Paint Books

A beautiful book with clear, easy to follow instructions. A great addition to any collection for fairy lovers/artist. As a lover of fantasy and creator of fantasy art for many years I enjoyed this book very much. I especially love the fairy babies included in this book,
since they often seem be left out.

I bought Barbara Lanza's book and was thrilled. Great product for the price! Her beautiful, delicate illustrations and clear instructions were easy to understand. I also liked that her love of fairies came across and inspired me. The variety of fairies and flowers was also refreshing. I would recommend this book if you would like to learn fantasy art!

I am a self taught oil painter and craft artist who was raised on Fairy stories. When I saw this book advertised I hoped it would help me and it has. I like her Fairies, not to baby type of cute.

She has great pictures with detailed instructions of how to achieve her art work using two different media. The way the book is written, her instruction is also adaptable to any media or type of work you want to do. A friend was having trouble painting a nice drape of fabric on one of her projects. I showed her my Enchanting Fairies book and it showed her exactly what to do. This is a good investment.

I thought the step-by-step painting technique demonstrations were excellent. Aside from being a how-to on painting fairies, there is a lot in the book about rendering natural details like flower petals, bubbles, leaves, water, hair, flames and snowflakes. All of the techniques Barbara Lanza uses to create her enchanting worlds can be applied to landscape and still life painting, as well as portraiture. I've learned a lot from her book.

I bought this book for my daughter who loves to draw and loves fairies. She has read other fictional works by the author and enjoyed them. This drawing guide had the right mix of how to and fictional background to keep her interested and inspired to draw the various examples as well as take them a step further. It also has enough detail in the information and interesting presentation to keep the "child at heart". If you want to draw this particular fantasy subject or just people, it is an enjoyable read that contains many useful details.

It's not often one finds a book that is this usefull. Filled with good advice and examples, color and B&W, that would be usefull to beginning or experienced painters. This book refrains from trying to teach a particular style of painting. Rather it covers subjects of interest to all painters in oil. I am primarily an acrylic painter but that has never detracted from the usefullness of this book. There are chapters on structural drawing, perspective, modeling, basic and advanced color theory, composition and design, color in landscape, even "Practical concerns for the emerging artist." The color theory chapters are particularly good, with examples and exhaustive color tables to help one learn one of the most difficult parts of painting, the use of color. One may or may not like Foss's style of painting, but this book is designed to help you learn the techniques that will allow you to find your own style.

The writter has successfuly bring a live a classroom lesson as well as a complete guide to deal with oil painting. I've read a few other similiar book and this book had demostrate a true dedication to education than just oil painting for hobbies. I had a wonderful time reading it and learning to paint. I hope to own a copy of this book as my own.

I got this book out of the library among many other techniques books in various mediums on painting, composition, drawing, color theory, and this one is the best and most clearly comprehensive one I've read. Pricey, but I am buying it as a reference book.

I bought this based on a handful of Internet recommendations I found, but I worried that it would be yet another generic oil painting book that touched on everything and taught nothing.

It's a wonderful book. It does indeed cover just about everything, but it doesn't just touch on subjects, it covers them in depth. Important subjects, very readable and understandable writing, I'd have to rate this a must have. If you're to have one book on concepts then this is it. Get others with painting demonstrations if you want, or if you need to explore a particular topic in great depth as your skills improve, but start with this one.

Chapters: 1) Basic Structural Drawing 2) Linear Perspective in Cubic Objects 3) Learning Shape Awareness 4) Understanding Values 5) Translating Values into Light and Shadow 6) Modeling the Four Basic Forms 7) Various Light Directions 8) The Behavior of Cast Shadows 9) Basic Color theory 10) How Color Functions in Realism 11) Complementary Color Sequences 12) Light, Shadow, and Texture 13) Color Perception and Harmony 14) Analogous Color Sequences 15) Advanced Color Theory 16) Composition 17) Design 18) Advanced Painting Techniques 19) Color in Landscape 20) Practical Concerns for the Artist

Found this book in my local library and dind't want to return it. I don't really like Gloria Foss's paintings, but she is an amazing teacher. Very well structered, clear, very detailed, covers everything that seemed so confusing to me before. It gave me so much confidence, that I feel like I can be a teacher of art now. It's expensive, but it's the only book you need. It covers media, tools, drawing, perspective, color theory, 3-dimensional shadowing, composition, design and everything is easily understandable. The chapter on design gave me more information than a course in interior design that I took.

Of the many books in my art instruction collection, I rate this one at No. 1. It has had the greatest influence on me of any lessons or books I've had. If you treat this book as a course in painting you will: 1) learn how to mix absolutely any color with dead-on accuracy, 2) get practical advice on setting up materials and aids (for example, his "spotter" to isolate colors -- simple but indispensible), and 3) become comfortable with the painting knife, which most amateur artists shy away from. Get this book and devote a few months to it. You'll never regret it.

(Note: He shows the use of oil paints. I prefer acrylics, and used them for these lessons without any problems.)

How sad that this book is out of print. It is a wonderful book that deals with the process of isolating colors. First it starts you with a simple project and then progresses within each study exercise that you do. My gray view finder from class has now seen better days, however, I will always carry one with me and used it even to capture items for my journaling.

This book uncovers the mystery of painting. For anyone who wants to grasp the basic concepts of color in a very visual manner. A CLASSIC! If I had found this book sooner, I would not have paid so much for art instruction.

Anyone serious about improving the color in their paintings should own this book. The reproductions are clear and lucious. The work is done in palette knife so the color notes are clean. It takes you step by step through several still life settings and excercises and shows how the objects were first divided into shadow and light patterns and then breaks down to the finer nuances of color. It teaches the student how to look closer and see the subtle temperature shifts of color. There are also several reproductions of completed paintings in the back that utilize the approach. Fortunately I bought it while it was still in print and cheap, but, I'd pay $60 for it if I didn't own it already.

Arthur Stern, student of the legacy of that almost-lost thread that has passed through Classical art, the Renaissance masters, the Baroque masters, into Chase, Hawthorne, Henri (and his students- Bellows, Hopper, Kent, etc.), the Bay Area artists (etc.), offers up the eye-clearing humility, without BS, that is necessary to see in order to paint what Cezanne called the "ensemble".

Akin to tuning a guitar, the method reveals that the harmony of the few notes ("spots" of value/hue/chroma) must be chorded before you learn how to glue an American flag and a photocopy of the Twin Towers to your 21st Century bombast. THE FUNDAMENTAL basis for painting. A pathway, not to be viewed as a fixed style or dogmatic cul-de-sac, but a route of initiation to Beauty.

Hawthorne/Hensche purists irk me with their holier-than-thou, plein air fascism (and some of their students with how-to books should be, with Thomas Kincaid, whipped), but I DO agree that THIS IS THE DOOR TO THE WAY. Beautiful, simple truth. Reprint Stern's book before the world ends.

How come I can only give this book five stars? This book deserves at least ten! This book is invaluable for someone like me (I am a student teacher) who is not used to talking to children about their art. Three cheers for Linda L.Louis and Patrick Ewing!!!

I have bought this book a few times, and I always end up giving it away to parents, so I'm ordering it again today. What makes it so good: Linda L. Louis is a brilliant art educator of young children, she's exact and to the point. This book will help get you into your children's art work. You'll know how to talk to them about their art - and that it's not about saying: "beautiful, pretty, I like it", which can actually be unhelpful to the child at work. But comments like: "I see you made a really fast line around some red dots" etc. helps the child connect to his/her art and want to explore further. I had the wonderful luck of having Linda L. Louis as a teacher, when I studied to become an art teacher. This book is really a little gem, full of her insights. Enjoy

It makes you want to paint even though you could be doing an other hobby.It has wonderful illustrations that were done by kids too.

Parents and teachers will learn how to set just the right conditions allowing their children to make paintings using their own "voices", expressing their own ideas and making their own images .... and the kids will have great fun as they paint their hearts out!

Basketball star, Patrick Ewing, and art educator Linda L. Louis have teamed together to produce a colorful book designed to encourage youngsters to put paint to paper and to express themselves through the techniques of the paintbrush. "In the Paint" begins with an introduction by Mr. Ewing that provides an account of his early childhood interest in drawing and painting, tells how he diligently practiced his hobby in the same way that he later diligently practiced and refined his talents on the basketball court. He realized an early dream when he graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Fine Arts. The book goes on to teach the basics of painting to young people, how to gather the needed materials, how to mix paint to achieve every shade of color, how to select and handle brushes, how to choose what to paint and how to paint it. Addressed to youngsters, it is nevertheless an invaluable instructional book for teachers and parents alike. Of particular interest to them will be the concluding section written by Ms. Louis, "Tips for Parents and Teachers". Chock full of paintings by young students themselves, it is remarkable that this clearly written and beautifully decorated book can be offered at such a low price.

I checked out this book from the library more times than I can count before discovering it was still in print. It is absolutely the best book I've found on watercolor technique (and I've checked out many of them) and the only one I own. John Pike's style of working and his discussion of technique and choice of materials helped alleviate my anxieties about getting started in watercolor. He keeps things simple. I particularly like his philosophy of using value sketches as a guide before starting any finished work, and the step-by-step color photographs showing a painting's evolution. His accompanying text is also very helpful. I've been painting in watercolor for 8 years and have many books on the subject. Mr. Pike's book is still the one I turn to consistently when I need help or inspiration.

This is one of the most beautiful watercolor books I have. John Pike has a wonderful way of simplifying the complex--both in his paintings and also in the words he chooses to explain about his life as an artist and his working methods for the beautiful artwork in his book. There are 13 demonstrations and then a gallery of his paintings along with explanations of how he approached the painting. There is also an interview with John Pike at the beginning of the book. The demonstrations are entrancing, and Pike does not hold any "secrets" back from the students. It is as if John Pike is standing beside you explaining to you step-by-step how to paint his painting. The paintings are loose, with lots of light and contrast. It's a wonderful book that ever watercolor student should hold on to.

I first got this book in the library and now must own it. Pike's insights have opened new doors for me as a relatively new watercolorist. His methods, techniques and explanations make this one of the few books on the subject that I want to have for ready reference rather than just an occassional read. This is the best artists book I have yet to come across!

I first got this book in the library and now must own it. Pike's insights have opened new doors for me as a relatively new watercolorist. His methods, techniques and explanations make this one of the few books on the subject that I want to have for ready reference rather than just an occassional read. This is the best artists book I have yet to come across!

As an absolute beginner in watercolor, my first stop after my first lesson was to the local library. Joining an existing watercolor class of long-time painters left me scrambling for the meaning of what everyone was talking about and doing. In my tiny town nestled in the Colorado Rockies, there were only half a dozen watercolor books in the library, and by some good fortune, John Pike's book, published many years before, had been donated. Even as a novice, I could see that it was far and away the best of the lot, and when I took it home and started reading and studying, I knew I had found a friend. Well, I kept that book out for over two months, and paid a hefty late fee to do so.

I thought Mr. Pike's books were out of print, but on a whim, I decided to search his name on Amazon.com, and it was exciting to find "John Pike Paints Watercolors." I admit this is not the same title I found in the library, but the book review discusses his style of writing and teaching. That style overcame the fear I had to try, to begin, to learn, to dare. He is a teacher! And because of his writing, I was able to begin to catch up to my classmates faster than I had imagined. His paintings are full of life, interesting in subject, and inspirational to a beginner. I am privileged to know that I will have his book on my own shelf.

to my daughter with the four kids. Can't say she'll ever have time to look into it but she surely buys enough of the real stuff that she should. Can't say that I've looked into it myself.

I have to assume that this book is very good. I bought it for someone else and had it sent directly to them. They specifically asked for it by name and author.

I think this book is wonderful! If you have any of the "how to make and do things" type of books some of these recipes might be included but to see them all laid out in order with recipes for different things is very nice! Plus most of the recipes all share common ingredients so you don't need to buy a lot of hard to find stuff for each project.

The way this book is laid out,with one recipe per page and large print,is very easy for children to read.My daughter really enjoyed being able to read the list and help mix up the ingredients.We especially liked the gloop and glop recipes for making slime.

If you work at a school or daycare or if your kids go through paint and playdough like it is going out of style,I highly reccomend this book to cut supply cost because whipping up large batches of supplies will save you lots of money and if you get the kids involved is an awesome learning experience!

Every parent, teacher, childcare provider, and scout leader should have this budget friendly book. The variety of recipes, science experiments, and resourceful materials presented are valuable for expanding a child's education. Using just about everything a person already has in his/her kitchen, creative materials can be formed with little cost. It includes over 100 recipes, and presents ideas for every season of the year.

I recommend buying this book, not just to have fun with your children, but for the knowledge they will gain, homemade gift ideas, holiday decorations, and the many other educational teaching elements it provides. You will find simple, but affordable gift ideas for children to make, discovery table suggestions, and many experiments. Each chapter of the book lists what children can learn and accomplish. Whether your child needs help learning measurements, hand-eye coordination, or learning science, you'll find this book to offer it all. The recipes and activities offer instructive and physical advantages for children, and teach them, as well as parents, about ways to recycle.

The Author has worked with young children for over ten years, and the quality of her experience in this book is evident. She understands that family resources are difficult to manage and still afford the extras, while providing an educational and fun activity for kids.


Kristina N. is a thrifty stay-at-home mother of six children, and home schools her preschooler. She does freelance writing in her spare time.

This book has been a great help to me as a stay at home mom of a toddler!! Great ideas to keep her busy when the weather is too hot to get outside(or as winter approaches too cold!). I love the ideas and my daughter has loved the varied activities in her "art" time!

I bought this book as a just in case my other book didn't have all the information I needed but I ended up using this book as my main book to do my house. Great illustrations and explanations.

The techniques in this book are so painstakingly explained with text and photos that it's almost as if the authors are looking over your shoulder as you work. The reader will notice many extra tips and suggestions along the way in margins, charts, stylized boxes or picture captions. One feature called "Masterstroke" contains ideas for one a bit more advanced or ambitious.

Mastering Fine Decorative Paint Techniques might be a bit overwhelming for someone who's never tried any of the techniques. It's probably better suited for someone who's done some experimentation with these techniques previously. This is not a book for someone who just wants to sponge a jewelry box or closet wall. At the other end of the spectrum, even an advanced painter should find things of interest here to help him/her fine-tune some techniques.

I bought this book in preparation for painting rooms in our first home. Having always rented, I didn't know what all was required in preparing your surface or how to choose the proper application tools. This book started from the beginning and included these topics. The examples throughout the book are marvelous and the directions for achieving such great effects, as stenciling, colorwashing, stippling, sponging, ragging, etc. are easy to understand. The instructions also include applying the these techniques to not only walls, but objects like picture frames, candlesticks and furniture if appropriate. A must have for anyone who is redocorating their home and wants to stretch their budget a little further by using paint techniques.

I am currently reading this book as I prepare to redecorate my home using painting techiques. This book is excellant in the volume of information it contains from a discussion of colors, paints, glazes, brushes, and tools to specific techniques such as sponging, ragging, stippling, color washing, etc. I found the contents to be very specific yet simple enough for a beginner like me. The best feature however is the variety of color pictures that accompany each topic. Once I have mastered the simpler techniques, this book will allow me to move on to the more advanced techniques which are also included. Happy painting!

I am a professional faux finisher/muralist, and I really enjoyed this book. I have literally dozens of books on decorative painting techniques, and this is one of my favorites. It's like an encyclopedia- lots of different techniques explained very clearly, with good general info. If you're not sure what type of finish you're looking for, this would be a good book to invest in. Also has a good color reference for help on mixing your own paint colors. Another nice feature is that there are finishes in both water and oil based paints. Some Faux books only deal with oils, which i personally don't like to work with because of the smell and clean-up, etc... If you're looking for a more advanced book, I'd suggest "The Art of Faux" by Pierre Finkelstein.

Love this book. The large lap-sized board book style is wonderful way to enjoy the colors. Simple, but fun story demonstrating color mixing. Great illustrations. Has inspired many painting projects by my 2 year old!

I also recommend Mouse Shapes by same author.

I purchased this book for my 7th month old son. This book is clearly targeted at an older child, but my son does enjoy the graphics and the feel/taste of the book :-). The text/story line is something he will eventually grown into. I can image this being a fun book to read before/after arts & crafts - the child will definitely identify with the mice jumping into the paint and will take away some great ideas for mixing colors the next time he/she paints.

The book is very large. "Lap-size" apparently refers to an adult lap as opposed to a child's lap. I personally prefer the smaller board books as my son can hold them himself and pull them closer to his face to look at/chew on.

My three-month old son doesn't have much of an attention span, but he stares mesmerized at this book! I enjoy reading it to him frequently - the images are simple yet very well done, the text is interesting and fun, and the story is very cute. I'm sure I'll be reading it to him over and over and over. The large size is great for a baby, it is easy to hold him on my lap with the book in front of us. Great book to start reading to an infant, and I'm looking forward to continuing with it when he's older and can start to learn about mixing colors. I'll be buying more of Ms. Walsh's books!

I am an elementary art teacher, National Board certified, and this is one of my favorite books for my classroom. I use this in my lesson introducing Kindergarten students to primary and secondary colors. It is always a favorite. When I do color units with my older kids...all the way to fifth grade, they ask me to read them that book again. This book is truly a favorite for me and my students.

I have a master's in education, and when I had my own kids, I started looking for good books that would be read over and over. This book teaches about color mixing through mice. I am glad that I bought the lap-size edition so that all the kids can see. It was well worth the extra money spent. If you buy 25.00 worth of eligible books with amazon, you get free shipping too. I am pleased with the book, durability, cost, and shipping of this book.

I live in Australia so expected 3 to 4 weeks for delivery of this book, it came in less than 2 weeks so was plesently suprised with it's early arrival and it was well packed. I really enjoy the step by step projects how too's, and tips and tricks with lots of pictures to guide you.

I really enjoy using this book for inspiration and practice. I don't use her ideas for greeting cards, but for small paintings. Most of the paintings can be finished rather quickly. The topics are appealing and I have sold a number of them. I like her 3-in-1 compositions, dividing the paper with masking tape and having related subjects treated differently within each block. It is a practical and user-friendly book, well worth the purchase.

Thank you Jacqueline Penney for making my introduction to watercolor painting fun, informative and very helpful.
The book, Painting Greeting Cards in Watercolor, was a step by step introduction to watercolor painting through the practice of greeting card design. The lessons were fun, quick and very easy to follow, making the student beg to beging the next lesson. After every lesson I felt like I really learned something and was proud of my accomplishment. I'll be honest, as a first time watercolorist I would have given up if this book wasn't easy, fun and easy to understand. Luckily it was a superb introduction and I am very happy.
Thank you again.

I have painted all the pictures in Jacqueline's book. Her detailed instructions make copying her art miniatures easy. Her instructions apply not only to miniatures but also larger sized pictures. I have used several of her designs for greeting cards.

This is an exceptional watercolor book that offers over 35 step-by-step projects in miniature art. It is not just for beginners. It is packed with useful information on how to design a painting, vary a theme to create a series of paintings. By walking you through the various painting techniques, then using them in step-by-step projects, Jaqueline Penny shows you how to how to turn one small painting into variations based on such things as differing the arrangement, color schemes, weather themes, horizontal vs. vertical presentation, etc..

Here are some excerpts from the Table of Contents:
Chapter 3 guides you through 5 projects that vary one scene by changing the sky, color, season, time of day, size and location.

Chapter 5 gives 8 projects that help you become more creative by showing how a subject can be painted different ways--project 18 is how to paint a pear, including how to paint a droplet of water on the pear. Project 19 is painting an apple half. Project 20 Painting Hard Rocks--the author then shows how that same scene can be painted again, but by using different painting techniques, it does not become the same picture, but one with a whole new statement. The next projects are soft rocks, coastal rocks, little rocks. Next, painting two adirondack chairs(facing the viewer), then varying that theme by painting them facing out away from you, and changing the scenery surrounding them.

Penny also teaches how to set up your paper so you can paint several paintings all on the same board, and how to do such things as making a postcard with three related small paintings--one of a landscape, then zeroing in on what's in the landscape and painting a close up of some flowers, or seeing the landscape from a different perspective, or changing the angles of 3 related paintings on a postcard, etc..

I love Chapter 20, because it really shows where creativity and imagination can take you, and it's FUN!! Penny demonstrates how you can allow paints to run together to skies and flowers, then how to make minature paintings for the walls by varying mat colors. She gives you ideas on how to use such things as drips dropping on wet paper to make a colorful flower scene, and how to use that colorful painting along with a colored border cut in various shapes to add interest and make a variety of different greeting cards.

Project 35 is especially exciting for me. It's title is "Pure Fantasy Another Way" It shows you how a wet-on-wet floral painting with a lot of soft edges can be used to create a beautiful fantasy scene with a tiny boy who is about 1/1000th as big as the flower is standing on the stem to gaze at the flower....This idea is then FURTHER EXPANDED by taking that floral idea and changing the boy to a girl, with a different pose and slightly different floral scene, or adding poetry to the scene of zeroing in more to one or two flowers.

This book really demonstrates the multitude of possibilities in painting greeting cards, miniature paintings for the home, post cards, etc. The lessons are not difficult, and are easy enough for beginners, but it is also good for someone who is beyond the beginner stage, as it is also a book about design and creativity.

A Wonderful book, that will help you expand on ideas for watercolors.
If you like the book Work Small, Learn Big, this might be a good companion.

This book is exactly the book I need to continue developing as a space artist. The book has a number of step-by-step exercises, each of different levels of complexity/expertise. Even if you don't use the very same techniques he uses, you can still get a lot out of seeing a painting develop. This development was exactly the Rosetta Stone I needed.
Thanks Mike!

SPACE ART: HOW TO DRAW AND PAINT PLANETS, MOONS, AND LANDSCAPES OF ALIEN WORLDS comes from a leading astronomical artist who explains the basics of styles and paints needed to produce the hues and excitement of alien worlds. Carroll has been a professional space art painter for over 25 years: his experience lends to a blend of science and art ideas which not only provides an overview of techniques, but provides some fourteen paintings, building in complexity, for step-by-step teaching. Any general-interest or art library will find it easily accessible and a popular pick.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I learned to paint from the wonderful Walter Foster art book series, which featured titles such as "How to Paint Landscapes," "How to Draw and Paint Seascapes," etc. Every niche of hobbyist painting was covered, from sunsets to still lifes. Typically, each subject would be explored through a series of illustrations showing the development of a painting from simple charcoal sketch, to rough color, to the finished work. Popular masters of the 50's and 60's such as Robert Wood and Violet Parkhurst let us look over their shoulders, sharing their "secrets" with struggling beginners. How I wish Michael Carroll's Space Art had existed back then!

Space Art is not a primer on painting, although a beginner can pick up valuable techniques unlikely to be covered in more traditional "how to" books. While there is a good, brief discussion of media and tools, and an excellent presentation on color, the book assumes a basic knowledge of how to mix and work acrylics. What the beginning painter might find particularly useful, however, is Carroll's discussion, throughout the book, on how to "see" -- how to observe and depict the interplay of light and objects and atmosphere.

Any basic art book will contain a diagram showing how to render and shade the cube, cone, and sphere, but Space Art links this exercise to nature in a way that traditional art books generally do not. For example, most landscape artists rarely paint the moon correctly, either depicting it as a featureless white disk or a weird, banana-shaped crescent. This is, I think, because they haven't made the conceptual leap that allows them to see the moon as a sphere, subject to the same rules of lighting as is an orange in a fruit bowl. They don't see the illuminated part of the moon as its "day" side, and the dark part as its "night." They haven't realized that the dividing line between day and night -- the terminator, to use astronomical parlance -- is an arc of an ellipse: the shape of a great circle seen in perspective. After reading Space Art and attempting its exercises, beginning painters will have a deeper understanding of light and shadow that will make them better artists in any genre of painting.

Space Art takes the reader through fourteen exercises, ranging from the the almost mundane -- "Earth seen from the Moon" -- to the science-fictional landscapes of extrasolar worlds with binary suns. Brief essays by established space artists punctuate the exercises. These essays touch only lightly on technique, but delve more deeply into how space artists interpret the raw data of science and apply this knowledge to imaginatively portray a subject in a way that transcends a mere photograph. The sample illustrations by these guest artists range stylistically from plein air sketches to digital photographic realism. Carroll wisely restricts his exercises to techniques available to the beginner. Although he may sometimes use the airbrush or computer in his commercial work, subtle gradients in the exercises are created using fan brushes and sponges.

Space Art is not only a useful book, but a beautiful one, well printed and rich with color. A reader is likely to learn a bit of astronomy and geology along the way, and Carroll's impish sense of humor comes through in the text, maintaining the friendly tone of a teacher who loves his work. Again, I wish some time traveler had brought this book to me forty years ago. Highly recommended for beginning -- and developing -- artists, in any genre.

I bought this book to gain an idea of how to paint western backdrops for a model railroad. The book is thouroughly illustrated with progressive views of how to create different images. Work of multiple artists are presented, so it goes beyond just one style. Explanations are given over the use of color. I have found it to be a very useful guide, and did I mention, it has lots of pictures!

Michael Carroll has written, once again,a very fine book. This one meets a specific need in the artistic painting market of today. Space Art is a unique topic that is a favorite of the author's and it shows. The narrative is presented clearly with step-by-step, easy-to-follow directions, including which colors to use, how to create textures, and specific tricks of the trade used to make the artist's space paintings as realistic as possible. The book portrays painting lessons, with colorful thumbnail views, for all levels of students, from beginners to intermediate through to advanced. Michael has also included educational highlights to broaden the painter's knowledge of his/her favorite space subject as they seek to broaden their painting experience to include the wonderful world of Space. It's a great book and very helpful.