Reviews (9)

Great Instructional Book
This is a great book!My drawing improved tremendously after applying the techniques described.Would highly recommend to anyone that has basic drawing skills and wants to take their art to the next level.

The best book about chiaroscuro
This is not a simple book about drawing the head: it's the best explanation of chiaroscuro(use of light and shade) I have ever seen. Highly recommended.

This is a good book to add the your art collection library
It shows you how to draw from the inside out.The artist does not believe in starting the figure with lines but chariscuro (light and dark).He says to start of as a gesture drawing and then go in and start working with the shadows, not drawing the shadows and filling them in later, but start filling them with no lines.He shows you a few steps on how it is done, but he first goes over some basics and some materials.He talks about some techniques.If you want a better break down of a more step by step how to, then another book is needed.I think this book would be for an intermediate to advanced person.But, the work he does is great, the the Great Maters.Well, those are the techniques he uses.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Drawing    4. Head in art    5. Study & Teaching    6. Technique    7. Techniques - Drawing    8. Art techniques & materials    9. Drawing & drawings    10. Human figures depicted in art   

Reviews (1)

The quintessential book on how to paint and draw
The Artist's Atelier is very well-organized and detail-oriented, not to mention visually appealing. At first I questioned the highly technical nature of the materials as it seemed at first overly complicated yet the information worked out to be invaluable. After looking at my finished drawings, and paintings I was amazed, thinking to myself"this is the best work I have ever produced so good, I can't believe that I did it", it certainly gives me faith in my abilities and inspires me to try more art. I think the techniques I learned from this book will help me in whatever medium I choose, and I wouldn't be surprised if they helped me draw realistic portraits from life as well. Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Color Theory    4. Study & Teaching    5. Art / Color    6. Art techniques & materials   

Subjects:  1. Art Appreciation    2. Arts    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. Educational Psychology    6. Study & Teaching    7. Study and teaching (Elementary    8. Study and teaching (Elementary)    9. Study and teaching (Middle sch    10. Study and teaching (Middle school)    11. Teaching At The Elementary School Level    12. Teaching Methods & Materials - Arts & Humanities    13. Teaching Methods & Materials - Classroom Planning    14. Curriculum planning & development    15. Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Arts & Humanities    16. Teaching of a specific subject    17. The Arts: General Issues   

Reviews (4)

Great Book For Aspiring Little Artists!
The young lady I bought this book for just loves it.

great book!
This is yet another hit from Christopher Hart. It has easy-to- follow drawings and a sense of humor. He takes you step by step to each character type and pose. Well worth the money.

Wonderful, Just what the doctor ordered
This book has so much to offer; I don't even know where to begin.There are great step-by-step's, wonderful poses, expressions, techniques, and just some very impressive artwork.Chibi and Furry has so many high quality, incredibly creative ideas.I was super impressed and blown away.I can't recommend this book enough. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Cartoon characters    4. Cartooning    5. Comic books, strips, etc.    6. General    7. Graphic Satire And Humor    8. Japan    9. Study & Teaching    10. Technique    11. Techniques - Cartooning    12. Comic book & cartoon art   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. History - General    3. History: American    4. Study & Teaching   

Reviews (3)

Definitely a good book
I do understand on how the book's description could be somewhat misleading. Not a book for the beginner, it does try nevertheless to simplify the process of painting fruits, leaves, flowers.It assumes you know about basic techniques.This is precisely why I liked the book so much.A book I will keep close-by.In regards to material:Economic 140 lb NOT watercolor paper and relatively inexpensive good synthetic brushes should definitely allow for the techniques to be performed with success. But, as with all things, persistent practice will be required.

the worst book on wc
This book shows absolutely nothing of painting techniques.After insisting that you absolutely must buy the most expensive brushes there is in order to succeed at wc, otherwise don't even bother trying, she randomly shows off some of her achievments (which are not bad), then gives you no more than 1 or 2 pages per project.It's another of those books that shows step 1, 2 and then pooff painting finished, what happened in between, go figure, or as they want you to, go buy another book that maybe, perhaps might give some better tips.
I find this book fresh and inspiring.
This book has good demonstrations for the painting of flowers and vegetables.In it Mrs. Walsh tells a little about her own personal preferences for painting, her studio, etc., making it fun to read.I foundthis information very useful.There are many examples on how to paint thevarious types of fruits and vegetables, and a variety of flowers as well. The instruction makes one not afraid to try it!I am a visual learner, andthis book met that need. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Study & Teaching    4. Techniques - Watercolor Painting    5. Art techniques & materials    6. Watercolours   

Reviews (6)

A wonderful resource that is fun to read
I picked up this book for an art class that I am taking. Most texts would sit under my desk. However, this book has been easy to read without dumbing the matterial down. It has been interesting as well as informative and I have enjoyed reading it very much. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about art and what is happening in the art world today.

textbook material meets fun presentation
I think this would be an excellent resource for any artist, especially as a classroom tool (textbook?) TONS of color pictures!! While this book is basically an overview of contemporary artists it takes an interesting form in that it breaks the artists up into 5 'groups' (chapters.)Each artist is looked at in terms of their own oeuvre but also in relation to whatever category they have been placed in. Categories include: "Measuring Success""Sourcing Inspiration""Choosing a Mission""Scoping an Audience"etc.Despite how 'buisness oriented'these topics sound, they are very poignant for contemporary artists, as Weintraub demonstrates. It has a great variety of artists, mediums and styles and a very good representation of women and minority artists. The writing is easy to understand and although there is a lack of heavy critique in this book, it still manages to present challenges: The artists themselves pose questions and challenges both through the interviews and through their work.

perfect for emerging artists
I'm your typical college art student with dirt for self-esteem, and whenever I really begin to question my abilities or doubt if I want be doing art in the first place I haul out this book. I highly recommend it for anybody needing a breath of fresh air regarding the art world. Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Art, American    5. Artists    6. Criticism    7. History - General    8. Interviews    9. Study & Teaching    10. United States    11. Theory of art   

Reviews (1)

Thought provoking...
Theories of Contemporary Art is the first text that I have read that takes a valliant stab at finding some equilibrium in the search for a definitive keyframe in time where modernism fractured away from mainstream artby virtue of the fact that peoples modern sensibilities could no longer withstand the purity...or rather purtanical grid work of high art.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th Century Art    2. 20th century    3. Art    4. Art & Art Instruction    5. Art, Modern    6. History - Modern (Late 19th Century to 1945)    7. Philosophy    8. Study & Teaching    9. Art / General    10. Cultural studies    11. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    12. Theory of art    13. c 1960 to c 1970    14. c 1970 to c 1980    15. c 1980 to c 1990    16. c 1990 to c 2000   

Reviews (1)

Thanks, Jill!
After months of sitting with my preschooler at the easel and painting nothing but crude daisies, I bought this book.It's been three days and I am already painting flowers that look like flowers.The techniques are simple and are explained well with text and photographs.I find that many how-to-paint books are filled with the artist's own finished works but never show the intimidated beginner how to get there.This book is different in that it takes the reader through a step-by-step process that begins with the first stroke and ends with the final product.I highly recommend this book to the beginning watercolorist. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Study & Teaching    4. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    5. Techniques - General    6. Techniques - Watercolor Painting    7. Art techniques & materials    8. Nature in art, still life, landscapes & seascapes    9. Watercolours   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Design    4. Earth Sciences - Geography    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Methodology    7. Research    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Study & Teaching    11. The Arts: General Issues   

Reviews (8)

a good book to start with
I bought this book after we started pastels in my art class.Not liking the pastels very much at first I decided to do a little work on my own.This book was invaluable!This is such a great book to start off with.Not only does it teach you about the medium itself, it also goes into color theory and the reasons for choosing certain colored papers to convey the feeling of the painting.Along the way I learned a great deal, but most importantly was not that I couldn't use the pastels, it was the pastels I was using were not very good, hence my frustration with them.I went out and bought some good pastels and worked my way through this book.I don't regret it.This book really inspired me to do more.I even took it to class and we did one of the lessons!This book is well worth more than the price.

Good Pastel Book
This is a good book for beginners, well written, and takes you far enough in your learning to be very useful.

Fabulous book for interested beginner!
I have made here and there some trials to get into pastel but due to the kind of instruction books that I used my results were less than thrilling. So I started wondering whether maybe I have just zero talent (I am only talking about 'fun amateur talent') to use this medium - until I bought this book. Suddenly my results turn out to be beautiful thanks to this excellent instructional book which really leads you step by step to the next level. Even the simple exercises turn out as fun little pieces worthwhile keeping. Jackie Simmonds somehow manages to come up with an explanation for every mistake you can make and how to fix it - in my opinion she really knows how to teach others and her style to put it into writing is very pleasant - even just reading the book will be half the fun. Also broad spectrum of examples is covered.
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Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Study & Teaching    4. Techniques - General    5. Techniques - Pastel Drawing    6. Art techniques & principles    7. Crayon & pastel drawing   

Reviews (2)

Ecological artist and designers - be ready to be inspired!
This book documents artistic environmental projects that have happened and are happening around the world.As an ecological designer myself, I was inspired by many people that I had never heard of.Some of the projects go more toward an artistic approach and some are more technological.The authors did a great job of compiling some truly inspirational and sometimes, only locally-known, ecologists (whether they see themselves that way or not).This book may not be a sit down and read straight through kind of book, but it is definitely great for anyone from the art or nature lover to ecological design professional to open up and be inspired by what has been going on and what is going on in our global community.I highly recommend this, especially for higher education teachers and leaders to have as a reference for environmentally curious minds.

the book is featuring these artists.
Hans Haacke, Newton and Helen Harrison, Patricia Johanson, Robert Smithson, Mel Chin, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Basia Irland, Kathryn Miller, Susan Steinman, George Steinmann, Brandon Balleng�e, Henrik Hak�nsson, Lynne Hull, Laurie Lundquist, Aviva Rahmani, Bob Bingham, Tim Collins, Superflex, Jackie Brookner, Betsy Damon, George Dietzler, Peter Fend (Ocean Earth), Reiko Goto, Buster Simpson, Lorna Jordon, Adam Kuby, Bill Meyers, Michael Singer, John Todd ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Art, Modern    4. Ecology in art    5. Environment (Art)    6. Exhibitions    7. Planning    8. Study & Teaching   

Reviews (2)

The Mysteries and Secrets of Art Installation Revealed
Victoria Newhouse adds to her growing list of superb publications (Towards a New Museum, Wallace K. Harrison) this insightful volume about art and the importance of presentation.These curatorial decisions are shared for the first time in a manner that is readable and informative and provides a pathway to understanding the subtleties of 'showing art'.
Review of ART and the POWER of PLACEMENT
This is a terrific book and anyone who goes to museums or works in museums should take a look at this book. Even people with collections at home would benefit.
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Subjects:  1. Aesthetics    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Design - General    5. Exhibition techniques    6. General    7. Museum techniques    8. Site-specific art    9. Study & Teaching    10. Art / Design / General    11. Theory of art   

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Artists, Architects, Photographers    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. History - General    6. Individual Painters - 20th Century    7. Landscape Painting    8. Painting - General    9. Study & Teaching    10. Techniques - Painting    11. Individual artists    12. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (9)

An Amazing Value
We bought this for our 14-year-old nephew, who is just starting to exhibit an interest in art. It is truly a great introduction to drawing and perspective, painting (oil, watercolor, acrylics), and even mixed media. Don't expect great depth in any one area, but its easy to read and use, heavily illustrated to keep kids' attentions, has a nice glossary. All in all, a really really great value and a book that is exactly what its title says it is.

I love this book!
I have been a painter and drawer for many years.At my relatively young age of 25, having earned a BFA in painting and painting professionally for several years, I still fall back on this book for new ideas or refreshening on old ideas. Seven in one; great deal
I've been drawing for years, but hit a ceiling of sorts where I wasn't able to teach myself anything new.I've had negative experiences with the strictures of drawing classes.(I confess-I am one of those who have to look at the paper when I draw.)Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Drawing    4. Painting    5. Reference    6. Study & Teaching    7. Technique    8. Techniques - General    9. Art / Techniques   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Music Therapy    3. Art therapy    4. Assessment, Testing & Measurement    5. Eating disorders    6. Psychology    7. Psychopathology - Eating Disorders    8. Study & Teaching    9. Treatment    10. Creative therapy (eg art, music, drama)    11. Eating disorders & therapy   

Reviews (1)

"Hooked on Art" - Teachers Guide for Grades Kindergarten-Sixth
This book is of great use for elementary school teachers.I got a copy when it was first published several years ago and have given several copies to teachers.When teaching elementary school students, as I did, things must be kept simple.This is not only true because of the availability of supplies but, also, the ability of the students and supervision needed in teaching the art process.The author had years of teaching experience and it shows in the instructions given - - - particularly, for those of us who don't have a great artistic talent ourselves.I purchased my most recent copy for a young friend who is starting her first year of teaching in the fourth grade.I hope that she uses it and enjoys it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Activity programs    2. Art    3. Education / Teaching    4. Elementary    5. Study & Teaching    6. Study and teaching (Elementary    7. Study and teaching (Elementary)    8. Teaching Methods & Materials - Arts & Humanities    9. Decorative arts & crafts, other art forms   

Reviews (5)

To bad, not so famous.....
For it's great content. I found this books by chance, the only regret I have not founding it earlier. Well organized; a great source of information for somebody interested in Western Art. I am not an expert so if something trigger my curiosity I go to the precise period or certain artist. From Gothic to Present you find something about any artist you want to know. I highly recommend this book.

A fine overview
A book thorough in its presentation of Western art from the Gothic period on through the period of Neoclassicism, the authors of the chapters in it have given the reader a fine overview of the art techniques used in this time period. They also attempt to explain the various rationale and motivations of the artists themselves in creating the artforms that they did. These attempts will of course remain points of controversy, for it is difficult, and the authors cannot claim with certainty, any correlation between the artforms and the political, personal, and social philosophies of the time periods discussed. But the author's speculations on these reasons entice readers to form their own, and this enhances the didactic quality of the book. At Last - A Masterpiece of Art History in Its Own Right
This is one of the best art books I have ever read, for serious arthistorian or novice.The production is beautiful, the writing simple andto the point.And the great thing is, once is not enough - you want tolook at it and read it over and over again.A bargain at the price and ajoy to handle and peruse. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. History - General    4. Study & Teaching    5. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles   

Reviews (1)

More than a collection of beautiful reference photographs
Photographer and artist Gary Greene has assembled a collection of reference photographs that has something for every artist. As reflected in the title, this book has a useful mixture of photos subdivided into the three categories: Reflections, Textures and Backgrounds. Here is a sampling of what you will find.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Painting from photographs    4. Photography, Artistic    5. Reflections    6. Study & Teaching    7. Techniques - General    8. Techniques - Painting    9. Texture (Art)    10. Art techniques & materials    11. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (11)

Highly recommended
This is a passionate and intelligent analysis of the creative process in the visual arts by an excellent artist, and it's a good read as well. I am buying another copy for a friend who also paints.

Still Looking for Vision
I would guess that almost every serious artist has encountered a point in his or her career where he or she is dissatisfied with his or her work.Sometimes it's the failure to gain sufficient technical control, sometimes it's the inability to work, sometimes it's a feeling that you are doing the same thing over and over without saying anything new, and sometimes it's a failure of the work to provide any satisfaction.I would also guess that for just as long as artists have had these feelings, someone has said, reach inside yourself, or, get to know your subject, or, work on through it, or try something new, or even, just suck it up!
Buy the Book!
A must have for the artist's Library!! It not only touched my soul but my practicle knowlege and know-how on art. I was inspired and saw some of my own thoughts in there... The book is so well written I read parts a few times already and have started to tell friends some quotes from it.It is a must have for your artist friends library too so, Buy two; its that good... When I teach I plan this book to be a MUST READ for all students. *I know thats such a good idea, and after you read the book you'll see why. With Love Arlene :)Last sentace on page 105. Get your enegy flowing where your interest is most intense. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art Appreciation    4. Creation (Literary, artistic,    5. Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.)    6. Creativity    7. Criticism    8. General    9. Psychology    10. Study & Teaching    11. Art / Study & Teaching    12. Art Forms, Treatments & Subjects