4 comments about Painting with Acrylics (Acrylic Tips & Techniques).

1. I was unsure of buying this book because it was unreviewed and I had not heard of the author. I'm very glad I took the chance. I've been dabbling with acrylic painting for the last year or so (with no other painting or art experience), and I'm still a pretty rank beginner. I have several other books on acrylic painting. Some of them I like very well, but this is the one I was able to follow the most easily and wind up with something approximating "art."
   
   The strenght of the book is the detailed instruction for completing each project. Lowrey approaches things in a step by step manner. Some of my other books are step by step, but they seem like huge steps because I am left wondering, okay, how did you get from this step to that step? Not here. I think any beginner would be very pleased with this book.
   
   As for what the book covers - It has brief sections on materials, color theory, and composition. Most of the book, though, is split up into six projects:
   1. Watercolor technique
   2. Oil (impasto) technique
   3. mixed watercolor/oil technique
   4. glazing with white
   5. glasing with color
   6. using pastes & gels.
   
   Following each project is a number of paintings created with the same technique. And Mr. Lowrey's paintings are very attractive, I think. I very much like his use of color.
   
   At any rate, Mr. Lowrey's book was very helpful to this beginner. He maintains a website, so check out some of his art if you're curious. (an internet search on Arnold Lowrey and acrylic should be sure to turn it up.)



2. "Painting With Acrylics" starts with an informative introduction which discusses the wide variety in styles and uses of acrylic paint. The sections on acrylic mediums, brush strokes, composition and using color were particularly interesting. The author then shows how to paint six scenes using a well-rounded variety of techniques. He shows how to use palette knives, sponges, sand paper, paper towels, razor blades, fingers and of course paint brushes to achieve the look of water color, scumbling, oil paint, and glazes. In addition, he teaches the reader how to use acrylic pastes and gels. I highly recommend this book.



3. After a short introduction about the materials, color, and tips on composition, Arnold Lowrey spends the bulk of this book giving instructions on how he created 6 paintings that use different techniques. These instructions really are step by step and never jump way ahead in the painting in one "step" leaving you thinking, "what, how did he do that?" He always lets you know exactly what colors and instruments he used to create each object in the painting. All in all, incredibly helpful.



4. This book is great, it shows in detail exactly how to do acrylic paintings using all kinds of subjects and mediums... as a newby to painting (I usually draw) I am having a lot of fun. I thoroughly recommend this book

5 comments about Painting Flowers on Rocks.

1. Great seller! Excellent product, fast shipment. Will do business with seller any time.



2. It was such a pleasure to receive Lin's book about painting flowers on rocks. I have several of her other books which has brought us lots of hours of fun and fantasy. We appreciate her talents and her sharing her ideas with others like us. Her flower painted rocks are perfect for places like cemeteries that don't allow fresh flowers. It helps bring beauty to our loved ones graves without the work and worry of live plantings. The rocks require "no watering!" Thanks Lin for all your creative ideas.



3. This book was as I expected it to be.. the demonstrations were clear and instructons easy.. I ordered it because of an episode on the Carol Duvall show in which the author painted a beautiful bouquet on a simple smooth rock ..I have ordered other books of the same nature from Amazon before and have been equally satisfied.



4. Whether you are simply curious about rock painting, or have a desire to paint flowers on rocks, this book is for you. It is well written by a world class rock artist and teacher and in addition to offering know-how, it is an encouraging book that shows the way to get involved in this fascinating and not too expensive art form.



5. Follow the simple step by step directions for a beautiful "rock garden."

5 comments about Floorquilts!: Fabric Decoupaged Floorcloths-No-Sew Fun.

1. I took Ellen's first class on floorquilts and was amazed by the creative possibilities offered by floorquilts. I like to sew and quilt, but this technique--which is completely original--is available to anyone. You can literally make ANYthing you can envision for a rug. And the best part is that the rug is totally practical. I made one with a white background and, because it's sealed, it stayed completely white. It's perfect for high traffic areas. I can't recommend this book enough. The only problem is that it may breed a new obsession!!



2. I love the concept and it looks as if it will be great fun. The only disappoinment is the difficulty the correct weight canvas. And I live in a large city so it shouldn't be that difficult. To obtain the canvas on line will be expensive.
   
   I have been in communication with the author to see if I could do a few things differently and to ask why she recommends certain processes. She was super quick to respond and VERY helpful. She sounds delightful and I wish she were holding a class in my area. The book is full of good ideas and I am looking forward to having some fun with it once the holidays are over. I definitely recommend it if you enjoy crafting and/or quilting, particularly that which is unique and useful at the same time.



3. I was super excited to get this book (even pre-ordered it!) the idea is very cool, especially since I am currently shopping for a floorcovering for my quilting room! The instructions and how-to are very well organized and written. However, for anyone beyond a beginner quilter, I think the pattern/designs will be found to be lacking. They are very basic, the cover image is the best one in my opinion. With a little creativity, though, the sky is the limit in creating your own designs!



4. This is a perfectly detailed book on how to create fun floor quilts. It explains step by step the process of creating floor quilts. Before I even finished my first one I was already planning my second and third one. This requires no previous quilting know how. Once you start to create these fun floor mats and other projects it becomes addicting.
   
   
   This book is a crafters must! Enjoy!



5. Ellen has figured out a way to "treat" fabric so that it has the best properties of paper AND fabric. In effect, she has combined the instant gratification of scrapbooking with the permanence and durability of fabric! We now have the best of both worlds! After the fabric is treated, it can be cut with rotary cutters, circle cutters, paper punches - pretty much anything you use for paper - into any shape you want! Then, you "glue" it to the canvas foundation!
   
   The designs - and sizes - are limitless. And, the pictures in the book will get your creative juices flowing! Some of the examples have a very contemporary feel - squares within squares, rectangles within rectangles - in the hottest colors such as turquoise and brown. Others are more traditional and have the feel of quilts.
   
   And, don't be intimidated by the supply list! Ellen includes all the manufacturers and product names. What you can't buy at your local quilt shop, is available at the hardware store! You may even be able to get your hubby involved!

5 comments about Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint.

1. Mr. Heuser accomplished his mission! His book is, indeed, truly inspiring and encouraging!The personalized narrative piqued my interest in exploring each process and project in his home renovation--not just the ones of particular interest to me. I gleaned marvelous insights regarding the use of color and ways to create added warmth and meaning to a space. The before, during and after illustrations inspire confidence, as do the detailed materials/sources lists. From my experience, as a lay person, this is by far the best publication I've found on the subject. Heuser's talent is awe inspiring and his passion for art cannot help but engage any reader in the creative process--individually, or in partnership with someone who can help to create a living canvas for their home. Curtis Heuser and North Light Books have done a splendid job in producing a book that will be loved and appreciated by many!



2. The exquisite cover of this book embraces you from the start and continues that embrace throughout the pages and pages of beautiful photos and very helpful how-to instructions. This book kick-starts your imagination into the beauty of our surroundings, in and around your home.
   
   The heart of this artist, Curtis Heuser, is found in every photo, detail, and writing of this awe-inspiring book. By opening the pages--
   "YOUR HOME" can truly become "A LIVING CANVAS".



3. Being in this house must be like walking around in a dream.This man is highly gifted!



4. YOUR HOME,A LIVING CANVAS sits on my living room coffee table and everyone who sees it wants one. Curtis Heuser's work is stunning and his directions for achieving beautiful results in your own home are clear and accessible. This book is head and shoulders above any others that I have read on faux finishes and/or murals. For just browsing for aesthetic pleasure or for guidance in undertaking major artistic redecoration, YOUR HOME is the book to own; the perfect gift to give or to receive.



5. I love reading what people have to say about things I KNOW so well. lol I am very fortunate to have a Curtis Heuser mural in my home and when guest see it, they speak of my home to others as a mansion, not a house. Curt is a would class artist, however, this book gets criticized in some reviews because it is not JUST about murals. Please be thankful about that folks. A mural does personalize a space and add an art feature to a home but Curt then teaches how to complete the picture by showing you how to decorate the space. Curt does not say, "Give me a boat load of money and i'll transform your home", he tells you how to make your house a mansion. I, like Curt, came from very humble beginnings and he has taught me how to live like a king, or at least look like on a shoe string budget. He teaches how to select great paint colors, fabrics, and decorative pieces you can pick up at discount stores or antique shows. People come to my house and look at things I have picked up and marvel at their beauty and I smile knowing that the item might have been $9.00 and I bought it because I loved it. I didn't have to pay a decorator a commission on something purchased form a store that already has it marked up. Please enjoy Curts gift for making your house a home from mural work, faux finishes, collections that you purchase from Goodwill to antique shows. However, having said all this, my best purchase was the mural in my dining room. Check it out on HGTV website, episode 508 on the show Before and After. I hope there will be many more books from this man. He has the gift to create world class spaces. I wish all of you could have your own Heuser mural. His portfolio is amazing.

5 comments about The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages.

1. I devoured this book! It is by far the most inspiring and informational book on journal making I have ever read. Wonderfully written and illustrated so it is easy to understand and put to use. I can't wait to try everything including making my own pigments! I guess I'll have to buy her first one!



2. I was very pleased with this book! It has lots of great ideas for journaling or other mediums.



3. I loved Gwen Diehn's first book and this one is very, very good. The journal pages by the artists and the suggestions from the author are inspiring and thought provoking.
   The design of this book is uninspired and boring. It is UNDERdecorated. It looks like a text book, which is a shame.



4. This book helped me get to the next stage in my beginning art journaling. I learned why paper behaves the way it does when liquid is applied, how different adhesives work and what they're good for--tons of practical stuff for a neophyte to art journaling. I go back to it again and again. It's got great information, and it's a beautiful book to spend time with. I'll grow into it for a long time.



5. Even if I never make my own journal, I love looking at this book! It takes you through the whole process or suggests how you can transform an already existing book. The examples show creative and beautiful ideas. It focuses more on the use of paint than other materials. I bought it with The Decorated Page which elaborates on page ideas and love owning both. It is a great addition to my art reference material.

5 comments about The New Acrylics: Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints.

1. I borrowed this book at library thinking it would tell me how to mix my acrylic colors, how to do underpainting, etc. However it is totally a technical book on how acrylic paints are made and such, not useful to a person wanting to just learn to paint pictures! I also tried the book "Acrylic Revolution" which was interesting if I wanted dozens of different ways to use acrylics other than painting a picture--returned that book. Still looking, am open to suggestions.



2. This is comprehensive - and beautiful to look at. The best acrylics book I have found. I also have "Acrylic Revolution", (also fabulous). But this book has the edge in as much as it is not focused on a particular brand of acrylics. That said I would recommend owning both!



3. This is an easy to follow guide to acrylic paints, mediums and techniques. It cleared up so much confusion I had about mediums, gels, pastes, glazes and finishes. And it's beautifully illustrated with great color photos that I found to be extremely inspirational. I can't wait to get started practicing some of these techniques in my paintings and mixed media pieces.



4. I LOVE THIS BOOK! I've already used many of the new techniques and loved the results. Some of the products needed for the techniques in this book can be hard to come by in stores, so I'm having to order online. It is a very new approach to acrylics that open up a new world! I think this is a must have. It also teaches you things about new products that are really great that I cant wait to use. It is worth every penny. And the book isn't one of those art books that is dry and or thinks you are stupid. It covers what you need to know quickly and with interesting information. It has many many many pictures. Covers techniques, new materials, and much more. again get this book!



5. This book is a top-pro product. Its pictures inside are well enough to be a piece of art. Very useful, helpful, and instructive.

5 comments about The Art of Encaustic Painting: Contemporary Expression in the Ancient Medium of Pigmented Wax.

1. WOW! This is a book that must be the encaustic paint maker's bible.
   Joanne Mattera has produced a book of reference for those artists wanting to explore the ancient art of encaustic painting. Her use of easy to relate reference material like the formulae of encaustic medium to the day to day collection of tools used to produced the art work, makes a newbie to this technique feel secure.
   She covers the important issues of studio safety to the equipment. The questions and answers found on the working reference pages are very helpful and guide the reader towards the subject matter covered chapter by chapter.
   She shares encaustic paintings from a huge range of contributing artists and this allows the reader to see the wide range of applications that encaustic painting adds to the visual arts. Joanne's vast painting experience shows through as she shares both her experiments along the encaustic journey to her leaving the door open for the new artist to "try new things for themselves."
   For the artist trying encaustic painting for the very first time to the experienced encaustic painter, this book offers information for all.



2. I found this to be a clear and well presented book overall, enough so I found I didn't want to start this technique until I did some major re-arrangement of my studio space. Given that I haven't tried working through the tutorials, so really can't comment about them.
   
   Some seem annoyed at the art and artists presented - get over it. Art is about process, not product, learn about and experience what others have done then do your own thing. If you live somewhere with good art museums then seek out work by others that is in the genre that suits your tastes.
   
   I'll keep this book as reference when I do start my experiments with wax - so far it's the best I've seen in print.



3. I am new this this medium. When I ordered this book I could not put it down. I read it in one night. It is packed with a lot of information. I keep refering back it.



4. If you want information as an artist intending to try encaustic painting
   then this is a good book--it covers everything to get started painting with
   encaustic. Also some information on the ancient Fayum encaustic portraits,
   Jasper Johns use of encaustic (an interview with him) and examples of the encaustic
   work of certain other contemporary artists using encaustic techniques and some
   using other wax techniques not strictly encasutic



5. This book was unusual as an artbook. It takes me beyond the "hobby" status many art book seems to have. Proffessional and inspiring!

2 comments about Canvas Remix: Techniques For Creating Mixed-Media Accessories.

1. I recieved this book yesterday, and found a fountain of good information. Author Alisa Burke starts the book with definitions of tools and supplies, then on to stretching and priming canvas. (Most if not all projects are unstretched) There are 38 pages of techniques, with color photos for the steps, along with some helpful hints called "in the mix."
   
   Most of the projects are beautiful, fun, and useful. There are several I want to try right away, including the tote, pouch, canvas beads, and i-Pod case. This book fullfilled my need of the basics of working with canvas, stretched, or unstretched. After learning the basics, you can easily craft whatever you want.
   
   I would have given this book five stars, but I think some of the techniques could have been done more in depth. Otherwise I am glad I bought it, and it will get a lot of use.



2. I found that the techniques shown in this book were at the beginner level. Although I will hang onto a book if it is the slightest bit inspirational, I could not find any in this book and decided to return it.

5 comments about Fabric Art Workshop: Exploring Techniques & Materials for Fabric Artists and Quilters.

1. This is a great textbook for budding art quilters. There's a new technique every 2 or 3 pages. I'm planning to work through it one technique at a time. It provides enough information to get you started with each technique and gives you some ideas for what to do with your creation. I definitiely recommend it for people intersted in exploring art quilting techniques.



2. If you like a clean house or a hot meal or clean clothes, don't, I repeat, DON'T buy this book. I received this book from Amazon, opened it up and started to read it. I was so innocent then. Then the book grabbed me and off I went on projects. I bought supplies, came home and started making samples. Vacuum? Dust? Oh, those can wait,--there is another project to try! The projects are fun, they are easy and the results are fabulous. If you want to try some fabric painting and dyeing in various forms, for example, this is your book, and that is just a small portion. Grab the book, be prepared to forget everything around you exists, and have fun!



3. I was very pleased with this book. It's creative techniques and clear instructions will be refered to often as I attempt art quilts.



4. This book has so many different techniques, it's delicious! I have most of the products to start in my own stash and purchased a few more. It's enough to keep me busy without boredom. 5 stars!!



5. This book is only for the absolute beginner. I could find nothing to inspire me.

5 comments about Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium.

1. There were some techniques in here that I am truly enjoying in my mixed media work. It is a great book, and the instructions are well written and the pictures are just glorious. A MUST HAVE for every mixed media artist!



2. Yes, that's right, this book is so much a part of what I do that it has paint spatters on the pages. And I think that's a real recommendation. This is not a book sitting pretty on my shelf, it's a living companion working with me in my daily art practice. How cool is that? Buy this book...



3. I am experimenting with all the techniques and having fun learning. It seems easy to follow.



4. I bought it last week and it can totally be called a reference for you to deal with mixed-media acrylic painting techniques. The only lack of it is that the author does not deal with paintings made by more than one specific technique.
   By the way, is it a necessity? :))



5. Great! Was a gift for my Father who just took up painting at the age of 74. He loves it!