5 comments about Painting Flowers in Watercolor with Charles Reid.

1. This is a good book which teaches step by step how to paint flowers and other still life objects. It starts off with easier projects and works up to more difficult ones. Each project lists what color of paints to use, along with pictures and instructions. Charles Reid also talks about what kinds of papers, paints, brushes, palettes and other materials you will need. Best of all his book is filled with beautiful full color pictures of his paintings. He is not a watercolor artist who uses many layers of transparent glazes, so if you are looking for that kind of instruction it is probably not for you. Highly recommend this book.



2. Looks great, haven't had time to read, but is similar to one he wrote (currently out of print) loaned to me by my art teacher.



3. I first met Charles Reid and his wife Judy in 1988 and it was the beginning of an endless learning process ever since. I have learnt so much about watercolour from his books over the years since then. Charles' books are amazing in that he holds nothing back and just discloses all his knowledge in a wonderful style that is easy to learn from. Invariably there are step by step demonstrations to illustrate his methods. Even if the reader doesn't particularly like his style but would rather paint in a more classic sense with lots of glazes and so forth you will still learn so much about how the colours interact with water and on the paper. Charles' workshops are a great delight and if you are fortunate to attend one you will find that he is a friendly man of great warmth and charm which is reflected in his books.



4. I discovered Charles Reid at my local library and was smitten with his loose, colorful, gorgeous pictures. This book is a clear, helpful guide to making juicy watercolors of still lifes that sing with color. He has practical tips on brushwork, contour drawing and composition that are easy to follow and clearly explained. He also has step-by-step instructions for several of his pictures that show you how he goes about making his own pictures (often from everyday objects and flowers on his kitchen counter). I'm fairly new to watercolors and I found this book invaluable to improving my pictures and getting me to loosen up and feel creative and find beauty in simple objects.



5. I wish I had had this book years ago. It contains exercises to enable the reader/student to experience and learn direct painting techniques that bring freshness, spontaneity, bright vivid color and realism to one's paintings--inspite of an "untidy" style. If you're serious about watercolor, Reid can take you where you really should go. Reid embodies the principles of the best of watercolor and painting teaching of the past (particularly Hawthorne, Henri, Manet). He puts it all together into what I call a meditative painting style (stroke on color and pause to consider, then soften, add other color wet-in-wet, and so on. Doing the exercises in this book can revolutionize your painting and will, at the very least, bring immediate and important improvements to your technique and approach to watercolor. If you like Reid's paintings--flower, figures, portraits, etc., do yourself a favor--get the book and the two corresponding videos.

5 comments about Southwestern Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni.

1. a beautiful coffee-table book on old and modern Southwestern Pottery. I would have liked a little more on the old stuff and a little less by modern potters, but it is a minor quibble.



2. this is a beautiful book the the pictures in the book are so vivid and colorful, it would make a wonderful addition to any library or it would make a great coffee table book!



3. I was impressed with the display groupings presented and the journey of the authors beginnings of his collections and the knowledge he aquired along the way. He gave good advice to new collectors. I open it daily and alway see something I missed. It's a great book to add to your collection.



4. I'd been looking for a book like this for ages. It goes through every pueblo's pottery, describing the special characteristics of each, and talks about the important potters in each pueblo.
   
   This is very well written in an easy going, non-snobish style, instantly increasing your depth of knowledge in southwestern pottery. The photographs are excellent and plentiful, giving many diverse examples from each pueblo/region/era.
   
   Highly recommended for those new to collecting. I gave a copy to my parents in New Mexico, and even though they had been doing a bit of collecting for years, they have a much better understanding of the history of some of the pottery sitting on their shelves. They love this book.



5. This is an excellent book for both the beginner or serious student of Southwestern Pottery. It gives examples of all styles, types, and designs, making it easy for anyone to understand what makes each Pueblo's pottery unique. Perhaps not as "in depth" as some others, this book is easily the best book out there today as far as explaining and illustrating the basics. It really is an indispensable guide and reference book. The authors are regular guys rather than scholars, so it is easy and enjoyable to read, and filled with great photos of their quite amazing collections. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a place to begin learning about Southwestern Pottery.

5 comments about Dulac's Fairy Tale Illustrations in Full Color.

1. So beautiful, Edmund Dulac a superb master of his art, all children should have the pleasure of these stories and illustrations



2. Unfortunately, the poor quality of the reproductions made this a disappointing purchase. I also bought Dulac's Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale Cards by the same publisher, and they were beautiful.



3. I got this for me, as a collector of fairy tales and fairy tale art, but it is a good book for our bedtime storyhour. When my kids were not familiar with certain fairy tales (The Nightingale and The Wind's Tale) they made up stories to go with the pictures. So this was a good activity for them to be creative and use their growing imaginations. As much as I like this, I don't think of it as truly collectible because it is soft cover book.



4. I had never heard of Dulac before and ordered his book along with the Rackham collection. I actually was blown away by Dulac's work and am really amazed that after studying in art and exploring classic illustration, I had never come across this guy. I have heard of Rackham and seen his work, but I enjoy Dulac even more...his rich color and beautiful compositions are inspiring.



5. this book is very interesting , I like the drawings very much, Dulac is a very amazing artist.

2 comments about Like Breath on Glass: Whistler, Inness, and the Art of Painting Softly (Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute).

1. If you like Whistler you will like this book. After I got my Turner book I was more interested in it and didn't finish this book.



2. The often ignored "Tonalist" movement finally gets its due in this exquisite catalogue of what must be a remarkable exhibition. The reproductions are beautifully controlled (thank goodness for modern printing technology) and broadly selected. There are a few nice surprises (Crane, Steichen!!, and Carlsen stand out), along with the expected Whistler, Twachtman, and Inness. The inclusion of a section on American lyrical abstraction was also a nice linkage. For any serious collector of art books this tome is an essential.

1 comments about What People Wore When: A Complete Illustrated History of Costume from Ancient Times to the Nineteenth Century for Every Level of Society.

1. This book is a great buy at around 20$. The pages include lots of color picture/illustrations of clothing from all over the world throughout history. It also details clothing of tribes and smaller cultures that other books do not even touch on. I love this book for it's wide range of inspiration and the visual pleasure I receive when browsing through it.

1 comments about Eyewitness: Renaissance.

1. This high quality, hardcover art history book discusses various aspects of the northern and Italian Renaissance. It features countless reproductions of paintings, drawings, and sculptures by virtually every Renaissance artist you can imagine. Also included are interesting historical information and little-known facts about some of the best-known works of art. Suitable for use in study by art teachers and art enthusiasts alike. Looking through this book is like walking through several Italian and French art galleries! Exceptional value!

5 comments about Everyday Fashions of the Fifties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs (Dover Books on Fashion).

1. Whenever I take this book out, people fight over a peek into its glossy pages. It covers everything in fashion from the fifties, though mostly focusing on women. The pictures depict fashions, from dresses to shoes, hats and gloves to maternity wear; the women's hairstyles, makeup, and overall looks give the reader the most authentic possible view of fashion and the aesthetic ideals of the time. The catalogue also shows the prices and features descriptions that include fabric, color, and price. There are some pictures of teenage, male, and children's fashions. This book is thorough and unbelievably beautiful.



2. I was born in early 1953 so many of the fashions still mean something to me. I have to admit that I'm still drawn to the femininity of the period but I have my dreams and you have yours and we'll leave it at that. This is a good book for the money. Not too detailed, the reproductions can get a little bit fuzzy and there is no color; but this what you get for $15 these days. If you like what you see here, there are other resources to persue. It's a pretty good starting point.



3. I truly enjoyed reading the old advertising copy while looking at the old ads. Some of the fashions I remember my grandmother and mother wearing. Lots of fun reading.



4. This is a primary source book that tells the prices and materials, which are very helpful to a costume designer. I also enjoy the book Fifties Forever, which is similar except it's color photos of actual vintage stuff (the color does help, but the Sears catalogue is still great without it).



5. I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was packed from start to finish with pictures. The book gives an excellent overview of what the average woman was wearing in the 1950's, unlike many similar books which focus on important designers.
   While it is very light on text I still feel that it is a must for anyone interested in this period.

5 comments about Style School Volume 1.

1. Style School 1 was the first manga drawing book I've ever bought, and I'm really happy with it! I bought it togheter with Style School 2.
   
   But, there are not so many how to pages, most of the pages are pictures of other peoples artwork, but the tuorials that are there are really good, most of the tutorials were pretty easy to understand, exept the 3D drawing tutorial. I didn't get anything from that since I don't know how to use the program that was mentioned in the tutorial. But all the tutorials have pretty artwork! And the book is actually a big artbook in itself.
   
   I don't regret bying the books, they are great! You get some useful tips from it and a lot of inspiration.



2. This isn't really a "book," it's a high-quality quarterly magazine. I am so impressed with the tutorials! If you like dabbling in traditional mediums, this is the book for you! I've been inspired to try new things and I love the results I'm getting!! I don't think this is a beginner book though since the tutorials don't hold your hand all the way through. You have to have some idea how the paints/inks/markers/programs already work to an extent--Style School just gives you the nudge to try something new with it.
   
   If you want to take your artwork to the next level, by all means, this is a great investment!



3. Style School is a book full of manga style art, a lot of it submitted by regular people. It has some tutorials on using different mediums, like ink, photoshop, etc. I would have to say that if you're looking for a step-by-step book then this is not it, get the How to Draw Manga. However this is good for inspiration and to get an idea of the different styles of drawing, be warned there are some ecchi images, but not really graphic like the Robot series.



4. Its a good book in general. It has a good print quality and the tutorials, tips are good. But it only has 40 pages of tutoriales over 150 pages more or less. The rest of the book are illustrations from readers. I think the images of tutoriales are a little small.
   
   Perhaps, the tutorials are too varied... I suppose people want to learn about photoshop o inkinkg more than watercolors...



5. This book is full of truly amazing color artwork by talented people, there is no denying that.
   
   Unfortunately the majority of the book is like the that. Probably less than 1/3 of this book has tutorials and I would consider them to be rather advanced techniques.
   
   But Id still suggest it to those with a good knowledge of drawing manga already, especially if looking for inspiration.

2 comments about Vincent Van Gogh: A Self-Portrait in Art and Letters.

1. It is a pleasure to see Van Gogh's original handwriting in his letters, accompanied by drawings and skecthes. Highly recommended.



2. I was so pleased to find this book in the library and after readint it I had to own it. I have many Van Gogh books. This one is espeically interesting since the editor minimized her words on the first page of every chapter. The words after that are Van Gogh's words taken from his letters to Theo and various others. I find it extremelly intersting to read what he wrote about his works as he did them. This is a terrific book.

5 comments about Collecting Contemporary.

1. I loved this book! Nicely written, easy to refer to, good mixture of examples. If you're going to buy a work of art because you like it, or because you hope it'll grow in value have a read. No book will change the colour of your wall-paper, or give you prophetic foresight into the future value of the art market, but this book will give you valuable insights to deal with the main players (artists, dealers,etc), & understand the mechanisms that move the market.



2. Great book, well worth the read. I liked all the interviews with the dealers and collectors and every art lover who is thinking about starting a collection should ready this book first.



3. Excellent book. Gives inside information on how the whole contemporary art market system works. Very helpful for emerging contemporary artists. Good buy.



4. Adam Lindemann, is an art collector who has written a book, Collecting Contemporary. It is a good reference material and serves as a basic road map for the burgeoning art collector - and possibly an even better one for emerging artists.
   
   Since I am founding a new theory of art (UnGraven Image), which includes a written manifesto booklet on the theory, I am exceptionally interested in reaching other artists with what will help them. This book will.
   
   I appreciated the information I found within so much I devoted a whole weekly blog to it (and longer review) at my web site. Other reviews here and in the press have dealt with the information for collectors -- and it is useful for them. However, emerging artists get a good overview of the gatekeepers and movers and shakers in the art world. What motivates a collector -- a curator -- or a gallerist to select the work of an artist?
   Read this book to learn more!
   -- Judy Rey Wasserman, Founder & Artist, UnGraven Image
   
   



5. Starting with the positives: you can read the entire book in about 15 minutes.
   Here's the bottom line: buy what you like and can afford.
   Dealers and critics try to make artists famous because that is how they make their money.
   If you buy something from a dealer and later decide that you don't like it, it is considered hoyle (by dealers) to give the dealer first dibs on the re-sale.
   Instead of buying this book, save your money and buy a work from a local artist you like - all will be better served.