Paint Books

Packed full of information for a novice would-be painting contractor like me. It's a pity they have not updated it and done a reprint, because at one point it talks about typing up an invoice. No computer is ever mentioned. An updated edition would be wonderful. Still a great book for my purposes.

If you don't know how to paint, but want to make money at it, don't buy this book. If you already know how to paint, but need help with business savvy, buy this book. Is it out of date? Yes, but it doesn't take a genius to read the 1985 imprint in the publishing info. We all know its out of date. However, what you'll get from this book isn't time sensitive.

What this book has that's timeless is an introduction into business for painters in a way we can understand it. It includes necessary forms that only need to be updated to your needs, semi-reliable man-hour tables, and info on marketing and costing. Just that much is well worth the purchase price.

If you want to start making money and building a business, buy this book. If you want to whine about not having enough work, and losing money on jobs, I can't stop you.

Just like any other book, this one isn't a silver bullet. I haven't seen any cost data book, or construction related book yet that I didn't have to update to my region, crews, special circumstances. You have to use your savvy with what this book gives you. Tanstaafl.

Big thumbs up for this book. Lots of info that's cleanly presented in clear language.

After skimming through the book I found that it was hardly sophisticated as it was originally described. In fact what I read and saw was highly remedial and just plain common sense content. The book did not go beyond the very very basics of painting. I really don't know who I could recommend this book to. If you are seriously considering being a painting contractor this book would hardly prepare you.

I'm a small painting contractor, been around several years, and I'll put my work up against anybody's. This book gave me some new ways of looking at things. This is the third book I've bought on paint contracting and it is by far the most common sense type book I've read. No, it isn't highly sophisticated. I wasn't looking for sophistication.

I wanted to read something written by someone with experience like my own, and this author has just that. Over the years I've developed several forms I use daily in my business. I remade two of mine using a lot of what he put into his examples.

Simple costing techniques, tips on how to survive up against the competition, the big companies with several crews and foremen employed. I don't ever aspire to be that kind of contractor. This is a fresh viewpoint and it gave me so much I am no longer looking for a painter's contracting manual. I found a lot of his times for painting different items to closely match my own.

There is a certain comfort in seeing that someone else is doing it like you are. But the tips and techniques he shares are great. Ever hear the term "too close to the forest to see the trees"?

If you are a small company, even a one person painter, you will definitely benefit from this book. The first tip you see will be well worth the price of this book.

excellent book ,very informative and concise ,it helped me with my own painting business
highly reccomended !

In this book, Jane Evans, author, presents not only copies of her artistry, but also gives the reader insight into: the art of Chinese Brush; explains the materials you need to accomplish your entry into this particular form of art; the basic techniques you will learn; how to apply 'washes'; how to accomplish painting flowers, plants, birds, insects, fish and aquatic creatures, animals, people, landscapes ... trees, grasses, mountains, hills, waterfalls, bridges. From start to finish ... including mounting your art ... Jane has left nothing out.

In a world of Chinese Brush Art, where books are hard to come by, this is a great buy!

Jane Evans, author, in this particular book gives you everything you need to know to get started. From her portrait, copies of some of her originals, the art of Chinese Brush, the materials you need to get started, basic techniques. She goes into the topic of 'washes' and applying them; flowers, plants, birds, fish and aquatic creatures, animals, people, landscapes - trees, ground covers, waterfalls, mountains & hills, bridges, boats. Jane leaves nothing out! Last and not least she tells you how to mount your art.

Bought this book a few weeks ago and love it.

The author uses illustrations and technique tips to enhance learning. The technique tips were very helpful and this book is an invaluable tool for anyone who would like to try their hand at brush painting. A bonus was information on supplies, including best bets for beginners.

In this book, Jane Evans, author, presents not only copies of her artistry, but also gives the reader insight into: the art of Chinese Brush; explains the materials you need to accomplish your entry into this particular form of art; the basic techniques you will learn; how to apply 'washes'; how to accomplish painting flowers, plants, birds, insects, fish and aquatic creatures, animals, people, landscapes ... trees, grasses, mountains, hills, waterfalls, bridges. From start to finish ... including mounting your art ... Jane has left nothing out.

In a world of Chinese Brush Art, where books are hard to come by, this is a great buy!

In this book, Jane Evans, author, presents not only copies of her artistry, but also gives the reader insight into: the art of Chinese Brush; explains the materials you need to accomplish your entry into this particular form of art; the basic techniques you will learn; how to apply 'washes'; how to accomplish painting flowers, plants, birds, insects, fish and aquatic creatures, animals, people, landscapes ... trees, grasses, mountains, hills, waterfalls, bridges. From start to finish ... including mounting your art ... Jane has left nothing out.

In a world of Chinese Brush Art, where books are hard to come by, this is a great buy!

I love color, and I own about twenty books on painting. I have used this book dozens of times in the past few years--more than I've used any other painting book--and I have found it easy to recreate even the toughest designs. I've used my own paint colors or colors similar to these suggestions, all to stunning results. I think I've even covered a chair and made curtains based on something I saw in this book! I return to it over and over again.

[...]

Carter's book gives a wide-ranging look at many aspects of decorative painting. He starts with a brief introduction, followed by a gallery covering just about every room in the house in his bold, dramatic painted treatments - the cover give just of his interior examples. Take that as an inspriation or warning, as you see fit.

Next, he gives brief descriptions of many basic techniques, including multilayered washes of color, spattering, dragging, marbling, woodgrain finishes and others. This could have been a great resource, but lacks the detail and clarity needed for a do-it-yourselfer to have much chance of success. The project section includes two samples of furniture decoration, but the large majority describe room decorations. Again, I found the directions improvable, especially because I already had reservations about the wisdom or practicality of a beginner tackling such large projects with unfamiliar materials and techniques. I really had to wonder, too, about whether I'd like to live in a room decorated in faux leopard fur by means of stamps cut from potatos.

The last sections present primers on paints, solvents, media, and surface preparation (primers included, if you'll pardon the pun). This is epsecially helpful for special problems, including metallic and masonry surfaces. In most other ways, though, other books are better for the fussy bits of technique, materials, and suggestions for approachable projects.

//wiredweird, reviewing the 1996 edition

I have been a professional faux painter for over 5 years. This is the book I turn to when a client is looking for something unusual. The photos provide endless, timeless finishes and designs. I have spent countless hours poured over Mr. Carter's book and I always find a little something in the pictures that I can turn into a 'new' look. The current 'in-style' colors may change, but that is the beauty of paint! Change the colors and you have a new look. As I always say, the best ideas usually begin as someone else's!

I have been a professional faux painter for over 5 years. This is the book I turn to when a client is looking for something unusual. The photos provide endless, timeless finishes and designs. I have spent countless hours poured over Mr. Carter's book and I always find a little something in the pictures that I can turn into a 'new' look. The current 'in-style' colors may change, but that is the beauty of paint! Change the colors and you have a new look. As I always say, the best ideas usually begin as someone else's!

I checked this book out of the library to determine if it was one I would like to add to my collection.

The first half of the book "Inspirations" showed different rooms with various faux finishes and paint, none of which were detailed. The second half of the book was divided into "Technique and Effects", "Projects" and "Directory of paints and surfaces".

"Technique and Effects" addresses the various techniques, i.e. sponging, splattering, combing, strie and others. Generally there were 1-2 small (about 2" x 4-5") close-up photos of the specific technique. The instructions for the technique followed with a few illustrations, not photographs. Some sections did not have illustrations, just text instruction of the technique (antiquing, aging wood and trompe l'oeil).

"Projects" included things like:
- Crackle-glazed headboard (basic and brief)
- Opulent hallway (some weird star-like spots that seemed more appropriate for a child's room or maybe a celestial theme)
- Faux Fur Interior (walls painted in a leopard-print using potatos)
- Theatrical Drawing Room (very amateurish looking).

There WERE several nice projects such as the:
- Empire Style Salon which used Trompe l'oeil panels (no detailed instructions)
- Townhouse Suite with Blue and white striped walls (again just brief steps)
- Silhouetted Salon - very unusual technique and kind of a stylized art painting of a figure done in a navy color
- Stone Blocked Bathroom - brief instructions but think I could follow this one without too much trouble

"Directory" discusses different type of finishes and how they are used; exterior and how to paint various objects (gutters, brick, doors); tiles/ceramic/glass and plastic. I found this section very informative, even though it did not go into a great amount of detail on each component but it was helpful information.

This book may be great for someone who already does faux-finishing, but I felt it lacked details for the beginner. I do think there are much better books out there for learning paint techniques which go into more detail. You might want to try Fresh Paint by Glenwood Sherry, Walls that Wow from Country Sampler Decorating Ideas (even though many of their techniques are not country) and Great Paint Finishes for a Gorgeous Home by Gary Lord

"Creating Your Own Web Graphics with Paint Shop Pro" is an excellent addition to any graphics library. Andy Shafran and Dick Oliver work well together as they tell you which graphics to use on your web page, how to create them from scratch, how to work with existing graphics and more. If you have ever wanted to create or rework existing graphics but didn't know where to start, this book is for you. If you are already comfortable with manipulating graphics, get this to learn stuff you may not even know. The CD-ROM that is included gives you all the software you need to get started. It's a great addition to your library!

For those of us who are most concerned with content and cost on Web Pages, and don't have any kind of graphics background, Paint Shop Pro offers an inexpensive image manipulation package that is hard to beat. This book gives you a running head start on learning its capabilities.

Let's say you have already experimented with a few of the features in PSP, but don't really know what a lot of the filters, deformations, special tools and color adjustments can do for you. Shafran and Oliver show you through every feature, step by step, with "original" and "result" side by side for each process. Better yet, the CD provides the sample images they use for demonstration, so you can follow along, perform the same steps, and even experiment a little on your own as you go along. As one who "learns by doing", this was an invaluable part of this book's design from my perspective. I especially liked learning how to make a "seam-free" background tile "the hard way".

For those of us who really haven't begun to tap the resources on the web yet, the authors also discuss pre-existing graphics -- how to find them, and how to use them (and the legal ramifications thereof); newsgroup resources, websites with information, tutorials, plugins, and the like; and aspects such as dither-free color palettes and how to use them. There are plenty of "plug-n-play" graphics on the CD as well, in case you are lazy or in a big hurry. If you are neither, you can wax creative and come up with your own combinations and aberrations.

Of course there are bigger, fancier graphics packages and bigger, fancier books about them, but if you want to concentrate on "lite" Web Graphics ("look great, less load time") for your "poor man's web page", you can do much worse. The pros can have their "Adobe Mansions" -- I'll keep this book and PSP.

This is quite an interesting book for beginners to paintshop pro. It teaches you all the basic tools and several tips on polishing your graphics. The only disappointment is that it didn't give teach you more extensive tips and advance techniques. Maybe the author will write another book for intermmediate to advance users. If you already know how to use paintshop, this book will not be of much use to you. For beginners, it's an excellent book

This is quite an interesting book for beginners to paintshop pro. It teaches you all the basic tools and several tips on polishing your graphics. The only disappointment is that it didn't give teach you more extensive tips and advance techniques. Maybe the author will write another book for intermmediate to advance users. If you already know how to use paintshop, this book will not be of much use to you. For beginners, it's an excellent book

This book is only useful if you have PSP and no experience in graphics whatsoever, and need a "How-To" on PSP. There is really only 80-100 pages of real text, the rest being filler and cliches like "Colors make web sites more intereting", only for several paragraphs. This book will get you started with PSP, but not much else. For example, he does not explain how to correct "red-eye" in a photo or how to set the magic wand's sensitivity. Unless you are a complete neophyte to graphics and have PSP, best look elsewhere.

I think Ms. Skinner has a lot of talent but I was disappointed in the projects. I wanted some advice to use on different areas of my house but the projects in the book were really unique and not applicable, I believe, to most people. It was not a book I would order again.

Metallic finishes don't have to look like cheap tin foil. This book shows you how to decorate with a variety of metallic shades, from burnished golds to delicate silvers and everything in between. The most comprehensive book on this subject that I've ever seen.

Though I have numerous books about decorative finishes, this is the only one that focuses on metal effects. It is packed with fresh ideas and techniques not seen elsewhere. While many other books focus on cute floral or antique looking interiors, there are many projects here with a clean, modern, metallic look, along with classical styles as well.

There are over 15 projects including a faux-gold wall, aluminum wall paneling, metallic-effect patterned floor tiles, mesh lampshade with metal accents, Moroccan-style shutters, a steel-effect column and an incised gesso plaque. Each project includes a materials list, and step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos. A discussion of the project and large photo of the finished design is included as well.

Technical information is included in the back. There is a photograph of just about every tool and material you will use. The author also guides you seamlessly through preparing size and gesso. The details of water-gilding, gilding with oil and acrylic size, finishes, metal patination, and painted metallic effects are also shown. There is also an awesome section spanning nine pages that shows swatches of over 70 special effects including painted patinas, metal-leaf patinas, and patterned metallics.

If you love the look of metal then you need to buy this book. With so much information and so many inspirational ideas you won't be disappointed.

If I wanted to paint something metallic, this would be the book I would go to for instructions . If I hadn't just bought a bunch of other interior decoration books, I would have bought this one. The projects were very creative and inspiring and surprisingly untacky. This book would be a fun addition to any design junkies library.

Pluses:
It has a wide variety of projects, easy to understand technical info, instructions and tools listed in great detail.

Bonus:
Several pages of color swatches for every type of paint effect and metallic color imaginable.

Minus:
If you were expecting 70's metallic wallpaper, don't buy this book.

Recommendation: Buy this book!

Kerry Skinner's The Gilded Room: Decorating With Metallic Effects, From Metal Leaf To Powders, Pastes & Paints offers do-it-yourself interior decorators twenty innovative projects for walls, floors, furniture and accessories incorporating traditional and contemporary techniques for decorative metallic effects ranging from water-gilding to decoupage. Each project is profusely illustrated with clear step-by-step instructions and enhanced with the color photography by Tim France. The Gilded Room is a very highly recommended addition to any personal or professional interior design reference collection.

For the price it is OK. It reminds me of the videos that teach you how to pinstipe and paint flames. They make it look so easy when it isn't. For a much better, albeit more expensive and a bit more difficult to locate, get the FAQ Frequently Asked Questions about painting figure techniques by the Andrea Miniatures Team published by Andrea Press.

One of the best I've ever seen in teaching modelers. Great pictures and everything very well detailed.Perfect for figure modelers.

Actually, I haven't seen the new edition of this book; only the original. The techniques of using acrylics for figure painting are explained very clearly and the photos are very good. Each stage of achieving the final result is shown. BEST OF ALL: The authors of this book do good work, so you know THEY know what they're talking about! Beware of another book on painting figures with acrylics...this was the first I've seen and is still light years ahead of the 'other'.

This book was exactly what I was looking for. I'm fairly fussy when it comes to my hobbies, and will only invest in something that I know is good.

It has lots of step-by-step photos and techniques explained in detail.

The authors are very experienced and do excellent jobs of conveying their many years of experience.

I highly recommend this book if you're interested in painting figures. Novice to experienced painters will not be disappointed, it's definitely a keeper that will be used many times as reference in the future.

The current edition is a major revision of the original book, and includes detailed information on painting with oils as well as acrylic paints. Most techniques are well illustrated with good quality closeup photographs, which really helps to walk you through the steps.

Once in awhile, a very special book comes along that tells a story in a unique and creative way. "How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird" tells a story of a young boy that is awaken by a bird singing at his window. The boy decides to paint a portrait of this bird. The beauty of this story is how he goes about painting this portrait.
When I read this to my 4 1/2-yr old, she was fascinated in the story. It speaks about having a goal, patience, the seasons, and respect for the natural progression of things. I rarely recommend books very highly, but this one is a must read.

I bought this book and found that no kids in my family cared for it. It is just boring... I found that the kids all thought the book would teach them HOW to draw a bird.

This book caught my eye as I was leaving the bookstore because it does have a lovely cover illustration. However after glancing at a few pages and seeing the boy painting an empty cage for his bird, I knew this was a keeper and got it without even reading through it. When I got home and actually read the book I was even more impressed. The illustrations are warm and expressive and the story draws you in. I read it that night to my four year old and it instantly became her new favorite book. She liked it so much we must have read it two dozen times or more in the first week alone. Now I will find her sitting on the bed or floor and reading the book to herself, getting excited about the bird singing and talking about the bird flying home out of the painting. I really am sorry that another reviewer expected a how-to book and didn't page through it first. I am surprised that they didn't like the story but to each his own. We have now given this book as a gift for birthday parties of two friends as it is a lovely addition to a youngster's library. It will continue to be a favorite book and gift idea standby for years to come.

My daughter is a budding artist and the beauty of this book's cover called to us. This is not a how-to with step-by-step instructions for rendering feathers, but a colorful celebration of creativity and nature.

This is a quiet tale, with spare language, beginning and ending with wordless pages. Be forewarned that some children will find it a little too quiet.

To draw a bird, one must first draw a cage. With an open door. And some pretty things to attract the bird. My daughter enjoyed examining the illustrations for the items the boy painted onto his canvas. As the boy ventured outside, the book suggested the best place for him to find a bird.

As often happens with five year-olds, we paused reading and began discussing the best place to find a bird near our home. I always welcome conversations prompted by books and other parents may appreciate the thought-provoking nature of this story.

The book teaches patience, as a bird can take a very long time to visit the cage. Once the bird appears, it is then best to erase the cage and paint him a lovely tree. But will the bird sing? You'll have to read the book to find out.

The fine lines of the illustrations are balanced by bold, vibrant colors, especially in the final nature scenes. By the end, readers are taught a gentle lesson about the beauty and wonder of nature and how to appreciate it. But this is a very mature perspective. My daughter simply looks forward to painting a portrait of a bird just as this poetic book suggests.

The text and illustrations combine to make a wonderful, beautiful book. Recommended as a great gift for an artist.

This book should be Paint Shop Pro 8 Power!
The only way I found it was discovery on a tech books site, and then copying in the ISBN number here!! Anybody searching for Paint Shop Pro here will never find this book!!

I bought this book because it was touted for intermediate users and it is that. It assumes you understand some basic terms and functions and takes you a step further. I've worked my way through the first 5 chapters and have learned some things along the way.

However, one annoying thing is that the samples used in the book are not available to follow along with. They are supposed to be at www.courseptr.com, but the book isn't even listed there. There are downloads from one of Lori Davis' earlier books, but only a few of these are applicable. I wrote the co. and asked where these downloads were and received no answer in two weeks.

I think it is a wonderful learning tool, but the author's efforts are blunted a bit by lack of support.

Don't expect miracles from this book in how to create the WOW type graphic or edited photo because that author just doesn't seem to possess the graphic design knowledge or creative ability to be able to do it herself let alone tell others how to create WOW. Don't expect to learn about digital photography or photo editing either, for that get Dave Huss' book (see below). What Lori's book is good at is giving the reader a technical, non-professionals explanation of points already made in the Paint Shop Pro 8 manual, but she expands by offering examples.

As a beginner to Paint Shop Pro and graphic design I purchased the following books:

Paint Shop Pro 8: The Guide to Creating Professional Images by Robin Nichols

How To Do Everything with Paint Shop Pro 8 by Dave Huss

Paint Shop Pro 8 Zero to Hero by Sally Beachman and Ron Lacey

Paint Shop Pro 8 Power by Lori Davis.

Although none of the books are 100% in coverage of the features in Paint Shop Pro 8 (there are so many) my experience has been that Paint Shop Pro 8 Zero to Hero was a complete waste of my money, written by what seemed 100% complete self taught authors who had zero creative talent and knew very little above surface knowledge that can be found in countless places on the Internet for free.

Dave Huss' book lacked a lot in coverage of from scratch design so probably should have been titled differently but if you are interested in digital photography and editing your photos in Paint Shop Pro 8 this is the book to get because it is evident that he is a professional photographer and is far more knowledgeable than the trial by error macjob surface approach of Beacham and Lacey in the coverage of photography, and also does much better at coverage on digital photography than Robin's book and Lori's book. Dave easily relates his wealth of professional experience to beginners terms, but still delves into the how and whys of each technique he discusses. His book is not good if you want to learn brushes and filters, and that is where Robin's book takes the forefront.

Robin's book is best for those intested in editing existing photos and graphics from scratch using filters and brushes. Robin seems to have a much better grasp of the theory, concepts and principles of graphic design than the other authors especially better than Beacham and Lacey who lack any creative juices of their own as far as I could tell. From Robin's book you not only get the how and whys, but also get a lot of creative ideas and suggested techniques to try out.

Lori's book is a good extension of the Paint Shop Pro 8 manual, but like the Beacham and Lacey book don't expect to discover how to design WOW type graphics or get even to get suggestions on how to do it because these authors do not appear to have the ability necessary to do it themselves. Technically Lori's book is more indepth than Beacham's and Laceys', but she lacks on the digital photography end. Lori does seem to know more about Paint Shop Pro than Beacham and Lacey, so her book is the better pick and worth the purchase for any beginner.

If you have the cash get Dave Huss' book for digital photography interests, Robin's book for filter, brush and the more creative side of graphic design, and get Lori's book for a more technical approach to understanding Paint Shop Pro 8.

The strength of this book is in the customization, such as creating your own Picture Tubes. It's extremely hard to find Paint Shop Pro books that don't focus exclusively on enhancing and cleaning up digital photos. This is one of the very few. However, this is not at all a book for anyone new to Paint Shop Pro. It assumes a strong knowledge of concepts and basic functions, for that you may want to her "Paint Shop Pro Solutions" book. Neither book has much - if any - color in it, which is unfortunate, but the instructions are clear and concise.

This book really needs a Glossary. The author assumes too much -- including that the reader has PSP 8's Manual (one does not if the program is bought online and downloaded). One cannot start a project in this book if you do not know where to begin. I have been using PSP 7 for two years and recently got PSP 8, and this book has given me very little help. Look for something that at least has a solid overview or foundation (it does not have to be intro to).

The book was like new, it was shipped sooner than I expected and the price was unbelievable. It was the transaction of a lifetime. I'm a permanent customer starting right now.

Really enjoy the book. I am taking a beginner watercolor painting class and the teacher is using it for the course guide.
thanks for the prompt delivery service.

I was extremely disappointed with this volume as I purchased it after being so delighted with RD's complete watercolor set. I thought I would get more of the beautiful and informative art that, that set had, but no......The book is pale and under illustrated and what color work there is childish and uninspiring.
Moreover, the book is almost entirely too much about drawing and not enough about painting. While this might be good for an absolute beginner with little intelligence who is still fixated on words it is not at all for someone wanting the visual stimuli to paint along with great examples. Search elsewhere for a comprehensive book on Water Color Painting!

Lovely instruction and example text for watercolorists. This purchase saved a friend from Jail for even thinking about stealing the library's copy

I loved this book! It covers more topics than any other beginning watercolor book I have read. Each lesson is illustrated to demonstrate the technique they are explaining. Tips are given as well for each lesson... some obvious, some pretty insightful!

Yes, it does have a lot of drawing technique lessons and such, but as I like to do a full drawing before painting, I think those sections are very helpful. And it is giving me more ideas about combining drawing with watercolors.

I learned a lot from this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone starting in watercolors. Especially if you prefer to draw your paintings first before putting paint to paper.

However, for traditional plein air aritsts that paint without drawing, maybe this book isn't for you. For you, I would suggest looking at a copy at the bookstore before purchasing.

this book is okay. didn't have what i wanted exactly, but not the book's fault. focused more on very detailed, involved wood painting.

This is the first time that I bought a used book this way, I would do it again.

it has everything you need to know about paint. great for beginners to intermidiate.

As a decorative painter, I use this book constantly to get ideas and practice techniques. I've found the step-by-step photos and explanations extremely helpful and clearer than in some other books on this topic. Also, the specific methods used here are interesting to compare to those demonstrated in other books on faux finishing -- especially the malachite look. I appreciate the fact that the authors use generic color names rather than commercial manufacturers' names (e.g. burnt sienna instead of "dried pumpkin"). Sometimes, though, I've had to slightly adjust the colors I use to achieve the "right" effect. And I do wish it included a more comprehensive assortment of finishes and effects. (Do the authors have plans for a second volume?) But, all in all, it's a great book and easy to follow for both professional and amateur alike. I'm glad it's in my library.