3 comments about Painting More Than the Eye Can See.

1. This guy's been painting and winning awards for 50 years! Wade is obviously a master. The instruction is on target. He is one of Australian's best loved watercolorists. Get the book. It's great.



2. This book is very basic. The artist uses his own vanity gallery to illustrate extremely rudimentary principles of art. If you're a rank beginner, you may get something out of this, otherwise, skip it. He even admits "I have never attended art school or art classes!"



3. Robert Wade combines both heart and skill in his painting, and writing about painting. This book is worth the price just for the pictures.

No comments about Sea and Sky in Watercolour (Step-by-Step Leisure Arts).

1 comments about Painting Holiday Treasures: Inspirations from Christmas Past.

1. This books is wonderful and has great projects for the decorative painter. This book is not for beginners though. You need to have a good understanding of tole painting.

No comments about Morandi (Art Gallery series).

1 comments about Dali A&I (Art and Ideas).

1. As an art lover, I find Salvador Dali to be one of the most eccentric artists that the 20th century has produced. His work is often misunderstood because it is so difficult to comprehend and yet I find that his important contribution to 20th century art must not be overestimated.

   This book does Dali a lot of justice by explaining the political situations, the artistic influences, and the personal friendships that helped shape Dali to become the artist that he was. The book also includes almost all of the famous Dali paintings from his earliest years to his last painting from 1982. It also contains photographs and reconstructions of the various artistic projects that he created including jewelry, photographs, and the like.

   If you think that Dali is bizarre or that his art simply is incomprehensible to you, try this book out. You will be surprised by how much you learn and how you will want to learn some more about this great twentieth century artist.

1 comments about Monet.

1. Saw this book for less than 4 $ used this is one of the truley great buys on Amazon . Large books 10.5 x 13 aprox 304 pages several fold outs one the Waterlilly brings the picture out to 25 inches X 4 1/2 format makes you want to go see the real one at Musee de I'Orangerie even the architectural drawing of it are in the book . I read this book from cover to cover . I even bought a second copy .

No comments about Line (Creative Painting Series).

5 comments about Harley Brown's Eternal Truths for Every Artist.

1. Mr. Brown's Eternal Truths is the kind of book I have picked up again and again. Not so much for the artistic advice, as for the cheerful inspiration that fills every page. It inspires me to actually head to my art table and begin painting, which is much more than most books. And, most especially, Mr. Brown approaches everything (his paintings, his advice, his life) with humor and joy. A lesson to us all.



2. This book is an amazing compendium of technique infused with insights that will inspire artists to rethink what, why and how they paint. Set up casually with plain talk, it belies the great book design and wonderful artwork. I highly recommend this book to all artists who aspire to do better!



3. Fantastic book, and highly recommended for anyone wanting to get inside the "meat" of an art instructional manual. Harley has a wonderful sense of humor, and an easy way of explaining his procedures. I have read it through cover to cover, and use it to reference repeatedly.
   Next purchase, is Harley's newest book.



4. Brown's book is excellent for intermediate or advanced artists. I think beginners will find it confusing and beyond them (Brown presumes some drawing and painting abilities are in place). His book will help you "bust loose" and get to the next level. His advice and side-comments are entertaining, anti-establishment, anti-artsy-baloney and generally right on! Enjoy.



5. I wish this book had been called, "Eternal Truths for Every Artist Who Works in Two Dimensions." It's about flat art. A very few points are relevant to sculpture, but not many. Could easily have saved the money I spent on this and have NOT earned the purchase price back in increased sales yet.

4 comments about Composition in Landscape and Still Life.

1. The overview of all compositional matters are set throughtly.
   
   One drawback is the pictures he is discussing in the text are sometimes not on the same page. Need to flip back and forth alot.



2. This is a 208-page semi-classic on pictorial composition, as far as composition is concerned. Analyzing about 135 paintings, 8 of which are reproduced in color, the basic principles of design here can be applied to more modern applications if necessary.
   
   Originally created in 1959, no painting pictured is more modern than that. That's OK- the principles here are mostly timeless, as demonstrated by Marvel's great Stan Lee & John Buscema in How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. In Marvel Way, Buscema actually illustrates more modern examples of the principles laid out by Watson, and that was enough for me to want to get this immediately.
   
   I'm so glad Dover gave this book a chance- its been out of print for years. One thing I can't currently do is compare this with other composition titles; it's just not a subject I've yet to heavily invest in. What I *can* say is that upon seeing this title's contents, I'm satisfied that it's at least not a waste of money- most people can certainly learn something here. It's a bit more wordy than I'd like, but Ernest Watson is an author worth reading. My favorite of his books is The Art of Pencil Drawing; it's definitely worth checking out. Few of his other titles survive today; I recommend people get them while they can.



3. I am fond of old books on painting and drawing, and this reprint of Watson's title originally published in the fifties lived to my expectation.
   Composition and design are most important ingredients in painting, yet there's a very few books on those subjects around.
   This one should be on every artist's shelf.



4. First of all, I love Watson's pencil drawings, which is why I bought the book, that and I need to work on my composition. The illustrations are mainly small black-and-white photos of paintings. While one may wish to see the pictures larger and in color, for the purposes of studying composition, the colorless versions are fine because it forces you to look at the values.
   The book was written in the fifties, and Watson quotes contemporary artists on composition. Some of the quotes are a bit pretentious, but still have something worth noting.
   When I have read further, I will report back on my observations. So far I have learned about how the human eye tends to move across the picture. We will see if I can find a practical use for this later in the book.

5 comments about Watercolor from the Heart.

1. This is not a step by step, how to book. But, it is the best watercolor book I have, (and I have many). Watercolor from the Heart will show you the true nature of the media. You gain understanding in what can bloom from this media, and how truely beautiful it can be. If I had only one watercolor book, this would be it.



2. Delivery was in perfect condition and fast



3. I'm new to watercolor. Although this book is not intended for beginners, being about more advanced techniques, I found it inspirational to read. The author shares her ideas about how to approach the creative process, as well as her methods and images of her beautiful paintings. I enjoyed it and found it helpful in thinking about my own painting.



4. I thoroughly enjoy this book and would recommend this to anyone who likes to paint in watermedia. Barbara Nechis provides an approach to creativity in painting that is both thought provoking and pragmatic--a very difficult combination. I particularly like the humor in her tips about the "don't" myths of watercolor painting. There is also frankness in how she takes advantage of "mistakes" that actually illustrates her approach to creativity. She is generous with the techniques that she shares--I have tried them and they really work!
   So far what she has proposed as approaches to painting background are the most helpful to me--and other budding artists who are struggling with the balance of painting the subject and the background. Other books talk about planning the whole painting and working on the background first, Barbara gives you enough approaches and techniques for you to try with some confidence for success. I paid full price from a bookstore--still think it is worth every penny. Buy it.



5. I have read and re-reread this book many times, and each time I learn something new.

   I marvel at how Barbara Nechis lets the watercolor itself do the painting, and how we, the artist can aid in its completion, from our hearts and subconscious. I enjoy reading books like this which encourage departing from the 'rules' and letting the imagination take over.