No comments about The Golden Age of Danish Painting.

No comments about Painting and Embroidery on Silk.

1 comments about Oil Painting Step by Step.

1. I ordered this book used. At first glance I was disappointed, but then I sat and read through it. It claims to offer a complete course on oil painting and it actually delivers.
   
   This book is richly illustrated with color plates throughout. More importantly, the text describing the images actually relates to the instruction. It doesn't just tell what is being done or offer a generalization about the image, it describes the step being taken then tells why it's being done and how it affects the shape or form being developed in the painting.
   
   There are multiple topics in sections on light and value, color, painting techniques and composition. These are often followed by multi-page projects and procedures that show you how to put it all together. Then there are sections that apply it all to landscapes and people. So many topics are covered in a page or two each that I instantly thought there was no way there could be any depth to the material. However, the entire book is so succinct and well written that I think it provides a good understanding of most every concept I've ever seen discussed.
   
   All beginners should read this and set it near for frequent study and reference. Most intermediate painters should read it too, it will likely introduce new concepts and certainly help you grasp those you're familiar with. Advanced painters would be best served by separate books on color, technique, and composition especially as they apply to their chosen subjects.
   
   Theory, application, great color plates, chock full of good hints and tips... 5 stars.

No comments about Under the Open Sky.

No comments about Watercolor Foundation Course.

1 comments about Robert Lenkiewicz: Paintings & Projects.

1. R.Lenkiewicz (1941-2002) - the last great figurative artist of the century, only one equal to N.Fechin in his portraits. Great album of his best works.

2 comments about Zen By the Brush: A Japanese Painting And Meditation Set.

1. I enjoyed mine. I mean, yeah, your not gonna unlock the mysteries of the universe with this little Zen book...but if you really expect instant enlightenment from a fun little kit that you got off the internet, then you are looking in the wrong place. Try a church, or temple or something....so yeah...don't buy this if you are looking for a life changing epiphany or some junk. It's more about fun. However, that's not to say it doesn't have it's depth. There were some things in there that made me think.
   
   I enjoyed the painting thing that it comes with. I think that was the best part. It reminded me of when I used to play with water color paints when I was a young girl. It was fun, and yes, relaxing. I think it would make a fantastic gift!



2. If more attention would have been paid to the quality of the components and less to the quality of the packaging, this would have truly been a satisfying purchase. The painting board which fades properly, unfortunately, leaves faint outlines of the previous drawings. In addition, the text of the book is, at best, a gloss of meditative themes. I returned my copy.

1 comments about The Watercolors of Carolyn Brady: Including a Catalogue Raisonne 1972-1990.

1. When my watercolor teacher showed us her copy of this book, I was interested enough to order it. Now that I own it and have had the opportunity to slowly read it and look at the pictures, I hate to have to put it down. This wonderful collection of watercolors by a modern painter provides the reader with excellent color photos of the work, a complete list of all of the painter's work, and, most impressive, a scholarly critical discussion of each painting and its contribution to the entire body fo work presented here. This book is a beautiful addition to any reader's art book library, and a necessary element in any watercolor student's library.

No comments about Water Color Painting (Everyone's Guide to... Series).

No comments about Courts and Colonies: The William and Mary Style in Holland, England, and America (Cooper-Hewitt Museum/Smith Institution).