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).

5 comments about The Figure in Watercolor: Simple, Fast, and Focused (Simple Fast & Focused).

1. I am so very pleaseed with this book . It is one of the most helpful I have ever had . I highly recomend it to anyone interested in painting figures and portraits.



2. This book is a treasure. If I could buy only one book on watercolor painting, this would be the book. Each chapter is a small gem of information simply expressed with wonderful accompanying pictures.
   The watercolors in the book are delicious to look at. You get to experience Mel Stabin's process and philosophy.The approach is clear and simple, wise and deep at the same time. The approach is inspiring and speaks to the deeper places inside us.



3. This is a wonderful book with lovely paintings in it and clear prose to help one improve and try new techniques.



4. An excellent book for those who wish to improve 'figures in transparent watercolor....One of my favorites....Jack, Ohio



5. I agree with another reviewer who finds this otherwise beautiful book light on instructional details. I happen to love Stabin's painting style, and I do find copying his paintings to be very illuminating. I still rate this book highly because much can be gleaned from studying and copying his work, which is fresh, economical, and transparent. Perhaps I would rather recommend it, though, for the more advanced artist.

1 comments about Painter's Quick Reference - Landscapes (Painter's Quick Reference).

1. I bought this book to help me learn how to paint clouds. The book advertised that it would help me turn my fluffy cotton balls into clouds. It didn't. I was very dissapointed with the quality of the paintings done by the demonstrators. I wanted a classical look, not something that looked like a graphic.

5 comments about Frida Kahlo: The Paintings.

1. Great biography that explains everything you'd ever want to know about the adverse yet bittersweet life of the amazing and vibrant soul that is Frida Kahlo. Includes all, if not most of her paintings and explains each one down to the core. Also includes wonderful photos of Frida and the people in her life, throughout her entire life. I totally suggest this one =o)



2. If you are curious to know more about Frida Kahlo's life, inspiration, and paintings, this is the right book to look at. The paintings and photographs create a very complete biography of this great woman and artist. She was ahead of her time. This book is easy and interesting to see and to read.



3. I know nothing about Mexico or about paintings. And I am least interested to read biographies. Still I found myself intriguied by Frida Kahlo who is a Mexican painter and picked this biography on her life. Her life is very extraordinary as I found out when I watched this movie on her starring Salma Hayek. And I loved this book because it told the story of her through her paintings.
   Its her paintings which make you wanna ask questions, for her paintings are not about pretty flowers or landscape or fishes in the oceans. Many of her paintings are in fact shocking in the way that they are too direct and poignant, and splattered with a lot of blood but still they are not asking for any sympathy or anything at all. Frida was a very talented woman who could make striking poetry on canvas. She painted everything with an element of her in it.... her emotions, her pain, her longing and her feelings. She is all about strength, strong will, determination,and pride. She did not try to do right or wrong thing but live her life her own way, on her rules, a woman who made herself memorable and a legend through her paintings. She inspires because of her gritty life.
   This book is very engrossing read on Frida's life as seen through her paintings.



4. This is easily, and without fluff, the best Frida Kahlo bio in print. Herrera not only has a great gift with wordds, but she truly gets within Kahlo's turbulent times, affairs and issues to paint a very descriptive world of this brilliant, tortured woman.



5. My children gave this book to me for Christmas as a companion to Frida's biography. It is beautiful and comprehensive. A must-have for any fan of her work.

5 comments about Painting More Animals on Rocks.

1. I purchased this book along with the first one, "Painting Animals on Rocks" as a gift for my father who loves to paint. He really has enjoyed them. The details and the "how to" descriptions are great for learners and those who enjoy a challenge.



2. I stumbled upon this hobby by accident. I was an art minor in college and have done a lot of oil paintings. When a friend told me about painting animals on rocks, I had no idea what she was talking about. I have painted my first animal (a leopard) and it turned out great. I gave it to my cousin and she raved about it. The author is wonderful in her ability to inspire and direct "the student." My only disagreement is with having to draw the outline on the rock starting out. I think that may add a certain difficulty. I just go ahead and paint, making slight adjustments when needed. I find doing it that way to be much easier. I am really loving my new found hobby and hope to possibly sell some animals on rocks in a craft fair held annually here where I live. I am 67 and retired.



3. This book has so many ideas for a craft person. The instructions are very easy and the rocks are fun to make. My 5 year old grandson found it easy too. He made a Lady Bug. This book is worth having if you are loooking for a project that doesn't cost much money, and is really fun to do. You can take the whole family out on a hike looking for rocks, this was a nice outing too. Have fun and enjoy.



4. This book has so many ideas for a craft person. The instructions are very easy and the rocks are fun to make. My 5 year old grandson found it easy too. He made a Lady Bug. This book is worth having if you are loooking for a project that doen't cost much money.



5. I had been interested in Lin Wellford's books for a long time, but never really painted an animal rock. I bought this book, ready to try it. First I did a frog, which was very simple.
   The furry animals use a script liner, and that is not my favorite paint brush, so I was a little nervous that I couldn't achieve the fur strokes.
   I went ahead and tried a squirrel, and I was so surprised at how easy the fur turned out to be. I've painted a few more animals since then, and they are very easy to do. Very watery paint and a #1 script liner (the shorter one) makes it very easy.
   If you are looking to start painting rocks, don't hesitate...this is the perfect book! I would recommend it to everyone who is interest in painting!

No comments about House Proud: Nineteenth Century Watercolor Interiors from the Thaw Collection.

5 comments about Flowers A to Z with Donna Dewberry.

1. Good solid book, but nothing really stellar. It has some good techniques, but not the Wow factor in many of the other books



2. The product was in excellent condition when I received. I will buy more books from this seller. Very pleased



3. I enjoyed the instructions in this book. First, a detailed explanation of how to complete each type of stroke is given. Then, the book has detailed information on how to paint many different types of flowers and arrangements. And finally,(this is the best part) it goes on to explain how to create original arrangements depending on the surface space the painter has to work with. This book was well written and easy to follow



4. This book is awesome! I have many of Donna's books but this is my favorite. I've been painting using the One Stroke method for about 5 months and I'm HOOKED! I've taken 13 classes with my local OSCI since then, which is the best way to improve your OS painting skills, but this book is a great compliment to those classes. Donna uses about 15 pages in the beginning of the book to go over materials, techniques and colors. Then she covers 50 flowers/blooms using 2 pages for each. The picture of her finished piece is a full page and of course very colorful. Then on the opposite page it lists the brushes and paints you'll need and a step by step guide on how to paint the flower(s). But it doesn't stop there. She uses 14 pages at the end to cover filler flowers and floral composition. Finally the last 2 pages are a gallery of floral project ideas. This is an invaluable resource! Enjoy!



5. I checked out all her books and this one is the most complete. It shows most of what she paints on TV. Her other books cover mostly one type, this is packed.
   
   I can't give you any more details because I didn't purchase this to learn her technique; I am a watercolorist and was looking to see if she had any interesting movements of the brush that I haven't seen yet.

No comments about Winsor & Newton Colour Mixing Guide: Oils: A Visual Reference to Mixing Oil Colour (Winsor & Newton Color Mixing Guides).

5 comments about Big Art, Small Canvas: Paint Easier, Faster and Better with Small Oils.

1. This book was just OK for me. I was expecting more detail and refinement in the paintings which I strive for in my work. The small paintings make a nice price point when you are doing various sizes.



2. I found this book to be very inspirational. I wish I had thought of it!



3. This book is not only instructional, but a complete course in painting miniatures -- and fills a vast void in that area. The author not only provides excellent reasons for painting on a small canvas, but gives practical advice on setting up space and equipment, preparing the panel (canvas), and staging & lighting the props for a still life. She goes on to review elements of color theory, and presents her favorite complementary palettes. She discusses methods of 'seeing' in order to get the underlying drawing right, and outlines the most important elements of design: composition, perspective, balance, focal point, and texture. Additionally, several methods of creating depth in a painting are covered. Thereafter, Washor presents a series of step-by-step still-life and landscape demonstrations, each of which illustrates yet other enigmatic features of art. She even discusses framing! This book is packed with practical, useful, and instructive advice, and is filled with gorgeous, painterly examples of the author's work to inspire us. What a find!



4. Overall, the book was good. I liked the intro and the chapter on equipment. I would have liked more step by step pictures to show the development of the painting. Also, some better descriptions of painting techniques would have been helpful. The book does inspire me to experiment on my own but it doesn't give enough insight to avoid common mistakes.



5. Disregard the size of the paintings if you like, and just look at the gorgeous colors and brushwork!!!!! So sensuous. The author is very generous with her information. Her color palette is unusual, and the color schemes she uses are really, really lovely. This is one of the top oil painting books around. I highly recommend it.

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.