3 comments about Italian Frescoes: The Early Renaissance 1400-1470.

1. Stunning photography, well-written, comprehensive historical narrative, and a wide range of styles have made the Italian Frescoes series, now at four volumes, a magificent achievement. From the age Giotto to the advent of mannerism, these incredible books cover the great age of fresco in Italy as well as one could ever hope for. The full-page photos are of amazing quality and give close-up views of sections one could only see from dozens of feet below in many of the chapels, duomos, and palazzos where they are located.
   
   Of the four volumes, this is my personal favorite because it focuses on the true 'renaissance' of the fresco form - the decades when masters like Masolino and Masaccio were taking the advances of Giotto into an era of perspective and realism not seen before. "The Early Renaissance" includes works by these two often collarborators in addition to Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Castagno, Gozzoli, and other early masters who, although perhaps not as well known as the painters of the high Renaissance (spectacularly covered in the next volume in this series), were pushing the boundaries of the fresco toward the epic achievements that would appear in the first decades of the 16th century. As I've written in other reviews of these books - this is the best view you will ever have of these magnificent works short of seeing them in person. And actually, given the distances to ceilings, the available light, and the excellent chance and any of these works could be 'en restoro' for a decade or so, these photos might be better than a visit.
   
   The photography is museum quality and the introductory history and analysis of each of the 21 works covered here by Steffi Roettgen is informative and insightful without becoming laboriously dense in the way some art history books can. The sections on each fresco are accompanied by annotated illustrationa of their location within the structure containing them...a very useful tool to determine exactly which section of the painting each photo represents as well as the challenges the architecture imposed on the artist and his workshop.
   
   If you are interested in the few hundred years during which the fresco was a dominate form in Italy, this book, and the others in the Abbeville series, are ones that you will treasure forever. "The Early Renaissance" just happens to be my favorite of the four. It is worth every penny you will spend to purchase it.



2. This book is one of the most focused introductions to the vast (and often overwhelming) subject of Italian Renaissance frescoes. Ms. Roettgen has written a 2-volume, chronological study of the most famous, extant, complete fresco cycles. Her work starts in 1400, which is after Giotto, and it ends in 1521, before Michelangelo's birth. Neverthelees, she states that this time period was the Golden Age of the Italian fresco. She starts with the earliest cycles and works her way through so that you see the developmemt of realism, and most importantly, perspective in Western art. Perspective is important because it helped pave the way for optics, the camera oscura, and other scientific and technological developments which created the modern world we live in.
   She discusses each cycle as to its history and historical context, iconography (I had to look the word up), and technique. One of the best things about the text is Dr. Roettgen's great gossip about the artists. Fra Lippo Lippi's sex scandal with the Buti sisters at the nunnery makes the Renaissance more real and amusing.
   If you don't want to read the fascinating text, the photography is so clear and colorful you will feel like you have actually seen these stunning works of art. In truth, one can see the details of these works much better than the originals because these are so much closer.
   These 2 volumes will whet your appetite to learn more about this subject, but are good enough for you to have a huge knowledge and understanding of it on their own. I read these books before going on a trip to Italy, where I saw many of the cycles described. It made the whole trip so much more enjoyable to know what I was looking at.



3. This fine, large hardback is lush, made with thick paper. Inside, it details frescoes from around Italy in more or less chronological order, earliest-created first. Each chapter details one set of frescoes, giving extensive history and corroborating details along with art analysis of style, including reproductions of other art, then shows diagrams of where each piece of fresco it depicts comes from in the building in question. Then it gives the frescoes themselves, some in wide-shot, some in close-up detail.

   The frescoes are beautifully reproduced, in vibrant color, some so close up you can see brushstrokes. They depict people from all walks of life in Italy doing just about everything from praying to hunting to giving birth to you name it. Of particular interest to me were the Sienese hospital frescoes depicted therein -- the most complete I've ever seen anywhere.

   Personally, me, I got this for the beautiful costumes it depicts, and it hasn't steered me wrong. It really is an inspiration. But I think anybody interested in art history or in Renaissance art would adore having this magnificent work on his or her shelf. It's worth noting that there's another book in this set which looks to be of equally high quality.

5 comments about Painting with Water-Soluble Oils.

1. I have owned this book for quite some time and just recently re-read it. It does a fine job providing an overview of water soluble oils (WSO) and how they differ from regular oils. The write-ups for each include a listing of paints offered by each manufacturer and their light-fastness (i.e., longevity after sustained exposure to light). The information covered is more than enough to help you select one of them to begin painting.
   
   I've used them in the past and am now taking a class where I'm using them and others are using traditional oils. I have to say that cleaning up with soap and water is awesome. I use the Artisan brand and have a couple of the MAX brand too. I'm going to try the other brands to see how they handle.
   
   The write-ups by artists about WSOs, their comparison/contrast with traditional oils and the demonstration "lessons" provide for light reading. The pictures throughout give you a fine overview of what other artists do/did with these paints.
   
   Having said all of this, though, I have to note that this isn't a strict how-to book. You'll need to look elsewhere for that. One person recommended the "Water Soluble Oils" section of a book called "The Oil Painting Book" by Bill Creevy. Another is "No Experience Required! - Water-Soluble Oils" by Mary Deutschman. From the reviews this last book sounds it is more about hands-on technique.
   
   [...]
   
   Overall, I'd say buy this book to help you get a sense about this medium.



2. I thought the book was helpfull in that it explained the chemical basis of water soluable oils and had a fairly thorough overview of the products on the market. I thought that the book leaned too heavily on the history of oil painting and basic information regarding supports, brushes, knives, etc. I would have liked to have seen more examples of the work of artists with the stature of Kevin McPherson and also more discussion of how these artists overcome the differences between water soluable oils and traditional oils.



3. "Painting with Water Soluble Oils" supplied me with what I wanted. A text by a an experienced practitioner in the medium, well-credentialed, successful, and wanting to spread the word (along with spreading the oils!) about this relatively new item. When I started painting, I was not so aware of the TOXCICITY of the paint as I was of my desire to USE the paint in a manner I found at least acceptable. Years later, the latest grimly discouraging news on greenhouse gasses, global warming, and newly-found carcinogens appear in the daily papers----and in the courts. I'm not an alarmist, but I thought "water soluble oils, hmmm, can this possibly work?". Thus, Dye's book told me all of what I needed to know. Of course there are pages on the components of the product, its development, and requisite scientific explanations. The science of safety in the home, the studio, the environment and its impact on our kids made this necessary.
   
   Beyond that, I needed to see just how the stuff behaves on a gessoed surface. Dye has what I'd call a painterly style, almost abstract at times, but it's a loose and defiantly colorlful style, with examples chosen to teach. Hey, I'm sure he wants to sell his works, but he is a teacher by trade when he writes.
   
   Anyway, I am delighted with the comparative safety of the new medium, with the courage I gained to try many techniques, brushes, knives, etc. I also continue to maintain respect for the pigments themselves. Heck, I'm not smearing it around with my fingers. My money was well spent, and I'd recommend this book because the main purpose of the text was to "git 'er DONE." Mission accomplished, IMHO. Buy, shop, paint, enjoy, plus you can inhale during fits of creativity and still run for president.



4. I feel a lot of the book was redundant, too much repetiton was used -- I believe it was to fluff up the page count. I'm new to oil painting all together and was looking for a book that would teach me to paint with this medium - for example, help me understand when I would thin with water, or when with watersoluable linseed oil. I thought that the promised "step by step demonstrations" would do that. Contained in only one chapter of the book, they seem almost an afterthought, and do not go into enough depth.
   
   There is an entire chapter devoted to "what is watersoluable oil color?" There are 20 pages -- which is far too much information -- about the properties of every watersoluable oil paint by color and manufacturer, though there are some useful demos of the various marks different brushes and knives make.
   
   The book contains more than I want or need to know about the processes by which watersoluable oils are created.
   
   By far the lengthiest chapter is the one which showcases 14 different artists who try out this medium and provide some tips, which may be useful. But I believe its primary purpose is as a showcase for the various artists. There are some useful tips here, but much of what is said is repetition from one artist to another - and that gets boring! In some ways I am more confused than ever, having learned that some of the artists shown aren't painting soley with watersoluable oil paint - they are using the oils in combination with watercolor or acrylics or sometimes using all three together!



5. About half this book discusses unique properties of water soluble oil paints, but I learned more from reading the paint manufacturers' brochures as I did from this book. The rest of the book discusses and demonstrates various techniques, but it doesn't cover anything different than what you'd find in standard oil painting text, and there are many better ones of those. Don't bother buying this book.

5 comments about Landscape Meditations.

1. This book is so well done I can't do it justice. It is a treasure and valuable reference for any paselist beginner to advanced. Elizabeth Mowry
   is indeed a Master,her work is breathtaking!!



2. I am absolutely in awe over this book. It has to be the most beautifully written and illustrated art book on the market. Ms. Mowry lives her paintings and her descriptive narrative transports you inside of her paintings. I will refer to this book again and again. Outstanding!



3. I found this a very inspiring book. The paintings are really nice whether you are into pastels or oils.



4. Every artist of every level and every art lover should read this book,for the artist the writings and paintings are inspirationalshe not only can she paint but she can write as well.



5. Excellent reference material in this volume, Mowry is a well practiced artist and shares her views always in a positive light. Suggestions are specific and clear.

No comments about Fabric Painting with Donna Dewberry: 40 Stylish Projects for Your Home & Wardrobe.

5 comments about The Art of Photographing Nature.

1. I havent finish reading this book, but I have read more than half of it.I have to say its one of the best I've read on how to photograph anything outdoors. It covers from some basic things such as how to expose and use lenses and it has a lot of information and very well explained on how to compose to create different intentions your pictures could have. Along the book Art and Martha Hill explain what they feel and see in every picture they look and they tell how such a message was created through the picture and some tips to achieve it. If you are looking for a book made by Art Wolfe (like I was) this is not it, most of the comments are Marthas (around 70%) but they are about arts work and he doesnt need to say much so the result is very good at the end anyway.
   
   I highly recommend it for people who are looking to improve their composition skills and people who like photographing outdoors.



2. I'm new to photography, and bought a bunch of books on technique, composition and landscape photography. This book turned out to be most useful one on improving composition. By showing different versions of the same photo and through excellent commentary, the authors do a great job of explaining various choices a photographer faces in the field, and why one photo works better than the others.
   
   If you're a novice and going to buy a single book on composition, it should be this one! (assuming that you know how to use your camera, i.e. what aperture, exposure, etc means).
   
   The other books I bought turned out to be pretty useless compared to this one (J. Shaw's Lanscape Photography, Nature Photography Field Guide, Patterson's Photography and the Art of Seeing).
   
   The book is very direct. It tells you what works and why. Coming from a former Audubon editor, it's very very well written. The pictures are top notch. Big congratulations to both authors!



3. The Art of Photographing Nature is a unique photography book. Not only do you get a master photographer (Art Wolfe) dissecting his own work, his commentary is supplemented by Martha Hill. Ms. Hill was formerly the editor of Audubon Magazine and brings an entirely different perspective to the analysis. The hundreds of photos not only show off Mr. Wolfe's considerable ability but also provide fertile ground for the discussion of what make one shot more desirable than another.
   
   This is not a book that will satisfy those desiring a step-by-step guide to nature photography. It's more of a free form discussion that is illuminating but will provide as much food for thought as it does hard information. In fact, the two don't always see the same picture the same way and that in itself is interesting though, again, it could frustrate someone looking for one right answer. As long as you can accept the book for what it is, I highly recommend it. In fact, this is one book that you shouldn't read just once. Come back to it every so often and you'll find that it opens your eyes to new possibilities again and again.



4. I purchased my copy of this book in 1997 and have read it more than once. Art Wolfe's photography is outstanding and the inclusion of two or more takes, with explanatory verbiage, on the images is of great value in understanding how he got the shots and what goes into making the best shots.
   
   Martha Hill also provides interesting insight for the photographer on the inner workings of a publication or at least the photo editing function. This can be useful to those determined to sell their work for publication.
   
   Both Art's & Martha's explanations on why they like a certain image in a comparative spread are illuminating and they occasionally disagree as to which image is best. This is, of course, perfectly acceptable as the individual perspective that each brings to the table, Art's artistic perspective, and Martha's publication-oriented perspective, as well as their personal tastes all come into play in determining what is the "best" image.
   
   An otherwise good effort is marred by poor text editing. This book, or at least the version that I have - last date 1993 - could have benefited from a text editor. There are many instances in which the technical information - lens length, aperture, f stop or shutter speed - provided in the image caption and that provided in the text disagree. The first of these occurs on pages 6 & 7. The image caption notes that the shutter speed for the Adelie penguins was 1/250, but the text indicates 1/500. (I provided this citation so that you can see if the version of the book you are looking at has been updated. Hopefully, any newer printings would have rectified this issue.)
   
   The frequent inconsistency of the technical information relating to how an image was captured should have been caught in the editorial process. In addition, if one of the purposes of the book is to be instructive, although not in a text book fashion, it fails, at least partially, in this mission due to the inconsistent technical information.
   
   All in all, this was a good book with many tips for the budding nature photographer. Even experienced photographers who do not have nature experience can learn from Art's discussions.



5. without a doubt, art wolfe, one of our foremost photographers, has outstanding wildlife work showcased here in color plate after color plate. this book's true value, however, arrives in the discussion between wolfe and martha hill, former picture editor of audubon magazine. for all but those already well-versed in the magazine and book trade, this dialogue will provide deep insights into how to photograph for publication. hill's comments on what does and does not work for various layouts is invaluable. i highly recommend this title.

4 comments about Floorcloth Magic: How to Paint Canvas Rugs for Decorative Home Use.

1. It was good to get more of the technical details about this type of artwork. Until now I only had the info I received from a one-day workshop and that wasn't as in depth as I really would have liked. I also appreciate the author's talent. There are some fine examples which provide inspiration.



2. This is the second of 2 books I ordered because I wanted to paint and design a floor cloth.
   Easy instructions and some beautiful designs for anyone who does not want to design their own.



3. The artist does a good job covering all the needed supplies and methods to create such beautiful floor cloths. There is a lot covered in these pages, although I could have skipped the color theory part given its really trial and error and personal design ultimately. There are lots of beautiful floor cloths to admire by this artist and others. Wish there were some substantial patterns to apply in addition to the very basic stripes included. This book helps motivate one to begin and do it right, and the rest is really up to one's imagination which the author gives a good springboard to leap from.



4. Clearly and concisely written, no confusion or contradictions like some other books on the same subject. Excellent section on contributing artists showing a wide diversity of styles.

5 comments about Drawing & Painting Fantasy Beasts: Bring to Life the Creatures and Monsters of Other Realms.

1. This is an very good book if you need reference material to draw upon. I would not recommend it for a beginner. Someone who has some drawing experience it is an excellent addition for his or her fantasy reference Libary.
   
   I found it interesting reading and gave very good tips on how to increase creativity but not the best how to draw book for the novice. The more advance artist will find it more helpful.



2. This is a good book for basic ideas. Great for the beginning artist, but not recommended for someone a bit more advanced.



3. Unlike other books I bought this one is not only showing you finish artwork, but it shows you how to do it with clear instructions. There's a lot of creatures also to get inspiration. The techniques demonstrated goes from traditional to digital.



4. I really enjoy this book for its more professional, polished, artwork. (For some reason there is a stigma among booksellers and teachers that all dragon and fairy how to books have to be for children and young adults. This is definitely not the case.) Not all the creatures are perfect and not all the creatures are favorites of mine but overall this is a nice book for the more advanced artist, or even a nice coffe table book for those just intrested in the subject.



5. Really Kool! I loved the art work. It was a little beyond my immature status for drawing pics but if I continue to practice I'll get better.
   Whoever created these drawings has a gift for fantasy.

2 comments about Robert Warren's Guide to Painting Water Scenes.

1. Very good instructions but I searched for acrylic books and did not check close enough as acrylics are mentioned but this book is strictly for oil painters. Also, no templates.



2. Robert Warren has outdone himself in composing this wonderful instructional book on oil painting-it is very well explained-this book is for intermediate to advance skill level.

5 comments about Master Disaster: Five Ways to Rescue Desperate Watercolors.

1. This book looked like a good one to add to my growing collection of watercolor books. I got the book browsed through it and thought, well it is alright. Later I was reviewing some paintings for a show, found one that was "just so-so" and thought I would try some of the suggestions from Susan's book, thinking it couldn't hurt. So I scrubbed and cropped away at it. Now, instead of a painting I was ready to discard, I have two purely eye catching watercolors.
   Can't wait to frame and show them.
   This one correction has paid for the book twice over. Strongly suggest it as an addition to a painters book collection.
   Mary Schiros



2. I found the information in this book to be very helpful in figuring out ways to rescue a watercolor painting.



3. Sue Webb Tregay's book, "Master Disaster", is one of the best art instruction books to come along in a very long time! As a professional artist for a number of years now, I was simply blown away by this book. I have never seen, in any other art book, such a widely diverse selection of artwork by ONE artist before! There is something for everyone here. Her ability to paint in many styles with widely divergent subject matter makes this book so unique. Couple that with her lively writing style, and "just do it" attitude, you'll want to race off to your studio to create your own masterpieces!
   Simply put, a "must have!"



4. Susan Webb Tregay presents logical, methodical, and imaginative approaches to "fixing" disastrous watercolor paintings that would benefit painters utilizing all water-media from the amateur to the more experienced. Her book, "Master Disaster" is loaded with great illustrations and explanations that are easy to understand. I particularly like her flexible approach to fixing a painting, and I'm now using many of her suggestions. Additionally, unlike other painting instructors, Tregay's approach enables students to retain their individual style while incorporating her ideas for mastery. Many other instruction books are practically "paint by number" in approach, where you use the author's compositions, color pallette, technique, etc. That approach isn't particularly effective because it produces painting clones of the author. Tregay's approach eliminates that possibility. I think this is a GREAT watermedia instruction book and highly recommend it to others.



5. This book is so easy to follow. It makes so much sense and to think it's the only one if it's kind that I've found. I love it and have used it already to "Master a Disaster".
   Thanks Susan
   Elaine Bailey

3 comments about Botanical Illustration: Painting with Watercolours.

1. This is a great book but it is the paperback version of ISBN 071348862X. The picture on the cover is different, but otherwise it is the same book.
   
   I read a review which indicated this was a new book by Siriol Sherlock and was very disappointed.



2. Very precise, beautiful colorations. A great addition to my artist's reference library.



3. This is a first class book. There are clear illustrations on various aspects of the art and several projects that can be followed. I would recommend this book to a non-beginner as I am sure that if you had no experience the techniques she uses would be a little daunting.