Paint Books

William Bird Jr's Paint By Number traces the history of a movement which swept across the country and created many a budding novice artist. Chapters provide plenty of color photo examples of a changing industry which recognized an unfulfilled desire in the common man to be an artist. The gorgeous displays and ads for the medium are compelling, even for the non-artist reader.

Bird does a decent job summarizing this kitschy topic in a succinct manner. In a sense though the length of this book is its worst enemy. He could have either been even more brief and cut about 50% of it to focus on the main issues rather than repeating himself. Alternatively, he could have truly explored the characterization of the individuals behind the craze as well as probed the American psyche and increased the length by 50%. Straddling the middle, Paint By Numbers ends up being pleasant but vaguely dissatisfying.

This is a really neat-o! book.

It's a short book, beautifully illustrated with paint-by-number paintings on almost every page (including paintings completed by J. Edgar Hoover, Nelson Rockefeller, Ethel Merman, and others). There are also lots of photos of advertisements, packaging and promotional displays used to sell the kits. The author discusses Max Klein & Dan Robbins, the men who started the paint-by-number "craze", and some of the other artists who worked on the kits. Despite heavy criticism from the art community, the kits were enormously popular in many countries.

I used to love doing these kits when I was a kid in the '60's and '70's. It may not be "art" but if nothing else I think people learn a little something about colors, shading and composition while working on these kits.

This is a beautifully-designed, lavishly illustrated, great-looking, smart book - every page a treat - that is part art book, part pop adventure story, part trenchant cultural history and analysis. Without the irony or condescension heretofore prevalent in discussions about the 1950s' remarkably popular and widespread middlebrow hobby of painting by number, William L. Bird, Jr., a curator at the Smithsonian, starts from the beginning and tells all.

Leonardo da Vinci seems to have thought of it first, as a way to teach painting. In 1952 (after considerable work in the lab and at the drawing board) mass culture combined with smart American commercialism to sell eager Americans first, the rest of the world later - this surprisingly controversial and intensely pleasurable hobby: paint by number. The paintings and their deeply satisfying means of production were denigrated by cultural critics - and loved by millions of regular folks - and Andy Warhol, too.

Students of popular and consumer culture and advertising, those curious about a popular phenomenon that provoked the critics of art and culture to attack relentlessly - or anyone interested in reading about the fun of these paintings and how they came to be - will love this perfect book. The author's mind is flexible and fertile; he takes us on a terrific tour. Clever and funny in places, with a bibliography hundreds of articles and books long. Great book.

This is a perfect book for those of us who are blessed with the time to make our homes more interesting, but lack the money to hire the people who know how to do it.
It is true, as another reviewer has stated, that not all the techniques are fully explained. But any paint store today will have brochures to do that. What's good about this book are the photographs that provoke the imagination and inspire you to get off your seat and do something.
I enjoyed this as a young married man and I'm referring to it now as an empty-nester.

Very informative and thorough.
Would highly recommend to anyone seeking knowledge about Faux Painting.

Antiquing; bambooing; bleaching; colorwashing; combing; decorative painting; dragging; dyeing; gilding; graining; graphiting; japanningh; lacquering; lining; marbling; prphyry; ragging; rag-rolling; rubber stamping; rubbing; spattering; sponging; staining; stenciling; stippling; tortoiseshelling; trompe l'oeil; vinegar painting - all beautifully photographed and described. Makes one want to buy a house and (old) furniture just to do some of these wonderful finishes! Primarily for traditional homes, but this book is well worth having for anyone considering decorating.

I will start with what was good in the book...there were perhaps five illustrated techniques which I found good, particularly a few wood finishes. The bad news is that most of the instruction is just written and not photographed step by step. Most of the photos in this book are of the finished product.

I would recommend this book for beginners only! The special effects, referred to in the title, are basic watercolor techniques. The book itself is not very creative in format, content nor presentation .

This book is wonderful and beautiful. I am somewhat a beginner watercolorist, and I disagree about the previous remark that this book is only for beginners---I believe this book reaches way beyond the beginning steps of learning watercolor painting.

Mr. Robinson begins the book with the usual materials and techniques chapter. He gives good demonstrations of various techniques with brush strokes, wet on wet, chops, reflections stroke, masking out, lifting, and sandpaper edges to name a few.

Chapter 2 is Painting on Location. Mr. Robinson explains how he studied the sea using a movie camera so he could understand exactly what happens when a wave reaches a certain point. Then, planning the painting is demonstrated. Each page is filled with well-designed photos and sketches, and are explained in a well-designed manner that make it enjoyable to read. Values of the water and pencil sketches of rocks are explained along with color sketching. Ten-minute sketches are compared to 20-minute sketches, and a step-by step demonstration is given with full explaination s under each picture.

Chapter 3 is about the Colors of the Sea, and how Mr. Robinson selects his pallet, comparing, for example manganese blue vs. cerulean blue vs. ultramarine blue for water and qualities that factor into using them. Then greens and combined colors for water are discussed....Charging and selection of colors for charging and overlaid lines are demonstrated in a well-organized manner. Then Mr. Robinson explains how he charges the water and rocks along with illustrations to accompany each section.

Chapter 4 is The Importance of Atmosphere. I don't consider this information something a beginner would be concentrating on--I think this book is definitely for all levels of watercolorists. Perspective is explained, and how Mr. Robinson chooses different colors to achieve different atmosphere--warm grays vs. cool, clear day vs rain, fog, incoming fog---each with a beautiful illustration and explanation. Casting shadows, and fog with a sun glow are demonstrated.

Chapter 5--The Importance of Sunlight--"the influence of sunlight on color, sunlight and shadow colors, warm sunlight, high noon light, low horizon sunlight are explained, again, with a beautiful painting to illustrate, but with the purpose of teaching and not just to "show off" the authors beautiful works.....Then, practice steps are given with step one, step two, etc. each illustrated and fully explained....Next, bright light--side light, down lighting, front lighting, back lighting, spot lighting, casting shadows, sun rays are all shown and explained.

Chapter 6 is Composition for Balance and Harmony where he explains spirit lines, lines of motion, tranquil lines, opposing lines, moving lines, rising lines, downward lines---not something a beginner would pay that much attention to....Values and focal points are demonstrated--each with a small painting

Chapter 7---Water As a Reflecting Surface-- light paths, reflecting bluffs, mirror images, extended reflection, broken reflections, light bounce, etc--each separately illustrated. Reflected wave foam, shallow water reflections, sparkles, glare, etc..

Chapter 8 is Skies--sundown, cloud glow, motion drama, etc... Next a Demonstration step-by-step is given beginning with a line sketch, value sketch, choice of pallet colors and then step-by-step explanations are given. Easy to follow--excellent instruction.

Chapter 9 --Waves and Breakers--anatomy of swells, transfer of energy, swells with ripples, whitecaps, etc.--all covered and illustrated along with sketches to explain more if needed. Next, cloud and cloud reflections, breaker anatomy, light through the wave, different views of the wave, collapsed wave, dark-to-light wave....Then, another step-by-step demonstration, again well organized, illustrated, and explained.

Chapter 10--The Forms and Shapes of Foam--foam bursts--how to achieve the effect--

The rest of the chapters include Forms and Shapes of Rocks, Beaches, Harbors and Coastlines---each with more demonstrations.

Photo references are included in the back of the book, along with a gallery of Mr. Robinson's stunning work.

This book is exceptional and well above your average watercolor instruction book. The author holds you spellbound and has some interesting little stories to tell along the way. It is a truly wonderful and beautiful book, as well as being well organized and explained.

Mr Robinson obviously has two outstanding gifts: painting and teaching! A rare combination. And he knows all about the subject. Wether you are a beginner or an experienced painter I am sure you can benefit from this book. I absolutely love it! Unlike many other painting instructors he is not exhibiting his own paintings but teaching you how to get into the world of painting sea.

As with his other books, Mr. Robinson clearly and plainly explains steps in the process of achieving a wonderful watercolor painting. The step-by-step photographs and full explanations of techniques are outstanding in terms of instruction and giving pointers to achieving a better painting. I would recommend this book for painters at all levels. Many of the techniques apply to other mediums as well. For anyone interested in painting water this is a must have.

I rarely posts reviews but felt obliged to add one here to clarify the value of this book. I own Schmid's "Alla Prima" (which is excellent) and have also enjoyed many of his DVDs.

I was pleasantly surprised when this book arrived because it also excellent, but in a different vein then "Alla Prima". For one, this book predates the other by several decades so naturally the color pages are going to be fewer. This book is dense with the nuts & bolts of Richard Schmid's approach to the landscape. There is much more rudimentary (but not basic) information here that was not appropriate for the higher level approach of "Alla Prima". Plus there are many more examples. So what if they're black & white. The text that accompanies them, with Richard's insights to each painting, is worth it.

So buy "Alla Prima" and watch some of his DVDs to acquire an appreciation to Richard Schmid's approach to painting and to also whet your artistic appetite for more. And once you are hungry for more, buy this landscape book to "savor" his painting instruction.

Some photos are black and white but there are many demo photos are in color. This is quite a substantial book for its genre; the author is very generous with his considerable knowledge, and I recommend it for serious landscape painters. It may be a little too technical for beginners and casual hobbyists.

Richard Schmid's newer book Alla Prima is much better. Try to find the Paints Landscapes in a library - its not worth paying over 200 dollars for. Paints landscapes has mostly black and white pictures which shows how dated the book is. Check out his website for the really good videos also.

I stumbled upon this book in a library and knew I had to own it so I could study each and every word. Richard Schmid paints landscapes like no one else! (If you don't beleve me check out his website and you will buy this book! ) My paintings improved immediately! I take it with me when I paint now! He gives clear steb by step guides but this book is clearly above and beyond a "how to paint landscapes" book. I'm now saving my "starving artist" pennies to buy his "Alla Prima" book!

As a homeschooling mom of five, I am always on the lookout for activities to keep my toddlers engaged in the learning process as well. The Care Bears Paint with Water Books work for me. Not only are the pictures cheerful, but the pages are bright white and colors vibrant. I was pleased to see the paper was substantial and did not "melt" when water was applied. A small paint brush is stored in the cupboard with my coffee cups so that my two and a half year can be quickly set up when she wants to "do painting."

I love the care bears so I like to color. Great book

book was okay but a little less than I expected, I wish they would make the books as good as they did several years ago when I bought them for my little niece, colors were brighter and subjects were more theme oriented

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 book is very useful if you want to explore in different periodic interior decoration styles. It is well organised and easy to read, too. The supplier directory at the back add extra bonus! It is a interior encyclopedia that I would like to keep it forever.

This book is great not only for someone who is just getting started in decorating but, also for the professional as a referance. It is broken down into six basic catagories; Style guide, Fabrics. Wallpapers, Paints and Finishes, Tiles, and Flooring. Judith Miller does an excellent job of giving a wealth of information about not only different periods but also what textiles lend themselves to these periods. I was not to impressed with the paints and finishes section however. I really liked the organization by image (ie fabrics with flowers) and style period rather than fabric type or colors. The variety is amazing. The best part of the book is that she gives you the info to find all of the textiles! Including the maker, if other colors are available, and estimated price. This is great, other style books generally do not give you half of the wealth of information that is book does. I couldn't wait to get started.

This highly recommended reference will find its way to any library with holdings in the decorative arts: The Style Sourcebook covers fashionable styles of interior decoration from the Middle Ages to modern times and offers over two thousand color photos to enhance its history of the evolution of design styles. A historical overview introduction deftly blends into chapters which focus on fabrics, wallpapers, paints, tiles and flooring - each considering varieties, history and evolution, and differences in mediums. Concluding with a directory listing international manufacturers and distributors, this revised classic is a winner.

The Style Sourcebook: The Definitive Illustrated Directory of Fabrics, Wallpapers, Paints, Flooring and Tiles Revised Edition by Judith Miller, published by Firefly, is a must have book for the professional. The Style Sourcebook is unique in the crowded market of interior design books because it locates materials, motifs, patterns, and colors within specific historical periods. The author, Judith Miller is co-founder of Miller's Antique Price Guides is also a regular guest on House Detectives and The Antiques Trail.
An encyclopedic book The Style Sourcebook contains 2300 swatches, from a extensive range of international designers. The up-to-date swatches are carefully reproduced in brilliant color and are accompanied by a detailed caption listing all the information necessary to order, such as manufacturer name, pattern name, size, repeats, composition and, etc. Every chapter is devoted to a product category; for example paint, wallpaper, fabric, flooring, and tile. The chapters are divided into main design types florals, geometrics, pictorials, motifs, and etc. Then they are further subdivided into time periods: medieval, 18th Century, late 19th Century, 21st Century, and etc.
From medieval to modern, The Style Sourcebook provides inspiration and the facts for selecting the right ingredients for any interior scheme. You might need two copies of this book one to loan out to clients and one for your personal reference.

An OK read about the LRRPs in Vietnam. The author served in the LRRPs in the 1968-69 period in Vietnam. Goshen shows how the LRRPs served in a much more hazardous role than the regular infantry. However, Goshen also complains at times about the role he played versus what the infantry played. He disdains his commanders for having the LRRPs do some of the duties that regular infantry of the Big Red One could have done. Well, that is what happens in the military. Admitedly, this may have been a waste, but you must follow the chain of command. I also wonder if his view that the top leadership really prevented the military from winning in Vietnam. If we became involved in Laos, Cambodia, or North Vietnam, we might have become more entagled in Southeast Asia.

This showed the role the LRRPs played in Vietnam. These soldiers performed dangerous duty and risked death for the safety of their fellow soldiers and country.

Bill Goshen's new book, War Paint, is well written and comes from the heart. Though I served in Co.F/52nd Inf(LRP) and had DEROS'd before he arrived, I served with and knew many of the men in the stories and have since met others at our unit reunions. I would have proudly served with him as well. Bill does a great job of describing LRP/Ranger tactics, vividly recreates events in which he and others participated, and well describes both the best kind of patrols, and those that went badly. His book also shows how well teams fared when they received great support (which was usually) as well as how lonely 5-6 LRPs/Rangers could be when left entirely without adequate support. In either case, they "carried on with mission". War Paint is an even-handed presentation of the day-to-day lives of our teams, without being macho or macabre. It also depicts the post-war struggles which he has overcome. A good read for those who also enjoyed Gary Linderer's books and the other great LRRP/LRP/Ranger memoirs that have appeared over the past 15 years.

Bill Goshen served with Company F, 52nd Infantry (LRP)/I Company, 75th Infantry (Ranger) for the Big Red One. It's a miracle this guy is still alive. Grievously wounded in early 1969, Bill spent many months in hospital recovering from wounds. At Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX, Goshen was awarded the silver star. Others weren't so lucky, like Sp4 Bob Law, who threw his body on an enemy grenade to save his comrades-in-arms. There's plenty of action here, but more significant is how Goshen views the war from the grunt's perspective. Why did our political leaders throw the best of the baby-boom generation into a war in which the enemy was awarded sanctuary bases from which he could attack and to which he could retreat, lick his wounds, and return to fight again? Goshen's anger toward ticket-punching Army higher-ups and the Johnson Administration's ineptitude and disregard for the American soldier serves as biting subtext to Bill's well-written LRRP memoir. By the way, Bill's Postscript is the shortest but most beautiful chapter in the book.

I LOVED IT!!!!!!! I could not put War Paint down. I devoured every page and now I'm looking for another one just like it. And the author's a Christian!!!!!! :D:D:D

ok, and maybe Gamblin, but not much info that I hadn't gotten elsewhere over the years.

For anyone who has ever wondered how modern artists paints and the pigments and binders for various media are made this is an excellent book. The chapters and photos showing how various kinds of artists paint are made from start to finish is very enlightening. For example, I assumed acrylics were manufactured similarly to oils and watercolors. However, due to the nature of the acrylic polymer itself a different manufacturing process must be employed.

Also, one of the more fascinating chapters in the book is on the pigments themselves. After reading this chapter I added to my color palette many new modern pigments. In many cases I use them exclusively for a painting. Until reading this book I did not realize just how incredibly lightfast, permanent and resistant to varying weather conditions these new pigments really are. Thank you, Auto Industry for giving artists all these great new pigments! Books like this will help get the word out that these new pigments really are superior to many traditional ones. The Rennaissance masters would have loved to have access to the colors artists have available today. For example, for my orange colors I now often use a benzimidazolone, an isoindoline and a pyrole. The reds and browns are now quinacridones and pyroles (although I still use red, orange and yellow cadmiums on occasion). My most frequently used yellows are azo and hansa. One of my favorite blues is an anthraquinone. Practically the only color on artist palettes that has not benefitted from auto industry pigment research is white. Titanium white significantly compromises the lightfastness of any color it is mixed with. As for the pigments I mentioned above many have transparent qualities while others are very opaque. This book explores how you can exploit each of these new pigments' qualities to add new dimensions to your artwork. And you may want to consider trying some of the secondary colors because they have qualities that might not be available from a mixed secondary.

Later chapters in the book discuss the binder and mediums for various types of paints such as oils, watercolors and acrylics. One of the last chapters examines "painting" with computer programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. The final chapter covers health and safety issues. Get this book. It will open your eyes to the wonderful possibilities of today's pigments and paints.

I wish I had of read this book before spending 4 years at art school and not learning half of what is taught within its pages. This book is for anyone who paints, especially oil painters. It teaches you how paints are made, what makes a good paint and how to use them effectively. Having a knowledge of your materials is critical for successful painting. I found this book at the library but I am now going to buy it to have as a handy reference.

No doubt a 5 stars. If you are ever interested in color, you must read and understand this book.

But still one of the silliest calanders around.

Of course, I'd have chosen a few of the other pictures from the wonderful book "Why Paint Cats", but it will still be alot of fun to look at each month of 2006.

I had this calendar for 2004 and 2005. For the 2006 they reused 5 images from the past calendars. So that is a disappointment if you have been following this calendar. If not, then it is all new to you and VERY CUTE!

I took it to work and every "Cat Person" who saw it had to have one. Very clever, creative and funny!

All aspects of making dinosaur models are described in this book. Construction, painting and making display bases. Vinyl, resin and plastic kits are discussed, along with converting and detailing them.

Well written and informative text is accompanied by many photos and an occasional drawing. Basics are covered first, more advanced topics are introduced later. This makes the book interesting to intermediate or even advanced modeler, while being accessible to a beginner.

The only thing that would make the book better would be color photographs. Gallery section in the middle of the book is in fact printed in color, but majority of photos are B&W - that's the only reason why I gave the book 4 stars. My copy was printed 10 years ago, but it stood very well to passage of time. Highly recommended.

This book was just what I was looking for. I had purchased a bunch of dinosaur models at a garage sale and was eager to paint them - but I had no clue where to begin.

The pages lead you through how to prepare a model for painting, as well as steps to really make your paint job stand out. It even includes tips for diorama-making and model modifications.

It seems odd that a book was made specifically for dinosaur models, but there you have it. If you ever need help painting a dinosaur or making your own model, this is your best resource!

This book is excellent. Clearly Rimell and Rimell have an excellent background in paleontology, or know a thing or two. As one can tell from the cover picture, the models in this book are exceptional, and the authors do a superb job explaining modeling and sculpture techniques and basic dinosaur anatomy. I have attempted making models using the methods described and although I am not a natural artist, I was satisfied with the final product. Again, this book is excellent.