Painting-the

There are just so many expenses when it comes to "art" projects. So, watercolor is a nice way to get your feet wet again.

Some great hints:

1. Stretching Watercolor Paper
2. Toning Paper - Gives your art a nice color background
3. How to use a sponge to soften details.
4. Letting each layer dry before building up the colors.
5. Expert Color Mixing Techniques.
6. How to Frame your art.

You will also learn interesting things about paintings of the past. How they mixed in egg yolk to make the pigment a stronger medium. Giovanna Garzoni's Still Life with a Bowl of Cherries looks tempting or you could just start by making a sketch of apples and cherries and coloring them in.

The "Gallery" sections feature works by artist like Philip O'Reilly, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, June Berry, Sue Sareen, Winslow Homer, Philip Fraser and Paul Cezanne.

Contents:

Materials: Pain brushes, Brushmarks, Other Marks, Gallery of Brushstrokes, Paper, Stretching and Toning, Gallery of Paper.

Techniques: Ways of working, capturing an Image, Composition, Drawing, Laying a Wash, Washes, Gallery of Washes, Tone and Color, Building up Layers, Sponging Out, Scratching Out, Resist Techniques, Using Gouache, Gallery of Techniques.

Color: The Language of Color, Color Mixing, Gallery of Limited Color, Warm and Cool Color, Complementary Color, Gallery of Complementaries, Color Influence, Exploring Composition, Harmonious Color, Gallery of composition, High-key Color, High-key Still Life, Low-key Color, Low-key Interior, Gallery of Light, Warm Summer Light, Cool Autumn Light, Gallery of Atmosphere, Expressive Color, Portrait Study, Color and Pattern, Pattern in Landscape, Gallery of Pattern and Shape, Abstract Color, Gallery of Abstracts.

Landscapes: Getting Started, Venturing Outside, Monochrome Study, Monochrome Gallery, Receding Color, Limited Color, Effective complementaries, Gallery of Trees, color Unity, Gallery of Light, Creating Atmosphere, Skies Gallery, Sketching Buildings, Painting the City, Gallery of Buildings, Sketching Water, Painting Water, Sketching Figures, Toward Abstraction, Abstract Landscape, Abstract Gallery.

Still Life: Introduction, Gallery of Colorists, Making Sketches, The Working Studio, Creating a Composition, Selection vs Inspiration, Seashore, gallery of composition, Light and Form, Tonal Painting, Creating Form and Tone, Negative Space, Gallery of Perception, Transparent Painting, Opaque Painting, Gallery of Paint Types, Day and Night, Special Effects, Gallery of Effects, Presenting Your work.

This is really a comprehensive introduction to Watercolor painting. All you need to get started is a small watercolor box, water, a couple of brushes and a pad of paper. If you follow the basic guidelines, you can achieve a surprising degree of expertise in a relatively short time.

Highly Recommended.

The large dimensions of the book allows for a special treat: details in the actual size, as in plate VI, a detail from "The Adoration of the Magi" that is extraordinarily lovely and gentle, and the final plate, of two angels embracing from "The Mystical Nativity" is perfection in it's simplicity and mastery of line.
On page 85, you get "The Works". It includes and outline biography, and a complete catalogue of works, with dimensions, and symbol indicators for technique, support, whereabouts, etc. Each piece has a b&w photo (3 x 2 or larger) of the picture and it's full history.
One of my two favorite works of art on this earth (the other being Rublev's "Trinity"), is the Botticelli's portrait of Giuliano de' Medici that hangs in the Staatliche Museen in Berlin. There are four versions of this portrait, including a gorgeous one from a private collection shown here I had not seen before...and each piece is compared as to age and execution.

On page 113, are "Botticelli's other artistic activities", which include small reproductions of exquisite drawings, among them illustrations of Dante's "Inferno". On the last two pages are door panels, inlay figures, and an embroidered cope cover.
One of the most unique visionaries in the history of art, Botticelli's magnificent, tranquil masterpieces are well showcased in this wonderful volume.

The book is divided into sections on various materials and finish types such as types of wood, paint types, paint effects, and glass styles. Each section includes background information and sample pictures. I have lots of interior design reference books and I found more examples I liked in here than in many of the larger books. A chart listing all the finishes in the chapter and their applications concludes each section.

Each section includes one or two full projects as well as many other ideas. The projects are rated by difficulty, but they are very brief and do not include step-by-step demonstrations. Some projects include colorwashing a wall, tinting and polishing plaster, using fabric as a wall cover, making a tile border, creating tongue and groove paneling and building a copper paneled cupboard.

In the back there is a nice section on putting it all together. Here you find advice on everything from using texture to choosing upholstery. It also helps you choose your own style and decorate every room in your house. There is also a good list of suppliers. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys creatively decorating their home.

Constructed with easy to follow format with unique and detailed colour plates, this book is undoubtedly one of the best books on Restoration for begginers. Because of its authenitic characteristics, user friendliness and enormous amounts of up-to-date information, I consider this Pocket Guide to be a real Jewel.