4 comments about Paintings of Maine: A New Collection Selected by Carl Little (Chameleon Book).

1. This one of those cases where you really CAN tell a book by its cover. A breath-taking painting by N.C.Wyeth sings out from this book's cover, and the rest of the book just carries on from there. Perhaps I am unusually aligned with the author/editor's tastes, but I found myself practically gasping with pleasure at every turn of a page. The spare, well-written text perfectly matches the tone of the book and in no way detracts or distracts from the generous panoply of reproductions. It's a small volume, but packs an aesthetic punch equal to any over-sized coffee table book!



2. The Paintings of Maine is a relatively small (8" x 9") publication of 128 pages, landscape in format. The text, which following the introduction is divided into five chapters, provides a few basic facts about the artists, but has little if anything beyond the obvious to say about their work. The book concludes with a List of Artists and a very short Selected Bibliography. There is no index to the text.
   
   The real attraction of the book however is the pictures; reproduced entirely in full colour, and almost all of them filling the page, the larger ones coming in at 7" x 8", the landscape format of the book being taken full advantage of so that many of the images are as large as one finds in much bigger books. The quality of printing is very good, although the layout does feel a little cramped, mainly due to the text. There are about 112 artists represented, all but a very few by just the one picture; with familiar names such as George Bellows, Frederic Church, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, and the Wyeths alongside the less familiar. With paintings covering the period from around 1830 to 2005, not surprisingly there is a wide range of approach evident, from the extreme realist work of Alan Magee to the almost abstract of William Kienbusch, and much between.
   
   It is an attractive little book if only for the range and amount of work shown; the text however might have been better omitted, it adds little to the work, and while text and associated pictures run roughly together, with no reference in the text as to where the pictures are, and no index to the text itself, the book can be somewhat frustrating.



3. This book (like the first edition) has really great paintings. I mean yes: the editors made really fine choices of art works to include and discuss. Absolutely wonderful. However - the PROBLEM is that they're all 6 inches by 4 inches. This (and the first book) really should have been done in a large format. For once, a coffeetable book-style would have been absolutely perfect. It would have been worth the extra money not only to see the images larger but also because many are rarely seen images and at last, worth seeing well. Yes - the selections are quite that good. But the miniscule format they chose to print it is disappointly teensy. Detail is lost. Is not for scholars or real art lovers; you emerge hungry with no options. I'd rather not see them at all.



4. PAINTINGS OF MAINE: A NEW COLLECTION must be defined as such because author Carl Little originally collaborated with Arnold Skolnick to provide the original volume back in 1991. Here Skolnick serves as picture editor on a new volume which visits Maine landscapes through art, gathering works from three generations of the Wyeth family as well as many other well-known American artists who painted Maine scenes. A lovely pick for any Maine fan.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

3 comments about Italian Frescoes: The Early Renaissance 1400-1470.

1. Stunning photography, well-written, comprehensive historical narrative, and a wide range of styles have made the Italian Frescoes series, now at four volumes, a magificent achievement. From the age Giotto to the advent of mannerism, these incredible books cover the great age of fresco in Italy as well as one could ever hope for. The full-page photos are of amazing quality and give close-up views of sections one could only see from dozens of feet below in many of the chapels, duomos, and palazzos where they are located.
   
   Of the four volumes, this is my personal favorite because it focuses on the true 'renaissance' of the fresco form - the decades when masters like Masolino and Masaccio were taking the advances of Giotto into an era of perspective and realism not seen before. "The Early Renaissance" includes works by these two often collarborators in addition to Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Castagno, Gozzoli, and other early masters who, although perhaps not as well known as the painters of the high Renaissance (spectacularly covered in the next volume in this series), were pushing the boundaries of the fresco toward the epic achievements that would appear in the first decades of the 16th century. As I've written in other reviews of these books - this is the best view you will ever have of these magnificent works short of seeing them in person. And actually, given the distances to ceilings, the available light, and the excellent chance and any of these works could be 'en restoro' for a decade or so, these photos might be better than a visit.
   
   The photography is museum quality and the introductory history and analysis of each of the 21 works covered here by Steffi Roettgen is informative and insightful without becoming laboriously dense in the way some art history books can. The sections on each fresco are accompanied by annotated illustrationa of their location within the structure containing them...a very useful tool to determine exactly which section of the painting each photo represents as well as the challenges the architecture imposed on the artist and his workshop.
   
   If you are interested in the few hundred years during which the fresco was a dominate form in Italy, this book, and the others in the Abbeville series, are ones that you will treasure forever. "The Early Renaissance" just happens to be my favorite of the four. It is worth every penny you will spend to purchase it.



2. This book is one of the most focused introductions to the vast (and often overwhelming) subject of Italian Renaissance frescoes. Ms. Roettgen has written a 2-volume, chronological study of the most famous, extant, complete fresco cycles. Her work starts in 1400, which is after Giotto, and it ends in 1521, before Michelangelo's birth. Neverthelees, she states that this time period was the Golden Age of the Italian fresco. She starts with the earliest cycles and works her way through so that you see the developmemt of realism, and most importantly, perspective in Western art. Perspective is important because it helped pave the way for optics, the camera oscura, and other scientific and technological developments which created the modern world we live in.
   She discusses each cycle as to its history and historical context, iconography (I had to look the word up), and technique. One of the best things about the text is Dr. Roettgen's great gossip about the artists. Fra Lippo Lippi's sex scandal with the Buti sisters at the nunnery makes the Renaissance more real and amusing.
   If you don't want to read the fascinating text, the photography is so clear and colorful you will feel like you have actually seen these stunning works of art. In truth, one can see the details of these works much better than the originals because these are so much closer.
   These 2 volumes will whet your appetite to learn more about this subject, but are good enough for you to have a huge knowledge and understanding of it on their own. I read these books before going on a trip to Italy, where I saw many of the cycles described. It made the whole trip so much more enjoyable to know what I was looking at.



3. This fine, large hardback is lush, made with thick paper. Inside, it details frescoes from around Italy in more or less chronological order, earliest-created first. Each chapter details one set of frescoes, giving extensive history and corroborating details along with art analysis of style, including reproductions of other art, then shows diagrams of where each piece of fresco it depicts comes from in the building in question. Then it gives the frescoes themselves, some in wide-shot, some in close-up detail.

   The frescoes are beautifully reproduced, in vibrant color, some so close up you can see brushstrokes. They depict people from all walks of life in Italy doing just about everything from praying to hunting to giving birth to you name it. Of particular interest to me were the Sienese hospital frescoes depicted therein -- the most complete I've ever seen anywhere.

   Personally, me, I got this for the beautiful costumes it depicts, and it hasn't steered me wrong. It really is an inspiration. But I think anybody interested in art history or in Renaissance art would adore having this magnificent work on his or her shelf. It's worth noting that there's another book in this set which looks to be of equally high quality.

No comments about The Ultimate Guide to Painting From Photographs.

No comments about Painting Peaceful Country Landscapes: 10 Step-by-step Scenes in Oil and Acrylic.

5 comments about Marvelous Murals You Can Paint.

1. this is an older book and the work simplistic I prefer his latest 3 books:The House That Faux Built,Its Faux Easy With Gary Lord and his latest mural book just coming out



2. I think Gary Lord does wonderful work and these murals are amazing. However, unless you are an artist or have invested in some equipment, this isn't for you. It has great ideas that one might hire done.



3. Although this book was visually nice to look at I found it lacked in teaching me how to paint murals. I have stumbled across a great site that has free tutorials on it. The site is [...] I hope you find this helpful.



4. This book has alot of good information that both novice and pro alike will love. There are alot of techniques covered in this book and the authors cover them extensively. If you're thinking of making a carreer as a muralist, or just want to spruce of your own home, this is the book to start with.



5. I purchased this book in the hope that it would provide instruction to create the murals illustrated on the first few pages. Unfortunately, although there are very beautiful murals pictured,instructions are included for only a few. Perhaps my tastes differ from the authors but it seems that most garish and ugly murals were the ones that included "how to" instructions. It leads one to wonder if perhaps they do not want any competition in producing the more tasteful murals pictured! I also purchased the companion video and was disappointed for the same reasons- the instructions were only for projects I would not want to do.

5 comments about Drawing: Horses (HT11).

1. This , like all the Foster books, is simple illustration for anyone beginning to draw, and especially if one is not all that familiar with horses. A good book to familiarize one prior to actually going into the field to draw from live animals.



2. I am really into drawing and I am good at it. However, horses are probably the hardest animals to sketch because of their interesting shape and detail. This book makes it easy to draw all kinds of horses, starting with simple heads, advanced heads, and then progressing to full bodies, getting more challenging but keeping an easy pace as you go. Not to mention tips on keeping porportions straight, and supply suggestions. Now I really want to get "Drawing Dogs" by Walter Foster!



3. A wonderful book with a two-page spread of a gorgeous painting which teaches more about horses than most of the gritty technical stuff can. :) I'm not a big fan of How-To-Draw books, but this one is very good because of the simple, straight-forwardness (and the awesome painting!)



4. I would love to obtain any of the numbered Foster "How To Draw" books pertaining to oil painting. Contact me at
   
   
5. this is the best book to learn how to draw horses and learn how to do shading. If you keep practicing, you won't even need to use the book anymore. This book is great for any age!

5 comments about The Painter’s Workshop - Creative Composition & Design (The painter's workshop).

1. Book: Creative composition&design
   I am very please whith this book, thankyou.



2. Have enjoyed using this as a reference after observing her in a demo.



3. the book teaches a lot, and it's great to read how to finish started works. however, you need a background in abstract work to understand her lessons. I have no such background, and her descriptions of the works in progress confused me. as well, her projects require a lot of specialized art supplies - inks and pigments and stuff that I don't have lying around. the projects also require a lot of space - easels w/ full sheets of watercolor paper, storage for scraps, etc. if you want to spend the $$, go ahead. I'm in a dorm and don't have the background, space, or $$ to do the projects.



4. if you are interested in composition and design, this is a must for your art library. clear, consice, immensely readable, pat dews acts as your personal guide! while her focus may seem in the "abstract vein", there is something for everyone here, no matter what your interest is. warmly written, i found myself reading every word. now that's something for a visual book! her explanations, photos and critiques were helpful and made me want to run to the studio to start my own wonderful discoveries!



5. This is one of the best art instruction books that is now available.It is an excellent follow-up to Creative Discoveries in Watermedia published in 1998.Creative Composition & Design is a workshop in book format. Pat Dews warm positive attitude comes across on each page.The book is very well designed with excellent color photographs of art that will inspire you to create.The tips that are listed on various pages are very helpful.The section showing how different artists work on design and composition is an excellent way to gain additional ideas for your own work.The critiques shown of student work places you right into the workshop experience.You will see how paintings are resolved.You will learn a lot from this book and return to it often.I highly recommend this book-it was worth waiting for.If you are unable to attend a workshop with Pat Dews this is the next best thing.If you have been fortunate enough to take a workshop with Pat Dews this book will act as an excellent follow-up.

5 comments about Exploring Digital Video.

1. The book does a great job of offering an overview of digital video, including things like using still photos, what type of equipment would you need, and how to set-up a shoot.
   
   Only complaint is that the author occasionally states opinions as fact example: wide screen is better than standard, when in reality, it is an artistic choice, and it is how you use the space provided that makes something like widescreen better or worse.



2. Exploring Digital Video provides well-organized and reliable information. This book is quite appealing, with distinct photos and graphics, lucid text, and clear-cut chapters.
   
   Notably, a beautiful full-color insert offers a look at Star Wars. And the DVD-ROM that comes free with the book contains surprising and useful free offers and specials and a feature on The Philadelphia Eagles! A must-have.



3. This book covers so many areas of digital video that I'm sure it will have what you need. It talks about topics such as purchasing video cameras and includes technical specs and quality. It also discusses bluescreen technology, capturing video and audio, scriptwriting, storyboarding and so on. And this is all just the beginning. It goes on to discuss how to edit, render and output film for the internet, television, or for multimedia presentations.
   
   Other than just being a great source of information this book also has a lot of fun extras that will keep you interested. At the end of each chapter there is a quick question formatted review to make sure that you understood and remembered the important aspects of the chapter. There are also various inserts with profiles and interviews of some of the professionals in the field. Although all of the inserts are interesting and informative, the best was the piece about Star Wars. This particular insert is about Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) which is part of Lucas Film LTD. It discusses how one of the scenes from Star Wars was created. It's really cool to hear how they created something and made it look so amazing on film.
   
   As if this weren't enough already, this book comes with a DVD/DVD-ROM with interviews with the Eagles Television Network and a number of tutorials. For those unfamiliar with the ETN, it is the Emmy award winning network of the Philadelphia Eagles. You get to hear about digital video from experts in the field through watching the DVD and reading the book. For such a low price it is one of the best literary investments you can make if you want to learn about digital video.



4. Finally! A book that makes a difficult subject easy to understand - creating and working with digital video (DV)! Each chapter is well laid out with great illustrations and nicely sized titles for each section and lesson. It also enhances its content by making good use of sidebars, to add relevant information.. Each chapter ends with an very useful set of questions and exercises, which furthers the reader's comprehension.
   
   Lesson 6 was a highlight for me because I often incorporate photographs into my videos. This sometimes results in a badly distorted photo, forcing me to omit some great photos because of that distortion. Other times, I've been lucky and able to successfully place a photo without any distortion. Until I read this book, the causes were unclear; the author demonstrates the correct way to prepare a photograph for digital video in a way that I could understand and will remember. Though math and computations are a turn-off to many, she successfully covers the meaning of pixel values without confusion. The DVD included with the book contains tutorials which do an excellent job of taking the viewer step-by-step through cropping a photograph vertically and horizontally, so it is properly proportioned for video. The reader therefore has a visual and a written source for future reference at any time.
   
   As a bonus, the author interviews Fred Meyers and Ben Snow, the makers of the Star Wars movies from George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). Meyers and Snow re pioneers in the DV field. She interviews several other DV professionals as well, adding their vast experience to the subject.
   
   The DVD also includes discounts from major retailers, saving readers money on computer and electronics products.
   
   This book is a keeper-excellent for the both the beginner and the experienced hobbyist.



5. The book is great. All you have to do is open it up and glance through it to see that it will be helpful.
   
   The Companion DVD is even better with step by step tutorials. The DVD also offers discounts with retailers on equipment, stock video and a great DVD duplication offer from Action Duplication in West Conshohocken, PA (800-847-3827).

2 comments about Paint Luxurious Textures in Watercolor.

1. Worth the price. Learned more in short time then any book I own. Materials are the key. Thanks for the easily understood work.



2. I ordered this book after first glance at it in my North Light catalog this month! I have just touched the surface on admiring the first few works of art in the book and am so impressed with the artist's expert use of color, technique and eye for beauty. I look forward to exploring the book in depth and trying some of the demonstrations. This is a wow book, very inspiring and uplifting, one every artist should have for reference! Nice work, Ms. Sheffer!

1 comments about Picasso: Art Can Only Be Erotic.

1. Picasso was at least as passionate a man as he was an artist. It's no suprise that his passions sometimes came together - it would be more surprising if they did not. For many reasons, the lushly erotic side of his ouvre has not received the publicity that other of his work has. In this book, one of Picasso's grand-daughters seeks to correct that imbalance.
   
   The book includes brief biographical notes, emphasizing the comings and goings of women in his life, Marie-Therese Walter (the author's mother) among them. Although interesting in itself and as context for his erotic art, it's the art itself that demands attention. The coffee-table size and excellent printing do all that one might hope to present these hundred-plus works.
   
   Picasso's erotic works vary as widely as the rest of his ouvre does. Drawings and watercolors up to about 1905 reflect his formal training. They include nudes in widely exposed positions as well as couples exchanging physical affection in many ways. Although the period around 1906 represents a turning point in his style, works from 1942 ("Woman looking at a sleeping man") and later still show that classical sense. Mostly however, the more mature paintings, prints, and ceramic works arise from the Picasso that most people know: a shattering of rational structure under the pounding of physical and emotional abandon.
   
   One fact comes through continuously: Diana Widmaier Picasso is proud of her grandfather's masculine power, and wants it celebrated as much as the rest of his life. Other authors have shown a dark side to this drive, but this author wants readers to know how brightly it burned, as well. This book doesn't just reflect his intensity, but captures some of her own as well.
   
   //wiredweird