4 comments about Fast & Fun Landscape Painting with Donna Dewberry.

1. donna dewberry should stick with flowers!!! i think her landscapes are pretty awful in comparison to her flower paintings. there are some good tips on acrylic painting with sponges (although i think terrence tse's books MUCH surpass donna dewberry in this category), but to be honest, i only bought this book for the painting on multiple canvas information...good information but i could have gotten that somewhere else. there are much better books out there on acrylic landscape painting. if you are hooked on the donna dewberry techniques and her beautiful flower paintings, you might be disappointed here.



2. I am a NEW painter, I attended 5 Donna Dewberry classes at the local High School. Once the classes ended I knew I had to find a way to continue painting. I ordered two Donna Dewberry books from Amazon. I received this book on a Friday. I was so excited when I received it that I immediately grabbed a canvas, brushes and paints and painted the Sunset Silhouette. The painting is awesome and the step by step in the book are fantastic. I recommend this book to everyone.



3. I have purchased and used this book and I think it is a great value for the money. My students are also enjoying this new book.



4. Don't get me wrong, this is an excellent book to teach you simple landscapes. I had to dock it one star due to the fact that there are no worksheets provided in this book to practice with, as can be found in her other books, nor are the instructions layed out, literally, step by step. The upside is that the illustrations are vibrant and color matched so that you can follow along easy enough to understand when and where to place color.
   
   You won't be disappointed with this book if you are Donna Dewberry fan. This book represents a new and exciting change over her traditional one stroke method. Have fun decorating your home with your new paintings!

5 comments about The Big Book of Painting Nature in Watercolor (Practical Art Books).

1. This book is helpful in understanding how to develop a painting, but the author's color mixtures are surprisingly awful. Well over half the paintings in this book show us EXTREMELY dull and chalky skies and landscapes. The author appears to have no understanding that watercolor paints have different qualities--nonstaining, staining, and opaque. Mixing and glazing these colors without understanding these differences result in the mud paintings throughout most of this book. If you compare these paintings to other watercolor books, such as those by Dobie, Carbonnetti, Nechis, Speckman, and many others, you'll see a huge difference. Jim Kosvanec's "Transparent Watercolor Wheel" [this is a book, not just a color wheel] is extremely helful in bringing out the most in watercolor.



2. This book provided step by step progessions and explanations that were easy to follow. Great for beginner or intermediate painter.



3. Great book for learing to paint. Good examples and explanations for techniques. I recommend it.



4. By profession I am a scientist, but I have always had an interest in the visual arts. Only in the last few years have I had much time to devote to such endeavors and even then it has been rather catch as catch can. My main interest in art is in the capture of natural images (I took scientific illustration in college), but I appreciate the fact that art and stark realism may express somewhat different truths about the subject. As a rank amateur in watercolor art I also appreciate deeply such roadmap-like guide books as Ferdinand Petrie's "The Big Book of Painting Nature in Watercolor." At first the title turned me off, but in perusing a copy (and later acquiring it) I found it to be an excellent guide to capturing the essence of a natural scene in one of the most difficult of all media- watercolor (only pen and ink may be more demanding from my experience!)
   
   The coupling of Petrie's step by step paintings and the exquisite photographs of John Shaw has produced a book that is both visually beautiful and informative. Using the techniques described and with one's own reference photos in hand (or under an open sky direct from nature) a novice painter can slowly gain the knowledge and skill necessary to succeed in producing credible paintings.
   
   A while back a scientist colleague of mine asked me why make a painting or drawing when you can photograph any subject with clarity. As a person who takes my own reference photos and enjoys doing so I can say he has a point, but reality does not necessarily come only from an exact replication of a scene. In the process of painting from nature (or from a reference photograph) you often notice more complex details, even in apparently simple subjects, then you would ordinarily notice in a photograph by itself. Petrie has emphasized the observation of these complex details and their interpretation in watercolor. If nothing else the instructions that point the artist toward this close observation of complexity in nature are worth the price of the book.



5. This book is one to read through to learn -- not just do the practice paintings. Being a newbie to watercolor, this book has really helped me to view nature through a different set of eyes. He helps you see the "what do I want this picture to focus on" instead of microdetailing every possible detail in view. I am now finding myself looking at nature figuring out the details and what would I want to paint as the focus. I think this book goes very well with Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Watercolor by Marian Appellof -- good pair with minimal redundancy.

1 comments about Winsor & Newton Colour Mixing Guide: Oils: A Visual Reference to Mixing Oil Colour (Winsor & Newton Color Mixing Guides).

1. This has been a great guide for my wife. She recently decided to switch from pastel to oil, and needed a basic idea of how to mix the colors. Check out her website: http://www.emilyroeart.com in the coming weeks to see how it turned out!

5 comments about Caravaggio: Colour Library.

1. I've seen nicer books coming in at several hundred dollars but for the ~$5 you really can't beat this one Plenty of beautiful full color plates this makes an excellent student edition and a reference book for home. If you're purchasing for an all out art reference library you should look into a different edition.



2. Someone made a reference in 1999 that this is an 80 page book. It is 127 pages and filled with quality color plates. The paper's a bit thin, but certainly adequate, as is the text. I have just finished reading 'The Lost Painting', and wanted to peruse some of the works discussed in the book (a fascinating read and/or listen with the audio book). Another reviewer noted this is as a wonderful book to begin a collection. The publisher, Phaidon, really puts out some fine materials. I own three of their publications now, one being '50 Self-Portraits' and another on Tadema. If you have an inclination to dwell awhile on the stunning legacy of Caravaggio, this should more than do the job.



3. This is a nice overview of the work of Caravaggio.. and the price is very good - I saw a similar collection (though it was hardcover) for nearly $100 - I am satisfied with this general overview for much cheaper. I think the colors are pretty good - and the artwork is, of course, timeless!



4. I have recently returned from the met and observed the great colour used by Caravaggio and was inspired to by the book. This contains a great of information and has great paintings on my favourite artist--Caravaggio. God bless



5. This book contains many beautiful full page photos of the works of Caravaggio. Each painting is accompanied with a brief explanation. References and comparisons are made to other famous works by great artistic masters. A great book to begin your art book collection!

5 comments about Watercolor Class: An Innovative Course in Transparent Watercolor (Practical Art Books).

1. I have taken classes with Michael Crespo while he was Dean of the Fine Art School at Louisiana State University. He is an excellent instructor and professional artist. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in watercolors. Since my education with Michael at LSU, I have become an art director working in Europe for magazines and newspapers. I used what he taught me in his classes to accomplish many of my illustrations for professional publications. Many of his art students published in this book have gone on to professional art careers all over the world, such as Regina Tuzzolino, who worked as a professor in New Zealand while her spouse was working on graphics for the Lord of the Rings film. Michael encourages his students and inspires them to continue his spirit of teaching artists. I highly encourage you to pick up this book and learn from the lessons provided. They are lots of fun and great for working quickly in the professional world as well as at home.



2. The title of this book is misleading it says its equal to 1 year of water color lessons. The book is divided in "days" of lessons but all that it does is explain water color techniques wich take about half a page then proceeds to show you examples of his students and explains each and every one of them in incredibly boring and painful detail. I already read about half of the bookand find it lacking as a learning guide. This book is only good as a compendium of Watercolor techniques and methods, if you skip all worthless reviews wich are about 3/4 parts of this book that is...



3. The book is based on art courses the author taught. Unfortunately, I don't think the author is a very good painter, so it is hard to take the lessons very seriously.

   The book has some worth, teaching you how to see shape, then shades, composition, and then executing paintings. It builds one lesson on another. But the bottom line is the paintings aren't anywhere near as good as Jan Kunz, or other well-known artists. So it is hard to take the author's advice.

   I am sorry I bought the book, and will probably sell it to someone else. But if you like the author's paintings, you will enjoy this book.

   What would I reccomend instead? 'Watercolor School' by Hazel Harrison, or "Painting Beautiful Watercolor from Photographs" by Jan Kunz.




4. As an addict of how-to art books, Michael's are the ones I return to constantly. Whether you're a beginner or a regular watercolourist you'll find all his advice useful; his assignments challenging. Best of all are the examples of his students' responses to the assignments, with Michael's appraisals and comments.So supportive always - he just makes you want to try it for yourself. Let's hope Michael Crespo's out-of-print books get to be republished; I'd love to see the one on oils...



5. Woody Allen said that "Ninety percent of success in life is just showing up." This is true for art skills too. Crespo has made this easy in this book. He helps us to realize that our efforts are art and that art should be fun.

   For example, Crespo's Day 1 of the second semester is an exercise encouraging artists to "begin again." He stated, "Remember: relax, love what you're doing, and don't take yourself too seriously. Let your critics do that" (p. 138).

   I am starting through this book for the second or third time. I don't know if I will ever be a famous artist, but now I know that I am an artist. Crespo's exercises help me find work to do and help me to focus on principles. Every exercise yields one or several paintings that I can display. Right now I am doing a series of 3 paintings. One in normal value, one in high key and one in low key. I am having a lot of fun.

   The exercises have really helped me improve over the years. Anyone can learn something from this book. But the best thing is that you can feel good about what you are doing. You always have plenty of critics; Crespo is someone who encourages you to suspend criticism and to enjoy creativity and growth.

5 comments about Landscape Meditations.

1. When you are weary from toiling over your masterpiece, you must grab this book by Elizabeth Mowry, curl up in your favorite spot and just enjoy this wonderful book. The author & artist wants you to get involved with your painting and learn to FEEL what your eyes see, so that what you put on paper is part of yourself. It's your story, your vision of life. Ms. Mowry is a very talented artist who shares with the reader her thoughts & ideas that went into the many beautiful paintings she rendered in pastels & some in oils. The book is so beautifully done, with many, many beautiful landscapes she painted during her travels all over the world and her narrative about her travels and her personal thoughts about the many scenes she painted, that I didn't realize until I got well into the book that she was also giving the reader many valuable lessons in such things as structure of a painting, light source, theme painting, & individualizing one's work. Wow, what a book. It's a joy.



2. This book is so well done I can't do it justice. It is a treasure and valuable reference for any paselist beginner to advanced. Elizabeth Mowry
   is indeed a Master,her work is breathtaking!!



3. I am absolutely in awe over this book. It has to be the most beautifully written and illustrated art book on the market. Ms. Mowry lives her paintings and her descriptive narrative transports you inside of her paintings. I will refer to this book again and again. Outstanding!



4. I found this a very inspiring book. The paintings are really nice whether you are into pastels or oils.



5. Every artist of every level and every art lover should read this book,for the artist the writings and paintings are inspirationalshe not only can she paint but she can write as well.

5 comments about Painting Animals.

1. I ENJOYED THE ARTWORK VERY MUCH BUT REALLY HOPED THAT THE DEMONSTRATIONS WERE MORE INVOLVED. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE ARTIST IS ONE OF THE MOST ACCOMPISHED IN THE WORLD AND HAS A VERY GIFTED EYE WITH WHICH HE VIEWS NATURE. THE UNUSUAL POSES, USE OF COLOR AND DELICACY OF BRUSHWORK CREATES
   AN ANGELIC EFFECT OF HIS SUBJECTS. HOWEVER, AS FAR AS THE BOOK GOES, ITS A FORUM FOR HIS ART AND STYLE BUT HE DOES NOT GIVE AWAY AS MUCH ABOUT HOW HE ACHEIVES THESE FANTASTIC EFFECTS. WHAT WE WHO BUY THESE BOOKS NEED IS A MORE INVOLVED "HOW DID YOU DO THAT" APPROACH. SHOW ME MORE STEPS. SHOW ME HOW YOU HANDLE THE INTRICATE DETAILS. REMEMBER THAT IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY. OTHER STRUGGLING ARTIST WILL IMITATE YOU FOR A TIME AND THEN THEY ARE OFF TO DO THERE OWN THING. IN THESE TYPES OF BOOKS WE LOOK FOR MORE DETAIL. I FOUND THAT TO BE SOMEWHAT LACKING IN THIS BOOK.



2. This is an exceptional wildlife artist, however I bought this book specifically for the purpose of learning to paint animals in detail. There's not a whole lot here to explain how to get certain effects. One thing that bothered me was how it was written. Not that it was poorly written, but that it was from the viewpoint of someone other than the artist. I want to read what the artist thinks, how they came up with the idea & how they acheived their results. Not from the viewpoint of someone who interviewed them.



3. This book is exceptionally well done and an inspiration to anyone interested in wildlife and art.



4. This is not a book for the beginning artist but perhaps another reference for wildlife artists, especially acrylic and oil painters. Full of lovely paintings by Christophe Drochon but I found the instructive aspect to be somewhat thin on specific detail. Discussions of technique and composition were very general and although I agree with the author's comments, I felt that a lot more could have been said that would have made this a more instructive book.



5. If you aim to paint ultra-real, exciting wildlife art, Christophe Drochon's work can't help but inspire you. His rendering of lambent cat eyes, fur glowing in the sun and dramatic scenes are some of the best.
   
   This book is aimed to the oil and acrylic artist or anyone working in opaque mediums as opposed to the more expressive and loose styles of watercolor and pastel. You can get ideas for colored pencil and sharpened pastel as well as gouache but this is really primarily for oil painters.
   
   There are sufficient demos to give good instruction for the more advanced artist, but you need some grounding in your medium before you attempt work such as this. In other words, not for beginners except as inspiration and simply to admire an exceptional artist's work.

5 comments about Flowers A to Z with Donna Dewberry.

1. Great book for anybody whos intrested in learning one stroke painting because it teaches you how to paint different kind of flowers and the instructions are easy to follow.



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



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



4. 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



5. 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 comments about Painting Pets on Rocks.

1. It has beautiful painted rocks in it and shows just how easy it is to paint rocks. I am not a real good painter but, I do plan to give it a try. Instructions and ideas in this book are great even for a beginner like me.



2. I couldn't help it, it sounded so fascinating when I was invited to a "rock party". A friend held it, and all of us got together at her place. She had a bunch of field rock, (though I've heard smooth river rock is good also) and she had cleaned them all up and they sat, waiting on her front step. We took turns choosing the rock that "spoke to us" and brought it into the house for some good old fashioned gossip and a fun project with friends. Oh, yes, we had doubts! Halfway through those rocks were UGLY, and we took a few chip and salsa breaks so we could look at them from a distance (they looked better that way- Laugh!). But- amazingly enough- when we finished the last step, perfectly outlined in the book- our rocks looked GREAT!! I actually DISPLAY mine in my little rock garden, and get so many comments on their "uniqueness". What a fun idea! And takes almost no $ to get started, if you're like me, you already have the simple materials lying around from previous projects!! Great book, simple instructions, great tips and pointers- even for the novice.



3. Painting Pets on Rocks is a fabulous step by step instructional book. My students (1st through 7th grade) created fabulous rock paintings following these easy-to-follow instructions.



4. Super, these books by Ms. Wellford are illustrated so beautifully that ANYONE could paint animals and such on rocks. Her directions are not only the written word, but also demonstrated by showing the drawing from the stones to use, preparing the stones, sketching from "square one" on thru the completed reproduction. These books are a MUST for any rock painter enthusiast.



5. A new meaning to the words "Pet Rock":

   Lin Wellford has out-done herself again! I just can't get enough of her books! For those of you who have not read any of Lin Wellford's books, let me tell you, IT'S TIME TO START! In "Painting Pets on Rocks" you learn how to paint your dog, cat, fish, and even your pet bird! The book doesn't just show you one type of dog, or only one cat. Lin gives you instructions on how to create many different rock pets. From Dalmations to bulldogs, tabby cat to siamese...this book has it all.

   Even if you have never painted before, you can do these projects. The book has full color, nearly step by step photos with the step by step instructions. As with all Lin Wellford books, her instructions are written for the beginner and it is amazing how well your pet rocks come out.

5 comments about Photo Restoration and Retouching Using Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo.

1. Pros-finally a book for PSP! Full color! Tons of screen shots! Easy to read.
   
   Cons-The author states that this book does not teach PSP, which is true. But I assumed that meant it would still teach the restoration and retouching tools PSP offers, but it does not. This is my big issue with it. For instance, in PSP with the Highlight/midtone/shadow window, you're given the option of "absolute" or "relative" adjustments. I don't know what the difference is or when to use which. As the author/book does not "teach PSP" I still don't know. The book follows along as the author corrects his own photos, so in the section on this (pg 74), he simply states he used the relative method with no explanation of why. There is very, very, little "teaching" of the various tools/options. So, if you don't know what each option does, for instance, under Digital Camera Noise Removal before the book, you won't after it, as that's not "taught." I didn't want a book that taught me basic PSP use, but I did want one that would teach me when to use Histogram Adjustment versus Histogram Stretch, but it's not this book.
   
   My second issue is with the size of some of the screen shots on the printed page. When the whole screen shot is shown on the printed page, it's about 3" square. The before/after preview window takes up maybe 1" on the page, about the size of a postage stamp. And the author says "see the difference?" Are you kidding me??? I went and got some magnifying glasses and still couldn't make out a difference on something that small. One time I actually carried the book to a light, held it as close to the bulb as I could, put on my magnifying glasses and still could not see the difference between the before and afters! Granted, this is due to my age...I'm at that age where I don't require prescription glasses but my eyes aren't as young/good as they use to be either.
   
   I did enjoy reading the book, and I did get some tips that will be useful, so I am giving it a few stars. But I am still going to have to purchase another book to teach me the actual restoration tools and the theory of when to use what.



2. I've been using Paint Shop Pro since version 9 and consider myself at the lower end of an advanced user.
   
   I have seven Paint Shop Pro books proclaiming to teach you how to use the program. With the exception of Ken McMahon's book they all fall miserably short.
   
   I was weary of ordering Robert's book thinking it would turn out to be just like the others that sit in the bookshelf collecting dust. Fear not his book isn't a dust collector.
   
   I won't go over what's already been stated in the other reviews. This book is everything the publisher, author, and other reviewers claim it is.
   
   One recommendation:
   
   If you're a beginner to intermediate user of Paint Shop Pro I'd recommend getting Ken McMahon's book "Paint Shop Pro Photo For Photographers" along with this book. McMahon's book covers the program and it's use while Robert's book covers techniques for photo corrections. The combination of these two books will greatly reduce your frustrations and enhance your skills, knowledge & techniques of photo corrections and manipulation using Paint Shop Pro.
   
   
   Thank You Robert for a great reference and teaching publication.



3. Others have written enthusiastically about this book. I concur!
   
   I regularly must touch up photographs for web or print use including conversion to b/w for newspaper ads. I'd used PaintShop Pro since V5 for this task but with Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 and this book, everything I've done has moved forward by a quantum leap. People won't notice the fine differences in your work because of your better photographic presentation but it WILL show, and the advice/tips in this book will make you wish you'd found it years ago! I am SO pleased!!!!!



4. A common lament among users of Corel's popular Paint Shop Pro series of photo editing programs is the lack of advanced tutorial material. Over time there have been a few professionally done video books and texts offered here and there, and author Robert Correll himself has put together two helpful video books based upon earlier versions of PSP, but in general those efforts concentrate on developing basic to low-level intermediate skills at best. Now Correll and Thomson Course Publishing (since become Cengage Learning) have come forth with an advanced PSP tutorial that goes well beyond the basics of photo repair titled Photo Restoration and Retouching Using Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo.
   
   In his new tutorial Correll (the similarity in names Correll/Corel is pure coincidence) has assembled 73 photo projects, mostly casual photos of his wife and children along with those of assorted kinfolk who were smiling into the family cameras as far back as 1919. The color and black and white photographs presented here have suffered a host of indignities over the years; fading, overwriting and smudges of all kinds, scratches, tears and holes in addition to the usual technical defects caused by bad film, poor lighting or poor scanning techniques. There are, of course, the human flaws as well; a pimple here and there, nose hair, dandruff - it's all here in gory high resolution detail, and each Photo Study's source photo is made available for download upon request to the author. I should add that Correll makes himself readily accessible to his target audience via e-mail, keen on cheering them on in their photo restoration efforts.
   
   Basically each Photo Study begins with a brief background about the subject(s) of the photo. Along the way you will meet the author and his wife Anne and their four small children who are introduced in a light-hearted fashion along with Uncle Jim and Grandpa Bud among others. Then the problems in the photo at hand are pointed out, and Correll begins his repair routine in a step-by-step fashion sometimes diverging to try alternative means of solving the issues being confronted. A pre-release version of PSPP X2 was used to do the repairs, but the included screenshots are taken from PSPP XI. I am still using PSP X, and for the most part had no problems following along though the capabilities of some of the tools in my older version differ slightly from those in the more recent PSPP X2. The Levels adjustment tool is one such example. The text and screenshots are of excellent quality and printed in color on high-gloss stock. My only niggle here is that my 73 year old eyes had difficulty discerning the small text shown in many dialogue boxes, and even my magnifying glass sometimes struggled to make out many of the dialogue settings which are not always specified in the explanatory text.
   
   In Photo Study One the author throws the reader off the leaning tower and right into the heart of photo restoration and retouching with a very challenging photo repair study of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I would have preferred easing into things with a more merciful project, but so much for whining. Perhaps Correll was trying to instill from the get-go a necessary sense of patience and persistence which he emphasizes frequently while stressing the need to be discriminating about one's work. He also cautions a light touch that does not render restore operations obvious to the viewer.
   
   One great advantage of the book for me was that I became acquainted with several tools that I had, frankly, not previously employed in my photo restore efforts since beginning to work with PSP about 6 or 7 months ago. The Saturation Up/Down and the Lighten/Darken tools are just two such. I was also introduced to the Displacement Map under the Effects menu. This looks like an interesting Effects routine that I intend to explore further. The final chapter of the book presents a few creative applications using some of the Effects menu options, but frankly the author only scratches the surface here, though his results are impressive. An imaginative author could easily employ the PSP Effects tools in a tutorial presented solely upon their own merits, and I am sure Mr. Correll would be the first to agree.
   
   In addition to the photo exercises, Correll offers interesting background information about scanning photos, organizing and archiving them as well as helpful printing tips. He also interjects along the way a few useful editing tips and tricks that he has discovered through his personal experiences using PSP.
   
   Does the author leave anything left unsaid? Well, in a word, yes. Not every tool and adjustment in the PSP arsenal is acknowledged its fifteen minutes of fame, though all the heavyweights certainly are, but there is an appendix to the book that does give a brief rundown of each and every tool. However, there is no mention of the hidden tools to be found in the Unused Commands section, some of which can be quite helpful in certain circumstances. Plug-ins are not touched upon nor is the use of scripts, even those pre-defined scripts included with PSP. The author has a tendency to use the High Pass Sharpen adjustment as opposed to the Unsharp Mask, but his reasons for this apparent preference are not stated. He also likes to work with photos in .tif format as opposed to the more common .jpg/.jpeg file format, but again reasons are not stated though I presume they have something to do with a lesser likelihood of introducing artifacts into a photo during the restoration/retouching process.
   
   I personally would have liked to have seen Photo Studies that put to work a few PSP capabilities that I am largely unfamiliar with. In this category I would include the Hue Map tool, and a few exercises using the Create Mask from Image procedure would have been a very welcome addition. In fact, I would have liked to have seen a few more exercises using masks in general though there are 3 of them. Masking, I think, is a weak point for many, including even PSP buffs far more experienced than I am.
   
   All in all, however, this is a powerful tutorial that ought to be a part of every PSP enthusiast's personal library - it is a text that is sure to be referred to again and again. It is my hope that Mr. Correll's tutorial does well in the marketplace thereby launching further PSP instructional texts from this very knowledgeable and photo-savvy author. In my book, Correll's tutorial, Photo Restoration and Retouching Using Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo, gets a well-deserved 5 stars.



5. As previously mentioned in other reviews this book assumes you know how to find your way around Paint Shop Pro. It's most compatible with versions X through photo X2. He doesn't go into any tools that aren't in all three of these versions so it covers the general usage of specific tools very well.
   
   The author stresses the importance of not trying to "perfect" your photos. Giving good examples of doing things the right way, the wrong way, and stopping when the photo is "good enough." He explains himself very well and has a good method presenting the information.
   
   His use of actual photos that he's fixed before, and has an actual personal connection with really brings this down to the average user who is just trying to fix those old photos and improve upon ones that didn't come out as well as they could have.
   
   My only real criticism is more of a warning to those of you who learn as I do. I learn by example, or in other words I need to follow along with the book to properly get everything down just right. This book does not include a link for downloading these pictures that I have found so without your own photos to practice on as he goes over the different parts, if you learn like I do, will be difficult.
   
   This book is far more about recognizing the different problems with photos and some tips and tricks and methods that the author himself has discovered that work very well. A lot of what he says comes from personal experience. And he goes through a trial and error process for most of the book demonstrating the different things you might try by using the number of effects options and hands-on tools. And he explains them all fairly well. He doesn't bore you with all of the technical aspects of the tools, he simply tells you what they do and gives you suggestions on their proper use.
   
   All in all the book is excellent, he focuses on basic aspects and information rather than focusing on the photo in specific. If you're fixing cracks he won't go into depth about adjusting the contrast unless it's needed. If he's being artistic he won't lecture you on the proper use of the clone brush. He focuses on the task at hand and only the task at hand. Helping you to identify the various aspects of restoring and retouching a photo individually.
   
   I would suggest this to anyone wanting to use Paint Shop Pro to correct photos.