5 comments about 7 Keys to Great Paintings.

1. This book really stands out in teaching you about achieving good design, but Jane R. Hoffstetter does it in a way that I have not seen in other books. She also has an excellent way of conveying a complex idea into something very basic and understandable and also enjoyable. I agree with a previous review that this author gives a very "fresh perspective" to learning design, and this book is filled with outstanding artwork that presents a variety of styles.
   
   The 7 keys that are taught in this absolutely wonderful book are: (taken from Table of Contents):
   PATTERN-- pattern of value shapes-learn how the sizes and arrangement of light and dark shapes can set up your painting for success,
   PASSAGE--how the viewer's eye will travel.."how to use a number of passage devices to make connections and transitions among parts to make a stronger whole".
   FOCAL AREA--"how to make your focal area an eye catcher" and how to quiet the surroundings of it,
   COLOR--how colors "create relationships, harmony, and emotion--what the options are and how to manipulate color,
   DESIGN--how to "organize the keys leaned so far and how to combine them", THE GOLDEN MEAN-"division of space that pleases the eye--age-old ratios of breaking up space", but presented in a captivating way.
   EMOTIONAL DEPTH--"learn how to interpret your subject and how to channel your feelings to create better more meaningful paintings". Hofstetter begins each chapter with a little verse such as:
   " As you start your work
   These words you'll recall,
   Make a PATTERN of shapes
   Big, medium, and small."
   
   The paintings throughout this book are incredible, but they are not done in such a way as to "show off", but to illustrate the keys that make the painting "great". I love this book for it's simplicity in teaching complex ideas and they talented way in which Hofstetter holds you captivated --it is definitely a keeper.



2. I have read a lot of art books - most of them are not worth bothering with. My time could be better used painting, sketching, or going to a gallery. But this book is exceptional. After reading it, my work immediately improved and I suddenly had a framework for diagnosing deficiencies in my paintings. As art books go, this one does seem to be in a class of its own.



3. At 1st glance this book looks like all the others, but it's truly in a class of its own. After you read enough art books, they all seem to be saying the same thing just with different pictures. This book is unique in that it expounds on topics that others gloss over and does so with fully commented, detailed, step-by-step photos.
   
   Take for example, the topic of value pattern. Many books mention it. Some even show a few examples. This author goes the extra mile to explain how to develop and use strong value patterns. Detailed and well documented demonstrations include the development of 2 entirely different paintings both starting from the same abstract value pattern. Conversely, working in the opposite direction, she shows how to start with your average (nothing spectacular) photograph, "message" its existing value pattern to create a strong design, and end with a gorgeous painting.
   
   Bottom line, by page 42 I had learned more from this book than from dozens of other books, many with similar titles. I recommend this book highly. It's exceptionally informative. The demonstrations are excellent. The artwork is beautiful. The book is an inspiration.



4. If you are getting bored with the typical watercolour lessons book, I strongly suggest that you consider this one. This evidently written by a talented designer and a top quality artist. The book goes far beyond the easy technique and digs into the core of composition and arrangement of subjects.
   I have found a wealth of information about the usual mistakes an amateur will fall into but also a well structured approach at correcting them. I have been able to apply easily many of the lessons and achieved significantly better results with my watercolour.
   It is filled with interesting and stimulating examples. I think this one will turn out to be one of my reference books for some time.



5. I've bought dozens of watercolor books and very few I read from cover to cover (there's only so many red boats in harbors I can stomach). This is one of those books that I've been reading slowly, as it's such a gem I don't want it to end...
   
   I wasn't familiar with the author, but her paintings are absolutely beautiful. From landscapes to flowers to abstract, her strong sense of design really shines. And good design is what this book is really about, not the nuts and bolts of painting in watercolor. However, Hofstetter manages to come up with a fresh perspective on the good ol' "elements" and "principles" of design. More importantly, she shares examples that you feel you can actually put to good use to improve your own work. I found the "value shape plans" a great approach to creating an underpainting, as it forces you to save some whites (click on the "Excerpt" link above and read pages 15-17). I also loved her approach to using "line extension" (pages 36-38), as it's more subtle than other examples I'd seen (which tend much more towards cubism).
   
   Perhaps another reason I instantly liked this book is that her color palette is from this century; most of her preferred paints come from Daniel Smith, such as their Quinacridone line of transparent watercolors. (Be aware though, that she likes her white goauche for waterfalls and so on!)
   
   By the way, the layout, typography, and proofreading are also a notch better than some other North Light books I own. More books like this please.

1 comments about Easy Landscapes: Easy Landcapes (Watercolor for the Fun of It).

1. As a long time watercolorist and instructor, I feel this is one of the best books a beginning watercolor painter can put his hands on. Jack really breaks things down to their simplest form to show how to lay down color and paint some very nice simple painting that a beginner will have success with. I highly recommend this book. As a watercolorist for over 15 years, I found somethings in this book that helped me improve my own painting.

1 comments about Matisse: From Color to Architecture.

1. Primarily known for his luminous color paintings, the French artist Henri Matisse was also involved in designing stunningly beautiful stained glass windows and even ventured into the realm of architecture as well. Matisse: From Color To Architecture is a seminal work by Rene Percheron and Christian Brouder and the first to focus on these lesser known endeavors by one of France's most renowned painters. Offering an intimate portrait of the artist in work and life with a focus upon Matisse's work in his final years on the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence and the nursery school in his hometown of Le Cateayu-Cambresis (both of these buildings are located in the south of France), this 384 page compendium is enhanced with 396 illustrations (247 of which are in full color) and includes beautiful reproductions of Matisse's most famous paintings drawn from the collections of Centre Georges Pompidou, the Hermitage Museum, the Barnes Foundation, and the National Gallery of Art. These works are paired with documents and photographs culled from the archives of the Matisse estate. Included are first-hand accounts from the participants in the Vence and Le Cateau projects. Matisse: From Color To Architecture is an original and recommended contribution to personal, professional, academic, and community library Art History and Architectural Studies collections.

2 comments about Character Animation with Poser Pro (Graphics Series).

1. Learn how to bring Poser characters to life through a survey of the latest version of the 3D figure design software, which provides a fine introduction to methods, techniques and character development. Beginning to advanced Poser Pro users receive a survey on integrating animated characters into the 3D applications, including how to fine-tune results. All files needed to create the animations are included on a companion DVD, along with visual training tutorials. Very highly recommended.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. Even if I don't own Poser Pro as yet I have Poser 7 and this also covers that. I see so few actions such as walking and lifting an object by way of animation. There's PoserFusion with Cinema 4D and I only have LightWave 9. Great showing of how to 3D motion reference video.

5 comments about Digital Character Design and Painting: The Photoshop CS Edition (Graphics Series) (Graphics Series).

1. I bought this book because I love to paint with photoshop. This book teaches you everything you should need to succeed in digital painting. While having some experience already in the area of digital painting with photoshop, I was a beginner and after reading the book through from start to finish before applying Seegmiller's techniques, I got alot better and now I can finish a painting that's really beautiful and gets good ratings, I even have a couple fans of my art now!



2. I wasn't sure at first if I would actually need this book since I'm a more traditional artist who creates oil paintings. However, my styles are expanding and I wanted to try and create some digital art from my drawings, instead of transferring them to canvas. I've been doing a lot more contemporary, some might call it "pop art" work, and it's hard to find the colors I need in oil paint. This book is very well written and descriptive. I feel it is a valuable addition to my library and recommend it for anyone who even does a little drawing. It can help transform your work into different dimensions you may never have dreamed of. Hope this helps.



3. This is probably the best digital illustration book that I have come across. Like all instruction books, the author skips steps and leaves you wondering sometimes about how he got from one step to the next. However, art is a personal activity that no one can really tell you how to do, so info like there is in this book is valuable.



4. Print in full color, it gives you a lot of ideas, it makes me wanna do more things!!



5. This book is a wonderful resource for beginners and non-beginners. I totally recommend getting it because it is easy to follow along, and also has pictures to show you the process, along with the explanation.

1 comments about Watercolor Problems and Solutions (Trouble Shooting Handbook).

1. Any book by Trudy Friend is great in my opinion. She show you how to use watercolour with pencils in a varity of different techniques.

4 comments about Chinese Watercolor Techniques - Painting Animals.

1. Had attended a week-long workshop with the artist so the book was a refresher. Not sure if someone who had never learned this style of watercolor painting from Lian or other Asian influence would be able to use the book. However the book itself is excellent in quality, detail, and content.



2. finally recieved on friday august 31 even though it took forever to get the book is an excellent book on chinese water color



3. The information inside this book made me understand the basics of the Sumi-e art. I have little knowledge on painting, and most of it on olio based paints. The simplicity of this tecnic it's astonishing, and this book show the different stages, from basic strokes to complex creations.
   Very good piece to have in your collection if you are an art enthusiast.



4. I've purchased both of Lian Quan Zhen books, "Chinese WC Techniques: Painting Animals" and "Chinese Painting Techniques for Exquiste Watercolors". Painting Animals has the initial info that is supplied in his Exquisite Watercolor book. He does go into more animals in Painting Animals but Exquisite Watercolor provides all you need and I think it's a better book.

5 comments about Pennsylvania Impressionism.

1. This is a very thorough complilation of works by many well known or slightly known painters of mostly Eastern PA. There is ample reading and explanations of their influences, theories, and philosophies on art. It was interesting reading about how interconnected so many of them were. And ,oh yes, the pictures were very nice too.



2. This book has many, good-sized, excellent color reproductions of work with an interesting history of the New Hope artists. There are also succinct biographies of each of the major artists of this regional school plus a list with images of many of the lesser known people.
   The last chapter of the book discusses the framemakers in the New Hope region who were part of the arts and crafts movement which is an interesting piece of art history in itself.
   Mention is made of the "Pennsylvania 10", a group of the prominent women artists in this area, and a chapter could have been created to feature them, but they are worth a book unto themselves.
   For anyone interested in American art, American Impressionism, and that period during the first half of the twentieth century as art moved from representational concepts to abstract and non-objective concepts, this book is worth having.
   For artists who are working in this representational manner, they will find a wealth of ideas from these painters in terms of technique, design, and concepts.



3. Pennsylvania Impressionism opens with an introduction explaining the origins of painting in the area, followed by a somewhat pensive and personal mediation on art both, by Brian H Peterson; followed by two further discussions of art in Pennsylvania by Sylvia Yount and William H Gerdts respectively. Then comes the main colour plates section along with the artists' biographies. This is followed with entries for other associated artists and comprises brief descriptions accompanied by a representative thumb-nail illustration of each artist's work. The book concludes with two bibliographies and other lists.
   
   This is a beautifully illustrated volume, the introductory chapters are illustrated, the colour plates section amounts to nearly two hundred pages, and along with the concluding section the full colour illustrations number three hundred and sixty nine. In the colour plates section they are arranged one and sometime two to a page and the standard is good, often revealing the quality and texture of the paint. However it should be noted that even the full page illustrations in fact rarely occupy more than half of the total page area, leaving the image surrounded by a lot of white space.
   
   This is an attractively laid out and beautifully illustrated book, and the paintings themselves are absolutely superb.



4. This book provides a thorough survey of the Bucks County "Impressionist" painters. Plenty of good quality visuals, excellent as a resource. Particularly of interest to people in the Bucks Co, PA area.



5. Excellent history of an important period in American art. Outstanding production - paper, color plates and binding. Efficient processing from Amazon.

1 comments about The Big Fat Book of Watercolor Basics.

1. Collaboratively compiled and edited by the team of Pamela Wissman, Bethe Ferguson, and Gina Rath, The Big Fat Book Of Watercolor Basics is a beautifully illustrated, 303-page compendium of step-by-step instructions on basic watercolor painting. These practical, "hands on" lessons make it fun and easy to create a water color painting of any subject matter. From selecting materials, to choosing and mixing colors, to basic principles of composition; to controlling the paint; to creating texture and lighting effects, every facet of watercolor painting is superbly covered, including the use of reference photos; and the use of color to instill energy and excitement into the visual image. An ideal addition to art school and community library reference collections, The Big Fat Book Of Watercolor Basics is a "must" for anyone wanting to try their hand and imagination to the creation of inspiring and visually entertaining watercolors.

2 comments about Karl Blossfeldt: The Alphabet of Plants.

1. The photographs in this book of nature will inspire any artist or crafts person...or architect. The work provides inspiration when it can't be found in the field or back yard. Its a book that is pleasurable to leaf through.



2. Form is highly mimetic in nature. A limited number of what might be called prototypical patterns find their way into an infinite number of fomal structures. For example, it is apparent upon close inspection that branching patterns of trees (best seen in winter, of course) eerily resemble arterial branching patterns of the heart as revealed by cardiologic angiography. Despite divergent functionality of the two systems, the formal architecture is almost identical! This is no accident of nature, to be sure. Karl Blossfeldt: The Alphabet Of Plants is a survey of some basic forms in nature. Its premise, as articulated in an introductory essay by Gert Mattenklott, is that "the architectonics of the modern age are built upon archaic, elemental forces. The rationally calculated workings of machines is in secret correspondence with the eternal rythym of life, and the plant serves as the model." Thus a careful, aesthetically mindful examination of the plant world is important in the first instance because it has the power to inform and expand our perceptual vocabulary. And, following on from that, to enhance our capacity for developing efficient, durable industry and for creating visually resonant art and architecture. Indeed, Blossfeldt was a sculptor by training and so the primacy and importance of form in his photography need hardly surprise us. What does surprise, however, in this eye-opening series of high contrast, texturally detailed duotone photographs (created some seventy to eighty years ago) of mostly quite unusual plant morphology, is the obvious correspondence of the geometry of plant life to so many of the constituitive and ornamental forms that make up the physical manifestations of modernity. There are only a limited number of (archetypal) patterns to be made use of, it seems, and their inventory is definable.