Paint Books

An informative book that gives advice and examples to demonstrate ways to incorporate the techniques into your own work. It's not a "this is my work and how I did it" book with no application beyond the author's included photos. If you're an artist, or just interested in watercolor, it's a good read!

Buy this book and save yourself thousands of dollars literally. As a student of Peggy at the Art Institute of Chicago I know. I paid tons of money to go to art school. Almost everything I learned from Peggy you can learn from this book. Plus it is an excellent showcase of her artwork. One of the best draftsman you'll ever see. Stop reading this and go buy it.

This is an outstanding and BEAUTIFUL book to learn to BOTH draw and paint wildlife with watercolor media. It is unique to the many other watercolor books I have.

The author uses a "stepping stone" approach to learning proportions and drawing, and a "fearless" approach to painting animals in watercolor--i.e. making small decisions and using thin glazing layers leading to the final product. She uses thin layers of glazes as small decisions that lead to the final product. This book is beautiful for the paintings alone.

Here is what is covered in the book:
1. What to Paint and Where--drawing and painting from life, working in natural history museums, using photographs as references
2. Drawing--getting it right (such as how to proportion), the drawing process, demonstration: caribou, demonstration: gorilla
3. Color-color vs. value, achieving authentic color, creating luminous neutrals, creating depth.
4. Design--Placing our subject, impact from a distance, design principles
5. Watercolor Basics--Material, Materials for working in the field, watercolor paint properties, color mixing, watercolor techniques
6. Peggy's No-Fear Painting Process--overview, demonstration: snowy owl, when good paintings go bad: corrections, finishing a painting.
7. Pattern: counter-shading, spots and stripes, demonstration radiated tortoise, demonstration: zebra, total camouflage 8. fur: building texture, demonstration: black bear, demonstration: gray fox
9. Feathers: feather groups, demonstration: turquoise fronted parrot, demonstration: scarlet ibis
10. Portraiture: Capturing personality, demonstration: eyes, beaks and horns, demonstration: bald eagle 11. habitat: building figure and habitat, landscape, demonstration: great blue heron.

It's great instructional book, but also beautiful just for the paintings.

I received this book for Christmas and was very impressed. It has so much information and great pictures. I am a self taught beginning water color painter. Very well written book that I could understand. I just hope she comes out with more.

I took classes from Peggy years ago. I had forgotten some of her techniqes and ordered this book...reading it is like being back in class. She goes through her amazing process step by step with color photographs and clear instruction. This is a valuable watercolor technique book, don't pass it up if you are serious about making some eye popping wildlife paintings.
Thank you Peggy!

This is the book I would write after taking thorough notes from dozens of workshops and distilling the "best of the best" into one book. Lots of gems in one convenient place.

Far from the first book on painting I've bought, "Conversations" is the one I keep reading. It is jammed with ideas, principles, and practical hints, punctuated with tons of visual explanations and demonstrations. Some bits are immediately applicable; some will take years to comprehend through my own practice, but that's ok because they're "chunked" into small pieces that aren't overwhelming. I wish I could find more information on where Mr. Dunn is, so that I might meet him, but alas, he's a mystery man...He's laid all the principles out in the kind of logic I need to build a coherent picture of the art, and it's organized with profoundly comforting statements like, "Painting adheres to universal principles; follow the principles, and you'll get good art..."

This is a beautiful book on the process of creating art. You don't even have to be an artist to enjoy this book. It can be for anyone interested in learning about the process called creativity. This book will be a treasure in anyone's collection. It will not go unread.

I wish all writers that attempt to explain complex subjects used Dunn's technique. His lesson-by-lesson guide to art is incredibly comprehensive, yet reads so enjoyably. The side-bar quotes he uses help the reader get to the philosophical heart of the subject matter; the use of diagrams and examples bring the subject to life. Even if you're not eyeing art as a career--or even hobby--this book is a great tool to understand and ultimately truly appreciate art, of all kinds. This is easily the best educational book--of any kind--that I've read.

Dunn recommends opening the book at a double page and just reading that spread in one sitting. And this is how I approached my "dialog" with the book. Though sometimes I found myself reading on, particularly when the following pages enlage on the concepts presented on the first pages. I have taken many courses on composition, design, and the use of materials. But somehow Dunn encourages rethinking. Have I thought of these aspects or techniques in my last painting? Could I make that next painting different by trying to apply this approach? An inspiring book that enourages one to try harder and to turn again and again to the many thoughts and examples presented.

Luminous Landscapes: Quilted Visions in Paint and Thread A beautiful book with helpful techniques.

Luminous Landscapes exceded all my expectations. I was fortunate to attend Gloria's workshop in 2004 in Durban, South Africa and enjoyed every minute. It is wonderful to have the book now to refresh my mind, to give more inspiration and to learn new techniques. The book is very good worth for money and very well and clearly illustrated. Instructions are easy to follow. I can highly recommend it to fellow-quilters.

This book is one of the best I've seen. There are some well written and well-organised sections dealing with the principles of composition, colour and stitching techniques. Gloria usually starts her landscapes with a painted background, so she gives a short well-illustrated section on fabric painting. Most of that stuff is available elsewhere, but it is assembled and illustrated particularly well.
The second half of the book contains details of her construction methods. One of those is using freezer paper on the right side of the fabric for appliqued shapes. The second - her signature style - is pieced sections on point, blended into the applique design. She gives clear diagrams
and inspiring examples of this technique. She then gives some examples of how to achieve different effects for trees, water and reflections. There is a gallery of student work, and two fully illustrated projects with paper patterns included at the back.
In my view this is excellent value, a perfect blend of practical tips and inspiration.

I like this book because it shows me lots of different ways to make designs on fabrics. I can use them in my own designs. Don`t have to make copys of others designs.

Just as the title describes, this book is filled with luminous, georgous quilts and every secret you need to know on how to make your own. Gloria has given detailed instructions and methods on how to create every aspect of landscapes, backgrounds, forgrounds, sky, oceans, animals along with details on how to combine fabrics, apply paint and she has even included patterns. This book is easy to understand and recommended for beginners or advanced quilters wanting to take their creative abilities to a new level.

How fun is this book? This artist is a true inspiration to me to just get out my paints and splash around. It has given me a measure of freedom in that I always want to measure and calculate everything. Reading and using the ideas in this book help me gain a true measure of freedom of expression. I HIGHLY recommend it. Be sure to visit the artist's website, too. She has a wonderful sense of color and fun.

The art techniques included in this book are simple, yet they encourage creativity and the exploration of line, color, form, composition and texture. Although primarily for acrylics and pastels, there are demonstrations that incorporate a variety of other materials. In addition, the exercises could easily be adapted for artists of all ages - highly recommendable for teachers. The book lives up to its title, "Paint Happy!"

I just bought this book a week ago and I have already framed two pictures that I have painted with its help. I enjoyed painting them, they were simple and not challenging, just how I like painting. You can use the author's ideas with your own style thrown in. I'm happy that I bought this book.

This is such an awesome book. I was impressed how easily the sketches became art. I had such a "Duh" moment when I thumbed through this book! I can easily follow the instruction and transfer my imagination onto my canvas. I paint in oil and this book is a tremendous help. I absolutely love the bold, beautiful colors.

A fantastic buy!

Wonderful book with great fun art lessons!!
It uses acrylic and pastels and the main media, but you could use many other media with what you will learn from this book.

This book is beautiful and very uplifting. Not only that, but it is filled to the brim with valuable lessons on design that I had little background in, and that most of my watercolor books don't expand on enough. It teaches you a lot about shapes, connecting shapes, lines, how repetition can create interest and excitement, variation and repetition, creating movement with shapes and how they are connected with lines, smooth and textured surfaces,, patterned and plain surfaces, soft and hard edges (lost and found) painting with your mind's eye and not exactly what you see in front of you ("if you can't see it, imagine it!" p. 60), how colors interact with each other--not just when mixed, but when put next to each other, how there is "more than one way to paint a picture", how "a series of possibilities can make a series", "when more is better"--i.e. knowing when to embellish, "when enough is enough", geometric and organic shapes, how does a shape take on a form?, creating form using values, play with 2-D and 3-D in a painting, color and value balance---warming a painting vs cooling a painting, using limited color schemes, conveying space--flat space vs. space created with forms vs. deep space vs. ambiguous space.

Part 3 of this fun learning book is how to "Paint Your Home Happy"--basically using what you have learned from the rest of the book and incorporating it into painting on lampshades, walls, furniture, tiles, other ceramics, etc..

I bought this book not really knowing what to expect. The delightfulness of the front cover was inspiring. I mostly do watercolors and pottery. This book mostly uses acrylics and pastels in the demonstrations, but after reading this book thoroughly, I know I will enjoy using a lot of the information and demonstration methods in my watercolors, and also my pottery that I like to paint with underglazes.

There is a LOT to learn and enjoy in this book. It is filled with many exercises to help you learn and wake your sleeping creativity. It is not a "how to paint a landscape" type of book, but more, how to paint with a certain style of your own using the knowledge of shapes, lines, color, repetition, etc. to convey what you feel. GREAT BOOK!!

I received this book from one of my real estate colleagues, and found it highly imaginative with a spiritual slant, one that probably I wouldn't have bought, but am now glad I read. The author's experiences and her creative ways of combining the old with the new, the past with the present, and morphing old stories into up-to-date self help strategies, are brilliant. I learned things about myself and my religion I never knew!

A new perspective on mythology. It gave me a new understanding of what women have been missing out on for centuries. I wouldn't mind a few new myths with a strong female hero, aka Lara Croft, or is that a sexist thing to say? Anyway, it's an interesting book. Well worth the time.

If you're a woman, you need to read this book. If you're a man, you need to read this book. It's for anyone going through a beginning journey, mid-journey, or elder journey, so full of wisdom, play, hope, guidance, and just plain simple answers to difficult questions. This book really touched me at a deep level. I'm giving it to all my friends.

What I liked about this book is I could pick it up and read a chapter, then think about it, go back and reread it, and get something else out of it.The author's search for her own meaning to life and her search and work with her clients was written in easy to understand language and was very helpful in understanding my own issues. Her images were very compelling, and memorable- I can still see the cat on Jefferson's lap! Highly recommended reading.

It's so well written, and would you believe, beautiful poetry in a story that spans the centuries from ancient greece to a future time in the world. Made me think, feel, and believe in myself, that I can change some of my old habits and actually see my future self in my new myths. When I got to the second question, I started to cry but kept going and realized by answering all 10 questions, I knew myself in a different, better way. This book was a lifesaver!

I have never painted glass before, in fact, Ive never really done any crafts, Im a complete newbie to this whole thing, and this is the first book I bought on glass painting. I can say, I just got it yesterday,and it was so motivating, I already finished my first project today! The instructions are easy to understand, the authors give great tips, and the projects that are included are simple but they dont look simplistic when their done.I cant wait to try the other projects, you dont have to any prior experience to doing glass painting, just an interest and desire to try something new!

I bought several books on painting glass and this is the best. Not just your typical flowers and leaves, this book contains elegant & unique patterns with easy to follow directions. Simple techniques to help the artistically challenged. Wonderful ideas for great projects!

Buy it, its got the best ideas, step by step projects that are modern and not childish.

I have read many books aboout glass painting but none as helpful as this one.

The directions are simple and well-illustrated and the lists of materials are very complete.

I am one of those artistically challenged people....this book gave me ideas to use that do not require the ability to draw. I was so motivated when I got it and have tried many of the techniques....incredible.

Thanks, Moira and Lynda...your book is JUST what I needed to release my creativity!

This is one of the most amazing books I've ever read! Thought you were no good at art? This simple guide will teach you the basic steps to becoming a professional. Find out more about this. It could even help you make a living!

If you're learning character design, or just brushing up- this is the best book I've seen on it.
Thank you Sherm!

The moment I found out about this book I bought it immediately!
Sherm makes everything quite clear and fun to look at. It's presented well and is crammed with goodies.
I especially liked the sections.... "Get Graphic" and "Find Your Own Style".

Great job Sherm!

In "Character Design," Sherm Cohen offers up a century of cartoon design wisdom in such a clear and simple fashion that you'll think you already knew all about it.

Jam-packed with Sherm's incredibly clear drawing and elegant line, "Character Design" uses hundreds of illustrations to explain key cartooning concepts, from "line of action" to "when's the right time to draw a cauliflower ear." No kidding! You need to know the rules before you can break them correctly...and THESE are the rules.

This is essential reading for experts and beginners. Buy two copies; one for your bookshelf, and one to keep under your pillow.

Jay Lender
Former Writer/Storyboard Director
SpongeBob SquarePants
Nicktoons

This book is essential for beginners and professionals for cartooning/animators. As a professional animation artist and a college professor, I found this book to be one of the best book on character design out there. I highly recommend it to my students and colleague alike. For it is extremely informative and deceivingly simple. On the same level with the Preston Blair animation books (also published by Walter Foster), this book does a great job in introducing the artist the wonderful fun that is character designing. Great job artist Sherm Cohen. Hope to see more in the series.

When I am training young artists starting into the animation industry there are a few books that I tell them to get and study. "Character Design" the new Walter Foster Cartooning book by Sherm Cohen is now on my list. To anyone contemplating a career in comics or animation- or anyone who just likes to draw, this book communicates simply and concisely everything you need to know to get started. Mr. Cohen's clear explanations make complicated concepts easy to grasp, and the joy of drawing evident in his charming art is truly contagious.

Anyone who plans on picking up a pencil to do more than just your checkbook should get this book.

Sincerely,

Dan Povenmire
Director/Storyboard Supervisor
Family Guy
Fox TV Animation

Wonderful patterns! I have purchased 3 for my store, Pottery Camp Inc. and we find our customers using these daily for ideas! Definitely recommend for anyone involved in ceramics!

Excellent instructions for beginners but not so simple that the more advanced painter will be bored. 300 patterns with ideas for many more. I will be using this with Mentally Challenged Adults. I have a copy myself and am ordering this copy for them to use.

I really enjoy painting ceramics as a hobby and use this book every week for ideas and inspiration. It covers a wide range of subjects, from fruits to flowers to lettering and animals, design specific for your ceramic piece so you can get an idea what might look nice on a teapot, for example. It is a great starting point to see how designs, shapes and colours work together. This book should be available in every ceramics studio!

Señores Gare: Me es grato poder comunicarme con ustedes y felicitarlos por su ceramica,que es muy linda,como puedo adquirir la revista Decorating Ceramics May 99, ya que através de internet no lo puedo hacer. ¿ SE podría enviarla através de una agencia?, y yo mandaría los dolares. ¿Me pueden mandar su dirección e- mail y su casilla para poderles escribir? Mi nombre es Elizabeth Hendrickson de Solis. Huancavilca # 712 Y Rumichaca. Teléfonos: (593-4)414419, 413634, 406292,493954, 441754.

As a Ceramic Teacher I have found this book to be very useful in the studio. There are so many ideas and designs to look at, as the title says over 300 designs, simple and easy to understand. The designs are easy to follow for beginers and give great ideas as to how to lay out design work on ceramic. Advance students have followed some of the ideas, adding their own designs to a more advance level. Anyone who has a studio with beginers this is a must..A great studio tool.

I gave this item to my nephew for Christmas and he loves it. It is a great way to teach kids how to draw dragons.

comes with everything a beginner needs. I just wish I had more free time to draw...

I give this five stars because it is extremely helpful in instructing you how to form your own dragon, but I was hoping for a bigger book to go along with the brushes, pencils, and paints. It's worth the purchase if you'll use everything in the kit, but the $19.99 book is the better purchase.

It was simple and complicated enough for my 9 year old. The illustrations are great and the details are easy enough to understand. The paint brush was actually a pretty nice one and not plastic stiff brissles.

I'll admit, I saw the book (not kit) new at a major chain and jumped on Amazon for a better deal to get it used. I made a mistake and ordered the kit rather than the book. When I opened it up and saw synthetic golden nylon brushes, little tubes of paint, and dinky little book, drawing pad and a dragon shaped eraser I was sorely disappointed at my own error. I paint photo realism in human oil portraits for a living. This looked like something for a child and a joke to someone who seldom touches anything but a natural red sable paint brush.

Then I noticed the actual author. As an artist, I love looking at other people's art, and I knew of Neon Dragon's Photoshop work. I gave it a try and started looking through the book.

It's good, and the sneer was quickly wiped off my face. There's a great deal of useful information crammed in that little booklet. Most if it I knew, yes, I've been painting for years, but there were still helpful tips and tricks in there. It's fun to read, and she makes the process enjoyable and very step by step.

The point to his review is: this isn't a bad deal at all. I still went and got the book, but this kit is worth the money (paints are expensive for one thing, they're almost worth the price just by themselves.) There's also a few tips in there even someone like me found useful. You go step by step in an easy to follow guide which takes you from the ground basics all the way to in depth shading and highlighting. Even backgrounds are covered.

Give it a try - best for beginners, but there's something in there for most anyone.

This is a good addition to any "art process" library. Simply written and well illustrated, the book is in a size and format that is easy to use while working. It is concise and informative - with great resource links.

Great little book. It has all the instruction and info you'll need to paint with wax.

On the back cover of the recently released, 2nd edition of "Embracing Encaustic-Learning to Paint with Beeswax by Linda and William Womack is the descriptive "the quick start guide to painting with wax". That perfectly describes this user friendly book with many color photographs enhancing easy to follow instructions for 6 basic encaustic techniques. There is an illustrated gallery where artists describe their own work using more advanced techniques as well as a short history of the medium and a resource listing. Readers can go to Linda's website for further information. Although the section on making paint lists safety concerns, I would like to see more information on the safety issues while painting-especially correct temperature levels while working with encaustics.

This book is exceptionally well done, with clear, concise text and lovely photography. I highly recommend it!

This book is really well done, especially for someone like me who needs detailed instruction! The book provides both step-by-step instructions and photos that show you exactly what to do. I have limited experience with the encaustic medium and found this book provided me with the directions to do a project on my own -- super helpful.