Paint Books

CDs were in excellent shape & played without a problem. Arrived to my home in only a few days.

I generally enjoy Miss Julia's books. They are comfort reads, filled with good eating, pecan pie, and eccentric characters. Miss Julia is a feisty senior who lives with her husband Sam and her deceased husband's mistress and son. Her housekeeper Lillian is always on hand to offer pithy advice, and Miss Julia herself is always willing to give people the benefit of her opinion.

The story focuses on Miss Julia's attempts to save a local building- a rundown courthouse- from destruction. There is also a subplot involving 2 missing people and a load of imbezzled cash. Miss Julia hatches a plan to discourage the developer from building- by showing him the seamy side of abbotsville. Will it be enough?

This was an entertaining, but light entry into the series. I admit I liked the plot involving the missing husbands more than I did the plot to scare the developer away. The story ended well, but was predictable and fairly straightforward. 3 stars.

As a die-hard Miss Julia fan, I eagerly await each new release. As usual, this one was loads of fun. The previous release, "Miss Julia strikes back" was so very enjoyable to me, that I knew the next book would have a tough act to follow. I was right. I love Miss Julia, but feel that this book suffered a bit from a little too much variance in action. Perhaps a little too much interplay between too many of the town's eccentric characters made it a little more confusing to me. Also, I missed the interplay between Miss Julia and Lloyd. There was definitely a lot less of it in this book. That said, it is still a fun read and one I recommend for lighthearded summer reading. When you need to laugh, there is no better place to turn to than a Miss Julia book.

Miss Julia is always fun to read and I pass them along to others to enjoy. I hope there will be more of this series.

The series seems to have run out of steam. I loved the first books in the series, but I think the momentum is now gone. I hope if there is a next novel that it is as refreshing as the first.

This book is a must for those interested in the creative process. It is clear, inspiring and very worthwhile for artists of all mediums even though the focus is on painting.

I've never been drawn to the concept of "process painting" before. It just seemed too simplistic as ordinarily presented.

But Michele Cassou's ideas - based on decades of hard-won experience - about what encourages the creative flow and what constricts it are profoundly illuminating, detailed and sophisticated. And her sparkling observations are presented in the most enjoyably simple and down-to-earth way imaginable, to boot!

For the most part, each chapter begins with an observation about what creates a block to creativity and what releases it. It then continues on with a vignette from an interaction Michele has had with a student during one of her workshops in which she helps the student release the sort of block just discussed.

Her solutions always involve having students ask themselves a question specific to the block they're encountering. For instance, if a student feels all dried up and as if she simply has no inspiration for a painting, and then bursts out, "It's so childish!," Michele will ask her to question herself: "What would I paint if it didn't matter how childish it was?"

Quite simple and direct. And Michele's questions work with the precision of a scalpel in releasing constricted creative energy.

Through these vignettes, Michele reveals numerous presuppositions, both conscious and unconscious, that we hold about what we're allowed to feel and to do, and how they strangle our creative flow. Even more important, she reveals the way out of each of these strangleholds.

This is not just for painters; it's for anyone who feels they've encountered significant creative blocking or who would like to encounter their own creative core.

This book is simple but far from simplistic, and altogether delightful!

Painting, although the medium meant to be the subject for this book, is only a catalyst for inspiring creative thought in any venue. As a writer, I found it easy to replace writing for painting in many portions of the book. One part in particular, many creative people of all genres can relate to where it states: "If you find yourself overwhelmed by your emotions, make your brush move faster then you thoughts. It will help you disengage from the drama." "Brush" can easily be replaced by "pen" and work as effectively.

If technique and structure are what you are looking for, keep looking. This book is for those that want to create freely and be released from the guilt, judgment, and conditioning of traditionalists.

The title says it all. I would recommend this book to those of us that call ourselves artists, aspiring artists, or anyone of any age.
Great Book!!!!

This is an inspiring book on letting go and letting art come from you without your internal critic or judgements on meaning or technique. It is about Learning from Art; and letting art take you where it will. It is about discovery and play -- ultimately it is about how to get into the Process of Creating.... and stop worrying about the "product"

This is one of those books that I read and instantly thought of five friends I wanted to share it with. And it also helped jump start me to believe in making what I make; not to worry if it is too dark, too silly, too profane, too honest and vulnerable; and not to try to direct it to what I think it is supposed to be.

The book contains short chapters about challenges and personal accounts. It can be just as beneficial to open the book to any page and read what is there as a jumping-off spot. It does not tell you "how" to create your work -- but it shares why, and it also shares methods for loosening the restrictions and the blocks. "What" you create will come from you.

Sometimes living in the world is a challenge with all the other concerns and critiques of other people...but if we keep growing and learning and making/creating -- it can keep us going! Art is a respite for me; it is what gives me meaning and value in my life, it is what gives me energy. This book puts these ideas in an inspiring perspective with some humor, some philosophy, and some common sense. Don't let anyone keep you down -- and don't keep yourself down!

Artists, writers, educators, and anyone who loves any of the arts would benefit from the viewpoint of this book. No experience is necessary, just the desire to create for the fun of it -- for the play and joy and experience.

This book is very good and is directed toward the more professional person. I found the information very helpful and would recommend it to people learning to use watercolor pencils.

Fabulous painting book.Have yet to try the lessons but the instructions are set out clearly and will be easily followed.The quality of the paper in the book make it a must for art students.

I had never used watercolor before picking up this book, and now I used the techniques in the book almost exclusively. It's wonderful to be able to combine my favorite mediums and now I'm able to get the look that I was going for in my paintings. The instructions are very thorough and there are also some really nice palette suggestions.

I have admired Sueellen Ross's beautiful cat paintings for some time, and was delighted when this book was published. I am a cat artist myself, and good instruction books on how to paint cats are almost impossible to come by. Sueellen Ross has a very unique style which combines layers of ink, watercolour and coloured crayon, and builds a realistic and dramatic finished painting. The book shows step by step, not only how to paint cats, but also other animals, plants and furnishings. I tried using her techniques for a painting of my ginger cat in the washing basket, and was very pleased with the result. However, I feel that it was not quite as easy as Ms Ross claimed, and is most definitely not for beginners! This book will probably inspire you to give her techniques a go, and will therefore help to develop your art skills and knowledge. For those who are not painters, but enjoy good animal and feline art, this book will also serve as a good introduction to the work of Sueellen Ross and is a delight to look at.

The artwork is amazing. The best part for most I'm sure is her step by step instructions to create this work. She gives you instruction on her techniques that you could use on not just the work in the book but for your own work, based on your own reference material. It is realism at its best.

It is not for the beginner, you should be confident in your drawing skills, not just tracing or linework. You should know tonal value and be able to create the illusion of 3D...the better your drawings the better chance you have at succeeding with the techniques in the book.

PSP should hire Ms. Davis. This is the sort of manual that should come with any and all complicated software. Actually, their program manual was better than most, but it can't compare to Paint Shop Pro 6 Power.

Very thorough, easy to understand instructions and explanations.

However, I've heard the claim that Paint Shop Pro is an "easier" substitute for Photoshop. This claim is ridiculous. Paint Shop Pro is an excellent program, probably the best in its class. But it's not in the same class as Photoshop.

If you work at or aspire to a professional level in photography or graphic arts, bite the bullet and learn Photoshop. There is no substitute.

If you need only simple to intermediate tools, Paint Shop Pro is excellent, and this is a great book for learning it.

PSP6 is a well written informative book on the software PaintShop Pro 6. It is not only easy to understand for the novice user but also the advanced user of the program.No stone is left unturned to help you discover the the joy of using this program. I am looking forward to the announcement that Lori Davis will be doing another for the new version PSP 7.

Before I received Ms. Davis' book as a gift, I was under using my Paint Shop Pro program. After reading this excellent, informative and easy to understand book, it is easy to understand why I only use PSP 6 for all my graphics and photo refinishing. Thanks to Ms. Davis' book, my graphic designing business has increased sales! This book is on my desk beside my computer, as I use it for reference quite often. I hope Ms. Davis will also write a book on PSP 7, as I will be first in line to purchase it!

As a rank beginner I chose this book and just received my copy yesterday. It is very well written with easy to follow instructions. The color examples are invaluable and there are tips in abundance. I will be going cover to cover and I expect that in no time at all it will take me from my 'chicken scratches' to being able to make graphics with the best of them. If you can only get one book to start with, this is the one!

This is a good book for us novices on how to do all those special effect finishes.

This is a great book to just venture through and marvel at all the wall coverings that are potential art projects. It is not for the amateur with little talent but for one who truly wants to venture into making a wall a spectatucular work of art. I read it with the anticipation of changing my house walls but one has to have money to buy the necessary supplies and also have some sense of an artistic outcome. There are so many possibilities and I recommend this book to open up your horizons.

Even an idiot like me managed to produce flawless faux finishes thanks to the step-by-step guides for the various types of surfaces. Never redecorate your home without consulting this book first.

Definately a useful book, but it missed some of the subleties of doing faux techniques, such as how to soften some of the looks by going over the glaze by rubbing out a second time with a paint soaked rag (rubbing out technique). I completely remodeled a room and finished it with the rubbing out technique and I really enjoy the look.

I also would suggest getting the Behr Faux Techniques dual CD-rom set. I picked one up at my local Home Depot, and it was amazing the differences in techniques, but by using both resources, I found a method and a look that suited me.

There isn't much to dislike about this book. It certainly offers a myriad of faux finishes...good step by step photos & quite honestly...the details are some of the best out there. I like the photographs included for each method demonstrated ...they were REALISTIC...which you don't always find in books like these. Although not formally rated...it was obvious if one read each explanation whether the application would be difficult or not...some were apparent just by studying the photos. This is most helpful for faux finishers of all skill levels...as well as those more adventurous who are wanting to break new ground. I have often been disappointed by Sunset books in other segments...but they really put a feather in their cap on this book...highly recommend it!

This is a terrific book, and I own many many instructional art books. It is worth buying for the illustrations of his pictures alone. There is much to be learned from this book, I recommend it highly.

Thomas Buechner has written a fine book. The Sunday Painter in the subtitle might make you think this artist is an amateur who paints only occasionally. Actually, he is very professional and now a full time painter after retiring from his career as director of several museums. He conveys to his readers the secrets of layered painting in oils as opposed to alla prima, all-in-one-session painting. He really opened my eyes to the beauty of glazes and scumbling, letting previous layers show through to mix their effects in the eye of the viewer. His insights into atmospheric perspective are unique in all the books I have read and are themselves worth several times the price of this book. This book has expanded my understanding and helped me paint much more vibrant paintings than before. Thank you Thomas Buechner.

The editorial review is right in stating this is more of an inspirational book than anything. There are a few sections of the book where Buechner gets into enough detail that it can be put to use by the reader, but they are in the minority.

Look at the table of contents, then realize that nearly all the discussion in the book carries minimal technical depth. It is NOT an instruction book or tip book - it's a few interesting paintings accompanied by the meanderings of a talented painter.

If you like Buechner or his work and want the book for that reason, it's a great book with a handful of insights as a plus. If you want the book because you're an aspiring artist and it's been recommended to you - everything here is covered elsewhere again and again, but in far more depth.

This is the best art book I've bought. I love it. Inspiring and informative, it goes through many techniques such as glazing and scumbling in a helpful and achievable way. For the serious art student, I can't recommend it enough. The author presents his material in a clear and easy to understand manner and his writing is encouraging and helpful.
I always put off portrait painting because it seemed so difficult but this book changed my whole perspective. I would recommend it to any struggling or hesitant portrait painter. It's gotten me a lot more serious about my art.
I also have to say that I found the writing style clear and easy the follow. The author doesn't pontificate or put himself on a pedestle and for such a good artist to want to share his learning after a life time of painting, is one of the things that makes this book so good.
Some books you read and give away and others you keep and continue going back too. This is a keeper. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

I had been referred to this book by a female artist friend of mine a week before I wrote this review when she left to attend a workshop by the author in New York. I got my hand on this book a few days later and finished it (not in one sitting) in about two days.

This is more of an inspiration than techniques book. A very enjoyable book, indeed!

Although the author does cover the WHAT's and HOW's (along with the WHY he paints) in his book, his techniques are presented in a way that, perhaps, is more appreciated by professional artists than starters. Specifically, the author briefly presents his techniques in just one page/painting in average. Several technique demos are presented, and they are very good. If one needs to be spoonfed on every technique in oil painting, this is NOT the book to look for them. A lot of techniques he mentioned in the book can be found elsewhere. The author does provide a (long) reference citation for further reading.

What is so good about this book, instead, is the inspiration and humbleness that I feel when reading his book. Born in 1926, only began painting full time in 1987 (at 61 years of age) even though having done most "art-related" jobs since 1945, and still painting, his book is simply a natural outcome of this lifelong artist.

I generally prefer books about women detectives, but I am hooked on the Louis Kincaid Mysteries. He's become like an old friend !!!!

I have read three previous Louis Kincaid novels and have found them to be cutting edge. This one lacks that quality. After his ordeal in Michigan, Louis is asked to come to Florida by a friend to investigate the murder of an African American man. As he investigates, more murders in like fashion occur. As Louis searches for the murderer, he is joined by a rookie F.B.I. forensic psychologist. Territory disputes and the requisite tension between investigators ensue. The ending is a ho-hum conclusion to a ho-hum novel.

Slow moving at first but graduallypicks up speed, If you don't putit down, it will flow smoothlyuntil you can't put it down!Louis Kincaid is a black ex-cophired by wife of man found brutally stabbed to death, facebeaten to a pulp with traces ofblack spray paint. The scene is one of the Florida Keys; if you'vebeen there you know the beauty ofthem. Police chief Dan Wainwrightcalls for help from the FBI butfeels insulted when a profilershows up. Several more cases turnup before they finally decide thekiller is a light colored biracialperson and try to find out hisreason for the killings. A bit ofpsychology involves the problemsfaced by some biracial people.Interesting theories and smartdetective work.

In Paint it Black, we once again catch up with Louis Kincaid, this time he's in Florida hunting a vicious serial killer who murders black men in a violent, ritualistic fashion. Louis must overcome the demons in his past, as well as those in his police chief's in order to hunt the killer down.

In "Paint It Black" Florida author P.J. Parrish brings protagonist Louis Kincaid to Soreno Key in the Sunshine State.

Louis Kincaid's former cop boss has hooked Louis up with a local lawyer for some investigative work.

His attempt to clear his client of murder leads to a search for a serial killer.

Louis and the Soreno Key PD work well together and are joined by a feisty, rookie FBI profiler. This alliance is further strengthened as they attempt to prevent an incompetent county sheriff from botching the investigation.

This is an efficient police procedural filled with nifty twists and turns. I bit on enough of the subtle red herrings to remain in doubt until the conclusion.

"Paint It Black" is nominated for this year's Anthony Award in the Paper Back Original category. Well deserved!

This is a smart series with a strong lead character; solid secondary characters and now set in Southwest Florida.

I look forward to the further adventures of Louis Kincaid.

I am an above average beginner and I saw this book advertised on her web site and decided I had to have it. It was only available used and at a very high price but I put it on my wish list and soon one came up in my price range and I snapped it up. It is really a nice book with useful information but a little complex. I wish that there were more steps shown in the projects. But still my end results are not too shabby so I still highly recommend this book.

Susan is an excellent artist. Her method of painting is a bit more time consuming but if you don't want to crank out paintings like a production line, this is the way to paint watercolor flowers. They will be worth the extra effort, believe me! My florals have improved dramatically and are worth framing now,so thank you,thank you, Susan. I also have her DVD and the combination book/DVD is wonderful. She isn't afraid to share her many tips and techniques that other artists don't. I have many art books but I rate Susan's a definite 10.

This wonderful, beautiful book by Susan Harrison-Tustain was anticipated with great expectations. It did not disappoint. I have gone back and read, and re-read it all and passages that were of the most interest to me. Having begun a journey of painting watercolor florals, I attempted to get all the newest books about that. This one is one of the best I've ever seen. It seemed to surpass many of the older books that I have collected by far.

Cecilia Price

Although the artist produces beautiful paintings, her techniques seem tedious and laborious. She admits "...my paintings take several weeks to complete ..." p.14. She glazes many washes of watercolor over double-wetted ("priming")drawings: "The quintessence of my style is the gentle buildup of fine wash upon wash." p. 30. She says, "even the delicate, light shades in my paintings require several washes." p.36 In essence, you would be painting over your painting several times; it's like painting the same picture over and over. I wish someone would write a book on alla prima watercolor painting.

I first came across this book at our monthly flower painters class, and was so impressed with it I ordered it from Amazon straight away.It has become my Flower Painters Bible with good informative instruction on painting in stages and design. I often open the book for inspiration, and members of the class dive into it.

Easy to read and full of good information. Author has a sense of humor that makes the book much more entertaining than I had anticipated! Perfect for the person who wants to paint their own car on a budget!

Excellent book for a beginning at home painter. I'm in the process of restoring a car at home and this is the best DIY book I have read on autobody and paint.

Great book. Very informative and easy to read and understand. Will help alot with the painting of my husbands project car. He was scared about painting his car but after reading this book, he says it will look real good.

This is a good book that has the basics on "How to paint your car". I would recommend it beginning and intermediate home car painter.

This is the best, by far, of 3 books I have purchased on automotive painting. It is very current and well written. The book details multiple examples of painting scenarios from touch-ups to frame-off paint jobs. There are numerous examples of cars painted by the author and others in their own garages, just like most poor car junkies would do. Great examples of equipment, paint products, proper use, safety concerns, etc. He really leaves no doubts as to what you need to know in order to pull off your paint project. I have a car torn down to paint and as I do it, this is the book that will be my guide.

I AM NOT A BEGINNER BUT CAN SEE HOW ANYONE CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS TERRIFIC BOOK. HE IS A MAREVELOUS PAINTER AND GREAT DETAILS ON HOW TO DO THIS. YOU WILL LEARN SO MUCH FROM HIS ILLUSTRATIONS. I HAVE IMPROVED TREMENDOUSLY AND LOVE TO USE HIS BOOK OVER AND OVER. GOOD TO HAVE THE BOOK EVERYWHERE I TRAVEL AROUND WATER SO I CAN READ FOR INSTRUCTIONS.

This miraculous book is well worth buying just for the spectacular artwork of E. John Robinson, but the lessons are fantastic, and unlike any I've seen in other books on painting the sea. Even someone who doesn't paint in oils could thoroughly enjoy this book for the knowledge John Robinson shares about his meticulous observations of waves and how they move and how the sunlight plays on the water, etc.. It will make you enjoy the ocean a lot more when you're there, with the deeper understanding of it that John Robinson so graciously shares with us.

John Robinson has spent many hours taking videos of ocean waves, then going home to watch them in slow motion to understand their anatomy as an artist would. He will show you about everything you need to know about painting the ocean and it's many moods, along with rock painting as well, of course. Along with teaching how to paint the sea, Robinson has a very gentle way of teaching which is relaxing and often philosophical. This is a fantastic book that you really will want to keep for quite a while. Robinson's paintings are breathtaking. It's amazing how many different ways there are to paint the sea.

I will give a brief outline of the topics taught, as indicated in his contents page:
Section I: Beginnings
Chapter I Sketching on site
outdoor watercolor equipment, at the site, thumbnail
sketches, stepbystep demonstration in watercolors, outdoor
oil equipment, stepbystep deomonstration in oils
Chapter 2: From sketch to painting
studio equipment and supplies, composition from the sketch,
step by step demonstration
Section II Ingredients for Successful Seascapes
Chapter 3: The Anatomy of Waves
how waves are created from energy, anatomy of swells,
ripples on swells, swells with foam, swell t breaker, the
breaker, translucent water, step by step painting
translucent water, wave scud,
Chapter 4: Sunlight, shadows, and atmosphere
light and shadows: side lightting, front lighting, back
lighting, down lighting, spot lighting, cloud shadowns,
bluff shadows
Atmosphere: moisture in the air, clear weather, cloudy
weather, foggy weather,
Reflecting light and atmosphere:
waves and troughs, wet rocks, ripples on clear water,
reflections on a foamy surface, the mirror effect, sparkle,
glare.

Chapter 5: Rocks, headlands,and beaches
Rocks: rounded rocks, angular rocks, vertical rocks, rocks
in clear water, rocks underwater, rocks in foamy
water, overwash, water spills, trickles, color
exchange, defiant rock, overwhelmed rock
Headlands: Staging for distance, dark headlands, light
headlands, the bluff
Beaches: water's edge, wet sand, beach outlets, driftwood

Chapter 6: Foam and Spray
whitecaps, lace curtains, the roll, foam over a rock,
collapsed wave, foreground surf, blanket foam, surface
ripples, surface contours, holes for direction, patterns on
the wave, slhouette patterns, patterns over clear water,
patterns for directions, anatomy of foam holes, spray and
mist, surf spray, the burst, mist over a rock, overall mist.
Chapter 7: Color for Seascapes
the transparent color wheel, alternate color wheel,
comparing blues, comparing greens, earth colors,
neutrals, subject colors, wave colros, rock colors,
skies with cerulean blue, skies with ultramarine blue,
interplay of warm and cool colros, complementary colors,
triads, glow
Chapter 8: Composition for Seascapes
lines: ouline and implied lines, tranquil lines, opposing
lines, moving lines, buoyant lines, downward lines,
direct and indirect lines

values: three values, three areas, spacing areas,
combining areas and values, light composition,
middle value composition, dark composition focal
points: focal point with contrast, focal point
with color, forcal point with detail.

Section 3: demonstrations
Chapter 9: Rising tide
Chapter 10: Quiet moments
Chapter 11: Passing Storm,
Chapter 12: evening reflections
Chapter 13: Moving shoreward.
Section 4: Gallery
gallery paintings, conclusion, about the artist.

Even if you don't paint in oils, this book is fascinating and mesmerizing. It will make you see the ocean in a whole new dimension.

I really rely on the reviews to make decisions on purchasing a book, so I thought I would return the favor and write one myself. This book is amazing, and definatley a 5 star! It is loaded with wonderful tips, and technique. Easy to understand text and illustrations on wave anatomy, light, shadows, atmosphere, foam and spray, color, composition, values, and much more. E. John is very talented and there are pictures of his finished paintings to show. Do Not be fooled by the title, I mainly paint landscapes but also love seascapes and I have learned alot of things that I can apply to my landscapes like how to really make the sun Glow!, painting rocks under transparent water, and underpainting. Great Tips you can use on any subject. Do yourself a favor, Do Not pass this book up!!

Thank You E.John

A beauitfly designed and inspiring book. If you love the sea, or just like it, and want to paint it to you heart's constent, this book can be a great help. Techniques are revealing and the color repos are exceptional.

If you want to learn to paint dynamic seascapes, then this is a must own resource. It is loaded with valuable information by one of the best seascape artists living.