Paint Books

This book is a great addition to the library of any creative "artist" - a visual feast & "treasure hunt" of many details. It's not really what I expected - but it's even better - a great, unique item!

How To Paint Boats, by Ralph S. Coventry
I recently ordered this book from Amazon, which was sent to me thru Triumvirate Books. It's an older watercolor instruction book of the Walter Foster Series, no longer available new. I was able to pay thru Amazon (trusted site), and received it in only 3 days from Triumvirate. It's in perfect condition. I recommend Triumvirate 100%. Thank you for making their older books available. Nell Hinson, San Diego

Without being modest, I gained enough confidence in a very short time to complete and enter my first pastel (a new medium for me) in the Pastel Society of America's annual competition in 1979. From 1,000 entries from around the U.S. and Canada, only 100 were to be selected for the exhibition and final judging. My work was ultimately accepted that year and the following year. So... if you want to explore a wonderful medium made easy to understand through the great examples given throughout the book, this is the one to get. I've collected many other pastel books throughout the years and by far have found this to be an exceptional book. The example illustrations throughout are in black and white and color, and when someone asks me for a recommendation on pastel technique I always recommend this book.

The logical sequence of the chapters begins with the Introduction, including A Brief History and why to paint in pastel, including the advantages and disadvantages. Chapter 1 discusses the medium, Chapter 2 supports, Chapter 3 preparing your own own surface, and on through the use of fixatives, tools and equipments, color palettes, demonstrations, planning, the nude figure, skin and hair tones, both pointillist and painterly technique, and ultimately the final stages, which include matting, preservation, frames, handling and so on. The step-by-step demonstrations included are from Burt Silverman, Harvey Dinnerstein, Everett Raymond Kinstler, Marcos Blahove, Ramon Kelley and finally, John Foote.

Definitely a keeper, add it to your collection as it is a classic, in every sense.

I've been using this nice volume for a number of years now. The book is well illustrated and the text quite helpful. I use this work for both drawing and painting various subjects. The examples given here can quite well be used for other species than address in this volume. This is not a simple step by step book for those beginning although I do feel it would be a great help for anyone interested. Some degree of skill is needed in drawing and some in color shading to reap the full benefits from this book.

Coulton Waugh's book is out of print, but available through used book stores.

Any knife painter who loves colour straight from the tube will benefit by studying Coulton's exuberant paintings. His book not only contains over 220 black and white illustrations, it also has 16 full colour plates. Coulton offers 'an enormous range of knife painting techniques', with step by step demos. His discussion of colour is second to none. As an oil painter, I have found his book to be the single most valuable work I've ever read.

His beautiful, powerful knife paintings illuminate the book, as does his warm, intelligent narrative. I love this man.

He was born in Cornwall, England, in 1896 and later made his home in Newburgh, New York. His work is in collections in Syracuse University, the University of Wichita, the Cooperstown Art Association, the Toledo Museum, and in private collections all over the U.S.

Nothing reveals the man and the artist more than this quote from his book, with reference to Egyptian Turquoise: "I have certain still lifes with backgrounds of this colour which I love so much I often just walk around the studio, carrying them."

Coulton Waugh's books should definitely not be out of print. I hope Watson-Guptill Publications will consider reprinting them.

An excellent small book, especially valuable because it teaches so much without costing a bundle. Fascinating section on learning to paint anything with just three colors and black: this is invaluable for outdoor sketching, when you don't want to take the time to find just that shade of green, and hauling all hundred colors would be a drag anyway.

This is meant for the person who can already draw or paint, but wishes to learn this particular medium.

This great paperback book is loaded with technique for all levels
of painters-beginners to advanced. It starts with basic techniques, like wet-into-wet, watercolor over pencil sketch,
with pen, painting with opaque watercolors, drybrush, and more.
Step by step encouragement, showing watercolor development from
sketch through completed painting is throughout. Additionally,
you'll learn to paint snow, reflections on water, portraits, skies, trees, still life, flowers and more. I love this book,
because it has helped my daughter over and over again to improve
upon her skills. You'll never regret buying a copy of this book.

This is one of the funniest and most grotesque books I've ever read. From the title cartoon ( an artist drawing serpents and creatures that only he can see ) Gahan Wilson takes us into his own, very special world. Here we see dead Santas clogging the chimney, rules against ball playing ( children play with cubes instead ) and bathtubs kidnapping innocent bathers. It's definitely a bizarre universe, but if you're bizarre then Wilson's universe is the place to be ( or should I say lurk ? ).

This is a great activity book for kids, my 3yr old son loves it. There's no recommended age for using this book, just need to keep a close eye on the kids. This book does require some painting skills to color and mix colors on the pages. The pages are made to hold water to keep from ripping. This is really fun, great to pack up when traveling also.

If you're into ICP I definetly suggest picking this up, and if you're not into ICP, I still recommend it, as it's a great read. It details the life of Joe Bruce, from his early childhood, to hanging in the ghettos of Detroit, to his wrestling days, to the formation and rise to fame of the Insane Clown Posse. Joe goes into great detail about almost everything you ever wanted to know, and things you never thought he'd discuss. There are several pictures throughout the book, alot of which feature Joe's family members, picutes of him without face paint, or rare promotional flyers from ICP's early days. Overall, this is a MUST read for any juggalo, or anybody that may just be starting out in the music industry, just to prepare them for the trials and tribulations that lay ahead and what it takes to make it in this savage industry. Don't pick it up here though and pay 70 bucks for it, get it from hatchet gear, it's only 20 over there.