5 comments about Incredible Light & Texture in Watercolor.

1. The author, James Toogood, has produced an excellent and concise course in capturing light when painting transparent watercolors. His instructive
   chapters are worthy of study by the experienced watercolorist. This is a worthwhile reference.



2. I own dozens of watercolor instruction books and this is one of the few I would not give up! It is geared toward an intermediate watercolorist, but has basic information on paints, brushes and paper. In particular, Toogood explains how the properties of watercolor pigment affect a painting and how you might use that color.
   Toogood's style is tight and almost photographic. Some people do not like watercolors painted this way, but the book is helpful even so. He goes into detail on how to create textures of different surfaces which is a universal skill. I personally find Toogood's style impressive and inspiring. I enjoy the book to look at his paintings more than anything else.
   P.S. You cannot tell from the cover, but the book includes a great section on portrait painting in watercolor.



3. This book is by far the best watercolor book for the intermediate artist.
   definately not a beginner book. Toogood is both informative and inspiring.



4. This is a good book for those who want to paint watercolour copies of photographs. Unfortunately, Mr Toogood doesn't show that part of his working method involved in tracing the photographs he copies. If you're looking for more expressive styles, study the work of Winslow Homer or John Singer Sargent. If you want a good instructional book on watercolour, check out Mastering Atmosphere and Mood in Watercolor by Joseph Zbukvic.



5. Initially I bought this book for its beautiful and inspiring watercolors. Is there nothing this man can't paint? Breathtaking clouds, the wettest water I've ever seen in paint. You wouldn't know it from the cover, but the book also contains a chapter on portrait painting, step by step. He is as proficient in portrait painting as he is in landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes. I teach a "portraits in watercolor" class and I recommend this book to every student of the medium who is searching for an artist they can admire, who is willing to part with his "secrets".

3 comments about Watercolor for the Fun of It: Painting Greeting Cards (Watercolor for the Fun of It).

1. One of the best things about this book, is that Ms. Black has a contagious sense of fun. She focuses on spontaneity rather than rigid outcome. She leads a reader through a series of techniques (sorry for the over-used word) that help discourage intellectual interference. Great book for doing, in addition to reading about, the craft. I go back to this book time and time again.



2. This book really gets me going. I'm a beginner in painting 'cause I use different art media. But this book made it really easy for me to start in painting. I like EJ Black's ideas and techniques. Really good for beginners and act like a pro. I highly recommend this book for children and beginning adults!



3. This book has been a truly wonderful find! I enjoy the creative process, but watercolor has never been my strong suit. I purchased this book just a few days ago, and have already created several pieces of art that amaze even me! My intention in buying this book was less to make cards (though that's something I've long done) but more to use Elizabeth Joan Black's techniques in hopes of finding a new creative outlet. I definitely got that and more. Her book gives wonderful details, with colorful pictures that would help anyone achieve results they would be pleased with. I highly recommend this book for the novice to the experienced. It really is inspiring!

5 comments about Architecture Counts (Preservation Press).

1. My son is a little over a year old and he really enjoys this book. We have it checked out from the library and I'm going to put it on his wish list for Christmas. He has always enjoyed looking at things to see how they work and looking at the working parts of toys and items around the house. As an adult I don't think the pictures are incredibly special, but they are photos of everyday type things shown in a way that you might not notice if you were just around town.



2. As an architect, I enjoy giving these books as gifts because they are different from your run of the mill children's books. I like how they use building pieces to teach about basic shapes and colors. It is not a book that highlights popular or historic architecture - its more about the components.



3. This book had been on display in the gift shop when I toured a Frank Lloyd Wright house....I didn't buy it then but checked on Amazon and sure enough it was here. It is defiinitely a different counting book exposing children early on to a little culture and something different besides 1 cow, 2 dogs, etc. The photographs are superb and interesting to the eye. Not only can you count but you can find interesting shapes as well.



4. We love this book. It's one of our favorite baby shower gifts. We first discovered it when our son was almost 2. It was especially fun because we were living in Cambridge, MA, at the time, and all the photos are from the Boston/Cambridge area. One of my favorite memories of his early childhood is the day we were driving in North Cambridge, and he suddenly called out (seemingly randomly) from his car seat in back, "Six Ducts!" Lo and behold, there atop the Alewife "T" station were the six red ducts from the book. Another is the time I happened onto him "reading" the book to himself; he had it open to the "six ducts" page and was saying, "quack, quack." (He is a teenager now, and I wish he were still so into books. I also hope he doesn't read this review!) It was our experience with baby board books that the ones we enjoyed "mysteriously" turned into his favorites too.



5. I was rather disapointed with this book. First the printing is mediocre and the photos are just boring. Only an architect could love this book. My kid just ignores it. It is a good concept I think but is in desperate need of better execution.

2 comments about 1000 Lights. 1000 Leuchten. 1000 Luminaires.

1. If you just want to see alot of lights with basic information, this is the way to go. Real pretty.



2. The Fiells previous effort covered the period 1878 to present in two volumes, each with 1000 lights. Charlotte Fiell is half of the original team. So this edition will be half as satisfying for detail lovers, and twice as good for those who want just the big hits. The text and captions are in English, French, and German. I wished for more complete details in a single language. 1000 Lights provides a great visual experience for design fans.

1 comments about Matisse: From Color to Architecture.

1. Primarily known for his luminous color paintings, the French artist Henri Matisse was also involved in designing stunningly beautiful stained glass windows and even ventured into the realm of architecture as well. Matisse: From Color To Architecture is a seminal work by Rene Percheron and Christian Brouder and the first to focus on these lesser known endeavors by one of France's most renowned painters. Offering an intimate portrait of the artist in work and life with a focus upon Matisse's work in his final years on the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence and the nursery school in his hometown of Le Cateayu-Cambresis (both of these buildings are located in the south of France), this 384 page compendium is enhanced with 396 illustrations (247 of which are in full color) and includes beautiful reproductions of Matisse's most famous paintings drawn from the collections of Centre Georges Pompidou, the Hermitage Museum, the Barnes Foundation, and the National Gallery of Art. These works are paired with documents and photographs culled from the archives of the Matisse estate. Included are first-hand accounts from the participants in the Vence and Le Cateau projects. Matisse: From Color To Architecture is an original and recommended contribution to personal, professional, academic, and community library Art History and Architectural Studies collections.

No comments about Community Participation Methods in Design and Planning.

5 comments about Painting with Water-Soluble Oils.

1. I have owned this book for quite some time and just recently re-read it. It does a fine job providing an overview of water soluble oils (WSO) and how they differ from regular oils. The write-ups for each include a listing of paints offered by each manufacturer and their light-fastness (i.e., longevity after sustained exposure to light). The information covered is more than enough to help you select one of them to begin painting.
   
   I've used them in the past and am now taking a class where I'm using them and others are using traditional oils. I have to say that cleaning up with soap and water is awesome. I use the Artisan brand and have a couple of the MAX brand too. I'm going to try the other brands to see how they handle.
   
   The write-ups by artists about WSOs, their comparison/contrast with traditional oils and the demonstration "lessons" provide for light reading. The pictures throughout give you a fine overview of what other artists do/did with these paints.
   
   Having said all of this, though, I have to note that this isn't a strict how-to book. You'll need to look elsewhere for that. One person recommended the "Water Soluble Oils" section of a book called "The Oil Painting Book" by Bill Creevy. Another is "No Experience Required! - Water-Soluble Oils" by Mary Deutschman. From the reviews this last book sounds it is more about hands-on technique.
   
   [...]
   
   Overall, I'd say buy this book to help you get a sense about this medium.



2. I thought the book was helpfull in that it explained the chemical basis of water soluable oils and had a fairly thorough overview of the products on the market. I thought that the book leaned too heavily on the history of oil painting and basic information regarding supports, brushes, knives, etc. I would have liked to have seen more examples of the work of artists with the stature of Kevin McPherson and also more discussion of how these artists overcome the differences between water soluable oils and traditional oils.



3. "Painting with Water Soluble Oils" supplied me with what I wanted. A text by a an experienced practitioner in the medium, well-credentialed, successful, and wanting to spread the word (along with spreading the oils!) about this relatively new item. When I started painting, I was not so aware of the TOXCICITY of the paint as I was of my desire to USE the paint in a manner I found at least acceptable. Years later, the latest grimly discouraging news on greenhouse gasses, global warming, and newly-found carcinogens appear in the daily papers----and in the courts. I'm not an alarmist, but I thought "water soluble oils, hmmm, can this possibly work?". Thus, Dye's book told me all of what I needed to know. Of course there are pages on the components of the product, its development, and requisite scientific explanations. The science of safety in the home, the studio, the environment and its impact on our kids made this necessary.
   
   Beyond that, I needed to see just how the stuff behaves on a gessoed surface. Dye has what I'd call a painterly style, almost abstract at times, but it's a loose and defiantly colorlful style, with examples chosen to teach. Hey, I'm sure he wants to sell his works, but he is a teacher by trade when he writes.
   
   Anyway, I am delighted with the comparative safety of the new medium, with the courage I gained to try many techniques, brushes, knives, etc. I also continue to maintain respect for the pigments themselves. Heck, I'm not smearing it around with my fingers. My money was well spent, and I'd recommend this book because the main purpose of the text was to "git 'er DONE." Mission accomplished, IMHO. Buy, shop, paint, enjoy, plus you can inhale during fits of creativity and still run for president.



4. I feel a lot of the book was redundant, too much repetiton was used -- I believe it was to fluff up the page count. I'm new to oil painting all together and was looking for a book that would teach me to paint with this medium - for example, help me understand when I would thin with water, or when with watersoluable linseed oil. I thought that the promised "step by step demonstrations" would do that. Contained in only one chapter of the book, they seem almost an afterthought, and do not go into enough depth.
   
   There is an entire chapter devoted to "what is watersoluable oil color?" There are 20 pages -- which is far too much information -- about the properties of every watersoluable oil paint by color and manufacturer, though there are some useful demos of the various marks different brushes and knives make.
   
   The book contains more than I want or need to know about the processes by which watersoluable oils are created.
   
   By far the lengthiest chapter is the one which showcases 14 different artists who try out this medium and provide some tips, which may be useful. But I believe its primary purpose is as a showcase for the various artists. There are some useful tips here, but much of what is said is repetition from one artist to another - and that gets boring! In some ways I am more confused than ever, having learned that some of the artists shown aren't painting soley with watersoluable oil paint - they are using the oils in combination with watercolor or acrylics or sometimes using all three together!



5. About half this book discusses unique properties of water soluble oil paints, but I learned more from reading the paint manufacturers' brochures as I did from this book. The rest of the book discusses and demonstrates various techniques, but it doesn't cover anything different than what you'd find in standard oil painting text, and there are many better ones of those. Don't bother buying this book.

1 comments about Historic New Mexico Churches.

1. Terrific book with great photography. Really gives a sense of the place. My husband and I grew up in New Mexico and know many of these locations first hand. Seeing the pictures made me feel right at home. New Mexico has a varied past in which these churches have played an integral part. The author has provided an interesting text to give everyone a sense of that history.

3 comments about The American Builder's Companion.

1. It is an astounding piece of work that any devoted woodworking craftsman would do well to purchase. Considering the time it was written, considering the detailed information contained within, this needs to be viewed as a 'bible', it is that amazing.



2. This is one of the great pattern books of the nineteenth century. This, and others like it, were responsible for a greater proportion of excellent buildings not designed by architects than at any point since in the history of the USA.



3. This is an early pattern book that was in circulation during the mid and late 1800's. It is good only as a historic resource for those wishing to further their studies in American architecture. It is not a practical book for a practicing architect, builder, or restoration buff. The plates are beautiful and the descriptive geometry is fascinating.

3 comments about The United States Capitol: Its Architecture and Decoration.

1. If your after a book on the Capitol Building, then go no further than this beautifully photographed and well layed out book. Full of rich detail and architectual illustrations.



2. This building is the perfect imbodiment of the American Democracy, it is an iconic symbol of America the world over. This book does this great building justice, the images are crisp and vivid and the text is almost scholarly. Everytime i enter this building i get a shiver and feel the tingle of goose bumps, and am reminded of what a spectacularly beautiful building it is, and how the building seems to hold the most awesome power. The history in its halls and the majesty of its presence makes the most incredible impression, if you are not moved by this building then frankly you need to check your pulse. If you have any interest in this iconic building or just appreciate beautiful books then i cant imagine you being disappointed in this book.



3. This is a wonderful book for a number of reasons: its beautiful illustrations, its wealth of detail delivered in a reverent and infectiously enthusiastic narrative, and (most of all) its unabashed defense of classical architecture and passionate call for a return to the style in our great buildings. One has merely to open this book to thank his lucky stars that most of monumental Washington, DC was built before the Marxist-inspired so-called "International Style" and its degenerate stylistic descendants inexplicably washed away centuries (nay, millenia) of Western art tradition. It's appalling to read the sort of vindictives that were hurled against the last exponents of the classical style, men like Bacon, Russel, and Gilbert, by so-called "modernists" when they designed stunning masterpieces like the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and the Supreme Court Building. And it's galling to see what "modernists" offered the nation as an alternative to classical design: can anyone look at the Museum of American History on the National Mall and not shake his head in sadness? The place looks like an annex to a New Jersey shopping mall.
   
   Reed is a wonderfully able partisan of the classical style, and dismisses so-called "modern" architecture as the "Anorexic" style for its lack of decoration. That may be overly harsh; great architects can indeed produce great buildings even in non-classical styles - the Kennedy Center in Washington is a fine example of non-classical yet non-Anorexic design. But Reed has one undeniably true point: we as a civilization have allowed ourselves to be cheated our of our millenia old Western art tradition by so-called "artists" that have translated their lunatic fringe political views (the International Style was nothing but applied Marxism, designed to reflect the "means of production" to quote standard leftist gibberish) into drab design originally meant for "worker housing" and now applied (ironically) to US government and corporate structures. This "artistic" rabble still to a large degree indulges its proclivities towards lunatic fringe politics, and continues to so savagely attack the classical style (because they in fact hate Western culture and all it stands for) that it has become unthinkable to build a classical structure in the US today. Some are ignorant enough to claim that the classical style makes them "want to throw up," but the best they can come up with is the travesty of soulless design that is present day Houston or any number of Asian cities like Seoul.
   
   The closest we are allowed to claiming our Western heritage anymore is the so-called "Stripped Classical" applied to the new WW2 Memorial in Washington. I suppose we should thank our lucky stars that that we at least got "Stripped Classical" instead of some appalling metal and glass gimmick that - like most "modern" structures - would rapidly deteriorate into a shabby pile of rusty metal, stained concrete, and peeling paint. But like Reed points out, "A building without decoration is like the heavens without stars." Why is "stripped" all we are allowed to enjoy anymore? Because leftist "artists" that can't stand the West, can't stand America, and most of all can't stand the culture from which it sprang browbeat us into standing glumly in "modern" museums looking at unintelligible and ugly "art" (a melting toilet at the Whitney comes to mind) and won't allow us to erect magnificent Corinthian or Ionic columns anymore. Really, it is sad. This magnificent book, at least, shows us what we once had, and what might have been. Let's hope future generations of Western civilization have more courage than we do, and spend their days recovering their own cultural heritage. Perhaps they will once more build for the sake of beauty rather than that of Marxist anti-Western hatred.