Painting-the

For many years it has been the practice of critics and art aficionados to relegate "popular artists" the likes of Norman Rockwell and the Wyeth clan to the bin of kitsch. Time heals and alters and distance is kind as the current resurgence of appreciation of these and other artists of the land testifies. Norman Rockwell now is considered an important American artist, sensitive to basic issues of what makes America the land of the common man's dream. With this beautifully designed and written tome the same adulation should follow for the Wyeth clan. The authors (Betsy Wyeth among them) had the good idea to show the seeds of the very familiar Wyeth imagery in the work of Howard Pyle, an artist known primarily as an illustrator along the lines of over the edge fantasy adventure books. His pupil N.C. Wyeth took up the torch, primarily emulating Pyle's style but taking it to a new level. His works of isolation, thwarted desire, and simple American traditions are absorbed by his son Andrew Wyeth who won favor among collectors of realist art during the time the country was running after Modernism, Expresionism, Abstraction. And finally Jaime Wyeth, son of Andrew, has been a constant presence with his quasi-surreal take on many of the same subjects as his progenitors. The circle comes round with Pyle and Jaime Wyeth embracing the more perverse subjects - an interesting century wheel turning round and round.

The color reproductions are generous and well selected. Many of the well know Wyeth images are excluded, but in their place we are treated to images we have never seen. This is a beautiful volume and a tender one, a memento of what our childhood in the 20th Century was like before the madness currently painted hit.

The images floor me. If a picture is worth a thousand words.... then this collection speaks incalculable volumes.

For the non-art initiated, the book is a feast for the imagination as well as the eyes. I bought the book because I come from the mid-coast of Maine, like the Wyeths. But when I took the time to look at the book on a night we lost power due to a snow storm, I found the views conjured stories up in my mind to match the Wondrously Strange images. I've driven by the Wyeth Center a thousand times, but made a point to visit to see for my self. I'm also fortunate to have a copy signed by Jamie Wyeth, and hope to keep as a treasure for a long time.

This book might be expensive, but what do you expect for such genius. I love this book, and would recommend it to anyone into color theroy. Itten is a color genius, and this book proves it.

I'd studied physiology and neuroscience, later switching careers from a medical path to that of a designer. I've dived into many sources for my self-education/training. Itten is the grand-master of color; no other book I've read compares to those of Itten. His teachings have enlightened me in ways that I'm amazed by, touching on scientific, psychological, behavioral, and the most personal aspects of color as a study and an experience. It's changed the way I look at my environment, and it's changing the way I use color in my work as a designer.

I'm so impressed with the value this book has had to me, that I bought Itten's book on Form and Design, even though I didn't necessarily feel lacking on those aspects of design. It's rather because of the likelihood in the quality and richenss of knowledge I'll gain, as I did from this book.

What fascinates me so much about Itten's classic book is its deeply philosophical, even quasi-religious approach to color. Itten was as much interested in the spirituality of color as in developing a theory of color.

Another great aspect of the book is the numerous master paintings beautifully reproduced and intertwined with his own theories and color diagrams. You get paintings by Rembrandt, Renoir, Monet, El Greco, Seurat, and so many others. Itten is always contrasting the objective and the subjective aspects of art and color, and it makes for a fascinating reading experience.

Itten has a mature perspective on these painters and their relation to color. Its only flaw is that Itten's is only one perspective. I wish there were more authors who could write and analyze art at this level, and who weren't afraid to be spiritual in their assessments.

With so many dramatic advancements in technology, we tend to forget very quickly where we were. Just a decade or so ago, this book was literally too difficult and too expensive to produce. We are lucky to live in an age in which a book of such profound beauty is even available. Overall, it's a must for any fine library.

I am very pleased with Botanical Illustration in Watercolor
by Eleanor B. Wunderlich. It is a beautifully illustrated book both in presentation and in demos. It combines both worlds of wc and botanical illustration in a clear and precise manor. I would highly recommend this book for both beginner and serious botanical illustrator and/or for a good reference book for your art library. It is a very pleasing book just to browse through.

This is the best book on botanical illustration I have found. It is suitable for all levels including complete beginners like myself. Although some artistic talent is certainly an asset, closely following the instructions here will come as close as possible to teaching virtually anyone to paint. From drawing to painting, it offers everything you need to create your own beautiful botanical artwork.

The book starts out by helping you choose a subject with practical advice on fruits, vegetables, flowers, mushrooms, bulbs, roots, trees, ferns, vines and more. Then, creating a space to work in and selecting materials from brushes to paper is covered. I love the many excellent tips on mixing colors.

The next section focuses on the many aspects of drawing including setting up a still life, planning the picture and transferring your drawing to watercolor paper. There are detailed step-by-step instructions for drawing a huge variety of botanical subjects including orchids, tulips and foxgloves. I really liked how the author discusses the various shapes of flowers such as round, teacup and tubular and then shows you how to block them out.

The final section covers the painting process. Along with numerous step-by-step demonstrations on painting botanicals there are hints on correcting mistakes, protecting your paper and tips on painting white flowers. Creating the initial washes, adding shadows, shading, layering and highlighting are included as well. To finish your artwork the author gives advice on matting, framing, exhibiting and selling your artwork.

The finished illustrations throughout the book are so beautiful. Each one has information on the kind of paper they are painted on, size and title.

Not only is this a comprehensive guide to painting botanical subjects, but the book is just gorgeous.

Drawings and paintings of wild flowers and fruits bring out their beauty in ways photographs cannot. So this book is a really good resource if you like to sketch and hike, or if you garden and want to make a beautiful record of what you see. This is also a great resource if you are getting into journal writing and want to put in pictures of plants and flowers (many people keep a garden record journal, for example.)

The instructions are very good, from how to draw and sketch plants to choices of color. There are good examples to copy to learn the technique. I don't think there is a better book on this subject, nor a more beautiful book.

This book describes a method for seeing color that you may never have know was there. If you are an artist working in any medium and are thirsty for more information on playing with color and light, you'll find this to be an informative, inspiring, and valuable book.

Using Susan Sarback's book Capturing Radiant Color in Oils is a wonderful experience. After completing just two of the exercises I am seeing colors in a new way. I am convinced that my brain is making millions of new connections among my color perception neurons. It is about improving your seeing and painting together, they are inseparable. Lois Griffel's Painting the Impressionist Landscape is a good complement to this book as it covers much of the same material with a slightly different approach.

I have always been intrigued with light and color. As an artist, I wanted to capture the ethereal quality of light, but the color theories, recipes, methods and techniques taught by noted painters just didn't express the radiance and range of light and color that I believed was possible. When I found Susan Sarback's book over four years ago, I knew I had reached a turning point as an artist. Her message is not about imaginary color, or formulas, or emotional expression. It is about attuning oneself to the full spectrum of light and color that is always present but is usually overlooked. After pouring through the chapters, examining the painting studies and practicing the seeing exercises, I felt that I had finally found the key to unlocking the secrets of luminous color and light that only Monet seemed to possess. For me, finding her book was like having an incredible dream and then discovering that the dream is true!

Sarback expresses a wonderful humility that is sometimes lacking in painting instructors. Rather than offering clever methods to contrive bright, pretty paintings, she suggests artists enter a relaxed state of sensitivity and openness, to let the light be the guide to each stroke of color. She discusses color notes and light keys, phrases that suggest the similarity between the subtleties of light and the harmonies of music. She shows us how to see the full spectrum of radiant light on the cloudiest of days, and how to see and paint the awesome color of something as mundane as a manhole cover.

The book is filled with wonderful paintings by Sarback and other artists who paint the full spectrum of light. There is also plenty of practical information, such as palette layout and choice of pigments. There is no need for black, grays or brown! She gives credit to her teachers and other great colorists, past and present, but her approach to light and color is fresh and alive, anything but dogmatic. Even now, after taking three workshops and several classes with her, I study this book more than ever. It has become my most essential tool as an artist. If you truly want to see and express light, with all its radiant color and subtlety, this is probably the best book available. Many write about painting light and color, but Susan Sarback has the sensitivity and humility to really teach it.

Tera Leigh's Complete Book Of Decorative Painting (1581800622 ...) tells how to use color basics, brushes, and techniques to create professional quality results in crafts, home decoration, and projects. From lettering and faux finishes to brush techniques and antiquing options, this uses a reference and question/answer format along with color photos to encourage easy experimentation.

Ms. Leigh's book, unlike so many others entitled 'complete,' is the genuine article, and comprehensively surveys the many styles and techniques used in creating decorative paint effects for craft. Whether you are a complete beginner (like myself) or an experienced artist, this is the only resource book on the subject you will need. Beautifully illustrated and written in Ms. Leigh's informed and engaging style, The Complete Book of Decorative Painting is as enjoyable a read as it is a valuable guide to painting. Each technique is illustrated with step-by-step instructions (including technique tips such as how to hold the brush and recommended types of paint that many other publications overlook), an honest evaluation and rating of the skill required for each (so the novice painter can select projects more likely to produce satisfactory results), and interesting details on the origins and historical development of individual styles. If you get the chance to see Ms. Leigh in person, as I recently did, do so. She is as engaging in person as she is in print. Long a Martha Stewart wannabe, I was genuinely surprised as how simple some of these techniques actually are, and found Ms. Leigh's instructions clear, comprehensive and easy to follow. I recommend this book without reservation to anyone interested in decorative painting.

This book is the finest book of its kind I have ever reviewed. It is a step-by-step guide to decorative painting that is easy to read and follow. This book is a must for your reference library of decorative painting materials. With this book you have a master teacher at your fingertips. The photography and detail is outstanding and shows the care and thoughtfulness that went into the completion of this work of art. The color-coded pages make it easy to find and follow illustrations you require; and I agree with the comments on the back of the book by Priscilla Hauser and Donna Dewberry.

If you love wildlife art that shows every hair, whisker or feather of a wild creature and every blade of grass, leaf or branch in the "background", Carl Brenders is your man. His work is technically brilliant and acutely observed, resulting in paintings that are more real than reality.

This man can draw! There are a few pencil sketches included in the book. They are a little looser than his impeccable paintings and they appeal to me more than the paintings.

So much art is a matter of taste - I am awe struck by the patience Brenders must possess in order to produce these images, but I personally prefer a more spontaneous approach. I subscribe to James McNeill Whistler's view: "To say of a picture, as is often said in its praise, that it shows great and earnest labour, is to say that it is incomplete and unfit for view." Brenders manages to achieve a fusion of "great and earnest labour" (he must take months to do each painting!) and creative excellence. That's the only reason why I give a four- and not five-star rating! It's just a little TOO slick for my taste.

The layout of this book is clean and fresh, allowing his detailed paintings lots of white space. Accompanying the paintings is a brief commentary from the artist. This text reinforces the artist's absolute love of his subject.

Carl Brenders is one of the most amazing artists in existence when it comes to realistic animal paintings. His work is so fine and detailed that it would be easy to mistake one of his pieces for a photograph. Being a fan of realism, I can't help but love his exquisite paintings. This book contains over fifty beautiful pieces, depicting a wide array of North American wildlife, including bears, deer, foxes, raccoons, wolves, cougars, squirrels, many species of bird, and more. Each painting is accompanied by its title, dimensions, media information, and year of completion, as well as a few paragraphs explaining the inspiration for that particular piece (written by Brenders himself). With some he has included preliminary sketches, all of which are fine drawings in and of themselves. The margins are large and there is plenty of "white space" (but not too much) so that the pages look balanced and uncluttered. At the end there is a short biography of the artist, discussing his childhood in Belgium, how he came to love animals and nature, his schooling in art, his career as an artist, and a little about his technique. This book would be a terrific coffee-table item or gift idea for any lover of wildlife art.

If you are not a collector of wildlife paintings or limited edition fine art work yet, you definitely will be after you see these images. Many people belive these are only photos. Carl Brenders captures so much detail in his paintings, most are fooled who do not know of his works. From the finest feathers of a golden eagle's head to the glass-like eyes of a Canadian Lynx to lichen and moss on rocks and trees.
I have been an art dealer for many years and still am in awe at his paintings and prints. It is truly amazing that someone has the ability to represent wildlife in such a way.

I bought this book unseen from Amazon (based on the other reader reviews) and I love it! Before buying, I looked at these 2 other books in a bookstore and was not satisfied with their contents: 1) Winslow Homer: Artist and Angler focuses only on Homer's passion for fly fishing; 2)The Watercolors of Winslow Homer by Miles Unger (published by Norton) has a nice variety, but too many of the watercolors are printed across the gutter of the book, thus ruining the effect. This book by Cooper is lovely - It is based on an exhibition of Homer's watercolors that took place in the mid-80s, and so is comprehensive. It has a wonderful variety of all of Homer's watercolors spanning his entire career, and is nicely written. The watercolors are beautifully reproduced (not in the gutter) on fine-quality paper and the book itself is nicely designed. It is just beautiful.

This book provides a great analysis of Winslow Homer's growth as an artist. The author uses each chapter to analyze a different period of Homer's life as he, basically, self-taught himself through observation and experimentation based on where he lived, whether it was in the Bahamas, England, or the Northeast Atlantic coast of the United States. The pictures within the book are very good quality. The author emphasizes analysis of Homer's work over actual biographical information. If you are looking for more of a biographical-type book of Homer read Lloyd Goodrich's book Winslow Homer. Enjoy!

Since seeing a show of Winslow Homer's works a few years ago, I have been in awe of this artist's talent and versatility. So it was natural for me to pick up this beautiful and informative book which focuses on his watercolor career. In addition, the author gives us Homer's earlier background as an oil painter and illustrator. She is certainly well-qualified to write about Homer---she holds the position of Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture at the Yale University Art Gallery.

The color plates in this book are gorgeous and the text gives good information about Homer, his life, times, and techniques. It was a delight for my eyes!

In 1873, at the age of 37, Homer began serious work with watercolor while in Gloucester, Massachusetts. These paintings were characterized by broad brushstrokes and extensive use of light and color.

The Gloucester watercolors began Homer's lifelong pattern: he would focus for a certain amount of time on a singular theme inspired by a particular location. Some of these themes included rural life, especially childhood, and seascapes/marine scenes. He lived for periods of time in Gloucester; Cullercoats, England; Prout's Neck, Maine; the Bahamas and Cuba;, the Adirondacks; Quebec; Bermuda; and Florida. His need for privacy led him to live in somewhat remote locations, and during these years he was constantly experimenting with new techniques. Prout's Neck was his home base for his last 30 years although he often spent time in other places during that period. It was in Cullercoats (1881-82) that he developed his mature watercolor technique and his love of sea themes which he painted for the rest of his life.

Homer's late works are very thought provoking, often showing heroic subjects or themes; they show nature's beauty and its power and humans' mortality.

Homer lived a very solitary life, never truly realizing how really famous he was. He died at the age of 75, his last five years spent even more withdrawn from society and battling many illnesses.

I was thoroughly impressed with the art nouveau and 1920's sections of the book.These were an added feature to the traditional designs which I expected.

As a stained glass artisan for over 15 years and an instructor in the copper foil method for four years, I feel this is one of the best pattern books available for those interested in historically accurate 19th and 20th century stained glass patterns/designs. There is something for everyone, from basic patterns suitable for beginners to very intricate designs for the more advanced artist. Even if you prefer to design your own windows, this is still an excellent reference source. Like all the stained glass pattern books published by Dover, this one offers a lot of wonderful patterns for very little money.

Of all the 300+ stained glass and lead light books in a club library that I manage, this is the most sought after. A very valuable purchase.

I want to drown myself in a vat of beeswax every time I leaf through these gorgeous paintings. Solid information about the varieties of wax and mediums and practical suggestions for studio setup and which equipment to use eliminate the esoteric intimidation factor and make encaustic painting accessible to all levels of artist.

Mattera very concisely defines the ins and outs of encaustic painting and provides an excellent point of reference for both beginning and more advanced artists wanting to expand their horizons on the subject. Also notable was the paintings represented in the beginning of the book that showed myriad techniques and styles employed today in modern encaustic painting. Beautifully done.

This is a great book for all interested in encaustic painting. Details and fine illustrations give great insight to an ancient artform. If you like art, don't miss this book.

This book is more than just basic instruction, but it starts with the basics and progresses though the essentials to advanced figure drawing and painting concepts. It is not a step-by-step guide but a thorough presentation of these concepts and how they relate to the final artwork. I have read numerous other books and taken a number of life drawing and painting classes so I was especially impressed to learn several techniques/concepts which were new to me. In addition, several artists are featured which helps avoid techniques unique to a particular artist. I highly recommend the book for any artist seeking a comprehensive overview of figure drawing and painting.

This is my favorite book on painting the figure. The book demonstrates that there are many approaches to the figure and each technique is demonstrated by a different artist. The book is very well illustrated with color photo's of the examples in process, the artist working on them and there models. Truth is I admire some of the artist in the book and enjoy the beautiful photo's of there work. For the student and the master of art the book offers many angles and approaches in every medium. The books introduction was written philosophically and historically offering an overview of changes in attitude and approaches artist have tackled the figure with. In the end it's a very sincere, informative, and visually dynamic book. A must have for any artist or teachers library.

This is a great overview for anybody who wants to paint the human figure. It covers the tradition of the nude, the basics of proportions and anatomy, a variety of media, clothed and nude, various types of poses and models. Just about everything.

Step by step guides from pose to painting are frequent - we see inside an artist's studio, palette, thought processes and techniques. As a beginner in life drawing, I found this book my number one resource whenever I wanted to practice and follow up what I had learnt in class.

Not an in-depth guide to a narrow subject, this book's breadth is its strong point. An ideal starting place, but without stopping too soon and leaving the user or reader wanting more. A perfect mix of overview and detail, in my opinion.

Highly recommended.