Paint Books

As mother of 6 and grandmother of 12, I thought this would be a good purchase for making keepsakes of the grandchildren's handprints for their parents. Very inspirational. Gets the creative juices flowing.

Our elementary school is celebrating 50 years of learning this year. We are in the process of creating a commemorative quilt to be hung in the school. The ideas in this book are outstanding! Instead of designing the squares ourselves, we selected areas of learning for each classroom and asked the children to submit their ideas. The outcome was incredible. The committee plans to use the ideas in this book to embellish childrens' handprints for the classroom squares designed by the students.

This book has some wonderfully creative ideas. My first grade class put together the handprint sunflower with the help of a good seamstress. The end result was very nice.

I love this book! I have made several of the projects in this book. The directions are easy to follow and the projects turn out great every time. I use this to make quilts with the kids at my sons' school to auction as a fundraiser, but these would also make wonderful keepsake quilts for family. Highly recommend.

13 projects. Very simple quilts but lovely ideas - a great starting point for personal gifts and memories of when they were small. Also interesting and different gifts a pre-teen could help with or a teenager could make him/herself.

Layton discusses what to do when you realise you have made a mistake, and how to avoid some of the more obvious ones. I don't like all the quilts she has done - some of the backgrounds and layouts are not my cup-of-tea. However, there is much discussion on how to vary what is there, as well as a "gallery" of wuilts made by her or with her help that show how you can take the ideas presented and display them differently.

I particularly like
- "Happy Hands" - straight out hand prints in primary colours with smiling faces on them. I intend to create this quilt with my two year old niece.
- "Sweet Hearts" - use both hands printed in such a way to create a heart shape. We shall get all the cousins together to make this for Grandma's birthday.
- "Jungle Rumble" and "Circus Fun" - decorate hand prints to create jungle animals such as elephants and lions. I shall be encouraging my 8 year old to hellp make this for a baby cousin.

This book provides a fast way to mix colors and can be used for more than skin tones

This book is always on my workbench. As stated by another reviwer, the "Suggested Tonal Charts" section has been invaluable, and has inspired me to experiment with colors not on the list. By step-by-step examples, and by showing works of various artists, you really get a sense of color technique. I also recommend this book to model figure painters; after studying this book, the skin tones on my figures have started to look more natural instead of having that "exaggerated theatrical make-up" look!

This book is brilliant. Although it won't teach you how to paint, it will give you the greatest insight into how to mix colours for a near perfect image. Whether you are an amature or a professional, a book like this and at such a small cost is worth having on your shelf as an anytime reference.

I admit it: I bought this book for myself for a Christmas present, and it was well worth the price paid. Here is information I have never gotten in art school. Though it is probably entirely possible to learn to paint the face and figure by being presented with a model in a crowded and badly lit room, there has to be a better way, and I think this book is it. Through a clever system of charts using a palette of only 12 basic colors, author James Horton shows you how to create an infinite array of skin tones for people of pale, mid-tone and dark coloring. Specific modifications for pastellists are included, and though I'm just a beginner, I was amazed what I could do following his directions when I was only about a fourth of the way through the book. I recommend this very highly for all students, whether you're enrolled in an art course somewhere or just slugging it out on your own at home. I intend to finish every exercise in the book before I go back to art school at the end of January. Highly recommended!!!

I like this book. It's not the greatest, but it's not bad. If you're starting out painting and need some basic guidance for general skin colors it's probably ok. Where it's lacking is in most anything beyond the basic color of skin. There's no discussion of skin color in shadow, in the halftones where the skin turns away from the light, or where the skin blends into the hairline. Little about the affect of light, surroundings, or location (cheek, chin, forehead, etc.) on skin color either. Those things make or break portraits and some (me) just can't seem to mix the right colors to go with the basic skin tone of the model. I wish that had been addressed in this book... that would make it worth 5 stars (and maybe what people are asking for it these days).

This is Joanne Gair's first book and shows the fun you can have with the body painted image using it to illustrate well known sayings, to hide your painted goddess, enhance her (or him) or display them amongst garden produce. These are some of the ideas that are included in this amusing book. It does not feature the well known people that are in her other books and so can show more humour in the art form, almost like an English naughty postcard. This is Joanne having fun and you will laugh along with it, not as sexy as her later books but with a lot of novel ideas not found in her later books. I wholly recommend it as it also shows her flair for the marriage of art and humour with an abundant use of colour giving the pictures a punch.

This delightful collection presents dozens of painted works, all painted on the models' skin and clothing. Although the collection as a whole has a hit-or-miss quality about it, there are plenty of charming and witty hits.

For example, the back cover shows the back of a kilted bag-piper, with his kilt akilter in a gust of wind. Underneath his tartan, we see the same plaid painted across his thighs and rear - so that's what's under the kilt! A piece titled "Feel Free" shows a prison cell with the prisoner camo-painted to blend in with the wall. "Young at Heart" is just one in a recurring theme. Not only has a bathing suit been painted onto an unsuited figure, but the edges of her fleshy form have been made up to match the background leaving a slimmer, sleeker figure drawn across only part of the model's actual width. My favorite, though might be "Santa Trap." A small boy waits up on Christmas Eve to see Santa come down the chimney. His skin is painted over in patterns of gift wrap and christmas tree greenery, making his stakeout very nearly invisible. Not all of these pieces work as well as the best, but the collection as a whole is very enjoyable.

It's cute and clever, but not all of the pieces worked for me. Nudity-shy readers might or might not be put off. Many of models are topless or bottomless, but it takes a very close look to see that they're painted rather than clothed. I honestly can't say whether this counts as nudity or not, but it does contribute a sly edge to a number of photos. No matter, it's all good fun.

-- wiredweird

This book is for everyone! Joanne shows her enormous talent and sense of humor. What a pleasure to look at and share with others. This will be around a long time.

I have long admired Jo Ann Gair for her amazing artistic ability applied to human form. I was so pleased to enjoy the funny and heartwarming work of art by this extremely talented woman. The care, production value and attention to detail in each image is astounding. A true gem of artistry and humor to enchant your friends and family.

OK, the nudity part was what made this book intriguing, but it isn't lewd. GREAT paint jobs. Each photograph or series of photos tells a very short story. They are accompanied by quotations which enhance or explain the photographs. Give this book as a gift to someone who appreciates photography, art, humor and the human experience. The entire volume takes about 15 or 20 minutes to thoroughly enjoy, but you may want to repeat the process a couple of times. Some of the camouflage paint jobs are simply amazing!

This is my first Carla Cassidy book but I did like it. It has the same elements as alot of other books out there, but I have to say this one was well done and I only figured out the killer when the author told us who he was. She leads you on very well and it was a good read.

Vanessa Abbott is a widow, her husband, Jim, was an artist who had mental problems that led to his suicide. She and her son have lived quietly for the last two years, she working at a realty office and spending time in the loving arms of Jim's family. Now she is ready to move on and has allowed a friend to give a showing of some of Jim's paintings.

Christian Conner is a friend of the owner of the gallery where the paintings are being shown. He is not into the artistic communtity and is pleased to find that Vanassa is not either. They meet at the showing and she finds this is a man she would like to know better. With the showing she is finally letting go of the marriage of eleven years to the artist.

But someone is not happy that she has decided to move on. The usual things start to happen. Unexplained roses, moved pictures, old clothing appears, and she begins to wonder if Jim is dead. His body was never found after he jumped off a bridge. As the murders start, no one is able to connect any of the pieces. The murders are all connected to the art community but no particuliar artist.

The police detective, Tyler King, was very well done and I would like to have a story about him. He was unusual in his caring and attitude toward the case. One of the best characters in the book really.


It held my attention, and I liked the romance. Some of it was predictable, but overall I enjoyed the read.

Vanessa Abbott believes her disturbed husband drowned himself until she's spooked by seemingly autonomous items as they are moved about their home. She falls for a new man, Christian Connor, and strange events escalate. Other than her late husband, she wonders who would send her these vengeful messages.

Young widow Vanessa Abbott struggles to support herself and her ten-year-old son as a realtor. Two years before, her husband, a talented but brooding artist, disappeared without a trace except for his car, parked on a bridge. Police are convinced that the artist accomplished suicide by jumping into the swift and murky Missouri River. Vermilion red was the late Jim Abbott's favorite color. In his finished works, he'd featured this color of excitement. He had a strange habit. When he was frustrated with a work in progress, he'd destroy it with a zigzag of red paint.

Vanessa's ten-year-old son, Johnny, shows artistic talent like his father, but she worries over the pressure his paternal grandparents place on him to become famous. Johnny does not display any of his father's dark mental attributes. Otherwise, Vanessa would never have consented to a black-tie gallery event to sell her late husband's remaining paintings. Andre, the owner of the Kansas City gallery, had discovered and encouraged Jim. After Andre's cut, Vanessa plans to place proceeds in Johnny's college fund.

At the time of the celebrated gallery showing, Vanessa is ready to release Jim and stop trying to make sense of his demons. She places Jim's portrait into her dresser drawer. Art critics and buyers describe his landscapes as genius, the way they leave the viewer thinking. Jim's artwork sells successfully. That evening Vanessa meets handsome and robust Christian Connor, Jim's exact opposite. Christian, the owner of a construction company, is in attendance only because of a bet made with his friend, Andre, the owner of the gallery. Normally, Christian would avoid the stuffy upper crust of society that reminds him of his parents. He finds Vanessa attractive but wonders if she is a snob. Nevertheless, he is in the market for a house and asks her to be his realtor. Later that night at home, Vanessa tucks her son into bed. When she sees Jim's portrait on her bedside table, she's spooked.

Jim is alive and watches as others cash in on his talent. He will make them pay but will spare the son who reminds him of himself. His wife is at the pinnacle of his hit list, but he will start at the bottom. Jim's art dealer, Andre, is found dead the next morning by a gallery assistant. His bashed forehead reveals to forensics that he was beaten long past his death. Broad strokes of red paint soak his shirt. Two other victims, Jim's art agent and artist friend, are found dead with the same ritual of paint. The police hold back this information. Vanessa begins to suffer crank phone calls when a muffled voice begs for help with churning water in the background. This echo of Jim's death leaves her horrified, but she suspects a jealous coworker and doesn't go to the police. After Vanessa and Christian begin seeing each other, he is attacked, but a security guard intervenes. This incident jolts Vanessa into realizing how much he means to her, and they begin a more serious relationship. Will Christian have what it takes to live up to her expectations as a stepparent? Will Vanessa go to the police when more eerie events stun her?

PAINT IT RED is a gripping love story and a psychological suspense. Author Carla Cassidy does an incredible job pacing the tantalizing romance between Vanessa and Christian in a story filled with moments of terror. I adored Christian's turning moment as he witnesses Vanessa's concern over her son. Christian is devastatingly likable as he eases into a natural friendship with Johnny. Cassidy portrays Jim Abbot as a complex and evil person with clarity. PAINT IT RED is a thriller that sucks the reader in until the last page.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the main female and male characters and the son Johnny was adorable. The only reason I didn't give this book a 5 is because I thought the author should have developed some of the characters alittle better. Especially the brothers. When someone was talked about in this book, alot of the time I was thinking to myself "Who is that again" and would have to go back and try to figure out who the people were. Overall though I thought it was really good and will definately be reading more from this author.

Vanessa Abbott is finally ready to start rebuilding her life. She has been working hard (as a realtor) to keep food on the table, and living like an island, after her husband's suicide (he jumped off a bridge into the Missouri river), two years earlier. But now after two years, Vanessa wants to love again; a special someone who would fill the void in her heart and soul. And be a good father to her ten year old son.

Johnny is such a cute and intelligent little kid, that the reader can't help loving him. Life hasn't been very easy for him, despite his loving mother, there was always a void in his life, because his father Jim, when alive was absent from his son's life. Johnny is also a very talented painter just like his father.

Vanessa meets Christian, first in the art Gallery where the last of Jim`s paintings are being shown. Christian is a contractor and he is looking for a house to buy. I liked how the relationship between them evolved, from business acquaintances to friendship/attraction to love. They were serious about each other from the start. While Jim had been moody, and brooding, so absorbed in his paintings. Christian is open and honest, and he puts a smile on her face.

But someone is watching from the shadows, someone who will make all of them pay. And when Jim's friends start dying one by one (with a red slash drawn across their chests, the same sign Jim used to draw across the paintings he disliked , and wanted to destroy) and Vanessa starts receiving some chilling phone calls, along with other creepy events, she realizes with dread that perhaps Jim is still alive. And considering how unstable he was the last few months before his suicide... But who is really tormenting her? Is it Jim, come back from the dead, or is it someone else? And in both cases, the question lingers, Why?

This was a very good suspense read. It also kept me guessing till the end. I loved Grandpa John, whom Vanessa remembers throughout. Grandpa John's wise sayings are beautiful and meaningful, adding a poignancy to the story. However, I thought that there should have been a bit more concentration on the romance.

In conclusion, I liked this book. It is a very good suspense story, a good love story, with a touch of poignancy all throughout.

Carla Cassidy's books just keep getting better and better! I was hooked from page one and finished within a day! A great surprise ending. Bravo!

This is a terrific book, with great fundamentals, and lots of product knowledge! A definite must have! Enjoy sharing the workshops!

This book covers every product that you have ever wanted to know how to use in your art. The descriptions are complete and easy to understand. The author also gives great examples of the multiple uses of each product. All in all, this book is definately worth purchasing. It is one you will turn to again and again over the years you continue to be an artist.

Book of interest to the artists and the techniques of mediumns and surfaces and how to produce them, Good visual and wonderful colored photoes. Learned a lot of new techniques. Should be on any book shelves of the modern artists.

Beware! This "book" is only 50 pages long. It should be classified as a "booklet" created by and for Golden products. The photos are so small it is very difficult to see what the author is trying to teach. I know Chris Cozen is a Golden Working Artist, but she really should indicate that Liquitex and other producers of art mediums and gels offer similar products, often at much lower prices. Do your research.

The photography and ideas are very good, but the 'book'should be twice as many pages, the photos twice as large and the author should do more illustrated step-by-step photos of what she is trying to teach. Someone got greedy on this one.

If you can only afford one good book on versatile mediums and gels, buy "Acrylic Revolution" by Nancy Reyner, another Golden Working Artist. Patty Brady's (another Golden WA) book is due out later this year, but IF I buy it, I will take a very critical look at the length. I wish I could have looked inside this book first.

I am a professional acrylic painter and teacher and am always looking for new ways to create in this amazing medium. This purchase was a disappointment.

I am soooooooooo glad someone recommended this book to me. I learned more from this book than from the dozens of classes I have taken over the years. The author is not only talented but an awesome person. I emailed her for an opinion and she emailed me back immediately. THAT was impressive. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is interested in scrapbooking, ATCs, painting.....

I am a huge fan of David R. Stoecklein, and I have to say, this is my favorite book by him. This book is amazing. Page after page of some of the finest Paint horses, with all colors and patterns covered I think! I rarely get a book where every single page get's an "oooo" or an "ahhh", and I was sad when I got to the end. I am an equine artist, and have found this book invaluable. Fantastic book, worth the price, no matter if you are an artist, a horse owner, or just an admirer from afar. The writing is well done also, but as with most of David's books, the pictures do all the talking.

A truly wonderful book for both Paint admirers and horse lovers in general. Beautiful photographs with magnificent background scenery adorn every page, with informative text randomly inserted at various points, making this book worthy of a place on your coffee table. I find that I can pick this book up time and time again and each time spend ages just flicking through it, getting myself lost in the imagery of Paint Horses.

This book was everything I hoped it would be, and more!! Every page has beautiful photography and the write-ups are excellent. I am sooo pleased I spent the money! I wish I lived in America and had a Paint Horse (or 4) of my own! Hopefully the Paint population will keep growing in New Zealand. Thank you Jennifer Forsberg Meyer for a wonderful book.

This book is a MUST for any paint horse lover. The photographs are excellent. Many beautiful horses and exceptional quality
scenery.

I had ordered a book about the "American Paint Horse" and expected a "photographic portrayal." What I got was a book about Americans who happen to own Paint horses -- I didn't want that and I don't need that!

The design and photography is quite pedestrian (pun intended), I had seen better photography by Stoecklein before.

At least I learned one lesson from this: don't trust customer reviews too much! Now I search for a real good coffee-tabler with real Paints and no people in it (no, I'm not a people-hater but I like things pure and neat).

This book was just OK for me. I was expecting more detail and refinement in the paintings which I strive for in my work. The small paintings make a nice price point when you are doing various sizes.

I found this book to be very inspirational. I wish I had thought of it!

This book is not only instructional, but a complete course in painting miniatures -- and fills a vast void in that area. The author not only provides excellent reasons for painting on a small canvas, but gives practical advice on setting up space and equipment, preparing the panel (canvas), and staging & lighting the props for a still life. She goes on to review elements of color theory, and presents her favorite complementary palettes. She discusses methods of 'seeing' in order to get the underlying drawing right, and outlines the most important elements of design: composition, perspective, balance, focal point, and texture. Additionally, several methods of creating depth in a painting are covered. Thereafter, Washor presents a series of step-by-step still-life and landscape demonstrations, each of which illustrates yet other enigmatic features of art. She even discusses framing! This book is packed with practical, useful, and instructive advice, and is filled with gorgeous, painterly examples of the author's work to inspire us. What a find!

Overall, the book was good. I liked the intro and the chapter on equipment. I would have liked more step by step pictures to show the development of the painting. Also, some better descriptions of painting techniques would have been helpful. The book does inspire me to experiment on my own but it doesn't give enough insight to avoid common mistakes.

Disregard the size of the paintings if you like, and just look at the gorgeous colors and brushwork!!!!! So sensuous. The author is very generous with her information. Her color palette is unusual, and the color schemes she uses are really, really lovely. This is one of the top oil painting books around. I highly recommend it.

Bought two different books, Care Bear Water Painting Books. They are just like the ones from when I was growing up, which are hard to find in stores. They're great and all you have to worry about is a small glass of water. These were for a 19 mo. old.

Colors run together. Other than that it is a good way for a little one to paint using water instead of paints. When the colors run together it looks like the page is all one color.

My daughter loved these water color paint books with the paint already on the pages. She just dips her brush in water and paints! My daughter is 20 months, and LOVES this. And the fact that they are the CareBears reminds me of when I was a kid!!

This is a wonderful book with cute pictures and lots of colors but I bought mine at Target for $0.89.

This is a great paint with water book. These are so hard to find these days. My two year old loves it! I like the bright/vibrant colors as well. Clean up is easy and she likes to paint away.

I never felt bored while reading this book, I felt like I could relate to almost every poem that was going on. Every statement I interpreted it a different way but it all related somehow. I thought the author did a really good job at this poem, and the lay out of it.
I would recommend this book to anyone. Adult or teenage, guy or girl. It was an absorbing book, full of excitement

I'm 16 yrs. old and I absolutely love this book of poems. There isn't really a subject that a teenager would bring up or think about that isn't in Paint Me Like I Am. It even gives you activities you can do with poetry. I would give this book to anyone, it to me is even a book that most adults would even enjoy I know for a fact that my mom loves it!

Paint Me Like I Am features the teen poems selected from the over 40,000 people who have participated in the WritersCorp program. Centered in San Francisco, Washington D. C. and New York, WritersCorps is a program that encourages established poets to share their skills and motivation in improving the lives of economically disadvantaged youths. Having started in 1994, WritersCorps had a large field of poems to choose from and the quality and breadth of poems reflects its broad base. The poems do reflect teen issues such as young love, angst and struggles with authority figures, but they also reflect larger poetic issues such as love of family, nature and place in the universe. The quality of writing in this volume is very high. In addition, the volume is decorated with light grey backgrounds that vary from graffiti to faces. There is a strong introduction by world class poet Nikki Giovanni and quotations and poetic tips by famous authors throughout. With its strong, contemporary urban feel and high quality writing, Paint Me Like I Am is highly recommended for all poetry collections and should be strongly considered for any teen section.

In her foreword, award-winning poet Nikki Giovanni urges readers to remember that:

We need poetry...We deserve poetry

We owe it to ourselves to recreate ourselves

And find a different if not better way to live

WritersCorps has been bringing poetry and literacy to at-risk youth in Bronx, NY, Washington D.C. and San Francisco since 1994. The poems in this collection show some of the writing exercises used and vivid examples of excellent poetry from many of the youths in the program.

Anyone interested in writing should begin with this book. The exercises invite creative expression through a writing journal, imagining oneself in a room and describing feelings, among other activities.

While writers will find plenty to inspire them, reading through the poetry from the Writerscorps teens will leave no one untouched. Stories of pain leap from the carefully chosen words of poetry in titles about immigration, fights and abuse. Also strong are examples of hope, celebration of nature, friends and life. Everyday tales of hip-hop shoes, friends, jazz and dirty hands are also included. It's all there.

From the title poem by Delia Garcia, San Francisco:

Can you see the face telling you paint me happy,

Paint me with life, but most of all

Paint me free.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

To be honest, I felt rather bored while reading, "Paint Me Like I Am." Being thirteen, I was quickly compelled to assume from the start that I was going to immediately relate to every poem, and every word written. From reading the description, I had been familiarized with the book as, "True, honest, and real teens with real issues." The only issues I found were temporary broken hearts from relationships. A lot of the material was repetitive, I found many lines copied from famous movies, or books. These poems many unfortunate grammar turn-ups, which made the compesition some what confusing and un-flattering. Juvenile would be an understatement, as most of these young inexperienced, first time poets talked of how terrible their lives were, and how the boy they liked would never like them.

Some poems were good. I shouldn't lie about that. As one boy expresses his fear of his step dad, through saying the F word only about twenty times, it was at times difficult to grasp any such meaning of the writing, but his story stayed in your mind for a good while.

If I am correct, "Paint Me Like I am" was created by Writers Corps, a corporation which is stationed in three different cities in America. Their main goal is to help children and teens find their "creative side in writing." These children have gone through hard-times, and tough childhoods.

These kids seem to have utterly terrible life-altering stories to tell. Unfortunately though, through the failed attempts to rhyme, and the general loss of words, their poems, in my opinion, would have been better off as a bunch of short stories.

-Nicole

It's a bad day for the Three Little Pigs. Full of slapstick silliness and colourful character/illustrator interactions, this twist on the traditional tale tickles our two.

This book is just silly & fun.

Not only do we see a new side of a favorite tale, we also get to meet the illustrator through his humourous actions throughout the book. If you think they pigs had problems with just the wolf, wait and see what happens when a bumbling illustrator gets involved!

The Three Little Pigs story has been slightly twisted around here. Once your child has grown used to the original version, they'll love this take on the story. It starts out in the similar vein but goes off in another direction once the illustrator runs out of red paint and cannot draw the pigs pink any more. The funny twist at the end always gets us laughing.

You know the story...Once there were three little pigs who built three little houses: The first with straw, the second with sticks and the third with bricks. Then there was the big bad wolf who wanted to huff and puff and blow their houses down and eat them. And of course the illustrator...Ah, this is where the usual story takes a left turn and becomes a hilarious UNusual tale..... Bruce Whately has outdone himself with this very clever and humorous picture book that adds a clumsy illustrator with all kinds of paint problems to the mix. First he spills his juice on the straw house, it collapses into a mushy mess and the poor pig barely gets out alive. Then he runs out of red paint, so the pigs aren't pink anymore and look like ghosts. He tries to remedy the problem with another color, green, but all agree that green pigs just won't work. In the meantime, the wolf has climbed up on the roof and is about ready to slide down the chimney, so the pigs decide to build a fire to keep him out. Only without red paint, they can't build a really hot fire and without a fire, the wolf will have no trouble coming in and eating them up. The story is definitely getting out of control and that's when one little pig says the magic words: "We don't want to be in this story anymore!"..... Mr Whately's witty text, full of jokes, wordplay and surprises, coupled with his marvelously expressive and "sometimes" colorful illustrations, is a laugh out loud romp youngsters 4-8 will want to read again and again. With an unexpected twist at the end to really tickle your funny bone, Wait! No Paint! is a book that shouldn't be missed and a terrific addition to all home bookshelves.