Walter T. Foster (1891–1981) was an American entrepreneur, artist, art instructor, writer and publisher. While residing in Laguna Beach, California, Foster owned and operated an advertising agency, where he worked with many local artists and illustrators. Through his friends in the art community, he discovered many artists who wanted to teach art and write books. In response, Foster started a publishing company in his home, where he wrote, illustrated, printed, bound, packaged, shipped and distributed the books himself. An artist in his own right, Foster penned the company’s first book, How to Draw, which sold more than one million copies and is still in print today. Foster died in 1981 at the age of 90, at which time his family took over company operations.
One of Foster's most notable artists was Preston Blair, whose book, Animation, sold more than one million copies and is still in print today. Another noteworthy artist, Hal Rasmusson, wrote Modern Cartoon. Walter Foster Publishing is part of the Quayside Publishing Group, which is owned by Quarto Publishing.[1]
In 1988, a group of investors comprising Andrew McNally IV (former president of Rand McNally), Illinois businessman Rhett Butler, attorney Paul Hegness, and California businessman and former Price Waterhouse CPA Ross Sarracino purchased Walter Foster Publishing. With Sarracino at the helm, the company began developing instructional drawing and painting books for children.
The popularity of these children’s books eventually led to licensing agreements with The Walt Disney Company, Nickelodeon, Hasbro, Marvel, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Walter Foster Publishing's Walt Disney books and activity kits have sold more than 4,500,000 copies since 1991.
In 1996, Quarto Publishing, under direction of CEO Laurence Orbach, acquired Walter Foster, leaving Sarracino at the helm as President and CEO. In addition to growing its publishing and custom packaging (creating books and kits for Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Chronicle Books, Disney Press, Michaels, Scholastic, TJ Maxx and Target) business, Foster teamed with MEDL Mobile to create the Learn to Draw Digital Sketchbook app for the iPad. Since the app became available in December 2010, it has been downloaded over 200,000 times.