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I received this book for Christmas. I have just finished reading it. I can't wait to get started! Lesley has some nice tips on keeping fresh ideas coming, working within a space, different pastel brands, papers. I am looking forward to trying out her demonstatrions. She is excited about what she does and in turn is making me excited about trying it. She is an incredible artist. If only I could become 1/2 as good as she is. Well, off to get my materials and just in!

If I were to choose one artist pastel instruction book to learn & grow from, it would be,"Painting Animals that touch the heart", by Lesley Harrison. Whether you are a beginner or a professional pastel artist, Lesley's soft approach and easy to follow instructions will bring out the best in you & allow your free artistic talent to expand. As you read, you will clearly FEEL Lesley's true love & respect for the creatures of our mother earth, and in a sense, she will teach you how to project that feeling into your own works. Being that I am a self taught career artist, I have explored many self help art books to gain insight and develop my own style. I am very proud to say that if any artist, or any artistic art instruction book has most influence the development of my own personal style of projecting the SPIRIT of what I am painting, it would be the Art of Lesley Harrison. Thank you Lesley for your fresh and respectful approach to the cherished creatures of our earth. I shall always view your work as my mentor to the true & pure meaning of art. Your work & visions shall be honored. "May your foot prints always leave happy tracks in the sand." Brightest Blessings, __Artist White Wolf

This is one of the few books that I use on a regular basis in my ceramics class.

Takes a lot of the guess work out of painting ceramics!

If it were an option I might have given four and a half stars instead of five, but this is still a "how-to" book that you can really use.

I decided to buy this book a few months ago at a ceramics show because I was not satisfied with the quality of my ceramic painting skills.

I don't really consider myself to be the "artistic" type, but I have to say that I have been painting some great looking pieces lately. In my ceramics class I finally feel like I know what I'm talking about.

I've never taken the time to review a book before, but I feel that this book deserves to be recommended since it was *actually* helpful to me, and I was not even aware of some of the techniques described in the book before I picked it up.

This is another impressive collection of superb watercolors. The editor has consistently gathered together quality, well-crafted paintings in all of the "Best of Watercolor" series books. It is not only a useful tool for the artist who is trying to work on the area of composition, but is also simply a beautiful collection of watercolors, which are diverse, rich, and a joy to view.

Great work by both regional and national watercolor artists. I especially liked the overview it offers of watercolor-related techniques and media that are sometimes used by the artists embellish otherwise traditional watercolor compositions. Subjects range from the abstract to the realistic and offer many ideas to help the artist (or the art appreciator) see the variety of compositional techniques available to fine watercolor artists.

I haven't painted for years but this book was just great to get me started again. The author has great pictures showing step by step how to hold the paint brush and do blending and shading. Her instructions are clear and concise and she demonstrates a great variety of flowers, even a bubble bee. I am using this book to learn how to paint with acrylics even though her instructions are for oil. I'd recommend this book to a beginner or an experienced painter. A great reference book also.

This book is a pleasure to look at. It has 50 step by step examples of flowers. I don't work in oils but I can easily apply the use of other mediums from the examples in this book. Usually I'm very disappointed in these step-by-step books but this time I was pleasantly surprised.

Marie Angel wrote a masterpiece with this book. It is one of the few technical books I have ever read from beginning to end in one sitting. This book is a must for every serious calligrapher.

This book contains examples of some wonderful small-scale paintings, along with advice on materials and techniques. The painting subjects are mostly drawn from nature, with very few historical examples. I'd recommend this book for people who are interested in making their own calligraphy or small book projects and would like to incorporate natural subjects into their work. It is not a historical treatment of calligraphy or illumination, but would be a good addition for the library of those interested in contemporary work.

I found this book very inspiring. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Very detailed and informative. Leaves lots of room for growth of your own ideas. I would recommend this book to any level of artist from beginner to advanced. Just let your imagination take over.

I have never had so much fun with a book before! Being anewcomer to painting I thought I would try my hand at"rocks"--why not? The author, Lin Wellford, has made her instructions to simple to understand. She goes step, by step taking you through the whole process of painting a house or cottage on an ordinary rock. You begin following her instructions, but you suddenly find yourself using your own imagination and making your own little piece of real estate "just a little different" and totally unique! I find this painting on rocks to be a totally relaxing and enjoyable pasttime. I am absolutely amazed at what I have accomplished! So much so, that people I have shown my "rocky real estate" to have asked if I'm willing to sell them! I absolutely recommend this book for many hours of fun and creativity.

I think the artist has done a wonderful job of presenting a picture of the art scene in Pakistan.

Ijaz ul Hasan has done a great job. Text is easy to read and the pictures are spectacular

As a student of nineteenth century French painting, I think this may in fact be the finest book ever written on Parisian painting in the time of Haussmanization. Clark manages to offer an intelligent Marxist-based claim about class and the emerging Parisian landscape in the 60's without losing sight of the paintings themselves. While most scholars feel the genius of this book lies in his wonderful discussion of "what couldn't be seen in Olympia", I find the first chapter "Environs of Paris" equally fascinating in its discussion of Manet's Exposition Universelle of 1867. A MUST read for any lover of Parisian history or Manet.

I like to think of myself as a person who is curious about a wide range of things, especially in the realm of culture and the arts. Most art history books, however, put me right to sleep, with their endless catalogs of curatorial details about brushstrokes and paint textures and influences and provenance. These detailed analyses almost never situate the paintings in any sort of context and almost never explain WHY we should be interested in these details, other than to prove ourselves worthy connoiseurs to others in the know. Clark's book is a refreshing change from such mandarin drivel. Clark begins with a lengthy discussion of the social context of the paintings he is about to discuss and only then proceeds to extended analyses of particular paintings. Clark is interested in the larger ideas and trends of the period and, most important of all, actually USES the details of the paintings as evidence in the course of making an ARGUMENT about what the paintings mean (hint to other art historians: having an argument contributes significantly to the interest of a book or article). In addition, Clark's argument about the nature of the social changes occuring in France in the 1860's and 70's is compelling and thought-provoking (be forewarned: some Marxism is involved). I found myself actually learning things about the paintings Clark discusses, and looking at them over and over again, trying to find more in them, in much the same way as I would go back to a book or a poem after reading a good piece of literary criticism. I think this book will appeal to anyone who wants to learn more about either 19th-century French painting or 19th-century France. Clark is a stimulating and perceptive guide to this crucial period in the history of painting. Bravo!

I have been painting for a few years, and I love the way this book breaks down the steps of painting. It is helpful to know a little color theory before using this book, but if you are comfortable mixing your colors, you'll be having a good time immediately. DeMore even gives formulas for some of the color mixing she does, which is helpful if you are a beginner. This is a fun and knowledge-filled book. It also helped me to know that Louise DeMore hasn't been an artist since birth. She has a degree in mathematics. This gives me hope that even I can be a good artist, as I embark on my full-blown art career! The book is filled with wonderful advice on how to paint: that you should make mistakes in order to learn, that you should paint faster than you are comfortable with, and that you should have fun. It is absolutely wonderful! I keep reading it and reading it.

This book teaches the basic and simple oil painting techniques for any new inspiring painters. The book also helps you get right down to it. As a beginner I am well aware that one has to start something that is very basic and easy before getting into paintings that are more complex and detailed. Highly recommended.

A very appropriate poetry book on the subject of a family death. However, it isn't morbid nor dark. The watercolors are amazing, beautiful layout page by page. Quality makes it a great gift.

The words flow, giving an honest look at a daughter's confrontation with her mother's death. Though the book deals with passing in real and hard terms, the colors, both in words and the stroke of the brush, are bright and give the reader a sense of freedom, even celebration of life's cycle. Bing's combination of the two media is refreshing and brilliant. Quality art book, but at the same time pages to share and re-read time and again.