2 comments about Come Look With Me: Exploring Landscape Art With Children (Come Look With Me Series) (Come Look With Me Series).

1. All types of art and artists with questions to start conversation about the piece. Great for the elementary age.



2. I am a docent at an art museum and the goal is to get children develop a love of art. This book is exactly what will assist a child to enjoy art.

5 comments about Andy Warhol: Giant Size.

1. Bought as a gift for a 21st birthday. Will be a memory that he can keep for a long time with a personal message on the inside front cover.
   
   Great gift idea! Would highly recommend



2. This is a real great (and large ;-) ) book with beatiful reproductions of Andy Warhol. My children love to go through it. It was also for sale on the Warhol exhibition in the "Stedelijk Museum" in Amsterdam last year.



3. My daughter is 24 years old and she is an aspiring artist. Andy Warhol is her very favorite. I got her this book for Christmas and it is her most favorite thing. She says that the detail that it has is facinating and compelling. One word of advice though...it is one HEAVY book so make sure that you are in a comfortable place to support it while you are reading.



4. Definitely worth the money!
   
   I've recently got into andy warhol and this is the second book i have by him. The book has stunning portraits/photographs/art thats what i love about andy warhol everything is unique and different.I wasn't sure what to expect with this book however i'm glad that I purchased it.
   
   You also might want to check out "Men - Andy Warhol"



5. Fantastic pictorial book...worth every penny. If you are a fan of Warhol, this is the book to own. Great prints of Andy's work from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s - including rare prints. You won't be disappointed - it is all here. The dimensions are impressive at 17" x 13" x 2 1/2", and it makes for a beautiful coffee table book that you will be proud to display. The pictures are sharp, both in color and b&w, and many are full-page, including pics of Andy and Edie. Outstanding!

5 comments about Capturing Radiant Light & Color in Oils and Pastels.

1. While I may never develop the "scanning for color" technique described in this book, my understanding of color and how it is manipulated by so many different factors in nature has increased substantially. Thanks for a great book.



2. While I had difficulty connecting with Painting the Impressionist Landscape by Lois Griffel I had no difficulties zooming through this book. It is easy to understand and the concept can easily be used with acrylic. I would like to see another book by her, demonstrating the technique perhaps in 10 paintings, step by step.



3. This book is excellent and very helpful. There are many tips and stages presented in a carefully thought out way. I have Susan Sarback's earlier book and this is a stellar update! She shares much of her immensely improved talent and knowledge. Although I am a beginner, I believe this to be helpful to artists of all experience. I highly recommend it.



4. In my opinion this book must be compared with "Painting the impressionist landscape", from Lois Griffel; the focus of both books is the same: explaining a simple step-by-step method to paint with full-spectrum color.
   
   In Sarback's:
   -The "block studies" (painting colored wood blocks) are not so well explained. Griffel gives a lot more insight in the selection of colors, and the cloudy day example is completely missing in Sarback's.
   -There are more step-by-step "real landscape" demonstrations, but they are not so well explained as in Griffel's. Just 4 pictures of preliminary states of the painting. Nevertheless the final pictures of these demonstrations are much better in Sarback's.
   -There is a comparison of different color approaches to painting that is interesting: expressionist, abstract, local, etc.
   -She does not explain how to select colors (which warm? which cool?) or how to compare their values. There is nothing similar to Griffel's idea of a chart for comparing values.
   -She gives tips about brushstrokes or using different types of edges. These subjects are not included in Griffel's.
   -Portrait and figure paintings are not covered at all. Griffel's at least shows some beautiful paintings of this kind.
   -The pages are almost full of text and beautiful paintings. There are no quasi-empty pages.
   -The soft pastels coverage is minimal, but oils coverage is also lacking. The book talks about general principles: do not expect low-level (paint layering, I mean) advice.
   
   A "must have" book? I am not sure, but I think that if you follow Sarback's tips, you will paint beautiful "masterpieces". If you are a beginner consider buying Sarback's DVD "The difference a day makes". The DVD is too short (30 min or so) and a bit dissapointing, but if you want to observe the way she paints wet-on-wet, may be it is cheaper than a trip to California to attend Sarback's workshops.



5. Detailed teachings from a master painter -- can it get better? This is the absolutely best how-to book on painting in the Hensche/Hawthorne tradition that is out there right now. It is a bit surprising that it is called a revised edition, as, IMHO, it is a new and even better book. The method is explained clearly and logically, easy to follow. Many step-by-step demonstrations with clear explanations teach how one can see and paint one's own still-life or landscape.
   
   Although, in honesty, a book can't beat studying with a master in person, I'm convinced that Sarback's new book is so clearly written that a beginner in this method can learn as much of it as is possible. For those who already paint with the light-and-colour method, it is invaluable, and can take you steps and leaps further on seeing and painting light.
   
   My impression is that master painter Sarback does gives it all, and does not "keep secrets". The very best teachers encourage students to become even better than they are, and does not hold back on advice and teaching. This book is a cornucopia of principles, method, and practical advice. I will wear it out, as I progress as a painter of light-and-colour.

5 comments about Dreamscapes: Creating Magical Angel, Faery & Mermaid Worlds In Watercolor.

1. I received my copy of Dreamscapes and I am thrilled with it. What I like about her book apart from the beautiful artwork, is that she is very detailed about how to start the process of a watercolour painting. Little things are not overlooked and she assumes you haven't painted before. There is even guidance on how to draw. If you have a little drawing experience, it will be easier to follow however the way she lays it out makes you feel like you can tackle her projects. And there are a lot of them! The author also covers materials in depth. If you love fantasy you are going to be really inspired by this beautiful book as I was.



2. I preordered this off her website so I got a print of her beautiful cover as well as the book.
   
   I've always been a fan of her work, and just started doing watercolor so this book is perfect for me. It's given me a lot ideas of things I want to try out in the medium.



3. Wow, this is my favourite mermaid illustrating book.
   Love, that the illustrations are explained with full example and easy to repeat tips.
   This book is all you need to create stunningly beautiful female fantasy art.



4. Having been privileged to introduce and feature the Art of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law in my own books nothing gives me more pleasure than to see this wonderful volume 'Dreamscapes' that has just been published. From my own experience I can appreciate the huge amount of work and detail that will have gone into producing the most stunning 175 page book of 'Creative How to Draw' magical Angels Faeries and Mermaids.
   Stephanie Pui-Mun Law is one of the foremost Fantasy Artists of the New Millennium her work and detail enchants. Time again one has to return to her images to see and understand her creative inspiration and thought process, yet here in this book she tell us her secrets and shows us how to hone the skills needed to be a success. This book is a must have for any aspiring artist of any age, it educates and enthralls with creative energy and artistic inspiration, welcoming readers to enter and join the enchanted faeries world. It instructs clearly and precisely allowing the reader of any age to easily follow and study techniques. For libraries, education, hobby shops and stores, art colleges, children, students this book will be an all time reference and best seller.
   This book teaches conservation and understanding of the beauty of Mother Earth and the importance of protecting the environment, there is no better way to educate than encouraging through instructive art books like this.



5. I have been a fan of Stephanie's work as a fellow artist. I like her watercolor technique and use of color in her artwork. I purchased the book, not to learn how to create art, but to better understand Stephanie's process as an artist.
   
   Upon reviewing the book, I was very impressed with the presentation of the material and Stephanie's instructional style. It was very clear, and extremely thorough. And all of it is presented in a high quality package. The pages are heavy weight and packed with illustrations and side bars of info. What Stephanie has done here is to give a wonderful gift to anyone who is interested in learning about watercolor illustration. The kind of information here is akin to the type of knowledge a student once might have learned as an apprentice to a master artist. Now that tradition has regretfully passed us by, Stephanie has offered a very viable substitute.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in fantasy illustration, or to someone who just would like to experiment with watercolor techniques. The only thing disapointing about the book is that it ends.

5 comments about The Watercolor Bible - A Painter's Complete Guide.

1. The Watercolor Bible by Joe Gracia had been highly rated by Barbara Farrell, a watercolor teacher and accomplished artist. I am taking a class from her in Lake Forest, Illinois, and the book has been a big help in understanding color mixing from a limited palette such as the one Barbara recommends for her students.



2. This is a wonderful book for the beginning watercolorist. I also recommend his other book on watercolor washes, one of the most important techniques for anyone who wants to be successful with watercolors.



3. This is a good book which goes over the fundamentals of watercolor.
   
   It's excellent for a beginner, as it walks the reader through:
   
   - Types of watercolor paints available (tube and pan, translucent and gouache, student grade and professional grade),
   - Brushes and the types (synthetic versus natural),
   - Paper (cold press, hot press, hand made) types and weights,
   - Stretching your paper versus watercolor blocks,
   - Use of resists,
   - And much more...
   
   It also has sections on composition, technique, sketching, etc... For someone who was a complete beginner it will walk them through the processes of beginning a painting, making color and value charts, etc...
   
   For someone who has worked with watercolor before they might end up skipping some of the fundamental chapters on composition, sketching, etc. but this book will give them tips and information they may not have known before, additional ideas, etc...
   
   The book has a hard bound cover, with the pages being spiral bound so it will sit open on a page comfortably when you're working in your studio, kitchen, on your living room coffee table, or wherever you do your work.



4. This is one of the best general information watercolor texts I've seen. I teach watercolor to adults, and this is the most thorough book I've seen. It covers technique, materials, design elements, color and much, much more. I highly recommend it.



5. I first bought the book with a book club.
   The artist's work is more into the realism aspect, but his skill is very matured in watercolor. He has included alot of detailed sketches and experiementation with this medium, and alot of visuals.
   After reading it, one can't help but to try some of the stuff out.
   
   If you are looking for a book to improve and learn the various technquies in watercolor, I recommand it.

1 comments about Painting Your Favorite Animals in Pen, Ink and Watercolor.

1. What a wonderful book! This is the second of Claudia Nice's books on painting with watercolor, pen & ink that I have ordered. First of all it is a beautiful book just to read and enjoy. Her instructions are clearly written and easy to follow. The illustrations are wonderful! I've just finished reading it from cover to cover and can't wait to begin painting. I highly recommend this book!

5 comments about The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists.

1. I have way too many watercolor books (buying WC books is addictive, although not as addictive as buying new colors). This book is one of my absolute favorites, and one I find myself returning to over and over. I am a very big fan of the entire "Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists" series, and I own their Drawing Book, Pen & Ink Book, Pastel Book, Acrylic Book, and Oil Painting Book.
   
   All of the books in this series seem to follow the same basic format. The first third or so of the book cover materials in great detail. The emphasis is on the types of materials that you need, options available, and characteristics of specific brand names. If you're a beginning watercolorist lost among all of the brands of brushes, paints, and paper available then this will be a great resource. The middle 3rd of the book focuses on general techniques, followed by a series of discussions related to specific subject matter. The final third focuses on mixed media - and in my opinion this is the area where Dewey's books really shine. I think he's a great pastelist and uses pastels and watercolors together to do some amazing stuff.
   
   I view this is a great book for folks that know at least a little bit about watercolor painting and are interested in getting into more depth and detail. I probably wouldn't recommend the book for absolute beginners, because I think absolute beginners would find the book a little overwhelming. Some initial questions that absolute beginners might ask (like "What colors should I have on a basic palette") aren't really addressed until pretty deep into the book. For an absolute beginner, something like Jack Reid's "Watercolor Basics: Let's Get Started" or Charles Reid's "Painting Flowers in Watercolor With Charles Reid" could be a better choice. But if you've seen enough of watercolor to know that you want to know a lot more about it, this book is a great resource.



2. I found this book very helpful -- a good introductory book on water color techniques and products. Lots of detail on the different materials and tools used in watercolor (paper type, brushes, paints, misc). The author discusses the uses of each and which products and brands he finds most useful/of the best quality. The author also discusses different techniques (with examples). The book is in color and the step-by-step instruction is useful for beginners or those of us that are a bit rusty. This book will also be useful for people that have never taken an art class as there is background info as well (the color wheel, values, etc.).



3. I wish I would have bought this book before I bought the supplies I did. I know that I would have saved a lot of guesswork and helped form my style faster and more satisfactorily. I am an amateur painter and will always be, so cost effectiveness is an issue. Even though I have brushes and stuff that I will not use (probably) I have the feeling with this book that I have an instructor at hand. Thanks guys!



4. After reading several books about watercolor, I found this book to be the best watercolor book on the market. It is the clarity and thoroughness of the explanations that make this such a valuable resource. I particularly found the section on color theory helpful. This is not a book with a few scattered tips against a background of gorgeous pictures of the artist's work. Rather, it is a master teacher reaching out to all levels of learners as he takes the mystery and confusion out of doing watercolors. If you were only going to buy one book about watercolor--this is the book!!
   
   The Watercolor Book: Materials and Techniques for Today's Artists



5. I was recommended this book by a professor to use as my guide in an Independent Study in watercolors. I don't have any other to compare it to, so I'm just writing what I got out of it.
   
   It has very good descriptions about types and brands of paints, papers, and brushes to start out with. There are also some chapters dealing with general composition and color theory.
   
   I was more interested in techniques though, which I thought Dewey covered well. As a newcomer to watercolors, I was introduced to different types of washes, layering, lifting techniques, etc. I really liked the mixed media section which discusses laying watercolor with things like pastels or colored pencil.
   
   It was nice to see a variety of work too. It's not all of Dewey's pictures (though I thought his stuff was pretty dang amazing).

1 comments about How to Paint a Vermeer.

1. This book is a great addition to the library of any creative "artist" - a visual feast & "treasure hunt" of many details. It's not really what I expected - but it's even better - a great, unique item!

2 comments about Delicious: The Art and Life of Wayne Thiebaud.

1. Kids in grades 4-6 will relish this colorful biography - just over a hundred pages in length - of one Wayne Thiebaud, an artist whose food paintings have come to represent not only food but 20th century American art as a whole. From gum machines and paint cans to stadiums, Thiebaud's art representations captured and depicted popular American culture, and DELICIOUS reviews his life, influences, achievements and art forms with an eye to exploring his lasting impact. Any library strong in colorful biographies for kids will find this a pick that lends to leisure browsing as well as report assignment.



2. An absolutely "delicious" study of a contemporary painter, how he makes art, and what art does, packaged in a wonderfully designed book that young people (and pretty much anyone else) will enjoy.

5 comments about Charles Reids Watercolor Secrets.

1. This book, Charles Reid, author, entitled "Watercolor Secrets" was picked by an instructor at Washburn University for a class on watercolor. I am taking the class and find the book weak on instructions, but good in presenting the
   variety of work this artist has done. It certainly could be written in a more instructional style.



2. Charles Reid is a wonderful artist. I enjoyed reading the book but it falls short as an instruction manual as it is very difficult to understand from the text and illustrations how Charles actually achieves his very loose wet in wet effects.



3. This book is not intented to deliver technical help. It's a book full of tips
   & tricks about general aspect of Mr. Reid approach to painting, with
   differents conditions and subject. It's a great bed time reading.



4. The title of this book is rather misleading. I had thought I was going to get some real expert tips on watercolor painting but instead this book is just a reprinting of the artist's watercolor "NOTEBOOKS" with VERY little in the way of useable and tangible tips about painting in watercolor. The book is slender, sparsely laid-out and over-priced at that. It struck me as just an excuse for a book with a cleverly disguised title to market and sell it (everyone wants the "secrets", right?) . Save your money!



5. Put 'Watercolor painting techniques' into Amazon Advance Search and you'll come up with well over a thousand titles. I'm sure most of these are worthy books but I'll stick with anything by Charles Reid. I have five of his books and 'Watercolor Secrets' together with Painting Flowers in Watercolour are probably the ones I look through most often.
   
   All of the books, of course, show what a stunning artist he is though I much prefer his watercolor work rather than oils. It's his studied casualness that I love, colors define shapes, they merge into each other, large areas are just left blank and look unfinished yet the overall effect is controlled precision. His work is totally convincing and rather unique.
   
   The five chapters in this book throw up lots of interesting techniques for the established painter*. I particularly liked the Demonstration pages in each of the five chapters. Each shows a step-by-step series of paintings from the original drawing to the finish with comprehensive captions to each picture. There's something for everyone in the book: figures, landscape and seascapes, flowers, buildings and more.
   
   Another reason I like this book is because it's so good to look at. Visually it is based on a landscape sketchbook and nicely each spread has part of a used sketchbook printed in the spine. The layout and typography are first class (a tip of the hat to Wendy Dunning) and how refreshing to find a publisher that is prepared to go that little bit extra for the reader.
   
   If you like Charles Reid get this book for some excellent examples of his work and positive thoughts on watercolor techniques.
   
   *Just starting out? Have a look at Reid's Painting What You Want to See (Practical Art Books) which has some very basic instructions, especially on drawing.
   
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.