2 comments about The Flower Painters Essential Handbook: How to Paint 50 Beautiful Flowers in Watercolor.

1. A wonderful addition to my art bookshelf. I found The Flower Painter's Essential Handbook easy to follow, well illustrated in full color throughout and detailed.



2. This is an excellent book to learn watercolor flower painting with, and I love the loose, relaxed style of the 50 flowers you will learn to draw and paint. It is different from some other watercolor books I already own, and fills a nice gap in learning to vary painting styles.
   
   I really like it for it's simplicity and loose relaxing style, while at the same time, presenting about 50 different types of flowers to paint in a step-by-step fashion. It's a great book. It has drawing instructions for each flower, pointing out the details and things such as a folded or twisted petal, and how the bud attaches to the stem. Arrows explaining where the light and shadows fall and how to paint that are easy to follow. The palette for each painting is between 3 to 6 colors, which I also found nice. The washes and layering are also taught in an easy to follow manner.
   
   The book is almost completely devoted to 50 two-page exercises on painting 50 different flowers from letter A to W, and does not spend much time on presenting such things as color theory. I really like this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to learn and practice flowers in watercolors.

5 comments about The Acrylics Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artist.

1. I borrowed this book and am planning to buy it. There are a lot of ideas to expand on. It's not really a step by step book although some steps are shown for each style the artist introduces. He shows how watercolor, oil and other looks are achieved. I feel, it's the best comprehensive book directed specifically at acrylics I've come across to date...



2. This book gives a really good intro into acrylics for beginners. I've dabbled in acrylics, but the info in this book gave me the why as well as the how to different techniques. It's absolutely a beginner's book, but very thorough on the basics.



3. I found this book just as I was beginning to paint. It helped me confirm that it was acrylics, rather than some other medium, that I wanted to use; and it gave me great instruction to get me going. I have subsequently read other painting-technique books (some excellent, others not) and I still think that, as a general discussion of acrylics, this book is perhaps the best I've seen. It has beautiful paintings as examples of what can be accomplished in acrylics.
   
   I was probably a bit stingy in giving only 4 stars, but I feel that, on a very few points, there might have been more detail or elaboration. Still, overall, I know of no better book for anyone new to acrylics--indeed it continues to be a favorite of mine. I recommend this book together with the website of Golden Acrylics; those two resources might be all you will need to educate yourself about the use and manipulation of acrylic paints and acrylic mediums.



4. Very informative with regard to brands of paints, brushes, mediums, and surfaces. Has recommendations for your beginning palate, brush set, etc. Expands on technique with demonstrations. REALLY like this book and glad I bought it.



5. I recommend this for the beginner level acrylic painter. What you need to know to get started with a lot of great product information.

5 comments about Fashion Illustration for Designers.

1. I have purchased almost every book on fashion illustration out there, and this is still the best. It covers all media, has beautiful full color illustrations and hundreds of black and white. It also shows how to illustrate males and children of all ages.



2. I found this book the best for examples on learning to draw draped garments on the body. Although not explicitly meant for this purpose, this book divides each type of garment by chapter and gives examples for drawing them, appropriately. I find her approach realistic, and her style excellent. She definitely helped me!



3. i teach from this book and it is instrumental in creating enormous breakthroughs in students' sketching abilities. you will never tire of this book. loads of information. a must.



4. I have a lot of worthless books on fashion illustration, however, this one is not one of those. It is worth the money and then some. She is clearly a good teacher, the illustrations are great and the videos are a bonus. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed.



5. My teacher recommmended that I get this book and I absoulutely love it. Karen Hagen is a great illustrator and gives a variety of ideas of different mediums to use and how to coordinate them all together. This book is also great for those who don't quite know how to draw. There are step by step instructions and the illustrations are great!

4 comments about The Art of Travel with A Sketchbook.

1. Mari expresses the ideas eloquently and assures you of your own acceptance as an artist along with the love of travel and beautiful people and beautiful places.



2. To start at the end, "Make each day in life more meaningful by capturing Priceless Memories" is the beginning of an adventure everyone should take. Marie Le Glatin Keis' book, "The Art of Travel With a Sketchbook" is just plain captivating.
   
   She provides simple instructions and major motivation to capture memories using art and words. There are six sections with easy-to-follow tips on how to make memories not only when traveling but even in daily life. The examples of her student's words, art and growth are proof that it works for beginners and even experienced artists.
   
   I am already a daily sketcher and I was motivated to do, try more and enjoy more.
   
   Art and words: so simple yet so powerful!



3. The book was a gift for my husband. He must have loved it as it kept him busy for several days.



4. If you are an artist or someone who has a need to draw this is a great book to get you started or keep you going. Mari's approach is simple, fresh and inspiring. She not only makes you slow down and smell but draw the roses as well. A beautiful book full of wonderful tips and messages from Mari and her participants.

2 comments about Draw 50 Sharks, Whales, and Other Sea Creatures: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Great White Sharks, Killer Whales, Barracudas, Seahorses, Seals, and More (Draw 50).

1. My 8 yr old loves drawing! This book shows you step by step how to get sea creatures to appear on the page! Fun for all of us. Great gift idea for any budding artist (or any parent who wants to draw cool things for their kids).



2. "Draw 50 Sharks..." is an excellent book for children and adults interested in marine life, and at the same time wish to appreciate art. I found the step-by-step sketch examples non-intimidating as some drawing books present themselves. Children will find this book useful as a template for drawing sea creatures, and can improvise from them. The book is a "must-read" for children. Teachers should incorporate this book into their curriculum as a way to spark creativity in children.

1 comments about Sempe: A Little Bit of France.

1. 
   Great Book!!!!Wonderful pictures!!!!Sempe is a wonderful artist!!!For all ages!!!

3 comments about Colors: The Story of Dyes and Pigments.

1. I was so looking forward to receiving this book that when it arrived I immediately started to read. What a disappointment. It was full of fairly useless information and not at all entertaining or a joy to read which I'd expected it to be. I've given it a rating of 2 but had to think long and hard to even go that high.



2. _Colors: The Story of Dyes and Pigments_, is an excellent little book to read if you are interested in colors. It covers pre-history up through the modern era, and it discusses some of the chemistry, much of the mineralogy, and a lot of the economics & politics that went into the use of different dyes & pigments through the eons.
   
   It is also lavishly illustrated, with many many photos, including photos of famous works of art, close-up photos showing artistic techniques, photos of artists' materials, and photos of historical treatises relating to cloth dyeing and other skills. There is a lot of good technical content, including explanations of the differences between dyes, pigments and lakes, and details of attempts in antiquity to create artificial colors, going as far back as the Egyptians.
   
   The chapters are Painting & Dyeing, which covers paints and dyes from antiquity to the Middle Ages; Colors in the Middle Ages, which covers new technological & economic developments in the Middle Ages; The Explosion of Supply and Demand, which covers how the increased trade of the Renaissance, Enlightenment Era, and the Industrial Age drove the search for new colors; and The Triumph of Industrial Chemistry, which describes how colors are made today.
   
   There is also a chapter titled Documents, which has excerpts from a number of historical works about dyes & pigments, and that chapter alone is worth the price of the book. The bibliography is also excellent.
   
   It was a bit slow in places, and since it was originally written in French, there is a certain flow to the text that is subtly different from many contemporary books written by native English speakes. But, the differences are not unpleasant, and for the most part the text is very engaging.
   
   I did notice that it repeats the statement that India Yellow was made from the concentrated urine of cows who at only mangoes, and according to Victoria Finlay in _Color: A Natural History of the Palette_, that provenance is mythical. But that was the only jarring note I found in the entire work.



3. I am a Color Manager for one of the worlds largest paint companies and even though I have been working with pigments for 15 years I have found this book to be a treasure chest of interesting trivia that I didn't know or had long forgotten.
   But this book is not just for chemists. If you are like me interested in art, especially paintings, you will find that this book gives you a wealth of information and facts that one can use to better understand the development of art through the centuries.
   I can highly recommend this beautifully illustrated booklet which is fun to read to everybody (not just color nerds like me).

5 comments about How to Draw the Human Figure: Famous Artists School, Step-by-Step Method (Famous Artists School : Step-By-Step Method).

1. good price. a bit disappointed with the book itself. no reflection on the seller.



2. I found this book to give me all I was looking for, how to draw gesture drawing,anatomical proportions,figure, and it gives you practice pages to draw on and then comparison pages to go back to so you can see your errors and correct them. this is a self teaching book that works



3. THIS IS A VERY GOOD BOOK BUT NOT ONE FOR THE "AVERAGE" BASIC BEGINNER. WAS HOPING FOR A STEP BY STEP.



4. Lots of good excercises for those new to drawing the human figure.



5. When I review DRAWING books, the first question I ask is, "Is this for BEGINNERS?" Because I feel an obligation to the book buyer to provide good information, and also to prevent a beginning student from being discouraged, and feeling that they are defective, or ....just cannot get it.
   
   It does not seem to occur to the buyer that many authors just cannot teach. Instinct seems to suggest that that if book gets published, it must contain credible instruction by someone who knows how to teach, and everyone seems to desire to cash in on the Big Bucks market of HOW-TO-DRAW. It may seem surprising that this is just not so. Perhaps as many as half of all drawing books are not very good for beginners. I know. I've gotten familiar with most of the books on the market, and I know what I'm looking for in good instruction.
   
   I've purchased over 25 drawing books, and own the most popular titles of the HOW-TO-DRAW genre. I rate Famous Artists School's "How To Draw The Human Figure" as one of the top 5 books on figure drawing. At this price it's a bargain anyway. Using the classical method of representing the body as cylinders in basic outline, this book covers not just static models, but representation of the human figure in dynamic motion. I consider this a "must have" book that cuts through all nonsense with no wasted pages.
   
   Why do I consider this book so successful, at only 98 pages, when I call other books of the same size or 20 pages larger a failure as a drawing book? Famous Artist's school focuses only on basic figure drawing, whereas most other drawing books move on to cover other material such as composition, perspective, color etc., which shortchanges the buyer on Basic Figure Drawing. By keeping focus, this book is very useful to any beginner. At this price, it's a bargain also!

5 comments about Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy, a Step-by-Step Manual.

1. This is a wonderful book that goes into great detail about how to write each letter. The author knows so much about copperplate and she offers great advice and tips. Listen to her advice! Instructions are very easy to follow and I got a really great understanding of writing copperplate. Great for beginners or for those with experience who want to work on technique.



2. This book is wonderful! Mt daughter got interested in calligraphy after a project in school about colonial America. I bought this book for her to try to learn one of the styles of that period. It was a bit much for her, but I became fascinated by it and quickly began to improve my own penmanship. This style of writing is not the easiest form of calligraphy out there, and I wouldn't reccommend it for someone just learning to use a calligraphy pen, but after a little practice holding the pen and some basic calligraphy like unical or roman, an older child or adult will find this a very helpful book.



3. First to Eleanor--thank you thank you thank you! For giving me a handwriting style that will last centuries yet.
   
   Ahem... Copperplate hand is beautiful, and instead of having to guess how to go about making it right from a one-page sample, you have a kind and considerate teacher walk you through a complete tutorial in a real-world classroom pace--with every intention of actually passing down this beautiful hand--warts and elegance--all--from her years of experience into your fingers. This text will be your guide to teaching future generations this beautiful hand. I am honored to have found this book and even more honored to have the chance to learn this hand from a true master. I hope you will find it, as I did, that her tone is considerate, experienced, and helpful every step of the way--she made _every_ _word_ _count_. She will never bore you.
   
   At this moment I plan to work on this hand whenever I take notes. I have a Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen, and although the default nib cannot vary stroke width through pressure--it's a hard nib--I have every intention of enjoying the styling of copperplate in my everyday writings. Like any others who have recently rediscovered the pleasure of writing a journal, I am using a fountain pen or a roller ball on a Moleskine brand notepad. There are many blogs and online write-ups helping you get into this fun activity. Check them out. But I realize I need a cursive hand to work on, otherwise my handwriting would remain illegible! But thanks to Ms. Winters--I am saved!



4. I have a number of books on Copperplate. This is the most thorough, and produces the best results. Winters sweats the details, both in the letterforms (which all the books cover), but in the fine details of them, details of posture, help in choosing paper and ink (A real issue when trying to learn copperplate -- the right paper can make all the difference).
   
   Absolutely, if you're trying to learn Copperplate, get a copy of Winters and read it. It will make all the difference.



5. After studying calligraphy through workshops and lessons since 1989, I decided to add Copperplate to my repertoire. I found learning this style requires a whole new "think" on writing: different flexible pen nibs, pen angles, paper slant, stops, bold and hairline strokes, and of course incredible(albeit refined)embellishment. This book holds prime position in my library, is ink-stained and spotted, has pages unbound from overuse, and is the most perfect way to learn this hand as any I have ever seen. Every time I want to use Copperplate on a commission or project, I haul it out to have beside me, to remember all the little specifics that make Copperplate so beautiful. I love this book!

2 comments about Chinese Calligraphy Made Easy: A Structured Course in Creating Beautiful Brush Lettering.

1. If you'd like to learn to write the "ABCs" of written Chinese, this is the book for you! (That's a joke, by the way, since Chinese has no ABCs.) The book gives very complete and detailed instructions for making the strokes of the Chinese characters, and building them into beautiful characters. I particularly liked the way little arrows show the movement of the tip of the brush, while up and down symbols told you when to lift the brush to its tip, or press it down.
   
   The book is interspersed with attractive little projects you can do with Chinese characters, but the heart of the book is definitely how to write the characters themselves.



2. This is a fabulous introductory how-to book on Chinese calligraphy. The text and examples are large, the overall presentation of the material is clear and artful. Using this book is really easy.
   
   The publisher's description says:
   
   - Unique, systematic teaching method builds
   from basic to advanced brushstrokes,
   enabling you to create new words with each
   brushstroke you learn
   
   - Two fold-out cover flaps carry key
   information to remind you of the anatomy
   of each character as you progress
   
   - Organized into a series of lessons and
   projects which, as they are worked
   through, build the reader's knowledge
   
   - Includes beginner-level projects for
   greeting cards, decorative ceramics, and
   calligraphic artwork
   
   Some 100 characters are covered. There are chapters on preparing the brushes, holding and loading the brush, wrist and elbow movements, pressing and lifting the brush, various brushstrokes, making a traditional writing book, a greeting card, the five golden rules of Chinese calligraphy, mounting a xuan paper artwork, and more. An appendix shows where Chinese calligraphy supplies can be obtained in the U.S and U.K., each listing has a website.
   
   I happily give this book a full five stars.