3 comments about Hensche on Painting.

1. This book is about Hensche's thoughts and insights to painting the landscape and about the Portrait and figure. Alot of valuble information in such a little book. Well worth the price. It could be used as reference book, to be reread over and over.There was a chapter on Seeing that I liked very well.Though I am a pastel painter and he focuses on oil, the information is well suited for any medium.



2. Very informative. I agree with his feelings about professors telling you to go get 'm tiger without providing enough basic information and that we need to get back to drawing as a basis for painting.



3. I found this book far less useful for practical painting pointers than those based on the treachings of Hawthorne, William Morris Hunt, Henri and Sloan. Granted, those are tough acts to follow, but there it is. What I did find fascinating was Hensche's perspective. Clearly, he greatly admired Charles Hawthorne as he should. He even went as far as to suggest that Hawthorne in some ways eclipsed Monet and bridged the gap to the abstract expressionists ... maybe in some ways. What I found absurd was Hensche's suggestion that he had gone beyond Hawthorne (and therefore beyond Monet!). Hey, I've heard from some of his students that Hensce was a great teacher and a nice guy ... and I don't doubt that, but in my opinion, as an artist, he never painted anything of tremendous merit. On another topic, the book shed some fascinating, although brief, insight on a rivalry between Henri and Hawthorne that I had never heard of before. Also, there are some refreshingly blunt statements that Hensce made summing up a couple dozen artists from Rubens to Andy Warhol at the end of the book. So, the book is worth a quick read if this sort of thing interests you. I'm glad I bought and read the book (it is brief and inexpensive) even though I don't think it was outstanding.

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 Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell.

1. The first of two books and an eye opener as well. I had always love seeing these as I traveled around, but until I open the book I did not know we had so many and how they came to be. Well done to Jane Golden for collecting these for us.



2. And I do mean incredible!!! I am so happy I live in Philadelphia - just because it is the home to the spectacular murals featured in this beautiful book!!!
   
   The best part about this book is that it brings the murals right into your home - so you can enjoy each one (and its story) at your leisure!!!
   
   Just look at the cover - that mural alone is worth the price of the book - what a statement - talk about 'brotherly love'!!!



3. Love Philadelphia and Love the idea of murals, DEFINATELY pick up this book. From whimsical murals to political murals to very modular murals, this book is filled with a bit of the cultural flavor that can be found in the City of Brotherly Love.



4. This beautiful book tells the story of the wonderful murals that you see all over Philadelphia. It is more than just a pretty book,however, because it is also the story of Jane Golden and how the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network started and how it has grown over the years. The pictures are photographed with amazing accuracy, and the authors have maintained a professional attitude while making the reader feel compelled to continue reading. The book makes you want to see in person all the wondrous walls that Jane Golden and her muralists have created. A great gift and an even greater find.



5. What a surprise I had in learning that Philadelphia, a city I've lived in for over ten years, has over 2,000 murals. And,in this book, they are beautifully displayed (well, not all 2000) and discussed. I learned about the artists who created the murals, the communities where the murals are, and just lots of interesting details about the mural arts program in Philadelphia--the most prolific in the country. And, I can't say enough about how spectacularly beautiful the photographs are. If you're ever in Philadelphia, you must buy this book and take a stroll through some of the neighborhoods that house the murals. There's even a map.

5 comments about Painting What You Want to See.

1. May be the author wished to speak about painting in general, but the pictures shown are mainly watercolors. So if you are interested in oils... Moreover Reid's oil paintings seem to me like watercolor ones, and his oils are not specially beautiful.
   
   Another important fact about this book is Reid's painting philosophy: "I know I see a spot of (let's say) white color there, but I know the local color of this object is (let's say) blue, so I paint it blue". In my opinion he just paints the tones and values he wants, with no relationship to reality. This is the way the title of this book should be interpreted.
   
   The paintings shown on the book are beautiful (I mean I like them), the explanations are clear (for me) and the examples are illustrative (I find them so). But I don't like the way he changes the light and atmosphere of scenes.



2. This is a good book, but other books by Reid are more informative.



3. "Painting What You Want To See" covers a slew of topics of tremendous importance to improving your artwork that are slighted by most authors and most teachers. These topics include the understanding the propper proportion of light & dark values, the importance of distinct colors, how to get better looking colors (e.g., lights, darks, greens, skin tones), why some edges should be blurred and which ones, how to (and not to) arrange objects in a painting, how to tie objects together into a cohesive whole, the relative importance (or lack thereof) of propper perspective, techniques for better looking shadows, the importance of sketches, and many more topics. For each topic, the author includes one or more generally worded exercises that will help the reader practice the technique. These are not those awful step-by-step-reproduce-my-painting-exactly sort of exercises, either, but well thought out tasks that will help you see the importance of the technique in your own work. There is a very nice section at the end which demonstrates common problems and how to fix them. I only wish this section were longer.
   
   Although the book focuses on watercolor and oil, most of the lessons are applicable to all mediums. Many of the demonstration pictures are sketches suitable to the lesson at hand, not final works, so don't expect every drawing to be "amazing". Many of the paintings focus on people, and several the topics covered are of particular value to figure painters. I would highly recommend this book to any artist.



4. ...much as you would expect from Charles Reid. For me, this book seems less focused than some of his earlier output -- such as his portrait & figure painting books and his portait video -- and less compelling, as was his floral book, although I suspect they might both appeal more to a female viewer/reader. It is also possible that there is a certain amount of repetition/overlap/familiarity about the book. That said, the color and quality of the images are admittedly wonderful and superior to the mainly mono-tone portrait book mentioned previously.



5. There are 46 lessons and assignments in this book, critiques included. Reid covers not only painting but, more important, seeing.

   Reid begins by reviewing the basics: Contour drawing, value scales, seeing shapes, adding values to drawings. Then he goes into detail in working with values, handling color, directing the eye, composing with color, and interpreting light. The last two sections of the book deal with critiques, solutions and learning from the masters. There's also a useful bibliography that's divided into books about painting and those on drawing. Then there's a list of artists whose work the student should study to gain insight into different techniques.

   This book is a fresh look at working in watercolors and oils. I'd recommend it to photographers, too. These ideas and information could be easily translated to the film medium.

   All that said, it's a gorgeous coffeetable book, too.

5 comments about Interviews With Francis Bacon: The Brutality of Fact.

1. To be 100% honest, I'm not sure if I missed something that the other reviewers picked up or not, but I found the interviews with Francis Bacon to be fairly dull for the most part! Perhaps it is because I am neither a painter or an art critic. Regardless, I bought this book because I was interested in the philosophy and psychology of, in my opinion, the greatest and probably most unique artist in history. Although there are occasionally some wonderful insights into the mind of this painter, the majority of the first quarter of the transcript seemed to revolve around the interviewer trying to convince Francis Bacon that he knew the point of what he was painting, despite Bacon himself constantly insisting that he did not. Maybe my frustration about this and my wishes for the interviewer to ask Bacon some deeper questions skewed my perception of the rest of the book, but personally I was quite disappointed with a lot of the interview content.
   
   Despite having said this, there is still insight to be gained from these interviews, and the book is also presented beautifully with 146 photos (although black and white) of Bacon's artwork and some of the photographs and pieces that inspired him.



2. This is the most recent and expanded edition of the book, which by now has become a classic work that really transcends the "interview with a famous artist" label. I own an earlier edition of the book that I have virtually memorized, so the new additions and expansions David Sylvester has included stand out for me, and amplify the original edition considerably. Whether or not you are a fan of Francis Bacon's painting, the book offers Bacon's insights (as well as Sylvester's) on the very nature of creativity, obsession, and what drives artists of any kind (painter, poet, composer, etc.) to devote their lives to their chosen pursuits. Plus, Bacon's rather sulphurous personality and opinions are captured vividly on the page, through Sylvester's obvious freindship and fascination with the man. An absolutely essential, and rather unique book...over the years, I have been amazed at how many people I have met, from all areas of the arts, who have found this work a source of inspiration and endless fascination.



3. "Interviews with Francis Bacon" (1987) captures remarkably on paper the tortured mind of the famous British painter (1909-1992). It belongs on the shelf of every Bacon fan and artist, regardless of medium. Nine interviews range from 1962 to 1986, Bacon's fifties through his seventies, in the form of interactive conversations with art historian David Sylvester (British, 1924-2001), ranging from Bacon's frustrated youth to his unique artistic techniques, the meaning of art to the meaning of life. Sylvester cleverly steers toward topics Bacon finds interesting, allowing him to discuss them at length. (Some of the original audio may be sampled at BBC4's website, though this book's text was heavily edited and re-manipulated from those recordings.)

   The final chapter is the most biographical. Bacon, 77, recaps his life and career in detail, including his "coming out," at a time homosexuality was illegal in Britain, the relationship with his intolerant father coming to an end as a result. Overall, the book forms a clear portrait of an intellectually restless artist, demonized by the struggle to express satisfactorily the horrific images which constantly stream into his head. There is no overarching structure to the book, thus many interviews cover the same ground different ways, with illuminating results. Bacon's answers usually reinforce or embellish what was said earlier, but he sometimes answers the same question differently over time, demonstrated for example by his increasing dislike for "drink and drugs."

   Some themes persist throughout. Chronically anxious and hypertensive, he can never sit still, never relax. Not religious, Bacon believes "man is an accident, a futile being, he must play out the game without reason," and life has only whatever meaning we give it, yet his haunted soul clearly identifies with the tragedy of the Crucifixion, which he considers the perfect narrative of the mythic "tragic hero," and the ultimate symbol of human devotion despite life's vicissitudes. (One famous Bacon work metaphorically depicts a hypodermic syringe stuck into the subject's arm, representing a nail stuck into the hand). He is similarly affected by the open-mouthed cry of human agony, which he expresses in perhaps his most famous and retold obsession, the many horrifying studies of Velazquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X.

   Too human, he is concerned with posterity, and denies himself the comfort of calling himself a "painter." He believes an artist must "solve the problem" of art to be a success, which to him means they must render the known through the unknown, or create the "illustrative" and "narrative" through the use of the "irrational." Discussing Picasso in this light, he says he finds surrealism "more real" than realism, probably meaning he finds surrealism more directly communicates the human condition. He also believes strongly in figuration, slaying abstract art with one devastating word: "Fashion!" He seems burdened by a lack of proper training, having started his career as an interior designer, especially when discussing the trials of his studio work, describing the way he tosses paint at the canvas, the way he tries not to work a canvas too much, potentially ruining it, and the conflicted feelings he holds toward works he has already painted, or those he is still painting.

   The book usefully reproduces many works in small black-and-white images at times when the conversation turns to them, both Bacon's works and those of others, like Picasso and Rembrandt. The lack of color is entirely unnoticed, as the book focuses on the artist's psychology and opinion, which these plates illustrate perfectly. (Full-color reproduction would probably also have made the book needlessly expensive). Most remarkably, of all the photographs and self-portraits in the book, Bacon never looks directly at the viewer, illustrating most strikingly his natural over-sensitivity and tortured self-denial.

   Bacon has said "art is completely a game by which man distracts himself," and "the artist must really deepen the game in order to be worth anything at all." If anyone feels Bacon "played the game" well, and "distracts" successfully his audience, or that he was "worth anything at all," then this book belongs in that person's library.




4. The best book by any artist I have read....utterly inspirational for anyone involved in creative endeavors. What's more, you don't have to agree with all of Bacon's forthright opinions. It probably helps to have seen some of his best work in color, as all the reproductions are monochrome. No matter...I have given away more cpoies of this book than I care to remember. Essential.



5. There are some writers who are able to capture the essence of an artist through the interview format (James Lord's sitting for Giocometti is one) and in this book David Sylvester plumbs the depths of Francis Bacon's psyche like no other writer to date. Not only is his short book brilliantly executed in drawing out the artistic temperament and the especial qualities that chewed every aspect of Bacon's rich brain, it also allows us to sit back and hear the very personal aspects of Bacon's life, aspects that are occult in his cryptic paintings. This is reportage at its zenith. The big difference here is that Sylvester writes so well that the atmosphere is palpable - as though we were the fly on the wall. Brilliant, just brilliant.

4 comments about Dramatic Light: Paint Eye-Catching Art in Watercolor and Oil.

1. I am a graphic artist who is constantly trying to be a better fine artist.
   I have many instructional painting books and have found this one to be one of the best for the following reasons:
   -especially quick read/ref -not so wordy like most
   -easy to understand instructions
   -great tips not found in other books



2. I really enjoyed the book, bought it for a friend and could hardly bear to pass it on. I have taught art for years and still learned from it. The author really knows his stuff. Good value for money and useful as reference when teaching. Aimed at adults, but easily understood.



3. The example paintings in this book (such as on the cover) are the drool-over sort that you want to paint but can't--or can but don't.
   
   The author lets you in on secrets; how to paint translucence, using a banana and a fictious cellophane screen. Then you move on to copy an exercise of those translucent shopping bags from trendy little boutiques. After that, you will have little problem rendering translucent windows, bags and even diaphanous material over skin.
   
   There are bags of sweets in cellophane, glass jars, sheer curtains, stained-glass windows and water. A lot of material on differently-lit surfaces and scenes. And the book is not just for watercolorists--oils are also included (by figuring out how oil works, you could probably extrapolate these studies to acrylics.)
   
   A very nice book just to peruse, helpful for the actual examples and 23 different studies-in-progress. Big Thumbs Up.



4. I purchased this book based on the available descriptions. It is well laid out and a really good book for a beginner. It includes demonstrations and description of needed materials to achieve the various desired light effects. It has lots of organized color photos and would be a good first painting book for special effects. I gave it 4 stars only because I am well beyond the beginner stage and was looking for more advanced information. If you are serious about starting out, this could be good for you.

2 comments about The Flower Painters Essential Handbook: How to Paint 50 Beautiful Flowers in Watercolor.

1. A wonderful addition to my art bookshelf. I found The Flower Painter's Essential Handbook easy to follow, well illustrated in full color throughout and detailed.



2. This is an excellent book to learn watercolor flower painting with, and I love the loose, relaxed style of the 50 flowers you will learn to draw and paint. It is different from some other watercolor books I already own, and fills a nice gap in learning to vary painting styles.
   
   I really like it for it's simplicity and loose relaxing style, while at the same time, presenting about 50 different types of flowers to paint in a step-by-step fashion. It's a great book. It has drawing instructions for each flower, pointing out the details and things such as a folded or twisted petal, and how the bud attaches to the stem. Arrows explaining where the light and shadows fall and how to paint that are easy to follow. The palette for each painting is between 3 to 6 colors, which I also found nice. The washes and layering are also taught in an easy to follow manner.
   
   The book is almost completely devoted to 50 two-page exercises on painting 50 different flowers from letter A to W, and does not spend much time on presenting such things as color theory. I really like this book and recommend it to anyone who wants to learn and practice flowers in watercolors.

5 comments about Art Explained (Annotated Guides).

1. This is another fine entry in the "Eyewitness Companions" series. A lot of material is packed into each of the volumes. These publications cover the waterfront, such that the tradeoff is breadth of coverage at the cost of depth. But, whether the subject is beer, cheese, wine, cheese, opera--or art, the end result is a nice reference work.
   
   Here, the focus is art. The author, Robert Cumming, begins by noting the four questions that he is so often asked about are (page10): ""What should I look for. . . . What is going on? What is the story?. . .What is its value?. . .Is it any good?" He goes on to note that (page 11) "I have tried to capture that kind of involvement [that his readers enjoy with art] and to address the four basic questions. . . ." The book begins, appropriately enough, with a discussion of what art is, and other interesting facets of the subject (record prices for artists' work, best art museums, etc.). Then, media and materials of art. This is followed by an historical organization of the history of art, from early art (3,000 BCE to 1300 CE) to contemporary art (1970-present).
   
   Many have seen the art work associated with Tutankhamen's burial; this is one example from the era of early art. Within that larger category are displays of art work from ancient Egypt, the early Aegean world, classical Greece, and so on. Other eras of interest: Gothic and early Renaissance, Baroque era, romantic art, modernism, and contemporary art. Within each of these eras a selected group of artists is singled out, information about them presented, and examples of their work displayed.
   
   Some of my favorite artists are included in this encyclopedia coverage, such as van Eyck and da Vinci (I still remember the thrill I got when I entered the gallery at the Louvre and saw for the first time his Mona Lisa). One of the nice features of this book is represented by the discussion of da Vinci, where Cumming speaks in an understandable way of the artist's life, his techniques, what to look for in his works, and so on. Many other artists are represented, from Brueghel to Rubens to Rembrandt to Delacroix to Courbet to Monet to Rodin to Chagall to Pollock to Kiefer to Lichtenstein to. . . .
   
   All in all, a nice little book to curl up with when you want to just enjoy the fruits of the human artistic imagination.



2. Like all books of this nature, this work is not the beginning nor the end all of all art books. It is though an absolute delight. I paint, granted, I do not paint well, but that is not really all that important. For me the study of art and the participation in art is a way of making my life richer and it causes me to become much more aware of all that is around me; shapes, colors, shades, details and the ability to observe all these things. This work helps greatly in these areas...it simply has made me more aware of just what is in any given painting and given me more of an appreciation for what I am looking at.
   
   Robert Cumming has given us an insightful look at some of the greatest of our paintings and works of art and some of our greatest artist throughout history. Bruegel, El Greco, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, Poussin, Steenwyck, Claude, Vermeer, Monet, Hunt, Picasso, Degas and quite a number of other. An example of each artist's work is shown and a detailed description is given along with a short history. Inset notes are abundant and point to items and parts of the painting that the normal observer might well overlook. I know I have been guilty of that time and time again. Techniques such as under painting, symbolism, composition, background details, the angle of a hand, the set of the eyes, color combinations and contrast, imagery, all are addressed and much more.
   
   Now this book is not an advanced text suitable for the advanced student of art or even art history. It is not a guide book to be lugged around to help identify different paintings. It is not all conclusive as there are hundreds of artists, both male and female, who are not addressed. Good grief, that would take several thousand books and a life time of reading and study. What the book is, is a very good overview. It is something to stimulate, to cause you to look at art a bit differently, to be more observant, to motivate you to further study. Only 45 paintings or studies are given here, but I did like the selections the author choose. All of the paintings are in color and as true to the originals as it is possible to get with mere photography.
   
   For an enjoyable and informative read, I cannot see how you can go wrong with this one. Just remember to place the book in its proper prospective, and do not expect to become an instant art expert after reading it. Do expect to learn and do expect to enjoy. I highly recommend this one.



3. Leaves out Rosa Bonheur, Judith Leyster, Helen Frankenthaler completely, only a small space for Cassatt and Morisot.
   
   As Frankenthaler is the creator of Stain painting, and Rosa Bonheur's "The Horse Fair" is in EVERY art history book, it is hard to believe this is an oversight.



4. Very basic book to reference painters. I bought it for use while traveling in Rome and Florence but when it came to packing--this little book is far too heavy. Too heavy to bring out for a day of sightseeing in another country when there is so much else to carry.
   If you're into art history, it's good for a quick reference.



5. "There is something in painting which cannot be explained, and that something is essential. You come to nature with your theories, and nature knocks them all flat." ~Pierre-Auguste Renoir
   
   If I had not been reading this book, I may have never seen the little black cat standing at the end of the bed on the pictures of Olympia by Edouard Manet. The cat is almost invisible, blending in with the background and only visible when you realize those are two little eyes peering out at you.
   
   Each chapter of this compact book on art is color-coded. The chapters include:
   
   Materials and Means
   Early Art (2000 BCE-1300 CE)
   Gothic and Early Renaissance (1300-1500)
   High Renaissance & Mannerism (1500-1600)
   The Baroque Era (1600-1700)
   From Rococo to Neoclassicism (1700-1800)
   Romantic and Academic Art (1800-1900)
   Modernism (1900-1970)
   Contemporary Art (1970-Present)
   
   Key symbols are used throughout to indicate birth and death dates, nationality, countries were the artist was active, principal media in which the artist worked, where to see main collections of an artist's work and record prices achieved at auctions.
   
   Some of the beautiful pages in this book include Claude Monet's Waterlily Pond. Short descriptions of each artist is given and then you can do more research if an artist captures your attention. Perhaps you've always been intrigued by the convex mirror at the back of the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck. Here we find Latin text on the wall, a bride in green and a stunningly detailed chandelier, shimmering with metallic luster. Isabella and the Pot of Basil by William Holman Hunt is equally magnificent and the painting is filled with symbols that are fun to unveil.
   
   The "Forked Forest Path," a form of installation art has beautiful lighting effects glowing through a forest of natural wood. The interior of Abbey Church in Ottobeuren, Bavaria is stunning!
   
   While looking at The Birth of Venus by William-Adophe Bouguereau, I noticed the same pose had been used in a painting for a book cover of romantic poetry I'd just reviewed. This book will not only inspire you to visit art museums more frequently, it teaches you about how to look at paintings in a deeper way. You may also feel inspired to go find a museum-quality reproduction, like The Kiss by Auguste Rodin.
   
   The marble statues really caught my attention and if you have any interest in mythology, you may find yourself reading this book and then looking online for more information. I would have loved to have found more information on Cupid and Psyche, or even the mention of butterflies and the soul. Five pages could just have been dedicated to Antonio Canova alone, but we must then go buy another book to do more research and truly, I'm not complaining. ;)
   
   "Art is the path to knowledge." ~Leonardo da Vinci
   
   ~The Rebecca Review

5 comments about Expressive Portraits: Creative Methods for Painting People.

1. Has some nice pics but I didn't find it very instructional. Author can do some nice paintings but to me lacks the ability to teach someone how to paint them.



2. Expressive Portraits is inspirational and provides valuable information.
   The strong visual images coupled with the clear use of text were informative and helpful.



3. This is by far the best watercolor book out there. I've learned so much from it. I love the color pallette Jean recommended in her book. I highly recommend this book to all levels watercolorist. Thank you Jean for sharing your talent and knowledge with us.



4. I have had the pleasure of taking classes with Jean and feel that the book admirably projects her lessons. I especially like her information on using different medias. She has given me the courage to break all rules and experiment for myself. I think it is a very good book on painting portraits and a good addition to an artist's library.



5. What an amazing artist. I love her contemporary take on portraiture. I'm hoping to adapt her techniques to acrylics or oils on board and/or canvas, rather than watercolor and gouache on paper. She does use some acrylics however, and overall I give this a thumbs-up. Very inspiring!

5 comments about How To Paint Flames (How-To).

1. I bought this book for my brother since he paints flames on cars as a hobby. He was THRILLED to receive this book. He said it will really help him fine-tune his skills.



2. This really does show you how to paint flames and in lots of styles. Well worth picking up if this area interests you.



3. This is a very inspirational book! great tutorials and very nice information about some general fields in custom painting. If you feel you like some flame works, you'll find this book leads you to flame almost anything around you... BEWARE! maybe you never stop!
   
   I suggest to read this book together with "How to paint your car" also from Motorbooks, this one first because maybe you'd like to start with some nice graphics before putting yourself on a whole car painting job.



4. If you want a great overveiw of how to apply flames, this is the book. If you want to learn how to apply flames, this is the place to start. It gives detailed instructions, materials, and brand names, so you get started right, and getting started right gives you a great base for gaining expearance.



5. The best instructional book I have ever read regarding Flame design, inspiration and how-to. It covers every aspect there is in the world of flamework; from traditional flames,wall-of-flames,realistic and ghost flames. Not only does it give you an in-sight into the world of creativity but gives a step-by-step guide to all products used and why they are used. In a nutshell, if you are considering the thought of customising Mom's shopping wagon, this book is for you!!!