5 comments about Making Color Sing.

1. i learned of the book making color sing in an art workshop. It is not a new publication, however 'still in print' and it gives many processes for use of color that i feel any artist would profit by having a copy for reference..and achieving special effects. great guide book. one for the 'watercolorist's personal library'



2. Making Color Sing
   
   I am new to the medium of watercolors and have found this book to be very helpful. The author keeps the selection of colors to a minimum in order to keep your costs down but also helping you to learn the aspects of what each color can do. This is a book that I feel I can really learn and become a better artist.



3. "Into" watercolor? If so, this is a 'must have' reference that will not stay on a shelf, but be nearby your painting/study area as a useful tool in mixing and painting with watercolors. Not only is it written in clear and precise language and well illustrated with examples from the author as well as other artists, but it also is chock full of practical, valuable information on pigments, color theory, application techniques, and tips and hints for problem solving in case of unexpected consequences. I found this book easily readable and useful to both decorative artists and fine artists, experienced or beginner. It covers both the why, the what with, and the how to of watercolor application and much of the theory is applicable to other media as well. Even the non-painter will look at works of art with new eyes after reading this interesting and informative text.
   Making Color Sing
   Making Color Sing



4. This book was suggested by one of my Art Teachers in College. It was in answer to my question in regards to studying more about the use of colour in watercolour painting. It has yielded a wealth of information. I look forward to working my way through the rest of the book and applying the knowledge it contains. Would make a great short course textbook too. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to know more about the use of colours in their painting, regarding of the medium they choose.



5. This book is great but be forewarned that there is a LOT of fairly technical explanation and a lot to absorb. But if that's what you are wanting (I did want that) the author is easy to read and doles out the information in digestible chapters. If you want explanations and content, you'll get your money's worth. And oh yeah...her watercolors in the book are amazing, so she must know what she's talking about!

5 comments about Drawing From Life: The Journal as Art.

1. I love this book, and it repeatedly finds its way into my bag to be taken out and thumbed through on the bus, on vacation, at work during breaks or while I am on the couch during those rare few minutes of "me-time". It takes the idea of "journal" and makes it multi-faceted. You see the artistic side of journaling of course, but the author proposes the idea that a scientific journal or furniture designer sketchbook is just as artistic as the watercolor journal. It really takes away the fear that just because you can't draw or have no idea how to collage you can't create a meaningful journal.
   This isn't a "how-to", it's a "just-is". If you are looking for a book to teach you visual journaling techniques, this probably isn't the book for you. But if you like to see how others journal in a way that fits their lives, you will enjoy this book.



2. I really like this book and it is one of my favorites, one I will return to again and again when I need a little creativity kick start.
   As a mixed media artist who writes/draws in a journal daily, I really enjoy getting a peek at what other people are doing in their journals and how they work things out on paper,what inspires them or drives them as the case may be.
   If you are looking for a "how to" book then this is not the book for you, there are plenty of fine books in that specific area of interest.
   I like it because it is unique and real,not trendy or cute, or edgy, it's just a wonderful compilation of other people's journal pages.



3. "The impulse to record our daily lives on paper is nothing if not universal." This quote is on the back cover of Drawing from Life. We aren't told who said it but the idea doesn't suffer for the lack. Teacher/author Jennifer New has compiled an exceedingly rich volume of journal pages and managed to include something that will appeal to everyone.
   
   My particular favorite piece of Drawing from Life is the fourth chapter -"Creation." Architect Steven Holl refers to the sketches and paintings that litter his twenty years of journaling as "seed-germs" Filmmaker Mike Figgis says of his diary, "It's the only truly frank conversation I can ever have." The most relevant message for me, however, originated in a lecture by poststructuralist John Dewey who argued that, "the value of art is not as a relic, a museum piece to be admired from afar, but as an aesthetic experience."(152). I emphasize this quote because it seems the most powerful part of the idea. Art should have a "verb" identity. Rather than embodying the passivity of a noun, art demands action. There isn't a way to avoid interaction with it - no matter your like or dislike of the piece you are observing. That this observation changes the observer is a critical point and can be pushed farther, as social psychologists have done, by insisting that observation changes the observed as well. The significance and meaning of a piece is transformed by every person who sees it; it's voice is strengthened, weakened, done away with, glorified, altered irreparably in a kind of mobius strip of creation. All these changes create changes in a timeless loop of inquiry and understanding and thereby creating past, present and future lives for the artwork. Figgis and Holl's comments on journaling reveal the kinesiological mechanisms of art - the creative movement of body, mind and spirit from which it springs.
   
   I don't know if there is an innate compulsion to record our lives. I don't think its outside the realm of possibility but I have to wonder whether it's the journal or the subsequent creation of witnesses to our lives that matters most to us. I don't think everyone chooses words as a tool for documenting their existence and I don't believe that everyone who wants to do so leaves behind a material representation of their lives. Those who do, however, probably find that having a witness to their lives provides a more tangible rest at the end of things. Jennifer New has produced a book filled with pages of beauty and experience and we, as readers and artists, are allowed to witness art as verb through different eyes.



4. I saw this book in a local bookstore and knew I had to have it- I found it here on Amazon for much cheaper. I love the illustrations and variety of styles represented. As a high school art teacher, I occasionally use this book to help students spark ideas for their personal art journals. Great book for anyone seeking visual inspiration.



5. I am a visual artist and have always been fascinated with the concept of journaling. This book helped me understand that there's no wrong way to keep a journal (for those of you who tend to think your journal isn't as interesting as other peoples, or that you're "not doing it right", this book is a confidence booster). Journaling is often personal and it's easy to feel self conscious of ones journal while in a vacuum; going through this book and seeing the stories and examples of total strangers helped me not be so critical of myself. I very much enjoyed the examples of each persons journal, especially the handwritten ones; the image quality was so good you could read the entries clearly. It's fun looking through other peoples journals, but confusing if you don't have the person there to explain things...this book includes how the journal writer works, why they do it, and how it has benefited other aspects of their career and/or life.
   
   I was impressed that the majority of the people featured in the book weren't career artists; some were naturalists, psychiatrists, mothers, and college students (to name a few). I liked that there was a wide spectrum of individuals featured in the book.
   
   It also shows that there are a variety of ways to keep a journal and that it doesn't always have to be a "Dear Diary" kind of scenario. It was also interesting to see what people used for journals and how they incorporated other media such as collage, digital photography, etc. or how journaling led to other forms of creation.
   
   As other reviewers have mentioned this is not a book of journaling techniques. However, I found it inspiring to see the different kinds of journals people keep and it's given me ideas of my own to run with.

5 comments about Perspective Without Pain.

1. Very good and to the point.
   Use it as explained and you will really learn a lot and in a fun way.
   Enjoy!



2. although this book was helpful, it does teach and give lessons, i found i got more out of learning perspective from a book called vanishing point by jason cheeseman-meyer.



3. This book is quite useful in its simplicity. I can almost use it as a direct guide while I draw.



4. If you want to make prettier pictures with your crayons, then....It's a great buy, if you follow it as a true lesson plan.



5. With no formal instruction in drawing, I've had to learn the basics on my own and this book beautifully explains and illustrates perspective in drawing. It is great for beginners with exercises to help you grasp the concept. I would probably still be muddling around making the same mistakes without the help and guidance of this book.

5 comments about Pencil Drawing Techniques.

1. The book have techniques that I already knew but can be helpful if you are trying to learn



2. the book was in good condition when it arrived. And it helped me a lot



3. This is an excellent resource for beginning pencil drawers. I refer to it consistently and I highly recommend it. Definitely worth the money.



4. This was a gift for a person who had just started pencil drawing as a hobby. He declared it an excellent book with many good pointers.



5. It helped a bit, only in a way to be able to look at the photographs as reference WITHOUT ANY WAY OF KNOWING HOW TO DRAW THEM BEFORE I PROCEEDED!
   this book is pretty unorganized & gives half-way step-by-step looking illustrations, and the ONLY ONES are for the landscaping section in the book (which there is only about 4 pages total of them)! so, in this "book", you are pretty much to geuss for yourself to know what TO do & what you CAN do with the book!
   Also, the section that claims to focus on a portrait only gives one-paged illustrations "drawing a man", "drawing the eye", & "drawing a teenager", THAT'S IT!!!
   
   I now no longer a biginner, but this book barely helped me remove that title...
   
   So, what I'm trying to say is,
   if you are a biginner, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK, IT WILL NOT HELP YOU IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK TO LEARN FROM!
   but... if you are not, YOU SHOULD ONLY BUY THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A FEW REFERENCE DRAWINGS IN LANDSCAPE (which would probley be a waste of money, also).
   so if you want to buy $13 bucks worth of 8 or 9 pages in landscape reference drawings without knowing how to draw them first, then go ahead.

5 comments about Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist: How to Draw the New Streamlined Look of Action-Adventure Comics! (How to Draw).

1. This is a GOOD solid book that addresses surface anatomy.
   I recommend this book for seasoned artists having a rough time
   transitioning from fine art to comic art. Plus this is a good reference
   for budding and intermediate artists as well.
   I think artists that want to explore making web-comics
   and desire to create clean, crisp, deleniated fiures/ faces
   will benefit from a book like this.
   
   This one of the BETTER books by Hart.



2. For starters, this book is by Christopher Hart, so naturally it's a great buy for people interested in the subject.
   This is a great book for people who prefer a more cartoony style to the graphic novel detail; I myself love drawing cartoons (including many Disney ones) and this book is wonderful in teaching you how to do your own, as well as be a most excellent reference guide for muscles, bones, and character ideas.
   A TOTAL recommendation if you want to try the more cartoony style.
   
   But if you're more into the hard-core graphic novels (like the newer X-Men series), I totally recommend Christopher Hart's "Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy: The Ultimate Reference for Comic Book Artists."



3. Simplified Anatomy for The Comic Book Artist teaches a new streamlined style of comics. In true Christopher Hart style, he breaks the concepts down for the reader, so that he or she can learn and progress quickly. This was very enjoyable, enlightening, and entertaining, and I highly recommend it.



4. The only bad thing about this book is consistency due to the many different artists that worked on it. With that in mind this book is well worth having and a good resource about the adventure or Bruce Timm style of drawing.



5. Simplified Anatomy for the Comic Book Artist is comic art instruction Guru Christopher Hart's latest book and one of his best yet. Hart has been doing comic art instruction books for many years with a long list of titles to his credit. In this latest book, Hart tackles the modern, more simplified, and streamlined comic book art. Inspired by recent animated series such as Batman, Teen Titans, and Justice League, we are seeing more and more comics today being produced in this more simplified, animated looking style. This modern style has done a couple of things for the comic industry. First, it's far less time consuming to produce this type of art than traditional comic art...less time means less money. Second, and no knock on those artists, but obviously you can get away with somewhat less talent with this style as there is a minimum of detail required. Finally, much of this art today is being produced on computer, again saving time and money. This certainly accounts for the recent popularity of this style of art.
   
   Hart takes a step-by-step approach to his instructions. On one page he shows an example of a piece of art done in traditional style and next to it, the same piece done in the simplified style. Basically this is simply a matter of less definition being added to the character. Less muscle definition, fewer or no bone structure outlines to the face and body, hair designed as "one piece" as opposed to drawing several lines of hair and curls, etc...The examples are striking in their sheer minimalism.
   
   Now, this isn't merely a matter of taking out lines, but rather a complexly different approach to drawing figures. There's a whole change in thinking about how to construct the anatomy in this approach. Remember, you're not going for realism anymore. Fully the first 50 pages are spent just on the head and facial features. Hart will show you how to simplify the look of the eyes, nose, and mouth with dozens of examples included along the way.
   
   Next up is the body and it's the same process as before. Simple bone and skeletal structures, simple muscle definition... Again, Hart shows dozens of examples of body types from heroes to regular guys to mad scientists. In this style, bodies are more angular...the hips and knees often come to an exaggerated point as opposed to the rounder look of traditional comic art. In defining muscles, that standard six-pack now becomes a two-pack...the shoulders and chest exceedingly broad and triangle-shaped.
   
   Hart rounds out the book with a look at forced perspective, getting your characters to look like they are virtually jumping out of the page at you. Honestly, I believe that this book and this style of art has opened up a lot of doors to artists who maybe were not quite good enough to make it with traditional comic art. It's also allows small press publishers to compete against the bigger publishers. Heck, you even see this style of artwork showing up at major publishers like Image and Dark Horse.
   
   It's another well-done book by Hart and perfect for the aspiring comic book artist.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson

5 comments about Watercolor School (Learn as You Go).

1. "Watercolor School" by Hazel Harrison states on its book jacketthat it is "a practical guide to painting with watercolor." This is an accurate description of this really useful book. It is complete in every aspect, and even for the more experienced watercolorist it can be used as an exceptionally valuable informational source. What more can I say? It's a great book.



2. I am just a beginner, and this books helps me learn the basics, and encourages me to try and get better.



3. I'm a serious beginner and I chose this book for what it offered and then was surprised to notice that it's a Reader's Digest book (sorry, but I guess I'm a bit of a book snob). Well nevermind because it's a terrific book. Hazel Harrison walks you through a huge variety of watercolor techniques. Great lessons and reference.
   
   I would have appreciated specific paint colors and brands with each example/technique, but even without that it's a very valuable resource.



4. This is an excellent book. I have been painting for many years and
   still learned a lot from reading it. In this case I bought it as a
   gift because I liked my copy so much.



5. Over the years, I have bought many watercolor books to help me get started painting with watercolor. I wish I had found this one first. It has the basics and more. The techniques and demonstrations are illustrated extremely well. The text is easy to follow, too. In some cases, it even gives two approaches to painting the same subject matter. Good color theory, too. I know I will use this now and into the future.

5 comments about Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques.

1. Another wonderful cloth doll book by my favorite author in this area. Great illustrations. Thank you!



2. Excellent book! Great instructions on how to draw a face on cloth and how to paint and highlight facial features. I haven't made my first doll yet, but I have it on my "to do" list. I really like Patti Medaris Culea and Anne Hesse's dolls as they seem so realistic with the beautiful colors and embellishments. I make handsewn beaded jewelry and I look forward to making my first cloth doll creation. One of the things I really like about Patti's books is she also includes other dollmakers work so you can visually see all the different styles of the designers and it makes your own creative juices start to flow.



3. Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques
   Using many photos and easy to follow directions and diagrams, Patti has reduced the terrifying and difficult task many feel unable to acheive to its basics and allows the artist in you to come alive!
   
   The book has dolls from a number of different artists and demonstrates each of their approach to making the face come alive! The tips are portable and not limited to just Patti's own dolls, but ones you can save in your head for future use on a new project.
   
   I highly recommend this book for both beginning dollmakers as well as for advanced artisans who want to improve their work or techniques.



4. That's what this book is good at. Easy to follow directions, great patterns, that can be changed to fit - your doll. But most of all, a easy way to get that face looking, like a face. Not a blob of colors, where the eyes are not in the right place, or are too big on one side, and smaller on the other. This book also has great tips for those who are more experianced. The face intimadates most begainers, and some who have expriance too. And this makes it fun to come up with your own doll face. Where you'll know it will look like a face. Enjoy - this books is tons of fun. You'll find yourself going back to it, again and again.



5. Creative Cloth Doll Faces is delightful, inspirational and visually stimulating. It takes the idea of an art doll to a new level of elegance. The directions are easy to understand, even for a beginner. It is amazing how much diversity can be made from one basic face. Each artist gives the face his/her own creative identity. I highly recommend this book to folks who wish to get into the making of elegant art dolls. Bravo for Patti Medaris Culea for a fine tutorial that includes paints, pastels, fibers, beading, collage and sculpting techniques.

5 comments about PMC Technic: A Collection of Techniques for Precious Metal Clay.

1. Just received this book , it is the absolute best for anyone wanting to explore the best in pmc creations. The artists featured are awesome ,their explanations are understandable even by novices.Their work is so inspiring. I have been a fan of Celie Fago,(who wouldn't be?),so it is great to get her instuctions.I know I will just look at it for a while,relishing every word and picture!



2. As a miniaturist, I've worked with sculpting clay for many years, and PMC is a newly discovered joy for me! Being uneducated in the formal jewelry-making field of expertise, it's all a big play-pen for me, and I have been desperately searching for artist-quality inspirations, and that is what I found in this Luscious book on metal clay artisan styles! Not only am I able to learn techniques, but there are masterful photographs and detailed directions on subject matter that I have never seen before....such as HINGES! Kudos to the Author, and to all of the extraordinarily talented artists who share their tricks of the trade! Perhaps this wouldn't be the best book for a beginning artisan, but even for me, with very limited experience with PMC and metal clays, I have found a TREASURE of KNOWLEDGE in this book! Blessed & Inspired! Deanne



3. This book has some interesting and different techniques some of which I haven't seen before. I'm really keen to try making a bead core and then doing a flamework bead over the top.
   
   I prefer books with clear photographs to show techniques and this one has mainly sketches. But they are clear and it's easy to follow.
   
   This book is clearly aimed at more experienced metal clay users which is fine with me.



4. PMC Techniques edited by Tim McCreight is an excellent reference book for metal clay artisans at the intermediate or advanced level. The technique chapters are written by metal clay experts well known in the field, and are presented in a stimulating manner. The illustrations are excellent and the format is very inviting and easy to read. It inspires the reader to move outside the box and incorporate new techniques and experiment. I love it, and hope McCreight will work on a second book incorporating more techniques as this medium is in a state of constant evolution.



5. This is a very good pmc lesson guide. There are different chapters with different lessons from each guest teacher. Each lesson is valuable and insightful into the particular techniques employed by the likes of kelly russel, celie fago, jen kahn and fred woell - amoung others. Beautiful photography of work and handy sketches provide more detailed examples of a process etc. I own every metal clay book ever writeen! Including any foreign ones and this is very good. I've written a more detailed review on amazon.co.uk and the book Pmc techniques with a blue cover is the same as pmc technic! very good book and intermediate/advanced - finally! There are masses of beginner pmc books out there, so this was appreciated by me.

5 comments about Drawing Dynamic Hands (Practical Art Books).

1. I've used both Bridgeman's and Hogarth's books on drawing hands and I've got to say that both artists are top notch and one couldn't miss by studying both. Bridgeman in my mind is very strong in his construction of a drawing and his studies on form alone are very valuable to me. And Hogarth's beautiful linear approach is also very helpful. Hogarth's work is so easy to see and study that I found him very accessible when I was just starting out on my artistic journey. And yet, now after many many years, I still go back to him and find more in depth information and solid teaching that I can glean from him. It's neat to be able to grow alongside an artist and find him still teaching you when you are older.
   
   I'm not sure how other artists do it, but by combining this book with Bridgeman's and other anatomy books, I've really grown in my understanding... and having several artistic teachers has helped me develop my own style and interests instead of only copying theirs. I definitely recommend this book therefore. After studying art in college, I'm finding that my best teachers and best learning experiences have been through books and this book on hands is no exception.



2. This is a great reference for drawing hands. Most beginning artists, like myself, find that the hardest part of a person to draw is the hands. This breaks down the hand into its basic anatomy and details every single thing about the hand you might want to know. Very useful for in-depth detail work with deep shading, and can be easily adapted to other styles such as cartooning and painting.



3. Like other Hogarth works, the hand is represented as stylized, over muscled, and predominantly masculine. If you expect that from the beginning, then you will find no disappointment in this book. I loved this book, as the stylization helps with understanding the shape and movements, the anatomical structure of the hand. It gives you an idea of how to draw proportions, angles, forshortening, etc. without the use of a model. As I prefer to draw from memory, this book was just my style.



4. Dynamic Hands is the ideal book to learn how to draw hands and understand the structure of the hand and how it works in all positions. Well drawn hands and feet are extremely important for finished paintings and illustrations. I am a commercial artist and designer, but have worked for many years on non-figurative projects. I am focusing on figurative work again, primarily in the game, fantasy and science fiction field. My goal is to draw entirely from imagination without having to use reference material, and this book by Burne Hogarth and his Dynamic Anatomy is helping me to reach this goal. The illustrations are very well done with several important hand positions and range of motion diagrams. I highly recommend it.



5. This book is very detailed and gives a wonderful view of the human hand. There is help for different ages and different ranges of art experience. Would recommend this book to anyone wanting help drawing the human hands!

5 comments about Watercolor The Spirit Of Spontaneity.

1. She is fun and excellant teacher. She always has something new to try and
   very clear in her direction.



2. This is a wonderful book. I am so happy I bought it - one of the best. Maybe the best! The exercises are so exciting and the results are inspiring. A must for every water colorist's library.



3. I just got this book today and can't put it down! The pictures take your breath away. I can't wait to try some of the ideas I garnered from this book. I do wish there had been more information on the paints used, but this book is worth every penny.... What an inspirational book!



4. I enjoy any watercolour book that seeks to take the use of the medium further than traditional uses. This book does that and more, with clear explanations on how to use other materials in combination with watercolour without being prescriptive. Many ideas for art works have been sparked by this book. The only issue for me is the use of American brand names on products - makes the book less universal.



5. This is an incredible, inspiring book. It has given me such great ideas to put into practise in my own art work.
   
   I do not hesitate to recommend it.
   
   Regards
   Lawvel