2 comments about Van Gogh: Colour Library (Phaidon Colour Library).

1. A beautiful book!!! A must have for those who are fascinated with Vincent Van Gogh!



2. I have been looking for a book on Mr. Van Gogh for quite some time that successfully conveys the texture and vivid color that he uses. This book gave me everything that i had been looking for. The "colour library" series that it is a part of is filled with other volumes that depict paintings by various artists in the glory that they were meant to, stopping just short of the vividness of seeing the actual painting in a museum. Not only are they wonderfully done, but they are a steal at the low price they are selling for. While most art books out there cost you an arm and a leg, these volumes give you pure beauty at a very low price.

1 comments about Orientalist Aesthetics: Art, Colonialism, and French North Africa, 1880-1930 (Ahmanson-Murphy Fine Arts Book).

1. An impressive overview of French Orientalist painting and the conditions which produced it, combining a high degree of scholarship with excellent readability. The text introduced me to artists of whom I was completely unaware, and to unknown Orientalist works by well-known artists. I found the sections on Art Nouveau and 20th Century artists particularly interesting, and the coverage of the two selected North African artists working within the Western tradition even more so. Congratulations to Mr Benjamin on such an incisive, scholarly and useful work.

1 comments about Erte's Theatrical Costumes in Full Color.

1. The Russian born fashion and costume designer Romaine de Tirtoff was known as Erte for the simple reason that was the French pronunciation of his initials "R.T." Erte was one of the most prodigious designers of the twentieth century, known for his colorful and audacious Art Deco designs. Even if you do not recall his name, I bet your remember having seen his work before. "Erte's Theatrical Costumes in Full Color" offers 49 plates from 1911 to 1975, with captions, of the work Erte did for theatrical productions, where his imagination was most unfettered and where his popularity lasted considerably longer than it did in the real world of high fashion. Erte was designing costumes for Mata Hari way back in 1913 and was still designing costumes and sets for a production of the opera "Der Rosenkavalier" in 1980. From a worshipper of Horus and the wife of Russian boyar to Aladdin and Faust, Erte displayed a wide array of exotic and historical styles in his dazzling costumes. The only real complaint with this collection is that there are only 49 gorgeous plates of some of his most stunning creations.

2 comments about Hudson River School Visions: The Landscapes of Sanford R. Gifford.

1. One of the American masters of landscape painting in the nineteenth century was Sanford Robinson Gifford, and though he was highly celebrated in his lifetime, his name appears now only occasionally when the topic of the Hudson River School of art is discussed. This excellent monograph, which accompanied an exhibition of his work in 2003 - 2004, serves to restore the reputation of one of our less widely known artists who captured Americana on canvas and was an important leader of the Hudson River School of painting.
   
   More than seventy reproductions of Gifford's paintings and drawings grace the pages of this book - scenes of the Adirondacks and Catskills, luminous river scenes filled with the transparency of fog and light. But the book also serves as an historical document with photographs and information about Gifford and his travels abroad with the obvious influence of JMW Turner. His perception and use of ambient light so distinct to the Hudson River Valley are both discussed and illustrated.
   
   This is a fine monograph of an important artist: it is also a superb study in art history of one of the most eloquent schools of painting in American history. Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05



2. 150 pages of the book are devoted to the works on display at the exhibition (I saw it at the Amon Carter). Since most of the works belong to private collectors, once the exhibition finishes at the National Gallery in Washington, this book will be the only place you will be able to look at the body of Gifford's work. The plates are excellent. If you like other Hudson River School painters, you will want this book.

No comments about Painting With the White of Your Paper.

5 comments about Caravaggio (Colour Library).

1. I just purchased this book based on previous reviews. One disappointment I have with it is the cropped paintings or paintings with the seem slicing through them. It's frustrating as a student of the arts to try and copy the tiny details out of the bindings. Aside from that, I am glad I bought it. The works inside are fantastic.



2. This is an excellent book. The pictures are amazing! and the explanation is precise. I give it 5 stars!



3. I did so look forward to receiving this book greedily unwrapping it as soon as it arrived. I'm a huge fan of Caravaggio and having seen many of his paintings in situ I was eager for any new information. Unfortunately I'm one of the people who can't read the small silver text on glossy white paper. When I say "can't read" I mean that within about two minutes all of the little silver words on the page just dissolve into whiteness. I agree it looks pretty but perhaps that combination of ink and paper might best be reserved for an invitation to a Winter Solstice dinner and not used in an obviously superb book such as this one. Catherine Puglisi was done a terrible dis-service in the design of this book. The quality of the photographs of the paintings (and the quantity) are fantastic and I have enjoyed them immensely. Maybe the paper version is black on white but I sure don't like to have buy the same book twice. I'm giving two stars to what is probably a five star book.



4. Dr. Catherine Puglisi is not only a fine scholar, well informed about her subject, she is also a fine writer. CARAVAGGIO is a richly produced heavy volume (hardcover reviewed) that spreads the text throughout the course of the book as each of the points about the artist's life and technique and gifts to art history is explored.
   
   The color plates are reproduced with clarity and two-page extensions of the larger horizontal works aid the reader in gaining perspective. Multiple images of details offer close examination of Caravaggio's technique, a manner that continues to influence representational artists today.
   
   Puglisi gratefully does not shy away from the controversial aspects of Caravaggio's life and sexuality. She deals with the facts and presents them in context with his concurrent paintings. The volume includes an exceptionally fine body of appendices that offers a complete checklist of the paintings including small reproductions of some, a terse bibliography, and a series of extracts from the myriad sources from which Puglisi extracted information.
   
   The one criticism of this book, and it is a significant one, is the small type font in the pale gray ink selected by a designer who seems more concerned with 'making a pretty book' than in respecting the written word! But in the end this is a definitive volume about one of art history's more interesting and gifted painters. Grady Harp, December 05



5. Anything showing photos of this fellow's incredible oevre would probably deserve the highest praise even without editorial guidance. But just browsing thru this one will stun anyone not familiar with Caravaggio, which is probably 98% of the populace.Ms. Puglisi interweaves the artist's life and times around the glorious color photos. The print may be a tad small,but the fact that there's around two spaces between each line of text makes it, IMHO, even easier to read than otherwise. The raw,harrowing originality of this artist are beyond description, and his life is a near match. He died violently before the age of 40...Especially recommended for those (mainly males) who may think that Art and Art History are less than manly pursuits!! (Yes there are plenty of guys out there who think like this.) Give this book, the author,publisher, and the artist way more than five stars!!

1 comments about Watercolor for Starters: Step-by-Step Projects for Successful Paintings.

1. Watercolor, among all painting media, may be the easiest to start and the most difficult to master. Children so often begin with it, in those little pans of dried colors, but virtuosos like Beatrix Potter show how just how far the medium can be taken.
   
   This book is for anyone starting out on that long road to mastery. Talbot-Greaves starts with the basics: "Watercolor is transparent ... You can not paint a light tone on top of a dark tone." Although this fact gives watercolor its brilliance, it also creates the greatest challenges in using the medium. After explaining the basics, the author discusses the paints themselves, in their various grades, paper, brushes (including what to avoid), and other basics including masking materials. Although he describes the different weights and surfaces of available paper, I was disappointed at how little he explained the paper's role in the finished product. Yes, the surface affects how paint will flow. The hefty substance of watercolor paper is important, also: it not only resists cockling after lengthy contact with water, it also retains the strength needed to support aggressive techniques and rework in its wet state. His discussion of color-mixing is very brief; it should be supplemented by your favorite auxiliary text.
   
   Before he even gets into colors and mixing, Talbot-Greaves has the reader started on exercises in flat and gradient washes - the most basic of watercolor techniques, and the ones that differ most from painting with viscous media like oils, tempera, gouache, or acrylic. He then shows other brush techniques, and demonstrates how to "read" the use of each technique in a finished painting. (Talbot-Greaves is a pragmatist, by the way, and un-fussy about selective use of opaque white where it can help.)
   
   Sections on color and color mixing, composition, and perspective are brief - they'd just get in the way of putting paint to paper, which is Talbot-Greaves's real goal. I would have hoped for a little more time spent on color and mixing, so I hope you'll supplement this overly-brief discussion with another text.
   
   Instead of a general discussion of available colors and their individual characteristics, Talbot-Greaves plunges directly into projects of graded difficulty and specifies the colors to use for each. This may be a surpise to some students: seeing how much versatility there is in just a small selection of colors. Even complex images get by nicely on a limited palette - you don't need every color every time. Each project addresses specific skills, from basic washes up to the many approaches needed for creating complex textures. The final section of the book supports these lessons by showing the photos and initial sketches behind each project. The author encourages the student to copy these skeletal templates. This is not to quash creativity, but to let students skip over compositional problems on the way to getting their hands constructively dirty.
   
   Like any other instructional book (and there are lots out there), this one has its strengths and weaknesses. The plusses outweigh the minuses though. By itself or with other texts, this is a good one to start with.
   
   //wiredweird

5 comments about Painting Murals: Images, Ideas, and Techniques.

1. While there were several photographs of murals in different stages, most were not done sequentially with step by step instructions. There were good hints for painting effects. Overall, I found it to be the author's brag book with mostly photographs of their completed murals.



2. I have owned this book for several years. I have loaned it out, and purchased it many times for artist friends that want ideas or to start painting murals. If not complete, it has wonderful pictures and lovely step-by-step photos that make it a gem of a book.



3. Great beginner book but found more inciteful info at http://www.creativeevolution.net
   Free online tutorials and video to view.



4. Easy to grasp book on the subject of murals. I was inspired to attempt some for our house and had success. Author's discussion of materials especially helpful.



5. Alot of inspiration for faux painters w/how-to introduction for beginners. Discusses composition, hightlights, shadows, perspective and how to transfer large scale drawings. Sets out several projects and gives you materials list, and instructions to complete projects. Also includes a multitude of pictures for ideas. I used this book when I began and still use it for inspiration. I also give to my clients to look through for ideas. Although it mainly discusses interior murals, it does have a chapter that takes you through execution of an exterior mural & several ext. mural ideas. The only fault: Doesn't talk about finishing or sealing, or whether it's needed, but still a keeper.

2 comments about Successful Portrait Painting.

1. This book is not for the beginner who wants to learn how to paint. This is more for intermediate painter or for those who want to start a career in portrait painting. Important business side of portrait is discussed. If you want to become a portrait painter. It has some invaluable information for portrait artists. It shows you how to set up the lighting and studio to optimize your work. It will show you what to do and how to handle the different situations you come across while working as portrait painter.



2. This useful book may appear out of date but it's packed with information useful to any painter or photographer. For example, a head shot is compared in different lighting. An identical pose is framed and placed differently. The author even provides forms and professional practice advice that would be helpful to any new practitioner. The styles and dress of the pictures are dated, but the content never goes out of date.

1 comments about Drawing Closer: The Paintings and Personal Reflections of Carolyn Blish.

1. I inherited my appreciation for Carolyn Blish artwork from my father. When I came upon this book in a local bookstore, I immediately purchased it for his birthday which was a couple of months away. When I took the book home, I couldn't put it down. I discovered that Carolyn Blish paints so much more than just the beach scenes that I had become so fond of over the years. The paintings in "Drawing Closer" all struck me as being very calm and peaceful. In addition to reflections and stories shared by Carolyn Blish, the book is sprinkled with quotes from various individuals that beautifully match the spiritual feelings reflected in her work. As difficult as it was, I did indeed give the book to my father for his birthday. He was just as delighted with the book as I was. We have an added interest in this book. In the book, Ms. Blish talks about learning to fly a plane. My father may be the flight instructor mentioned in her book! This book is a feast for the eyes, the heart, and the soul. It is a must have for anyone who enjoys the work of Carolyn Blish.