Reviews (7)

Fundamentals of graphic design as applied tp watercolor
I wish publishers would stop calling their books "Complete Guides" to a subject. No guide to watercolor-or anything else-can possibly be complete. This raises unrealistic hopes that the reader will soon find are unfounded. However, I love this book, and recommend it to serious students of painting, despite the unfortunate and rather bogus title.

A better, though more cumbersome title, might have been "Introducing the Fundamentals of Graphic Design as Applied to Watercolor Painting."

While this book does not offer every possible bit of information you will ever need to paint in watercolor, it can teach you how to design your paintings thoughtfully and well. The author understood the fundamentals of design, and explained them clearly and logically. Many of his own paintings are included as instructional examples. I found them very helpful, although the black and white reproductions are not always easy to "read".

Some people like to paint intuitively and emotionally with no conscious cosideration of design. If this is your preference, and you have no wish to consider other approaches, this is not the book for you. This is also not the best book for someone looking forin-depth lessons in color theory. There is some discussion of the general working methods and materials of traditional watercolor painting, but that alone would not make me recommend the book. Much of this information can be found in the many introductory watercolor books on the market today. These often have great visual appeal, with lush color reproductions, lots of sparkling white space. But looks can be deceiving. While this rather plain-looking book will not win a beauty contest, get to know it well and you will find that it has hidden charms.

What makes this book so valuable to me is its emphasis on drawing and composition as the foundation of painting. If you share the authors faith in this foundation, but have not been able to master these subjects through your own efforts, this book can be an excellent (though not complete) guide.

so-so
I know I am not a traditional watercolor painter but I thought I could learn something from this book - given the glowing reviews I had read. Well.... right off the bat, the paintings Whitney uses for his examples, are horrible! its really hard to learn from a painting teacher when you don't like their paintings. He writes pretty well and poetically and seems to really love watercolor. Its just you do not see him putting his words into practice with his work and that makes it really hard to get into what the guy is saying.

Isbn: 0671611879
Sales Rank: 996095
Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art    3. General    4. Techniques - Watercolor Painting   

Reviews (3)

A must have....
What a wonderful book.
Better than a class.
Not a step by step kind of book, but one to give you good solid art
methods so you can explore in your own style.
It opened my mind.
I haven't been this excited about my work in ages.
Thank you Edward Betts for sharing your wisdom.

A must have....
What a wonderful book.
Better than a class.
Not a step by step kind of book, but one to give you good solid art
methods so you can explore in your own style.
It opened my mind.
I haven't been this excited about my work in ages.
Thank you Edward Betts for sharing your wisdom.

Reviews (3)

Essential for those doing abstract in watercolor
This is not your average watercolor book. It was recommended to me by an artist of some repute, who uses the principles to paint non-abstract, but very expressionistic watercolors.

Somewhere in the examples of various artists' works, you might find something to stimulate your own sense of the abstract. There are exercises to free up the imagination and use different ways of looking at composition or watercolor media to express new ideas. Not for those looking to do ultra-realism.

Antidote for cliches
I find this book a superb counter to the myriad watercolor books on the market. There is nothing wrong with the realistic painting those books encourage and teach, but the medium offers much more and this book opens up those other vistas.

Good ideas for starting a watercolor painting.
If your looking for different compositions to try out in watercolor, this books fits the bill.

I liked the great descriptions of compositional techniques which is followed by large color painting examples.

Reviews (19)

Buy this book and learn to draw
First, let me address a comment written by one reviewer who said this book borrows heavily from Betty Edwards' DRAWING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRAIN.Mr. Dodson's book was published in 1985 while Ms. Edwards' book was published in 1989, so that comment is simply not true.

I read Ms. Edwards book first, but quickly became mired in left brain/right brain theory.The first drawing exercise doesn't appear until page 46.In KEYS TO DRAWING, the first exercise is on the 3rd page, with 5 more following in the next 23 pages.I believe you learn to draw by drawing and Mr. Dodson's book certainly delivers in this respect.It is a book to be read with a pad and pencil by your side.The exercises come one after the other, with explanatory text and drawing keys supporting each exercise.I was surprised with the drawings I was able to produce right from the start following the instructions.By the time I had completed this book, I had learned to drawing and it has become a very rewarding hobby.Thank you Bert Dodson.

I've only had it today and I already see improvements...
I just got this book today, and am only writing a review because already my drawings are seeing improvement. This book gets to the point that it's all about seeing, and then drawing.
I'm excited to continue using this book and see what I'll be doing in even a week.
Just a little background on me, and where this may be similar to you. I am a person who used to draw a lot when I was younger, I showed talent at an early age, but around the age of 11 or 12 music took over, and I never drew again, (except for scribbling in my notebooks). It pretty much stopped at that point and never went the next step into formal training.
Now I've decided to go back to school for Architecture, and even though drawing great isn't a necessity, I want to do it, and now I've given myself a reason. This is a book I found recommended on this site, and I'm glad to have found it.
I look forward now (with no worries) to drawing landscapes and people on the spot anytime. (with practice of course) but this book is a good starting point. Thanks.

Reviews (91)

Ideal Book for Beginners
This book is squarely aimed at those of us at the stick-figure drawing level, who would like to be able to draw for pleasure.Betty Edwards has clearly devoted countless hours of time both to teaching and thinking about teaching.The result is an extremely well-thought-out course, not only -- or even primarily -- in drawing, but rather in the perceptual skills that lead directly to being able to draw.She sees drawing, at the level of being able to draw, say, a realistic and recognizable portrait, as a skill that is as readily learnable by an average person as driving or reading.She reduces this skill to a handful of separate elements, each clearly taught and explained, with exercises designed not only to teach the skill but also to quickly build self-confidence.Although the book emphasizes general perceptual skills, enough tips on materials and techniques are provided to help beginners quickly learn to draw pictures that will please them.Whether you continue to develop your drawing skills or not, at the very least this book will help you appreciate the visual world in a new way.

You can draw.....It's not that complicated!
I bought the first edition of the book ages ago and loved it. I recently came across a reference to it again and decided to check out the latest version. I still love it! This is a great teaching tool for the hobbyist or student. Just enjoy the excercises and watch your skill level rise! You'll be impressing your friends and colleageus in no time (and they don't have to know how easy it is!)

Reviews (53)

Spirited voice of encouragement
The artist's powerful facility for truthful observation and keen analysis can be turned inward, and self doubt and a host of negative concerns and can arise as obstacles to making art.This book addresses the psychological difficulties of creating art.The authors examine problems and then offer possible solutions, alternatives and advice.Excellent - a spirited, useful and much needed voice of encouragement and instruction.

Help for the Needy
This book is a shot in the arm for people with an artistic soul who may be :stuck, blocked, depressed, discouraged, having a dry spell, unproductive, resisting doing their work (whether for a hobby or for an intended career, or to revive a career).No, it is not a workbook and no it will not do miracles, but neither will "The Artist's Way" or any of the other Cameron books.People who are having problems creating art will recognize themselves and possibly some of their problems here, and it makes a person realize some of the obstacles in their way.The book illustrates why it is so incredibly difficult to be a professional artist in the U.S.--so many who graduate with art degrees end up teaching, exhausted, without the time or energy to do their own.This is not a book for the successful, working,happy fine artist or craftsperson, but it does address the problems.This along with "The War of Art" can make you understand you're not alone.However, if you need practical help, take a class, or get a workbook, or start a "bad art" night at your home, church, club, or library.

Isbn: 0823048896
Sales Rank: 274734
Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Art    3. General    4. Painting    5. Perception    6. Technique    7. Vision    8. Visual perception    9. Watercolor   

Reviews (27)

Recommends non-lightfast colors!
What are all these 5 star reviewers thinking??? Aureolin and rose madder--Dobie's recommended yellow and red primaries, are extremely fugitive--they fade in a short time.
Because of this alone, the book should be vigorously rejected as coming from dubious authority.Her plan for making colors "sing," by the way, involves placing an occassional bright color in a field of grays or browns, mixed not from earth pigments, but from (fugitive) primaries.It would be irresponsible of me to perpetrate such a book on an unsuspecting public by giving it any stars at all.Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't have a "zero" stars option.If you want a superior book that will show you much better ways to make colors "sing," get "Perfect Color Choices for the Artist," by Michael Wilcox.

Making Color Sing
This has become one of the most valuable watercolor reference books I've ever used. Beautifully illustrated and clearly explained by an artist with timeless technique and an elegantly sensitive style. No wasted text here! I've worn it out and am buying my second copy!

Book is Excellent But Needs Updating
Jeanne Dobie's book was recommended in the watercolor class I took and at first when I looked at the pictures I was not interested as I do not care for Dobie's style as illustrated in the book and would never buy the book based on her work.However, after borrowing the teacher's copy I began reading the text and found the information valuable and useful after tryingthe suggested exercises.Dobie's book along with Tom Hill's The Watercolorist's Complete Guide to Color combine as excellent references for learing to use color pigments and making colors "sing" instead of making mud.

I am giving Dobie's book 1 instead of 5 stars as it seriously needs updating considering some of the pigments Dobie uses are not lightfast and the inclusion of more modern pigments that replace these non-lightfast pigments would be useful all considering the book was first published in 1986, which is 18 years ago.The lightfast references I am going by are Hilary Page and Michael Wilcox's books analyizing watercolor pigments.

Reviews (3)

More than "heart"
I thoroughly enjoy this book and would recommend this to anyone who likes to paint in watermedia. Barbara Nechis provides an approach to creativity in painting that is both thought provoking and pragmatic--a very difficult combination. I particularly like the humor in her tips about the "don't" myths of watercolor painting. There is also frankness in how she takes advantage of "mistakes" that actually illustrates her approach to creativity. She is generous with the techniques that she shares--I have tried them and they really work!
So far what she has proposed as approaches to painting background are the most helpful to me--and other budding artists who are struggling with the balance of painting the subject and the background. Other books talk about planning the whole painting and working on the background first, Barbara gives you enough approaches and techniques for you to try with some confidence for success. I paid full price from a bookstore--still think it is worth every penny. Buy it.

A Truly inspirational book on how to become creative
I have read and re-reread this book many times, and each time I learn something new.

I marvel at how Barbara Nechis lets the watercolor itself do the painting, and how we, the artist can aid in its completion, from our hearts and subconscious. I enjoy reading books like this which encourage departing from the 'rules' and letting the imagination take over.

Reviews (4)

Slow reading
This book was dull and I would not recommend it to someone who is not a fan of Ben Shahn and his work.

The Creative Process
This book is one of the clearest explanations of the creative process of an artist available anywhere. Shahn speaks of painting, of course, but his lucid, interesting text, his ideas and explorations, apply to artists in any field. Highly recommended.

Reviews (5)

amazing!
This book might be expensive, but what do you expect for such genius. I love this book, and would recommend it to anyone into color theroy. Itten is a color genius, and this book proves it.

Itten is a true master
I'd studied physiology and neuroscience, later switching careers from a medical path to that of a designer. I've dived into many sources for my self-education/training.Itten is the grand-master of color; no other book I've read compares to those of Itten. His teachings have enlightened me in ways that I'm amazed by, touching on scientific, psychological, behavioral, and the most personal aspects of color as a study and an experience. It's changed the way I look at my environment, and it's changing the way I use color in my work as a designer.

I'm so impressed with the value this book has had to me, that I bought Itten's book on Form and Design, even though I didn't necessarily feel lacking on those aspects of design. It's rather because of the likelihood in the quality and richenss of knowledge I'll gain, as I did from this book.

A philosophical, religious view of color
What fascinates me so much about Itten's classic book is its deeply philosophical, even quasi-religious approach to color. Itten was as much interested in the spirituality of color as in developing a theory of color.

Another great aspect of the book is the numerous master paintings beautifully reproduced and intertwined with his own theories and color diagrams. You get paintings by Rembrandt, Renoir, Monet, El Greco, Seurat, and so many others. Itten is always contrasting the objective and the subjective aspects of art and color, and it makes for a fascinating reading experience.

Itten has a mature perspective on these painters and their relation to color. Its only flaw is that Itten's is only one perspective. I wish there were more authors who could write and analyze art at this level, and who weren't afraid to be spiritual in their assessments.

Reviews (9)

A good resource
A good resource for skill building and to keep on the shelf for future reference.If the style isn't for you, then you can use some of the concepts.Check out the pics first.

Good tips for textures
This book will not go into detail of what materials you need to paint in watercolor, nor will it teach you how to compose a picture or prepare you for creating masterpieces.

This book will teach you simple tips and tricks to creating different textures such as a rock surface or the bark of a tree.If one is not interested in painting mother nature, the book also demonstrates ways to create brick walls, animal fur, and even human skin.

The book depends on pictures to demonstrate its lessons but also provides some text to explain the lesson to the reader.All the images are in color and most lessons are in step-by-step format.I gave this book four stars instead of five because I feel it could have provided a bit more information of other textures.However, I did learn a great deal from its lessons and therefore cannot complain.

All in all, this book is a great asset to anyone who is attempting to learn how to paint textures in watercolor.The lessons it provides are most useful to amateurs but may prove useful to intermediate artists as well.

Reviews (4)

A Master of Color Harmony
Stephen Quiller is a real master of color harmony. I warmly recommend his book. He teaches not only the color theory, but also demonstrates how it works in practice with his own work. Quiller shows how to mix colors in real life and how to find out the complementaries. His color wheel adds the commercial names of hues that one finds in shops, which is quite handy.

Quiller will teach you not to use the "real" surface color of the objects, but to search for feelings and the atmosphere of the ambient. The leaves may be, say, violet and the sky yellow, if that is how you see them.

One thing Quiller misses to point out is additive color mixing like it was used by pointillists. When colors mix in the eye the rules of harmony are somewhat different.

If you are sceptical about brave color mixtures I recommend you to first have a look at Quiller's art at his internet pages.

5 stars for his color wheel
This book is worth buying for Quiller's color wheel.It is by far the best and most practical I have ever seen.It makes paint mixing very easy.Throw out your color mixing cook books and buy this one.

Reviews (31)

"How to Make Watercolor Paint Itself" by Nita Engle
I've given this book a 5 star rating because I feel it's terrific value for the money. The information is mind boggling and takes painting to another level.
Having said that, I feel this is a book for experienced painters, although, if you enjoy a challenge it could be what you are looking for.

Insightful, Delightful, for the Intermediate Artist!
My immediate impression of this book is that it is DIFFERENT than most of what else is available.Good for this author to direct a book to a niche for once!Anyone can see it isn't for a beginner.I could see that I couldn't live without it on my own shelf.There are plenty of how to books for the individual who wants just ONE book.This is for the connoisseur of art ideas and techniques.While not noted as such, I find this author very "right brain" and right is right!

Reviews (3)

Nice, but material is duplicated in another of her books
This is an excellent book... IF you don't already own "Painting with Watercolor, Pen and Ink" by Claudia Nice.The material in this book is entirely duplicated in the "Painting with...".Please do not buy this book if you already own a copy of "Painting with Watercolor, Pen and Ink".I did and was thoroughly disappointed that there was no new material in the "Painting Nature in Pen & Ink with Watercolor".

Now, if you own the other book "Creating Textures with Watercolor, Pen and Ink" then I highly recommend this book as it has subject matter that was not covered in the "Creating Textures..." book.

If you don't own any of her books, then buy the "Painting with Watercolor Pen and Ink" ISBN 158180265X because it completely combines the material in both "Creating Textures..." and "Painting Nature..." books.

Yuk!
I really don't see why anyone would buy this. I'm a real art fanatic, and I love Ms. Nice very much. Her past books fill one's pleasure and contentment. I recommend Creating Textures in Pen and Ink with Watercolor (by her) rather than this.

Another Excellent Book by Ms. Nice
I bought this book based on the strength of Ms. Nice's previous book Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor. I was equally pleased and delighted with this one as much as with her previous work.

It firststarts out with some very basic pen & ink strokes and techniques alongwith some watercolor texturing techniques (such as using crumpled plasticwrap which gives a surprisingly snow crystal-like texture).

The nextchapters move quickly on to using these techniques as applied to creatingwildlife paintings and/or scenic landscapes. For example, in one chaptershe starts out showing step by step details of a bird wildlife painting.One of the interesting things is that the bird pen & ink was done insepia ink rather than the more typical black. The next page showed a stepby step of the ferns in the paintingalong with moss and wood. The lastpage in the chapter showed all of these things pulled together into thefinal painting.Each painting gets the same "how-to" treatment.The result is that someone could easily duplicate each of the paintings inthe book.

There are also a wealth of mini-demonstrations such as leaves,frogs, birds, seashells, fish, starfish, flowers, grass, trees, etc. All ofthem most likely pulled from actual full paintings she has done butprobably not included due to space and page-length considerations. Each oneof the mini-pictures provides another step by step build-up so you canpractice first without neccessarily committing to a big project. In short,it just looks like fun.

One interesting side note: comic book artistshave long used this technique of watercolor with pen & ink. I am a bigfan of comics - DC's Vertigo line and some Image comics in particularfeature breathtaking illustrations with pen & ink and watercolor. Anyfine artist should do him/herself a favor and see how beautiful and"grown-up" some of these comics have really become. Theyroutinely feature beautiful art for its own sake and the stories are gearedtoward an adult market.

Reviews (8)

Celebrating inventive techniques and explorations
I almost didn't pick this one up because I thought it was a creativity self-help book, not that I have anything against such books but that just wasn't what I was looking for that day.I was delighted to find more of a fabulous, innovative mixed water-media guide and showcase.

The instructions are down to earth, inspiring, and exiciting.Beam's combinations of materials and bold exploratory sensibility led me to use elements I hadn't quite considered before or that I had thought were played out.She makes the old salt-in-the-watercolor-wash trick seem new.A mere spraybottle of water or roll of plastic wrap in this artist's hands is a completely fresh new tool.

The examples go far beyond traditional floral subject matter and stretch deep into the earth's crust for rock striations and cracked lava.Textures become chemical reactions, gesso and sand a potent force of nature.I've had this book for over a year and still keep it by my easy chair for frequent consultation and inspirational flipping.Beam made me love acrylic again, and I learned more about that medium from this book than I did in four years of art school.

Great exercises, misleading title
Like the other reviews state, this exercises in this book are great; in many ways, it IS a workshop in a book.However, I think the title, the subtitle in particular, is slightly misleading.There isn't much in this book to really "unleash the artist within."Instead, the exercises provide more of a "how to" achieve this or that effect.If you want a book to tell you how to create paintings using a less than "normal" technique, this is the book for you; if you want a book, to "unleash the artist within," I would keep looking.

Isbn: 026258008X
Sales Rank: 53388
Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Criticism    3. Essays    4. Literary Collections    5. Literary Criticism    6. Art / Fine Arts   

Reviews (3)

Great book for monoprinting
I agree with the previous reviews - if you're creating monoprints, and particularly if you're looking for non-toxic methods, this is a great book. It's full color with many inspiring illustrations, and full of useful, practical information written in a friendly, down-to-earth manner.

Re. recommended paints: I recently had the pleasure of taking a monoprinting class with Julia Ayres and her daughter Gail Ayres (at the Art Methods & Materials Show in Pasadena, CA, Oct 2004). The Ayres now recommend using the new Akua-Kolor waterbased inks by Rostow & Jung (www.waterbasedinks.com) which I assume were not invented at the time this book was originally printed. The advantage is that these inks are non-toxic, clean up easily, and they stay moist for days. You then print to DRY printmaking paper, and the inks dry instantly once they hit the paper. Now you don't have to worry about the inks drying on the plate, or handling fragile, wet paper. (I shoved my Createx paints in a bottom drawer after the workshop!)

(If you get the opportunity, take a class with the Ayres if you're just getting started, as there's nothing quite like seeing the process in action and the book will make even more sense! They also teach using the PinPress Roller for making monoprints by hand; very useful if you don't have access to an expensive printing press.)

Great demonstation of incredible effects using monotype
There seems to be very limited information available on the technique of monotype. This book fills that void by demonstrating the incredible variety of effects possible using the monotype method. There are no projects, per se, rather it teaches techniques that help you create your own masterpieces. Many pieces of example artwork are found throughout the book.

A monotype is a one-of-a-kind print made by transferring a painted image to paper. The book starts out with an introduction to materials including plates, mediums, solvents, panting tools and paper as well as hand and press transfer equipment. It also covers studio safety and finding workshop facilities.

Techniques are next including working into a light or dark field and both hand and press transfer.
These include step-by-step instructions accompanied by demonstration photos. Working in specific mediums including watercolor, acrylics, water-soluble writing instruments, monoprint paints (Createx), oil paints, water-based oils and alkyds follows. A section discussing special oil-based printing inks for lithography, etching, printing and serigraphy is also here. There is even a chapter on special techniques including using masks & stencils, embossing and creating collages.

The final chapter gives an overview of monoprints, which combine monotype with other print making processes, and mixed-media monotypes. This includes intaglio, drypoint and engraving, as well as linocut and collagraphic monoprints.

There is a nice list of suppliers as well as interesting biographical notes on the artists featured in the back. This is a great book that displays the great diversity in mediums and results available with monotype.

Reviews (7)

An absolute classic for anyone working in the visual arts.
Back in college, two decades ago, one of my art professors required this book for every single one of his classes. He even offered to personally repay students who could not afford to keep their copy, if they promised not to sell it back to the bookstore. He told us that the best thing we could do for our careers in art was to keep this book. He was right. I've had my 2nd edition copy for twenty years, and no other book I've seen discusses visual theory so simply, logically and completely. The text is clear and straightforward and the examples are perfect, but it is Lauer's ability to organize a very complex subject into very specific, clearly-understood categories that makes this book remarkable.

A wonderful book for hs seniors and college freshmen
this book is the foundation for understanding composition, but it is no substitute for continued research in art and art theory...this book is a superb starting point...if you're in high school i suggest starting your reading in art with this...if you are in high school and you have already read this...then GOOD, you're going to need to continue reading, and start by rereading this...if you're a freshman in college, read this and goto the library and check out every book you can by an artist that you enjoy and read what they have written about their art and other peoples art...and in the meantime read this book...another hint, write down the name of every book you hear mentioned in any art text that you think might interest you, hell write all of them down...and then read those books...and keep reading...read read read, and when you're not reading, work on your own art or whatever you want to call it...and do not neglect your other classes, ie english 101, math 101, sciences, history, etc...those classes are just as important as any art class you will ever take...we're all students for the rest of our lives (it's just that some people prefer the term "artist" avoid them if you can...) and we'll keep learning for the rest of our lives...so get used to reading...and get used to taking criticism about your work..