favourite trees, including cypress, conifers, willow, horse chestnut, oak, birch and trees with blossom. An inspiring sequence of step-by-step demonstrations will build up skills and enable artists to create their own original paintings. A section on mixing colours is also included, as well as a chapter on the different types of brushes used in the projects. This book will encourage artists to try out the techniques demonstrated and create stunning paintings.

In this full-colour book, popular author Terry Harrison shows you how to paint flowers and how to use them in larger paintings. Learn how to use watercolour techniques including stippling, masking and more; all explained clearly in simple steps, and accompanied by helpful photographs and useful tips. Soon you will be painting bluebells, poppies, wildflowers and more!

Terry Harrison uses his wealth of experience to show how to paint watercolour landscapes the easy way. Terry’s own range of brushes are purpose made to help painters create the best effects with minimum effort. This book explains what all the brushes can be used for and shows what techniques are needed for landscape painting. There is then a series of beautiful step-by-step demonstrations showing the brushes and techniques in action. Following on from Terry’s hugely successful Brush With Watercolour, this book has more effects, more techniques and more beautiful paintings.

For a bigger selection of book by Terry Harrison, pop along to the Terry Harrison books page at RUBooks.

Take a look at Terry Harrison in action

Terry Harrison is also one of today’s artists that can be seen with painting clips on internet sites such as Youtube. For myself and many other artists, seeing another artist in action is great. I have collected together clips from around the internet for you to enjoy.