2 comments about Franz Kline.

1. This book is a very complete and enlightening survey of Kline's art. The author chronogically covers all the aspects of the artist's oeuvre and, though it was written some 22 years ago, this publication is a must-have for anyone interested in the abstract expressionist movement. Many major paintings are thoroughly described, the text quotes many friends of Kline's (dealers and critics)stating previously unpublished opinions and is a rich trove of information.
   
   The illustrations are unfortunately not as good as they would have been had the book been published more recently, which is why I do not give it 5 stars.



2. Franz Kline (1910 - 1962), surely one of the most individual artists, began as a representational painter, focusing largely on landscapes. It was in the latter 1940s that he began his landmark exploration of abstractionism, achieving plaudits with his black and white presentations.

   Art historian and teacher Dr. Harry Gaugh spent some two decades researching the life and work of Kline. This amazing volume is testament to his study. "Franz Kline" holds over 170 illustrations and a fascinating account of the life of this landmark artist who died far too young at 51 years of age.

   Dr. Gaugh utilizes interviews and correspondence (including Kline's personal letters) to offer a vivid picture of the artist as a student in Boston and London , then later as a part of Greenwich Village where he executed bar murals to keep the wolf from the door.

   Kline's development as an artist is a compelling study, and an evocation of an important time in our cultural history.

   - Gail Cooke

3 comments about New Flowering: 1000 Years of Botanical Art.

1. Being a big fan of Shirley Sherwood's previous publications Contemporary Botanical Artists (1996) and A Passion for Plants (2001), I have been eagerly awaiting any further publications from this collector. I immediately purchased A New Flowering - 1000 years of Botanical Art when it was released in late 2005, but unfortunately I was quite disappointed. Rather than a whole new collection of wondrous botanical art, A New Flowering is principally an exhibition catalogue emanating from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, in mid 2005 containing many works seen in the previously mentioned books.
   
   The title is somewhat of a misnomer. This is not a history of botanical art. There is one reference and illustration of a herbal dating from 1080 - 1090. From there the text jumps to around the mid 1400s. From there we have chapters covering the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, as well as chapters dealing with Ehret, Jacquin, the Bauer brothers, Redoute, and Ruskin. There are examples of the works of these historical figures interspersed with comparable examples of similar plants by contemporary artists.
   
   Unfortunately, of the 107 contemporary illustrations, 72 have already appeared in either Contemporary Botanical Artists (38) or A Passion for Plants (34). Those seeking a new collection of modern botanical works may well be disappointed. There are approximately 60 historical examples, but readers already familiar with Wilfred Blunt's The Art of Botanical Illustration or similar works will find nothing new here.
   
   There is a short chapter dealing with the scientific aspects of botanical illustration, and another with a broad description of the various techniques used, but neither are covered in any depth.
   
   For those who do not own either of Shirley Sherwood's previous publications, A New Flowering would be a pleasant addition to their botanical illustration library, but I would not recommend it to anyone looking for new inspirational material.



2. Shirley Sherwood and her editors have published a magnificent book on botanical art history. The narrative is well written, the art is outstanding. One walks away from reading ths book a better person.
   
   It is a better book than Sherwood's "Contemporary Botanical Masters" hard cover -- which has some wonderful art by contemporary botanic artists, but was printed cheaply, with many pages of compelling artwork by the best watercolorists looking fuzzy.
   
   Never the less, Sherwood has taken time to organize the best collection of botanical art I have seen. She has done us all a public service by promoting great artists like Jean Emmons, Kate Nessler, Carol Woodin here in the US (just a few of many artists from around the world) and educating this reader of botanical art's history, too.
   
   Ms. Sherwood was on the Board of the Kew Botanic Gardens -- may still be. She is part of the aristocracy of elite wealth -- most of whom are hoarders and greedy. But she has given the world a gift that no money can buy in editing and publishing this book on 1000 Years of Botanical Art.



3. *If you're a painter trying to pick up techniques*, "Contemporary Botanical Artists" would be better because 1) the reproductions are larger (better for seeing small details) and 2) most of the art is from the mid-1990s, so the format might be closer to what you'd be producing (for example, a watercolor instead of an illuminated manuscript), and 3) the reproductions are somehow a little higher quality, to my eye. "Contemporary" is organized alphabetically by artists' last name, which is handy if you like to see one person's style applied to several works, shown next to each other. Also, because most of the paintings were done within the past 12-15 years (vs. 200-1000 years ago) the supports and paints are similar to what's available now.
   
   *If you're a painter and considering different styles of presentation*, the concept of "1000 Years" might be more useful. "1000 Years" presents paintings in pairs or groups, for example, contrasting a fritillaria 'sketch' from Ruskin with a watercolor painting from 10 years ago. The book also includes such different formats as an oil painting on glass, or panels, or illuminated manuscripts. So, if you know _how_ to paint what you want but are looking for ideas on themes or surfaces or styling, "1000 Years" would be more useful.
   
   If you have one volume and are considering getting another, keep in mind that several illustrations are in both books, and some of the commentary is also understandably similar. (I wasn't sure what to expect in that regard...) Both are very nice books and, if you know what to expect, worth having.
   
   On the subject of watercolor technique, I would also recommend "Painting Flowers in Watercolour: A Naturalistic Approach" (C. Guest), more so than "Botanical Illustration in Watercolor" (E. Wunderlich), if you aspire to the illustrations in either Sherwood book but feel stuck at a "reasonable but not stunning" level. In my opinion, Guest's book expects you to be an intermediate or advanced watercolorist who wants to paint flowers, not a beginner painter. The life-size illustrations are also more useful. Btw, C. Guest's work in included in "Contemporary", and S. Sherwood supplied a foreword for Guest's book.

5 comments about The North Light Book of Acrylic Painting Techniques.

1. thank you for this marvellous acrylic technique book, i have used acrylic paints before but this book gives me a new dimension to exercise, it will sit nicely in my art library with my other art books.yours faithfully,,margaret mcguinness



2. I like this book. The techniques are awesome. This is a good book for a beginner, or one who wants to explore other ideas that they may not have thought of. What I like is that it is focused on acrylic only. There are not many books on just acrylic. Many painting books seem to cover oil techniques and claim that the techniques can be applied to other mediums. But, you can only go so far, becuase oil and acrylic have two different characterisics.



3. This book gives a wealth of information on different techniques, materials, and styles. The step-by-step lessons do a great job of showing how the work evolves, and how that evolution varies according to the style chosen by the artist. Just as important, at least to me, is that there are so many color photographs of so many really good paintings. Often, books like this have mostly mediocre work. This is a book am I sure to revisit a lot.



4. If you have ever read any articles from The Artists Magazine then you will be familiar with the style of demonstrations of acrylic painting that this book offers. It is quite good at showing a diversity of painting styles - from airbrush photo-realistic to very thick impasto and impressionistic.

   The book examines 23 different acrylic artists and shows some photos of each one making a painting in their unique style. I loved this book for the sheer number and quality of styles it displayed. The chapters ranged from discussions of the paints to the various mediums to airbrushing to abstract work.

   For inspiration and over-all examinations of how-to in painting in acrylic this is a good book. It does, however, have one major flaw. Just like the magazine it doesn't give detailed instructions on EXACTLY how to practice any of these techniques.

   For example, in my acrylic painting I am trying to learn how to blend. I know it is possible. I've seen plenty of other acrylic paintings that show excellent blending. I bought this book with the hope that it would show me how they got those blends. Nope. Blending only gets a page and a half in the entire book. You get statements such as "For blending colors, Kooluris Dobbs finds that her fingers work very well."

   Well Ok. So fingers work well - so show me a photo or two of her ACTUALLY blending like this. But the book never does. And it uses generalized statements like the one above for practically every other technique mentioned as well. So if you are looking for a book that gives actual detailed step-by-step instructions for a technique this book won't do it. In spite of this flaw the rest of the book was so good and so inspiring I gave it a 4 when otherwise I would've given it a 3 (seeing as I find the over-generalization in a book that purports to be about acrylic techniques as a fairly big shortcoming).

   I still think this book is worth getting despite the drawbacks. Everything else about it was high quality and the many beautiful paintings are inspiring in and of itself. If you paint with acrylics this is a good book to have on your reference shelf.




5. found this boook extremely helpful in learning the techniques of acrylic painting

5 comments about Watercolor Basics - Painting Flowers (Watercolor Basics).

1. Different artists depict flowers differently and not all of them appeal to my eye. I am very much attracted to Sharon Hinckley's painting style. I am a fan of the bright colors of Gauguin and the vivid up-close and personal semi-abstract flowers of Georgia O'Keefe, and although they both mostly worked in oils, I think Hinckley has merged elements of both of their styles with her own and produced some wonderful watercolor painting.

   Watercolor painting is more difficult than oil painting because you can't really paint over your mistakes without making a mess. Hinckly not only explains how to create flowers step by step (beginning with a discussion of the appropriate supplies and an explanation of color), she shows the reader how to make what she describes as "leaf soup" which forms the basis of the foliage in her watercolors. Hinckly says while many would-be artists can create flowers, most have difficulty with the stuff that grows with flowers, i.e. leaves, stems, and bark. One photo shows Hickley's palette, "leaf soup" mixture.

   There are many books on the market offering instruction on "how to" draw-paint flowers, but if you are fond of the "colorist" approach to painting, you may find it hard to beat the techniques described in WATERCOLOR BASICS, PAINTING FLOWERS.




2. Ms. Hinckley's book Watercolor Basics: Painting Flowers is a delight to read. At first glance her paintings seem to have been created so effortlessly they can be intimidating (how can I ever paint this well! ). But only for a moment. Her writing is so warm and friendly, and the techniques presented so clearly and sometimes whimsically (check out the painting at the bottom of page 29--one of my favorites) that you've absorbed a host of tricks and tips before you know it. From valuable advice on materials, organization, palette arrangement and mixing strategies to step-by-step demonstrations that culminate in truly breathtaking results (Calla Lilies, pages 118-121, is my absolute favorite for its depth and richness) I have never had an instruction book offer so much helpful information while being such an enjoyable read.



3. Sharon's watercolor illustrations are beautiful, as are her paintings. I love the vibrant colors. Why not learn from the best?



4. Wanting to make watercolor postcards for holiday messages, I picked up Sharon Hinckley's book for pointers. Her teaching approach not only helped me create personal postcards, it nudged me over the hump of over-thinking words too; as a writer, my inner critic often edits my thoughts, sometimes before they are shaped into words. This book is great for students learning to release fear and let the paint flow. Hinckley's approach, plus beautifully clear instructions and illustrations, make Painting Flowers an excellent source for learning and unlearning bad habits that thwart the creative process. Dive IN!



5. In her book called Watercolor Basics: Painting Flowers, Sharon Hinckley goes far beyond watercolor technique. The author is a phenomenal watercolorist ( the illustrations are worth the price alone ). However, she is also a great teacher, explaining the painter's way of using a specified palette and "sculpting " light and color on paper. The result is a practical and humorous guide (it's like your best friend telling you to relax and enjoy it ! ) that allows me, the painter, to let go and paint. This is what a book like this should do: give "tips", inspire, console, laugh with you, and really mentor beginning and...resuming artists like me.

1 comments about In the Eye of the Beholder: The Science of Face Perception.

1. Authors Bruce and Young introduce aspects of the science of perception with reference to works of art. The book is a delight to read, and almost as much fun to browse, because the numerous images lead the browser to puzzle over the demonstrated twists of perception. The authors take appropriate, detailed steps in explaining the physical and psychological path of seeing. Additionally, they show us the importance of totally contemporary, computer tools used in the exploration of human perception.

   I found In the Eye of the Beholder in the library, read it almost without putting it down, and had to buy a copy for myself. I will certainly be showing it to my students in drawing and painting.

5 comments about Color Right from the Start: Progressive Lessons in Seeing and Understanding Color.

1. You can't go wrong with this book. Hilary Page is pure magic. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, this book has something for everyone! The lessons are so compleat, invaluable and inspiring...N.Williams



2. As a professional watercolourist with over twenty five years of experience and an advanced understanding of colour I can tell you that this is an excellent reference book. Definitely a great tool for art instructors. Even though the writer sees it as a book for beginners I feel that the complexity of the subject will probably be overwhelming for beginners.



3. I just finished reading this well-thought-out and completely researched watercolor book. I am still new to water colors and am challenged and frustrated by this medium. Page's chapter on the history,nomenclature, and categories of pigments was incredibly interesting and will become a permanent edition to my water color reference library. I have seen many variations of color wheels in my 35 years of teaching---her watercolor pigment wheel is based on her own palette, and includes placement of saturated, unsaturated, and neutral pigments. I slso found the chapter on optical color effects fascinating.



4. After reading Hilary Page's book, it occurred to me how painting classes should maybe start with lessons on color rather than charcoal drawing. Her detailed explanation of color is grouped in three main aspects: objective color (measured by instruments), optical color (perceived by eye) and practical color (working with pigments). The theoretical aspects are then proven in practical examples which are also used for demonstrating her watercolor techniques, producing some very pleasing artwork.
   
   Details on pigments are particularly valuable. Pigment properties like clarity, tinting strength, purity, value range, degree of opacity, consistency related to the degree of sediment, wet-on-wet behavior, staining when rewetted etc. will be new to many. Knowing such details will help you prevent some strange "accidents" that can spoil your work.
   
   Rare books on color point out the difference between the pigment-color contrasts and the light-color contrast. Hilary Page is very specific regarding these contrasts: she shows two types of color wheels and two sets of primary and complementary colors. She also explains "spectral reflectance curves" that give us an insight to understanding why printers use "balanced" primary colors.
   
   A book on color naturally requires high quality print without any color distortion and this one doesn't fail here either.



5. I'm new to watercolor painting and suffering from the beginner's consequence of too many books and too many paints. I wish I would have bought this book first, much time and $$ would have been saved. Her suggestions for testing each tube of paint to learn unique pigment qualites, pigment colors, color theory, color schemes, primary colors, complements, and optical mixtures have proven invaluable.
   
   The excercises included are easy to follow and serve to instill her unsaid mantra. Learn your paints learn your paints learn your paints! I've had this book for several months - still working through some of her excercises and foresee that I will continue to refer to this book many times in the future.

2 comments about Artist's Digital Photo Reference - Landscapes.

1. This book/photo media is perfect to create oil paintings. Included in this book is a handful (various media) demonstration as well. The ability to use these files as detail reference is wonderful.
   
   I send the files to be printed to scale of my painting by sending a quick photo file to Walmart or where ever and printing LARGER. Therefore my source material and canvas are the same dimensions. This helps me proportionally and allows me to PAINT... and tinker with moods, details, and color palette.
   
   WOW, this is a great tool for many types of artists.
   
   And then I tuck the source photo behind the canvas itself so that at a later date, I can always review my interpretation of the scene.
   
   WOW, a great tool.
   I have been able to focus on my craft...



2. The CD that comes with this book is great. It has lots of hi-res photos, organized by category. I was less impressed with the example projects in the book. Load these photos into Photoshop, and go crazy!

3 comments about Pieter Claesz 1596/97 - 1660.

1. Having purchased this book a week ago I have been on cloud nine. The book traces the development of Pieter from the age of 24 to age 61. The book shows his steady progression as an artist. He arrived very early on a high plateau so don't be discouraged. His compositions got better and better as the years went by. He also had a tough life. It was not all a bed of roses.
   
   My favorite aspect of the book are the close-ups where one can study the brushwork. His paintings look photographic but up close they are often painterly. He was not a photorealist but was able to emphasize portions of his paintings with wonderful lighting. If you paint still lifes you'll drool over these masterpieces.
   
   Surprisingly some of the paintings are quite simple but absolutely stunning. This is a gorgeously bound book and a keeper.



2. I am an artist concentrating on still life paintings - this is a beautiful book with many photos of
   his art work. Book talks of his life, if you're looking for a "how to" ... it's not this one.... but
   his work is very fine!!



3. I've always admired the Dutch still life paintings by Claesz, Heda, etc. Their paintings helped launch one of the largest "genres" of painting today (still life), and the mastery that went into these creations is astounding. The value of these paintings shouldn't be underestimated; they serve to not only tell us what was happening in the art world at the time, but they often give us a look in the lives of both rich and common people, bringing us a little closer to them.
   
   This is the first book that shows Claesz's work over his life. As stated in the book's forward, it's astonishing that no one had assembled these before and it was a task long overdue.
   
   This book surprised me when I received it. I expected it to have some impressive images, but these are truly outstanding and there are so many. Published as a catalog to a traveling show that ended December, 2005 (Washington National Gallery of Art - [...] it includes all the important still life motifs. Represented are "breakfasts", "banquets", and one of my favorites, the vanitas paintings.
   
   I'm sorry I missed the actual show because I would have enjoyed seeing these paintings in person, but it's hard not to be enthusiastic about this catalog. Many art books are published every year and many of them are in the mediocre to good range, but this book is in the great range. If you're a still life artist or just a fan, this is something you should add to your collection. Superb! Highly recommended.

5 comments about The Painters Workshop - Creative Composition & Design (The Painter's Workshop).

1. Book: Creative composition&design
   I am very please whith this book, thankyou.



2. Have enjoyed using this as a reference after observing her in a demo.



3. the book teaches a lot, and it's great to read how to finish started works. however, you need a background in abstract work to understand her lessons. I have no such background, and her descriptions of the works in progress confused me. as well, her projects require a lot of specialized art supplies - inks and pigments and stuff that I don't have lying around. the projects also require a lot of space - easels w/ full sheets of watercolor paper, storage for scraps, etc. if you want to spend the $$, go ahead. I'm in a dorm and don't have the background, space, or $$ to do the projects.



4. if you are interested in composition and design, this is a must for your art library. clear, consice, immensely readable, pat dews acts as your personal guide! while her focus may seem in the "abstract vein", there is something for everyone here, no matter what your interest is. warmly written, i found myself reading every word. now that's something for a visual book! her explanations, photos and critiques were helpful and made me want to run to the studio to start my own wonderful discoveries!



5. This is one of the best art instruction books that is now available.It is an excellent follow-up to Creative Discoveries in Watermedia published in 1998.Creative Composition & Design is a workshop in book format. Pat Dews warm positive attitude comes across on each page.The book is very well designed with excellent color photographs of art that will inspire you to create.The tips that are listed on various pages are very helpful.The section showing how different artists work on design and composition is an excellent way to gain additional ideas for your own work.The critiques shown of student work places you right into the workshop experience.You will see how paintings are resolved.You will learn a lot from this book and return to it often.I highly recommend this book-it was worth waiting for.If you are unable to attend a workshop with Pat Dews this is the next best thing.If you have been fortunate enough to take a workshop with Pat Dews this book will act as an excellent follow-up.

3 comments about Splash 8: Watercolor Discoveries (Splash).

1. So many almost photographic pictures of shiny objects,fruits, flowers and too few real "Discoveries" I look forward to each new "Splash",but this one seemed just more of the same.The pictures using fluid inks and a looser style are fun, but please thinks of us non-Americans when you use brand names of materials like "Yupo"plastic paper



2. La série des livres SPLASH (actuellement le 8e volume est paru) est une pure merveille. J'ai la chance de disposer de l'intégralité de ces ouvrages achetés sur le site Amazon.com
   Chaque livre présente plus de 100 oeuvres. Chacune de ces aquarelles est une découverte formidable: de la couleur, de la poésie, de l'art, du très grand art.
   Je vous recommande ces ouvrages très vivement. Vous ne serez pas décus. Félicitations très chaleureuses à tous ces artistes.



3. The story continues with this latest edition of 140 works. Since the first book in 1991 the Splash series has featured some glorious watercolor paintings. The reason I love these books is the enormous variation in style. In this book it can vary from the almost photographic painting of trees and a house by Steven Kozar (page eighty-nine) to the very loose but still very controlled work of Dan Burt and his flamboyant painting of a street scene in Guanajuato, Mexico (page eighteen).
   
   I have the eight books and they are such a treat to browse through but I think it worth mentioning that they are not how-to-do books. Each artist though, does contribute some thoughts on how they created their work and in a way this can be more valuable than a learn-to-paint book because with so many styles on display every artist has a different point to make about their creativity.
   
   The presentation follows the style set in the first book, each spread has two paintings, and frequently one is whole page with the artist's comments and another painting on the opposite page. The screen is 175dpi so the reproduction is good on a gloss paper, though I prefered the matt stock used in book four, it made the images sparkle a bit more.
   
   Amazon has over twelve hundred books listed under 'watercolor painting' so there is plenty of choice but I think the Splash series has a special place for presenting the best contemporary American watercolor work.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.