5 comments about Oil Painting for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Painter.

1. This is a great book that doesn't insult the artist.
   The author takes you through the thought process, the planning and the execution.
   It's not for someone who never picked up a paint brush before- for those people I suggest taking a class.
   It doesn't spoon feed you step-by-step of every brush stroke. Other wise it would be just a "here's how you can copy me exactly and not really learn anything" type of book.
   I loved the book and I am inspired to paint "plein air".
   The author's paintings are beautiful ( and yes some of the fall exterior paintings have a golden-yellow feel, but that's what the artist wanted to use).
   It is worth every penny.



2. IF you are serious about painting, this book is worth 100 times its weight in gold. If you're just dabbling in it as a hobby, then go ahead and buy one of those generic "how to" books. I am relatively new to painting, but took to it like a duck to water at 42 (my father is a well-known landscape artist and I've always had a natural bent). I luckily happened upon Steve Allrich's book at my local Blick's store and, at first, hesitated to purchase it, questioning whether or not it would be worth the hard-earned $20.00 that COULD have gone toward a couple of tubes of cad lemon. I wonder no more!
   
   I own a slew of painting books and make it a habit to study almost as much as to actually paint. I study A LOT. Yet, on any given day in my basement studio it is rare that you will find me without Steve's book by my side, frequently propped open to a "demo" page for constant reference. This book has dramatically affected my painting style (in a re-e-ally good way) and has simplified considerably my palette. I LOVE this book! And I love this man's honest, humorous, inspiring and intelligent take on the profession of painting with oils. He clearly writes from the heart and makes no apologies for his unique, but very effective, techniques which even the seasoned artist will find valuable (as some of my artist friends can attest).
   
   This is not a book for hobbyists, however. It is much too inspired to be reduced to a "how to" book. But it will encourage, teach and guide you if you desire to truly embark on this often misunderstood profession of artist.



3. This book is not for the true beginner. It may be good for someone with a lot of experience but not me. I wanted a book with the basics of painting, a how-to book.Oil Painting for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Painter



4. I found this book to be very easy to read and helpful with basic concepts needed for a strong foundation in painting with oils. I especially like the info about shading, color for impact and components to make your work more polished.



5. I should have listened to the other reviews. The images are yellow toned and it makes it very difficult for a beginner to learn how to mix paint and get the right colors. The book also doesn't guide you on this matter which makes all the difference. I haven't used this book once.

5 comments about Designer's Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Color Theory and Application.

1. This book had been recommended for a graphic design class but it was too text based. I found some other books on color that dealt with the subject more effectively with less a technical/abstract approach. The abstract method of explaining color scientifically that this author used did not reach me so much. I found myself trying to translate his meanings in my head. Books that explain color in terms of psychological and emotional effects make a lot more sense to me and quickly get at the impact of color on an intuitional level...where it actually hits the audience.



2. The product was as described and it was fine, but it took over a month to ship, which is ridiculous. The project I needed it for was done and turned in by the time I actually received the book.



3. A book dedicated to colors really can't afford making a major mistake as found on page 26 where Cyan is described as the mixture of Red and Blue. Not only in words, but also in a colorful RGB model. (Cyan is a mixture of Green and Blue). I just bought this book to get a clear introduction in (the theory of) colors and being and this mistake confused me a lot. Thank the Spirit for Wikipedia :).
   Anyway, I still recommend this book because it tries to explore allmost every aspect of colors and I like the design !!
   Jan Hoogesteijn, Amsterdam Netherlands



4. I bought this book because I don't have an arts background, but am starting to expand my efforts in the field of graphic design. This book is laid out in a superb format. Each sub topic spans only a single double page, and there are plenty of pictures and captions to illustrate and reinforce the points raised.
   
   The subject area is broad, and many different aspects of colour are covered ranging from the history and perception of colour to issues such as colour blindness right though to some common Photoshop techniques for colour correction.
   
   As I sat holding this pleasantly heavy book in my hand it occured to me that I felt as if I was being drawn back into my childhood, staring with fascination into those "how things work" encyclopedia-style books with cut-out cross-sections of machines and other interesting tidbits. Do you remember how you could just keep looking at those types of books time and time and again, and just look at the pictures and captions if you wanted to?
   
   This is a book that I feel I could put on my coffee table rather than my reference bookshelf, but that by no means that it is not useful as a reference, at least for me. If you are looking for detailed examination of something specific then you may want to choose a different book, but if you want to get a broad overview and awareness of something we are surrounded by all the time (colour!), then I think this is an excellent choice.



5. Color is the foundation of successful design, and so many designer's guides focus on the finer art of using color effectively. Tom Fraser and Adam Banks' Designer's Color Manual brings together key basic concepts of color theory for a title which focuses on the marriage between theory and application. From color psychology and the underlying effects of color on mental state and observational arts to color in craft and the social environment, introductory concepts evolve into easy step-by-step techniques for using color in a design environment. Add over 1,000 color images and you have a winning text in Designer's Color Manual.

4 comments about Drawing from Life.

1. I bought this book for a class I was taking and I ended up keeping it for myself once I finished the class. It is filled with information and instruction. I love this book and I very rarely keep book I buy for classes and this is one of the few I kept because I know I will use it many more times in the future. It works well for references and how to stuff.



2. Excellent book for anyone interested in drawing the human figure. Deals well and extensively with proportion, anatomy and nuances of figure drawing. Required by my art teacher and worth the money as an on-going reference source.



3. This book gives you the bones to enrich your experience with figure drawing. Professor Brown draws from varied sources and presents helpful images along with text that is intelligent and imformative. It is filled with sketches from masters such as Da Vinci as well as descriptive sketches from Clint addressing the figure as a subject filled with motion. I have continued to refer back to the book and appreciate its portable size. This is a book to take with you and keep even if you are moving around!



4. "Drawing from Life" is a treasure an artist, teacher, and drawing lover finds once in awhile. It is very logically layed out. I enjoyed variety of illustrations, the learning exercises, and glossary. Alas... some negatives: the price, the quality and detail of the reproductions, especially the anatomy ones. The book needs to be bigger in size and make use of detail enlargements to show the beauty of the drawings

5 comments about Rendering in Pen and Ink: The Classic Book on Pen and Ink Techniques for Artists, Illustrators, Architects, and Designers (Practical Art Books).

1. Ink and pen was pretty much perfected around the turn of the century and the benefit of that expertise is captured quite well in this book. You still get the best and most expressive lines from a steel pen. This seems like a perfect book for a beginner or an experienced artist interested in all the nuances of the pen.
   My only real issue with the book is it seems to be focused heavily on architectural themes and technical issues and less on art. So I give it 4 stars.



2. This is the Bible.
   That's the long and short of it. To my knowledge, there is no other tutorial that is as complete and exhaustive as this 60 year old text on the then prominent art of pen and ink drawing. Arthur Guptill begins with a detailed exploration of the nature of pen and ink rendering as well as its limitations. Pen and ink is never intended to create photographic representations of the subject and so any comparison between the photograph and the ink rendering is fallacious. He then goes on to explain how the results of pen and ink are achieved. Some of the material will be superfluous to the artist who uses the Rapidograph pen because it illustrates the different techniques that are specific to the various flexibilities of the dip-pen nibs and how varying the pressure can produce different line effects. These techniques are the reasons I prefer the flex-tip nibs over the modern technical pen. (Or it could be that I'm just and old fashioned cuss.) Guptill stresses the importance of practicing pen-strokes much as a pianist must practice scales. Neither the instruments nor the lack of skill in the basic techniques should stand in the way of the artist in the midst of creating the picture. Practicing strokes is the surest way to freedom of expression when it counts most.
   Many methods of producing grey scale with the pen and one value of black ink are also presented exhaustively. When this book was written, newspapers relied less on photographs and more on the pen primarily because printing techniques had not been developed that could inexpensively reproduce on newsprint the subtle shading of a photograph. Only the most important stories warranted a print photo. Artists had to rely on pen techniques to suggest them. That, more than any other thing, makes this text invaluable, for even though we have mastered the art of photographic printing, yet there is a charm to the pen and ink rendering that will never be replaced. It is good to have a ready reference to how these effects are achieved.
   Also valuable are the principles of composition, light, shade and texture that are common to most art texts, but here these are presented with the specific ways they are achieved in monochrome ink and various pens. And, there are ample illustrations of works by the greatest illustrators of the time, showing how each one achieved results. Copying these artists is probably the most valuable experience an artists can get from a book.
   Much of the work, in fact, the majority, is in the area of architectural rendering, and it seems that architects may be the ones who will get the most use of this textbook, but illustrators are well represented too, and the techniques are the same for both.
   I have found this book essential in my own illustration work and recommend it highly to anyone in the graphic arts.



3. I bought this book to learn pen drawings but as this tome was written several years ago, it talks about a different set of instruments, principally a quill/or quill type pen. The uniqueness of this pen is that the width of the line varies with the pressure you put. These pens are now available only in specialty art stores. If you are planning to use the technical pen (available in a number of gages) a better and more apt alternative is The Technical Pen.
   
   This book however, still rates 3 stars from me because of the depth of material. Some of the illustrations are very, well illustrative :) and the overall coverage of material is comprehensive.



4. This book is essential. I am a pro illustrator and I still find myself cracking it open. Through out your career in art you will have a hand full of books that amaze you and keep teaching you. This is it.
   
   TJ Walkup



5. This book is all that the other reviewers say it is. The text is clear and informative, if dated... but the illustrations! The illustrations are worth the price of the book. Even just the basic exercise illustrations in the first part of the book are beautiful, and demonstrate what is possible with this medium.
   
   I have to admit, I'm a Rapidograph person (and if you are too, please see The Technical Pen in addition to this book) rather than a flexible nib person, but the lessons and examples in Guptill's book are priceless anyway.
   
   Highly recommended.

5 comments about Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America.

1. Wright has a brisk style and his story from the origins of Superhero comic books in 1938 to the mid 1990s decline due to an overheated market, is familiar enough. He certainly has read a lot of comics and it shows. As the reviews here suggest this book has become a standard history of comic books and American culture. Since I write on comics myself my comments may seem snippy, but they come from an engagement with Wright's work and the wish he had done just a little more given the good work he has produced. My reservation about the book is that too much of Wright's argument is about the way comic books reflected American culture and too little suggests ways comic books may have shaped American culture. For instance, Wright thinks comic books worthy of study in that they offer "a fun-house mirror of life" (xiv). That statement is true enough, but any product of a society offers some way of understanding that society. With comics (and indeed most goods and services, literature and so on) I think scholars can delve a little deeper and try to understand the ways they might have helped shape societies.



2. A scholarly yet extremely readable and enjoyable account of the history of comics and how they fit into and reflect American culture since the 1930's. Mr. Wright's account of Frederic "Seduction of the Innocent" Wertham and his attacks on the comic book industry in the late 1940's and early 1950's is the most thoughtful and even-handed I have ever read. This book belongs alongside Gerard Jones' wonderful Men Of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book as the best overall histories of the comics ever written. It's very informative and highly entertaining, a truly terrific read.



3. If you have a passion for comics or for American culture this is really a great book. It's a lot bigger than I thought. It's also a lot more fun then I thought. It isn't a dry read at all. Engaging and interesting, I would recommend this to anyone.



4. There is simply too much that is not discussed for this to be a truly effective book, including most of DC and Marvel's non-superhero output, so that their war, western, and romance comics are neglected and the horror boom of the 1970s is largely ignored. The many superhero comics of the 60s that were published by companies other than DC and Marvel are also overlooked. Harvey and Gold Key are barely mentioned and to read this book, you would think that Charlton only printed war comics.



5. I don't know that I can write this review without injecting it with ample amount of gushing praise, but I will try.
   
   I teach media and communications at the college level and have been studying pop culture and its effect on society for over 20 years.
   
   That said, this book was only on the periphery of my attention for some time. It took me seeing it was used as a text for a course a fellow instructor at Penn State to buy it and read it.
   
   To say "I couldn't put it down" is cliche, but I honestly could NOT resist reading this book. I often read several books at a time, but this book demanded my constant attention.
   
   While it covers the same ground as many histories of comic books do (in particular Men of Tomorrow), and while many comic fans who have studied their favorite medium's past will already be familiar with many of the points Wright brings up in Comic Book Nation, this book is never less than entertaining and enlightening.
   
   What makes it a bit different from other histories is not so much that Wright is a comic lover, but that he lets that love shine through.
   
   He makes no aplogies when comics made him (and probably many of his reader) cringe and also praises creators, creations, and comics where praise is needed.
   
   He also offers the most balanced account of the oft-discussed Seduction of the Innocent era of comic books I have read to date.
   
   This book is a joy.

5 comments about Painter's Handbook: Revised and Expanded.

1. Very Good Book! There's no complete informations like Ralph Mayer, but is very simple and atualized in some topics like acrylic grounds and alkyd resins.



2. I do know how I would rate the items I ordered for my son that works in New York City, He makes a wish list of several items he would and etc.
   I have been doing this for several years and I love it as I would never know what to send him, other then Gift Cards. That's ok for some people but he lives away from home and I can choose anything I want and I know he will like the gifts I buy. He greceived gifts htat are wrapped by his Mother and Dad and he never knows what I pick out and send.. I do put other gifts like cookies, home made candy and some other surprises. Over all I would rate every thing I order and makes it so easy for me. A 5.



3. The Painter's Handbook is without doubt to artists' painting materials. Gottsegen's knowledge and expertise in the field allow for an in-depth understanding of the tools of the fine artist, and his book dispels so many of the myths surrounding art materials that have been perpetuated in other resources.
   -Mark Golden, CEO, Golden Artist Colors, Inc.



4. My painting instructor reccomended this book. If you're serious about art, you might want to get this...It's a handy reference to materials (frames,grounds,paints,solvents), techniques and safety/protection...It's also easy to follow, well researched and comprehensive. The 4 stars is because there is some outdated information...e.g. Gottsegen explains how to make oil paints...But given the health risks (of working w/ dry pigments), difficulty and time required in this process, it really isn't feasible.



5. I recommend this book enthusiastically to my students as a concise, clear, easy-to-use and thorough reference on painting materials, especially oil painting (though it does cover other painting media). There hasn't been a technical question about materials that it hasn't answered for me, and the information provided has also led me to experiment with new materials. It is not a "how-to" book on painting and there are no pictures or anecdotes, but it is oriented towards serious students and professionals. For me, "The Joy of Cooking" of painting -- wouldn't be without it.

5 comments about Drawing the Living Figure.

1. As someone else mentioned, this goes in with my George Bridgman books. The terminology is simple, and doesn't get too medical. I really loved the variety of figures used, though I'd love to see more plus sized models in the male side and a more plump female figure.
   
   Sheppard lays out key points in observing how muscles and bones affect the surface anatomy of a figure. It shows you how for example the pelvis shows up and how muscle and fat distribution affects the legs, hips etc.
   
   Sheppard is rather concise and to the point, where many other anatomy books become too technical and you end up getting lost in the details.
   
   The other thing to mention is the price. Bridgman and Sheppard's books are rather inexpensive compared to many other anatomy and figure drawing books out there. This is a definite selling point!



2. Between the simplified cartoon anatomy books, popular today, and the detailed treatments inspired by medical textbooks, is this fine work. This book is built from the ground up for artists. By focusing on surface anatomy, showing its relation to underlying muscle and bone structure, and then presenting it all with a multitude of useful and expertly done drawings, Sheppard has produced what may be the finest anatomical artist reference.
   
   Most professional artists recommend Bridgeman's works. I don't doubt the usefulness of Bridgeman to a true working professional, but for me, and maybe other amateurs, the concepts in Bridgeman never seem to reveal themselves. Sheppard will be useful the first time you open the book and will certainly clear much of the confusion in figure drawing.



3. Excellent book.Draving are fantastic and informative.I just bought the book and would recommend it to everyone who needs help in drawing a human figure.



4. THIS BOOK IS A "MUST HAVE". It is not the only drawing book that you need in your personal library, but it is one of the most essential.
   
   The book includes about seventy well-drawn male and female nude drawings, grouped by type of pose (standing, crouching, twisting, etc.). Each of the seventy poses is drawn three times --
   (1) as an annotated finished drawing,
   (2) as an annotated (identically sized) skeleton in the same pose, and
   (3) as an annotated (identically sized) muscle diagram in the same pose.
   
   The anatomy is at a level of detail designed for the figure-drawing artist, not for the medical illustrator. As such, only those muscles and bones that are significant to a particular pose are labeled, and are described with simplified nomenclature.
   
   I remember complaining to my instructor that I could discern the rib cage in our male model, but not in this rounded-back posed female model. This book is the ideal reference for seeing the support infrastructure in such situations.
   
   Although there are many approaches to figure drawing, understanding the effects that underlying anatomical infrastructure have on surface anatomy is essential to realistic drawing. In addition to this book, you should also have other books in your figure drawing library, that cover croquis, circles & guidelines, tonal masses, planes, gestures, cylinders, lighting, proportions, contours, and other techniques. But Joseph Sheppard's "Drawing the Living Figure" will be your primary anatomical reference.



5. This book is both useful and economical. It covers male and female nudes in different positions and angles (3/4, side, frontal).

5 comments about Putting People in Your Paintings.

1. Thought this was a wonderful book. Just what I was looking for ie. impressionistic images of figures in watercolour. The demos are clear and easy to follow. Her paintings are full of light and she sets everything out very clearly. More helpful than a DVD. Highly recommended.



2. After years of avoiding attempting to paint figures, I am now able to put people into my paintings successfully. Laurels book is beautifully written and well laid out, which makes it easy to use. She manages to communicate the techniques and instill confidence, so a big thank you!



3. This book is written by a professional portrait painter. She is fabulous in her approach to watercolor portraits but I believe not that helpful to the beginner like myself. The hardest thing to do is to put figures into a landscape or seascape and this book has the information but assumes you are comfortable painting faces and figures in the first place.
   Should you already feel comfortable drawing and painting faces and figures, by all means buy this book.
   The beginner should look elsewhere to realizing the concept and instruction of figure placement.
   There are many videos on the market like Don Andrews - "Painting Figurs in the Landscape" - and Tony Van Hasselt - "Fun with Figures" -that do the job for tyros like us.



4. This book is mainly about watercolor painting. There is a lot of focus on how to simplify the complex, and determining values. It is an absolutely wonderful book to develop skills at value sketches and seeing the light and shadows. It is filled to the brim with valuable information, and it is also filled with stunning artwork by the author.
   The teaching style and organization of the material taught is great.
   
   The author/ artist has a talent for simplifying complex information. She also teaches the reader/ student artist how to take a complex scene that you want to paint and learn the methods of simplifying it. Some of this simplicity is based on exercises of being trained to see light and shadow and values. It is a unique book--I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning to paint. It is not a basic beginner's how-to book, but can be very helpful to all levels of painters--especially in developing better skills at value sketches, and emphasizing light and shadow in your work.
   
   The author's artwork is very inspiring. Her demonstrations are very clear and well-organized. The exercises are exceptionally well-taught, with illustrations that help you understand easily. She teaches you how to take black and white photos of a scene and make value sketches and interpret the light and shadow. The author explains that "figures are patterns of light and shadow". She demonstrates how this light and shadow is then used to put people in paintings, find a center of focus, set mood with color schemes, triads for fleshtones, etc..
   
   I love the author's methods of explaining the painting process: An example is:
   A demonstration on watercolor washes are taught in a simplified way called "watercolor laundry method"--basically, as in household laundry, learning to separate lights and darks, (i.e. painting lights first, letting it dry (hairdryer), then doing the darks. She then demonstrates how a series of washes over each other builds up the shadows and creates light.
   
   This book definitely deserves 5 stars--it is one of the best watercolor teaching books that I own! It simplifies the difficult.



5. The author gives good instruction on how to add figures to watercolor, using her own work as examples. The instructions go from basic palettes to value sketches and show demonstrations.
   
   The author's style is quick and loose. This will seem less intimidating to beginners, who could be easily frustrated when they can't achieve some of the luminous and detailed results of a master.
   
   The author's palette has great suggestions, such as transparent red oxide and yellow oxide, which are transparent versions of palette standards like Venetian Red and Yellow Ochre. But she does recommend alizarin crimson, which today is easily replaced by quinacridone rose or violet and which is less likely to fade. A quibble, but I feel alizarin crimson is better replaced by the quinacridone pigments these days. She shows mixing variation with red-yellow-blue, using manganese blue, but you should be aware this will be manganese hue.
   
   The most valuable part of the book for beginners might be how to do value sketches, using black and white photos or rendering in digital software to see the darks and lights. She shows how dark shadows behind figures can be manipulated to add life and light to the painting--washing in a mix of brighter colors that still have the same value as the deep shadow, but are livelier and more pleasing to the eye.
   
   The best paintings are the ones of Hart's father and his peach orchard. The peaches glow and the shadows on the face and under boxes and barrows are interesting. Her style is not tight and photographic, but it gets the message across beautifully. Any beginner who wants to try portraits and figures can benefit from this book.

2 comments about J.J. Pizzuto's Fabric Science Swatch Kit.

1. The shipping was very quick and the kit was complete and in good condition.



2. the book helps out a lot for a fabric and textiles class

No comments about National Standards for Arts Education: What Every Young American Should Know and Be Able to Do in the Arts.