1 comments about Absorption and Theatricality: Painting and Beholder in the Age of Diderot.

1. I came to this book as someone interested in new media rather than as an art historian, and I found it fascinating. Fried uses Diderot and other eighteen century art critics' writing to understand how the beholder of paintings is positioned. He uses an abundance of paintings (reproduced in good quality black and white) and citations of art criticism to show the ways in which painted characters ignore the beholder, first by being absorbed in quiet activities, and later in self-abandonment. While the beholder is clearly set apart from the represented world in history paintings, Diderot also writes about entering landscape paintings, stepping inside the world.

   I found the book very readable and thought-provoking, and relevant to far more than just eighteenth century French art. Personally I will use it in relation to our current notions of immersion and interactivity.

2 comments about New German Painting.

1. This hardcover book created high expectations on me.. and i'm not dissapointed at all eventhough I think it could be much better. The color reproduction is excellent, the sizes are acceptable on most of the cases. Each artist's work has a brief description which I consider is Useful for the people interested on what is happening on Germany. in my opinion, Leipzig painters takes most of the attention because of they're virtuosity and skills. The amount I paid is ok, so I think it was worth it.



2. Purchased this volume the week of Nov. 26, and it delivers on giving a good overview of the 'New German Painting'. The text is German and English. Presented by giving a context and where the new art is placed. Briefly discusses the artists and a good selection of representative paintings for each. Reproduction is better than expected. Reads well. Definitely not conclusive but comprehensive. Pretty much gets it right for who is doing unique and original work. Nothing else out there that brings it all together...However you could do a little research on your own to get something similar but that would take a lot of work. Here it is presented with enthusiasm and directness. Makes you want to get to work and get your work out there and get noticed. Also it gives you enough relevancy of the artist's theoretical place and significance in the art world. Great selection. Watch this one disappear, as have most current books on German artists. Get it while you can.

No comments about Buildings in Watercolour (Step-by-Step Leisure Arts).

1 comments about Interpreting the Figure in Watercolor.

1. Don Andrews is reknowned for his incredible use of vibrant colors - he can mix a dozen colors together and never get mud! (I can also recommend his video for an over-the-shoulder view of Don at work.)
   
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1 comments about Dragons in Watercolour (Fantasy Art).

1. VERY INFORMATIVE ON TECHNIQUES, BACKGROUDS & COLOR SCHEMES. ONE OF THE BEST ART BOOKS I'VE PURCHASED!

1 comments about North by Northeast.

1. This is one of the most beautiful books I have EVER seen in print. There are over 110 prints of Ray Ellis' paintings in this book and they are all of frameable quality...which is why it is so hard to find a complete copy. Walter Cronkite wrote the story that accompanies this beautiful book and he is a master at the craft. This a coffee table sized book that will draw everyone inside!

5 comments about Paint Happy.

1. How fun is this book? This artist is a true inspiration to me to just get out my paints and splash around. It has given me a measure of freedom in that I always want to measure and calculate everything. Reading and using the ideas in this book help me gain a true measure of freedom of expression. I HIGHLY recommend it. Be sure to visit the artist's website, too. She has a wonderful sense of color and fun.



2. The art techniques included in this book are simple, yet they encourage creativity and the exploration of line, color, form, composition and texture. Although primarily for acrylics and pastels, there are demonstrations that incorporate a variety of other materials. In addition, the exercises could easily be adapted for artists of all ages - highly recommendable for teachers. The book lives up to its title, "Paint Happy!"



3. This is such an awesome book. I was impressed how easily the sketches became art. I had such a "Duh" moment when I thumbed through this book! I can easily follow the instruction and transfer my imagination onto my canvas. I paint in oil and this book is a tremendous help. I absolutely love the bold, beautiful colors.
   
   A fantastic buy!



4. Wonderful book with great fun art lessons!!
   It uses acrylic and pastels and the main media, but you could use many other media with what you will learn from this book.
   
   This book is beautiful and very uplifting. Not only that, but it is filled to the brim with valuable lessons on design that I had little background in, and that most of my watercolor books don't expand on enough. It teaches you a lot about shapes, connecting shapes, lines, how repetition can create interest and excitement, variation and repetition, creating movement with shapes and how they are connected with lines, smooth and textured surfaces,, patterned and plain surfaces, soft and hard edges (lost and found) painting with your mind's eye and not exactly what you see in front of you ("if you can't see it, imagine it!" p. 60), how colors interact with each other--not just when mixed, but when put next to each other, how there is "more than one way to paint a picture", how "a series of possibilities can make a series", "when more is better"--i.e. knowing when to embellish, "when enough is enough", geometric and organic shapes, how does a shape take on a form?, creating form using values, play with 2-D and 3-D in a painting, color and value balance---warming a painting vs cooling a painting, using limited color schemes, conveying space--flat space vs. space created with forms vs. deep space vs. ambiguous space.
   
   Part 3 of this fun learning book is how to "Paint Your Home Happy"--basically using what you have learned from the rest of the book and incorporating it into painting on lampshades, walls, furniture, tiles, other ceramics, etc..
   
   I bought this book not really knowing what to expect. The delightfulness of the front cover was inspiring. I mostly do watercolors and pottery. This book mostly uses acrylics and pastels in the demonstrations, but after reading this book thoroughly, I know I will enjoy using a lot of the information and demonstration methods in my watercolors, and also my pottery that I like to paint with underglazes.
   
   There is a LOT to learn and enjoy in this book. It is filled with many exercises to help you learn and wake your sleeping creativity. It is not a "how to paint a landscape" type of book, but more, how to paint with a certain style of your own using the knowledge of shapes, lines, color, repetition, etc. to convey what you feel. GREAT BOOK!!



5. I just bought this book a week ago and I have already framed two pictures that I have painted with its help. I enjoyed painting them, they were simple and not challenging, just how I like painting. You can use the author's ideas with your own style thrown in. I'm happy that I bought this book.

1 comments about How to Draw Landscapes: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners with 10 Projects (How to Draw).

1. This is easily one of the best books I've read that gives very practical tips and techniques with beautiful results.

3 comments about Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People.

1. Anyone who has wondered (even remotely) about Norman Rockwell's place in the World of Art will enjoy this book. In addition to 80 beautiful color reproductions of Rockwell's paintings, there are 14 essays about the artist and his work. The authors of these essays acknowledge that Rockwell was an anachronism and, to most people in the Art World, an object of derision. But each essay argues in favor of Rockwell's importance by focusing on one or more of his unique talents.

   In "the Great Art Communicator", Thomas Hoving makes a very convincing case for Rockwell as an influential American artist. Rockwell's son Peter's essay entitled "Some Comments from the Boy in the Dining Car" (referring to the painting for which he was used as the model when he was a boy) offers invaluable insights into what the artist himself thought about his work. There is also an essay by Anne Knutson that tells the fascinating story of the Saturday Evening Post, its importance in the definition of "Americanism" and how Rockwell's relationship with the editor influenced his work.

   The debate about Norman Rockwell's place in the history of art will undoubtedly continue. But as Laurie Norton Moffatt sums up in her essay "The People's Painter": "The personal transformation and communication that occurs when one looks at a work of art is the artist's defining moment. Rockwell was a master of delivering that moment to his public."




2. In a world that is completely inundated with so many Norman Rockwell books, I thought that i would never buy another one. I'm an artist and fan of Rockwell's but quite frankly there are so many other great illustrators out there, at times i wish that fewer books were written about Rockwell and more attention was given to other less known American artists like James Montgomery Flagg, F.R. Gruger, J.C. Leyendecker, Howard Pyle and Harvey Dunn, among many others. Then this book came along. I told myself I didn't want to buy it, I already have four books on Rockwell, I certainly don't need another. Then I opened the book and saw that the quality of the prints in this book are outstanding (the best I've seen) and the text is really informative. Now I'm telling myself THIS will be the last book I buy on Rockwell. This book will give you a new appreciation for Rockwell's skill as a painter and a colorist. After seeing these painting in person for the show that this book was written for, I can say that this book does justice to Rockwell's amazing talent.



3. I received Pictures for the American People as a Christmas gift and was delighted at the exquisite art as the pages unfolded. I collect all sorts of Rockwell works and this is truly the best I've seen. It explores not only the paintings, but what is behind them, the man himself. I felt as though I was being introduced to Mr. Rockwell through this masterpiece. It is a MUST BUY book! Even if you have never experienced one of his books or paintings, you will want to open this book again and again. The images are displayed in such detail and the stories behind them tell so much. You will be captured by the different aspects of art once you have seen what is inside. I will not spoil all this book has to offer, so if you haven't already purchased a copy, do so....or put it on your Wish List. You'll be happy that you did!

1 comments about Painting in Spain, 1500-1700 (The Yale University Press Pelican History of Art).

1. I am delighted with this book. It is ideal for teaching university students. It not only provides fresh insights into the social milieu as well as the the paintings themselves, it also has an excellent updated bibliography of the literature on the subject. For the past two decades I have lamented the fact that the Kubler-Soria Pelican book on Art and Architecture in Spain had become first increasingly outdated and then out of print. This book fills that gap splendidly - although I do wish it had been possible to include sculpture in the book as well: the interactions between these two art forms is very important. One other minor criticism: the book emphasizes the importance of the regional schools of painting in the 16th century, yet nowhere in the book is there a map of Spain showing those regions! Next edition of the book, I hope one is included.