Paint Books

Excellent gift for someone who doesn't own any of Enya's albums, but I think they could have waited to release her couple new songs when she had an album's worth. You can't throw this one in with Watermark and Shepard Moon's in a multi-disc changer and throw it on shuffle, you will hear the same darn song twice in a row!

What I think is especially unique about Enya's music is that she creates a mood all her own and a sense of familiarity; as if revealing some hidden memory of the distant past. I feel her music creates a sense of balance and harmony, as well as the experience of being alive.

Although Enya's music is superb, the transcriptions in this book leave something to be desired. Part of the trouble is of course due to the difficulty of arranging music originally for multiple instruments and voices for solo piano, but on other instances it seems to be more thoughtlessness on the parts of those who transcribed the music. For example:

-Several of the pieces, such that "Anywhere is" and "The Memory of Trees" are very repetitive. In the original pieces, the harmonies and background change over the course of the song. In these arrangements, each verse is notated exactly the same.

-In "The Celts", a D.S. al. Coda is given without any indication as to what point in the music the player is supposed to skip to the Coda

-In "Storms in Africa", there are sections where the pianist is asked to play three notes simultaneously, each of which is at least an octave and a fifth apart from the others.

Ingenuamente creí que al comprar este libro podría reproducir algunas canciones de Enya, porque pensé que eran muy sencillas. Gran error!
Se necesita ser un experto en los teclados (o la guitarra) y algunas partes no me explico cómo pudo Enya tocar, pareciera que tuviera una mano extra.
El libro está muy bien, tiene las partituras muy exactas y con bastante práctica y paciencia estoy seguro que es posible sacar aunque sea unas tres melodías.
Suerte!

Unfortunately, the seller didn't pull the offer after he sold out. So, they didn't have it. I wasn't charged.

Great for anyone that has some experience in painting but is just beginning portraits. Detailed step-by-step instructions work you through the process. Lots of illistrations and color pictures.

A workshop guided by a master painter of portraits. Robert Carter Clark sets out here to teach you thoroughly from her professional experience, without cutting corners or resorting to caricature. Fully one-half of this fine book is given to draftsmanship. She begins with proportions of the head (male, female & infant) in Chapter One, then moves on to drawing features -- with special attention given to the windows of the soul, the eyes. Chapter Three is dedicated to drawing the body. In Chapter Four, Ms. Clark presents the difficult skill of capturing fabric folds. Chapter Five covers lighting for four different views. Charcoal portraiture comes next, then using color, stepping through hue, value, intensity, & flesh & hair tones.

Finally, she devotes chapters to painting portraits from life in oils & in watercolors. Oil techniques include wet-into-wet, monotone, & glazing.

"How to Paint Living Portraits" is a standout, user-friendly instructional book within a genre glutted with volumes that can be too light or too dense, or promise too much, too quickly. Roberta Carter Clark cooked this one right. She's an excellent teacher.

Bob Rixon, Pearl Art & Crafts

I work for an artist who owns a gallery in Lahaina, Maui for over 12 years & has a 30 year reputation as a respected International artist. As a budding artist, myself, I requested Jim Kingwell to critique' a painting of mine that was in progress - he handed me Roberta's book and told me that she was his teacher and great influencer in painting. After a few days I re-emerged from the book with a painting that captured not only the subject, my mother, but also captured the emotions I wanted to communicate. Jim could proceed to help me with small refinements...then he asked for the book back. He jokingly referred to it as his "bible". I since have ordered my own and Roberta's book on capturing children's portraits! A must have! Incredible guidance and techniques. Mahalo.

Photos are wonderful, the demos really help one to see how to get from your photo to a painting - to see from both the photographer's eye and the painter's eye. For those of you that sometimes get stuck in the detail of the photo and want to loosen up - this is a very helpful demonstration. A wonderful kickstart if you're having a "block" too - you do WANT to paint from these photos! Happy Painting!

I would say that this book is really not aimed at a flat out beginner. It assumes you are comfortable with the basics of watercolor. The "six steps" thing can lead to some pretty big jumps from one step to another (the author shows each painting from start to finish is six steps). However, the photographs are very nice and the steps DO give you a place to start on some fairly complex pictures. I like the spiral binding, the fact that you can see the photograph and the six steps all at once on two pages, and the large number of pictures. This is much better than most other books like it on the market. Similar books spend more time talking about what makes a good photograph, cropping, etc; this book focuses on the actual painting. I got it from the library and plan to buy my own copy.

This book has been taken out of the Library several times since I purchased it for our collection in Jan. My hobby is painting, and I thought the directions and examples were well written and illustrated. A very good book for the beginner to intermediate watercolor enthusiast.

I really should ask for my money back on this book....it was poorly written, vague in description, the cover is great and appears appealing....this is not worth the price of admission.
Sorry.!!

No serious home decorator's library is complete without a copy of this very valuable and informative book. The New Paint Magic book is certainly not for the 'splash and dash' approach to painted finishes and techniques. Instead, the book provides an excellent and thorough approach to techniques and materials for restoring, painting and decorating painted surfaces, including floors, walls and furniture. I used the section on painting and varnishing furniture as a guide to painting an armoire and the results were amazing.

This was my first decorative painting book. I enjoyed it but found that the British terminology could occasionally (not frequently) trip me up Once you understand that "emulsion" is really latex paint you will find the information in this book very helpful. Jocasta Innes is one artist who catapulted decorative painting into the public spotlight and this book contains oodles of examples from basic sponging to trompe l'oeil techniques. I followed her technique for colorwashing in my livingroom and am very pleased with the results. I do recommend this book.

Having heard so much about Jocasta Innes, I was dying to get my hands on this book but when it finally arrived, I felt let down. I had expected step by step photographs for each technique (or at least a lot of photos) with step by step detailed instructions as well as the secrets to getting a professional looking finish. Close up shots of the various finishes are also few. I also did not like the fact that the book is very text book like.

However she does cover a lot of techniques; from the usual colourwashing,ragging and sponging to things like faux fresco, rubbing, staining, vinegar painting etc.

J.Innes also offers some advice on choosing colors(although a separate chapter on colour e.g. the different colours, colour recipes etc. would have been a nice addition), decorating tips and provides some nice photos of whole rooms that give you a better idea of what the finish would look like.

"The New Paint Magic" is a disappointment compared to Kevin McCloud's "The Complete Book of Paint and Decorating Techniques". McCloud provides detailed instruction on each technique, outlining the pitfalls as well as lots of beautiful photographs with colour recipes for each finish. A good buy.

I certainly would not recommend "The New Paint Magic" to the beginner.

Like the other reviewer, I was hoping for superb instructions from this master of faux finishing...but what I did find was loads of text providing helping tips for many finishes, use of tools, colors and products. My most valued section was the Fundamentals. Here, Innes discusses finishes and stains, how to use them, what can go wrong, advantages and disadvantages. Still a valued book to my decorating library.

I found this book to be a beautiful testimony to the rich and historical colors represented by the Farrow and Ball company.

I thought, Oh another book on color ! But this one completely surprised me. A classic and timeless lay-out of beautiful photographs and truly educating text tailored this book into a must have for anyone interested in decoration.
Obviously the authors know what they're talking about and they mastered their book in a way only the british can do.
I bought that book for all my best friends as a Xmas present and my gift to you is an advice: buy it too !

Beautifully printed (Rizzoli) with a wealth of info on historical paints and formulations.....tho not really of interest to the average reader.

Also, caveat emptor, this volume is produced by Farrow & Ball, purveyors of spectacularly expensive paints, and is basically a marketing device for their products.

For a paint geek like myself it is a pleasure, though.

I had wanted this book for some time prior to buying it. It is thick, substanital and nicely made. If you love paint, the photographs are lovely. That said, had I had access to this book in a library I would not have bought it. Despite it's size it is a quick read. The most valuable part is the information on various types of paints. This is not a book for someone needing basic color information and inspiration. This is a nice addition to a substantial color library especially for those who love F&B paint.

Excellent book on just the topic I needed; arrived on time and in excellent shape.

Well Paint Shop Pro 9 is not the latest Photoshop. But Kay reveals that Paint Shop can do many of the common tasks available in Photoshop. Common image editing, like resizing images, tweaking the colour maps and so on, are just as easy in Paint Shop. As you might expect, there is a layer model of images, that lets you have overlay planes and manipulate objects in each. [You may already be familiar with the idea from Photoshop.]

A reasonable question then is why choose Paint Shop? If your graphics needs are not complex, and Paint Shop is cheaper, perhaps that's the way you should go.

And of course, as befits this series of books, the narrative is very informal, to put you at ease.

This book is a great entry level aide to understanding the workings of Paint Shop. However, it is an all inclusive aide so anyone who is looking to use Paint Shop merely for the purposes of photo editing will not find much of use inside this help. But, it can open your eyes to what is possible with Paint Shop and get your foot in the door to anything new.

Being slightly famillar with a older versiion of Paint Shop I felt I still needed the basic instructions that Dummies gives.
I was not disappointed. I am also using "Paint Shop Pro 9 Photographers Guide" and with the two I am becoming well on my way to a Pro at Paint Shop Pro

This book was one of the best books that I have ever read. It starts with someone spray painting the wall. Then Cameron tried to figure out who did it with help from his friend Tyran. They find out who the spray painter is - but we aren't going to tell you - you have to read the book. It might have been Miguel...but then again it might have been Oscar...but it might be someone that looks like a teenager...or may be even someone else. Try to guess!

I give the "Spray Paint Mystery" five stars because its a great mystery.Its about a boy named Cammeron, and his friend are detectives and and they get there mystery that someone that has painted graffiti on a wall. They find a few suspects, one of them is the new kid in school , the other one is Nicky he does graffiti on art programs. Or Oscar the mean kid who is Miguels brother , or could it be the mean kid who looks like Count Dracula, and who hangs around the wall.Its a big case so thats why its a great book if you want to know more about the book READ IT !!!

the graffiti portrayed in this book is not accurately portraying graffiti as a whole and is encouraging young children to see spray-painting a wall as a crime of the highest evil. if you would like to show your children an example of "good" graffiti, you can visit one of the many graffiti sites online, such as: artcrimes.com, thescenes.com, be305.com, and many others. it is mandatory to show your children right from wrong, but it is inexusable to bad-mouth a unique, misunderstood form of art.

Good because kids can help make the world a better place.

From the title, I guess I was hoping for some clear direction on what colours to use. Instead, the book gives an overview of colour usage during this period, and changing trends, supported by quotes from critics of the period and illustrated by many original images from contemporary paint companies, advertisers, books of architecture etc. So what the authors expect you to do is to study all of that material and make your own decisions on what colours to use. To help you, they provide a detailed list of equivalent modern paint colours from several major companies such as Sherwin. Although helpful, I would have appreciated something a bit easier to understand and some more direct suggestions of typical colour schemes for, say, 1880. It is fascinating to see the original illustrations but, despite the quality of the reproduction, it is not always easy to make out what colours they have used.

I found this to be a very good book and very educational. I am painting my 19th century house using it as a guide. In the previous review someone wrote:

"Unfortunately, there are precious few old drawings and the ones they do have are done in muted browns and beiges. Now, I know they didn't have color photos back in those days, but I do wish they'd included more color pictures (drawings) of these old houses."

This person has obviously missed the point of the book. Did you read it? Those _are_ color drawings and those "muted browns and beiges" _were_ the colors used back then. People have a stereotype of 19th century colors as supposedly being bright and contrasty; this is due to the colorist movement in San Francisco back in the 70s, but is not appropriate when seeking 19th century accuracy. The crazy row-house colors of San Francisco are modern interpretations; whereas the Victorians preferred earth tones. The authors go at length to explain this with drawings and historic reproductions that are accurate in color.
My only gripe with this book is that there should be more photographs of 19th houses painted historically. I think more photos would give home restorers more ideas to pick from.

I really enjoyed all the details and information so that I can paint my own Victorian home. Good color combinations, great historical information. I do wish there had been a few more photos of correctly painted homes.

This book is over 110 pages and every page has at least one picture, and most have two or three.

Beyond the good information re: color schemes, there is a lot of information in this book about the 101 details (fretwork, finials, porches, etc) of an old house.

Unfortunately, there are precious few old drawings and the ones they do have are done in muted browns and beiges. Now, I know they didn't have color photos back in those days, but I do wish they'd included more color pictures (drawings) of these old houses.

There are also some very interesting old paint ads - such as one that suggests the right house paint is *the* key to health and happiness. The book also contains plenty of written information and history, which is interesting reading.

And the photos/drawings offer a nice blend of the ostentatious Queen Annes and by contrast, the simple and modest "Builder's Style" homes.

I'm an old house purist trying to redo my simple old home as authentically as possible. This book is a good resource for that.

Nice for beginners, easy to follow instructions, even older children can enjoy this with minimal guidence.

This book is an excellant reference and guide for the beginner and advanced artist alike. Several attractive subjects are demonstrated with step by step examples of the tradiitional brush strokes used in this ancient art form.

I've purchased 3 other Chinese Painting books recently, looking for one where I like the style presented. Lucy Wang is one of my favorites. Her style is brighter and looser than most "traditional" Chinese painting. I don't always like the Spontaneous style that she employs, because it can look very blotchy. But because she uses a lot of bright color, and less of the black ink, I don't find it objectionable in her paintings. She's also contemporary in her use of watercolor paper, rather then the traditional "rice" paper (actually mulberry or other plants). So your strokes might bleed a bit more than hers do, if you use the rice or Sumi-e paper.

The book features a short tutorial on the materials and strokes. They aren't gone into in much depth, but the projects all have arrows showing the direction of the brushstrokes. Then she moves on to 14 projects. There's one Siamese cat picture and a traditional style landscape; the rest are florals, nearly all of which feature a bird as well. Wang does 3 of the 4 traditional "Four Gentlemen" subjects, the Bamboo, Plum Blossom, and Orchid - oddly, the Chrysanthemum is missing. She depicts flowers and birds from all over the world, not just China, including 2 hummingbirds. The flowers show nice variation, but many of the leaves seem kind of generic - I would have liked them to be more specific to the plant being rendered.

I like the large format of this edition - it really lets you examine the pictures in detail. BE ADVISED, however - as far as I can tell, this is the EXACT same book offered in the Walter Foster Chinese Brush Painting Kit, just in a larger size. If you already have the brushes and other materials, this book is good to get; otherwise, the kit is a better value.

I was so looking forward to receiving this book that when it arrived I immediately started to read. What a disappointment. It was full of fairly useless information and not at all entertaining or a joy to read which I'd expected it to be. I've given it a rating of 2 but had to think long and hard to even go that high.

_Colors: The Story of Dyes and Pigments_, is an excellent little book to read if you are interested in colors. It covers pre-history up through the modern era, and it discusses some of the chemistry, much of the mineralogy, and a lot of the economics & politics that went into the use of different dyes & pigments through the eons.

It is also lavishly illustrated, with many many photos, including photos of famous works of art, close-up photos showing artistic techniques, photos of artists' materials, and photos of historical treatises relating to cloth dyeing and other skills. There is a lot of good technical content, including explanations of the differences between dyes, pigments and lakes, and details of attempts in antiquity to create artificial colors, going as far back as the Egyptians.

The chapters are Painting & Dyeing, which covers paints and dyes from antiquity to the Middle Ages; Colors in the Middle Ages, which covers new technological & economic developments in the Middle Ages; The Explosion of Supply and Demand, which covers how the increased trade of the Renaissance, Enlightenment Era, and the Industrial Age drove the search for new colors; and The Triumph of Industrial Chemistry, which describes how colors are made today.

There is also a chapter titled Documents, which has excerpts from a number of historical works about dyes & pigments, and that chapter alone is worth the price of the book. The bibliography is also excellent.

It was a bit slow in places, and since it was originally written in French, there is a certain flow to the text that is subtly different from many contemporary books written by native English speakes. But, the differences are not unpleasant, and for the most part the text is very engaging.

I did notice that it repeats the statement that India Yellow was made from the concentrated urine of cows who at only mangoes, and according to Victoria Finlay in _Color: A Natural History of the Palette_, that provenance is mythical. But that was the only jarring note I found in the entire work.

I am a Color Manager for one of the worlds largest paint companies and even though I have been working with pigments for 15 years I have found this book to be a treasure chest of interesting trivia that I didn't know or had long forgotten.
But this book is not just for chemists. If you are like me interested in art, especially paintings, you will find that this book gives you a wealth of information and facts that one can use to better understand the development of art through the centuries.
I can highly recommend this beautifully illustrated booklet which is fun to read to everybody (not just color nerds like me).