Painting-the

Don't let the title fool you.
This book is for anyone who does decorative painting, not just furniture.
I just recieved my copy and am having a ball experimenting with all the great information I have found in this book.
Most of my painting is on the paper mache objects I create, but I see more wonderful possibilities for more vinegar painting.
Like the room divider/screens I purchased for a steal this summer
at yard sales. I kept wondering what can I do to make these screens look unique and different. I found my answer in this great book.
I highly recommend this book. It's a real treasure!

Many years ago I was at a stranger's house (maybe the house was for sale or for rent), and I saw the most beautiful painted piece of furniture. This armoire was finished in a variety of rich brown textures, and I asked the woman how it had been done. Although she was the artist, she was very secretive, admitting only that she had used a wine bottle cork to produce one pattern.
Since then I've been looking for a book that would show me how to create these results. I've bought at least a dozen 'paint your furniture' books, but they focused on flat applications of paint. Admittedly pretty, I wanted instead to produce the illusion of depth and exotic wood grainlines that I had seen.
Yesterday I received Bill Russell's book, and this book reveals the secret! The pictured projects are gorgeous, the illustrated instructions are some of the clearest and easiest to understand that I've ever seen in hundreds of how-to books, and the necessary supplies are explained in detail.
Bill uses a variety of tools to manipulate his paint, but not a cork. Yet following his explanations I can see how to use one, both on its side and using the end. Bill suggests making sample boards out of inexpensive cardboard to test colors and techniques. What would happen if I used a sponge? A piece of crumpled cloth or lace? Based on his solid basics, a decorative artist could have a ball exploring the possibilities. But one doesn't have to be an artist to produce lovely results using Bill's suggested colors and combinations. What a fantastic book!

You've seen all those lovely one or two page articles and photos in the popular magazines about how to do vinegar graining on furniture, boxes, and frames, but they left you wanting more. Well, look no further, for this is THE answer. Loads of pictures with the author working on all kinds of stuff. Lots of different tools to use. Very detailed...this author shares his love for this craft (really artistry) and his sources with you in this book. You'll even want to sign up for his workshop in Philadelphia, PA if you can't get enough here! AND...don't forget to add these to your list as they will round out your selection of decorative painting books/photos/techniques: THE ART OF FAUX by Finkelstein, PROFESSIONAL PAINTED FINISHES by Marx, and FOLK FINISHES by Teles. You won't go wrong by adding one or all of these to your shopping cart. Knowledge is power...and these books give you the power to do great things with glazes and paint!

Reynolds does a fantastic job showing how someone can be creative or artistic and not even know it. I picked up this book at an elementary book fair first because I thought it was well written and illustrated. Second because I want to help my children realize they have hidden talents. And third because my husband is an art teacher in high school and his students are constantly telling him they can't draw.

This book not only teaches that anyone can be artistic but it teaches that creativity is not something only some of us are born with - it is something we all have inside of us, we just need to find a little bit of inspiration to bring it out. In Vashti's case, it was her teacher framing her dot and hanging it by her desk.

I recommend this book for anyone: kids, adults, teenagers.

This book was delivered automatically in our Junior Library Guild order, and it has become one of my all-time favorites as a librarian.

When Vashti angrily stabs a dot onto an empty art class assignment, her teacher wisely follows through with a lesson in life by framing her dot for all to see.

This little bit of attention takes Vashti to new heights by allowing her to take that dot and see where it leads her. She paints all sorts of dots and gains new confidence.

What the story really teaches us is to try, and to start with the tiniest of dots to begin our journeys. As my library class discussed the theme, many of the kids brought up "dots" in their own lives, such as learning how to roller skate, sink a free-throw, or turn a cartwheel. We all have to start somewhere!

And as Vashti's teacher told her when she finished that first dot, "Sign it!"

This little book is truly an inspiration, and the kids loved it. I want my own copy!

Vashti thinks she's a terrible artist. Her art teacher challenges her to draw a dot. When Vashti sees her finished dot on display behind the teacher's desk, she decides she can do better. The beautifully simple illustrations add to this sweet book about finding hidden talents.

I must admit that for me it takes a bit of work to draw realistic and 3 dimensional pictures. But using the 'Draw 50' books are so very, very easy to use! Lee J. Ames's drawing method is simple with the step-by-step instructions which are easy to follow. For kids 9 and older, "Draw 50 Dogs" by Lee J. Ames is great for drawing in your scrapbook, onto your notebooks, on cards, etc.

As the title says, this book includes instructions to draw 50 dogs; all of the 50 are different breeds and types. For me I love the portraits though I also love to draw dogs running or posing. My favorite pictures to draw are most probably the 'Irish Wolfhound', 'Cairn Terrier', 'German Shepherd Dog', 'Cocker Spaniel', and 'English Setter'. The book has another nice touch which is at the bottom of each drawing, there is some information on that dog including a brief history of the breed, average weight and height of the dog, and coat and color of the dog. Extremely helpful especially if you are thinking of coloring your drawing afterwards or would like to know how big to draw the dog when putting it in a background. My only complaint that there isn't a picture of a papillon to draw which I would like to (the reason? I have a papillon for a pet!).

Of course all of the "Draw 50" series are great, be sure to check them all out! The books I want are "Draw 50 Athletes", "Draw 50 Cats", "Draw 50 Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles", and "Draw 50 Famous Faces".

I agree with the other reviews,this is a great book in the series. If you have an interest in drawing or know someone who does,you'll find these books to be very useful. My daughter had brought some home from the library & asked for me to buy them.They go step by step with you,in no time you'll have a wonderful picture!

This wonderful step-by-step drawing book has great illustrations like the Yorkshire terrier(My favourite). Lee J. Ames, author, is very kind as I had e-mailed him many times. Hope you like this book too...

I read Lee Hammond's book, "Draw Real Animals" and I think it was really really worth my money. She discovered a blending technique that makes drawings look real. What's nice about this book is that she presents before and after drawings of kids (and they look real). When I first tried her technique, I got INSTANT RESULTS! Before when I used to look at a paper and try to draw, I thought, "no, this won't work" But now, every drawing I finish looks like a masterpiece! Buy this book, it will inspire you to draw more!

Lee Hammond's books stand out above the rest and this one is no exception. I'm staring at my drawing of a tiger she presents in the book. It is so good that I can't believe I did it. If you want to learn to draw realistic animals get her book.

Oh My Gosh! This book is amazing! When I had tried to draw animals in the past, I always turned up with bunches of rough, uneven lines that had a sketchy appearence. After studying this book and practicing the techniques within it, I created this beautiful drawing of a horse which I have now framed. I always get lots of great comments about it and a lot of my friends ask who I bought it from, since they can't believe that I did it! I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to improve their drawing skills, or to anyone interested in bringing out their artisticside that want a place to start.

This book is fabulous.My children love it. It offers lots of chances to discuss feeling and how we feel about ourselves. We love the illustrations. We love this book

This was a wonderful book about not giving up on the things you enjoy because of what someone else thinks! Emily learns that one persons rock is the next mans diamond. What makes us different makes us special!
Our favorite book = Matthew A.B.C. - same author

EMILY'S ART is the story about Emily, a first-grade girl who loves to paint. There is a colorful aura of joy around Emily as she paints with her heart, and she radiates a soft, pink glow when she paints a watercolor picture of her friend, Kelly. When Emily's class participates in a school-wide art contest, Emily chooses to enter a picture of her dog, Thor, with great big ears, "Because Thor hears everything." When all the first-grade pictures are judged in the art contest, Emily is heart-broken to see her beloved picture of Thor passed over because the judge hates dogs. Fortunately, Emily's friend, Kelly, and her teacher, Ms. Fair, show Emily how much they care about her, and the story ends with a class party to celebrate all the beautiful pictures the children made.

What makes this picture book so very special is the way that every illustration of Emily shows how she feels in body posture, facial expression, and her human energy field. When Emily is happy, soft colors of light shine around her head and shoulders. When Emily is sad, her head droops forward and she becomes transparent as her aura disappears. Every picture of her aura is delightfully different -- my favorite is the one where she is showing her friend, Kelly, how to draw a dinosaur and lots of bright colors surround her head, back, and arm!

This is a gorgeous watercolor picture book that shows how feelings look in the human energy field. I give it my highest recommendation!

-- Cynthia Sue Larson

I FOUND THIS BOOK BRINGING ME BACK TO SOME OF THE GREATEST GOLF EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE. THE UNIQUENESS OF USING ART INSTEAD OF PHOTOGRPHY IS WHAT SET THIS BOOK APPART FROM THE REST OF THE GOLF BOOKS THAT I HAVE IN MY COLLECTION. THE NARRATIVES THAT MR. VENTOLA WROTE WERE EXCEPTIONAL IN THAT IT NOT ONLY SPOKE OF THE GOLF COURSE, BUT ALSO OF THE HISTORY AND SENTIMENTALITY OF THE GREAT SPORT OF GOLF. I WAS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED WITH SYD MATHEWS "LEGACY OF AMERICAN GOLF" ALL IN ALL THE NEXT TIME I'M LOOKING FOR THAT "SPECIAL" GIFT IT WILL BE FINE ART OF AMERICAS FAIRWAYS!

The finest collection of the history of American golf courses. Of all the art history books in my collection, "Fine Art of America's Fairways" is the most often opened and admired. Looking forward to another addition.

The combination of the best courses and the best golf artists is oustanding. this collection will be wanted by both golfers and artists alike. The presentation is superb. Buy this book for someone you love. they'll love you even more!

So many painting books cover too much from one step to the next. For example, they say "And then add the finishing touches" and the picture goes from murky (the type I typically paint) to beautiful. Okay, so obviously great pictures result from knowing what to do at the end, but what was that precisely?
This delightful little book keeps its focus on something small enough to properly explain, one flower at a time. My first attempts to follow the examples resulted in flowers I couldn't believe I had just painted. The small successful efforts I make guided by this book makes me believe I can someday paint the way I want to. Even those who aren't particularly interested in painting flowers will learn how to get paint to look a certain way on the paper. A fabulous book for the beginner.

I just purchased this book and am very happy with it. It is clearly and concisely written and has ideas and suggestions on shape and color on every page. I like how it takes one flower like an iris and shows it in different color suggestions. It shows individual flowers, not floral arrangements making it a springboard for creating floral designs. It also shows basic shapes of flowers in the initial drawing process before going into the actual watercolor painting. I know that I will use and refer to this book often.

I agree with the reviewer who wrote that it was a useful guide for painting flowers. It is also practical to take along when working outdoors as it is a small, light-weight book. In addition, the techniques are for each kind of flower - so it is easy to figure out how to work with many of the more common ones. The only caveat to this book is this: use this guide to get the basic idea - but don't assume that this is all there is to flower painting! There are other books which give more extensive treatment about how lighting affects the colors of flowers.

On the Authors homepage you have a chance of taking a glimpse inside this wonderful book. Her homepage is her full name and a com ending. I have the book myself and can only recommend it to you all.

It was an exceptional experience painting with this book. From beginning to end it is filled with beautiful large scale full color fotos. The text is very understandable and easy to read. There is a red line from beginning to end. If you want to learn to paint, this is it. I hope more will follow soon...
Thankyou very much...

Ms. Just has presented a beautiful book full of luscious l transparent watercolor paintings of flowers. Each page contains several large photos of her work plus instructional text. All illustrations are done in watercolor including the chapter on painting materials. Nearly half of the pages are step-by-step demonstrations, each with very clear explanations of her process. Ms. Just also discusses design and watercolor technique and shows her command of the subject matter with great expertise.
Flowers: Wonders of Nature in Watercolor will be a wonderful addition and a well used book in the library of watercolor painters of all levels.

As a Ceramic Teacher I have found this book to be very useful in the studio. There are so many ideas and designs to look at, as the title says over 300 designs, simple and easy to understand. The designs are easy to follow for beginers and give great ideas as to how to lay out design work on ceramic. Advance students have followed some of the ideas, adding their own designs to a more advance level. Anyone who has a studio with beginers this is a must..A great studio tool.

I really enjoy painting ceramics as a hobby and use this book every week for ideas and inspiration. It covers a wide range of subjects, from fruits to flowers to lettering and animals, design specific for your ceramic piece so you can get an idea what might look nice on a teapot, for example. It is a great starting point to see how designs, shapes and colours work together. This book should be available in every ceramics studio!

Excellent instructions for beginners but not so simple that the more advanced painter will be bored. 300 patterns with ideas for many more. I will be using this with Mentally Challenged Adults. I have a copy myself and am ordering this copy for them to use.

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!)

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!

I would love to obtain any of the numbered Foster "How To Draw" books pertaining to oil painting. Contact me at