Painting Books

First things first. I didn't even finish "Duma Key". It was a struggle to enter the final quarter of the book, and I gave up. The story twisted into a confusing wreck.

I've been a fan of SK's writing for decades, but I think the affair is almost over. King seems to have turned into the George Lucas of writing. The more he tries to push the envelope, the worse the results are. Case in point with "Duma Key".

The first two-thirds of the novel were excellent. You can really grasp the struggles of the protagonist. His creative journey is fascinating. But then King screws it up with convenient characters, annoying repetitive dialog, and a supernatural subplot that twisted and turned on itself so much that I didn't read the final quarter.

The flashbacks provided no insight, just inane chatter. Most of the characters in this novel come across as TV characters. They are flat, scripted and predictable, and at worst, annoying.

In the opening of the story, King writes "How To Draw A Picture". Perhaps he should focus on "How To Write A Novel." This is probably the last time I waste time on Stephen King. Pity.

I am a huge fan of Stephen King. Some of his stories truly scare me. A couple of months ago I picked up Duma Key. This book is so great. I'm an author myself and I learn so much from Stephen King every time I pick up one his books.

In Duma Key Edgar Freemantle encounters a terrible construction accident which leaves him armless with a case of amnesia. At times his anger about his condition is played out. His doctor suggests he take on what he loves, which is sketching. So Edgar leaves Minnesota and rents a house on the cost of Florida - Duma Key, where he meets some interesting people.

Sometimes his talent of sketching completely takes over him in a forceful and eerie way.

The way King describes certain settings makes you feel you are right there with the characters. I love his style of writing. This book is by all means one of my favorites of King. Duma Key will leave your thoughts running wild and completely stunned.

Tinisha Nicole Johnson
Author, Writer, and Poet
[...]

Far from King's finest ("The Shining," "Carrie"), "Duma Key" is about a wounded contractor, Edgar Freemantle, who settles on one of the Florida Keys to recuperate. [Plot spoilers follow.] Mysteriously he is seized with the need - and talent! - to draw and paint. He also begins a tedious relationship, conveyed through painfully artificial dialogues, with an elderly woman who owns most of Duma Key, and her caretaker. Freemantle's paintings apparently can cause changes in the real world (healing, killing, etc.). It turns out that the elderly woman, when a child, also exhibited the same sudden and inexplicable artistic abilities. All of this gets traced to one "Perse" (pronounced "Percy" and perhaps short for "Persephone," though Persephone is goddess of the underworld and Perse is some sort of evil sea-woman). Ghosts and ghost ships float in and out of the story. Perse turns out to be a china figurine, and she is done in by being imprisoned in fresh water. There is no motivation for Perse's evil-doing, no motivation for why Freemantle - or any of the characters - remains on Duma Key, and no explanation for why Perse causes preternatural artistic abilities, especially as these are the clues to revealing Perse's whereabouts.

First off, I have been a huge Stephen King fan since the 5th grade, but I have no problem in saying something he has written is trash. Thankfully, today is not one of those days. While I enjoyed his last book (Cell) quite a bit, Duma Key is the return to form we have been waiting for from Mr. King. The characters are strong (as usual) and the storyline is interesting. You really don't know where it's going to go from one page to the next. I did feel it was a little too long and the scares weren't as abundant as I would have liked, but overall, Duma Key lets us know that this prolific writer still has some surprises left in that gifted mind of his.

To:SKcoaster
CC:EFree19

7:40PM

August 18

I think I've read this story twice before!! If not 3 times!!!

Kewl Lindsay Lohan and Google references.


Sarasota Florida...come on Dude!! old people live there.


Cialis99

After the Witches by Roald Dahl this is my second favorite children's book. I just absolutely love it!!

It was a good book because it was full of suspense, action, funny stuff, and laughter. I would like to read it again somtime when I have free reading time.

From the Mixed-up Files of
Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
By E.L. Konigsburg

This is a delightful story for children of all ages. I'm wondering why I never discovered this book when I was a kid?

Claudia is planning to run away. She wants a different life, than that of the oldest child with so many responsibilities. Her brother Jamie doesn't know it yet, but she has chosen him to be her companion. One reason she has chosen Jamie, is because he is good with money. Claudia usually spends her money on hot fudge sundaes, but Jamie has saved over twenty dollars.

Claudia plans for them to take a train to New York City, and stay in the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts. Hiding out, being hungry most of the time, and walking in order to save money, the two children experience the adventure of a lifetime. They also get involved in the mystery of an angel statue which was sold to the museum by Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Could the angel statue be a real Michelangelo? Only Mrs. Frankweiler knows for sure.

Will Claudia and Jamie get caught in the museum? Will they run out of money and need to go home before solving the mystery? Does their family really miss them? Can they find Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler? Will she be willing to help them, if they do find her?

I recently spent the night in The Museum of Ancient History, in Draper Utah, with two of my granddaughters. They call it Dino-snores. We slept right under the tail of a huge dinosaur. There is definitely something intriguing about sleeping in a museum, especially when the lights go out.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
Author: Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

I picked this book up at a local book store because I was going on vacation. I read a lot of complex books and such, in my profession so I was looking for something simple, easy to read, but very fun and enjoyable. WEll, this book accomplished all of the above.

The book is a great introductory book to a young person who is a pre-teen making a transition into chapter books. Ms. Konigsburg develops the characters well, especially the children, and I promise there are surprises around every corner.

My favorite character in the book has to be Mrs. Frankweiler. She is so mysterious only because she wants to be. I remember many times growing up wishing I had some all-important secret that I could keep to make me important. Then I wondered could I actually keep the secret? Mrs. Frankweiler doesn't just have one important secret she has file cabinets full.

I went to the national Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, FL right after reading this book, and found myself asking where would I hide in here.

I love this book, and would reccomend it to the young and the young at heart. Just when you think you know everything, trust me you know nothing in this book. Even at the end you understand that Mrs. Frankweiler is the master keeper of secrets.

Does anyone know what the title of the movie was that is based on this book?

I'm a student and need specific, detailed instruction on acrylic painting techniques, and this book provides them. A friend -- an established artist -- recommended this book to me, and she wasn't wrong.

What a wonderful book. So many new ways to use acrylic paints with easy to follow step by step instructions for the new and accomplished artist. Not just a book about painting but about clever and often surprising things to do with acrylic paints. You will never be bored!!

Great! Was a gift for my Father who just took up painting at the age of 74. He loves it!

I bought it last week and it can totally be called a reference for you to deal with mixed-media acrylic painting techniques. The only lack of it is that the author does not deal with paintings made by more than one specific technique.
By the way, is it a necessity? :))

I bought this book thinking, "Yeah, right, like I need to see another tips book that tells me not to eat paint." In other words I didn't think there would be one page worth reading. But I tell the world right now there is enough in this book to keep me busy exploring and experimenting for a year or more!
Also, I want to praise who ever made the decision about the binding on this book! This book lays open flat in the studio -- no more struggle! I think all art books of this type should be bound in a similar fashion!

If I am ever locked in my studio -- "by accident" -- I will be busy and content even if my jailers forget to slide food in under the door! Great book! A feast!

something wrong while it's handling... and it didn't deliver to me in time, so I just refund instead of keep waiting.

It's very helpful for the class that I'm taking this semester and it's a good book to have because it's very informative and easy to use.

History of Modern Art is a well sructure resource textbook for students who are seeking information about Contemporary and/or Modern Art History. Great grasps of information on every page is a journey through space time and the people who made this possible in the 20th century . You will never find a better textbook on the market.

This was excellent. Very comprehensive, to say the least, and very well organized. This is my only book from art class that I actually sustained my interest! Definitely worth it.

I used this book in college for my two course survey of Modern Art. I absolutely loved the book and when I found out there was a hardback edition I had to have it. Let me tell you, getting it for 66 bucks is a STEAL! I saw this book brand new in a brick and mortar store and it was 110 DOLLARS! If you are at all interested in 20th Century Art I highly recommend this book as a general overview. This was one of the FEW books I read in college and actually enjoyed it.

Although it's a children's book, it is truly a book for all ages. If you have ever limited yourself because of an internal or external critic, you will find solace and liberation in this book's simple yet profound message.

A gem.

this was a cute book about a little boy who loves to draw, and he draws quite a bit. one day his brother looks at his drawings and says that it doesn't look like what he was trying to draw. the boy looks at it again and agrees with his brother and he gets mad. i forget if he keeps drawing or not, but at one point he crumples up his 'last drawing' in frustration and swears to never draw again. his sister grabs the drawing and runs to her room. he chases her and when he goes in her room he sees all of his drawings. he asks why she kept them as they don't look anything like what they're supposed to. she replies 'well it looks vase-ish'. he looks around and agrees that it does look vase- ish. and continues drawing.
the guy's drawings don't have to be perfect. he draws because he loves it, not because he wants to make perfect pictures. it's sweet.

What a beautiful book for children. Gives them the encouragement to try - even if its not quite right - gives them confidence to draw whatever they want - I love the definition of 'ish'. A must for children.

If you have ever felt like less than a great artist this book is for you. Learn to embrace your inner "ish" as this simple book explains that art isn't about being a great artist, but rather to create art to enjoy the process and fun of it!

Here is a picture book that speaks to "the courage to create." Beautifully illustrated, Ish tells of Ramon, the boy with the gift of art. Reading the story, we realize that we all have a little of Ramon with us: the creative soul that wishes to bring forth a vision. And this is why we feel for Ramon when his brother makes an insensitive comment about his art. For us, it may not be a brother: it may be a thoughtless teacher, a cranky adult, or even some part of us that doubts our creative side. Whatever the source, an insensitive remark can cause us to wish to shut down our own wonderful creativity. But fortunately, there is another force that encourages us to keep going, and in this wonderful story, this positive energy is embodied in Ramon's little sister Marisol. How can we fail to cheer for Ramon's courage to create, in spite of the difficulties and doubts? Ramon is a great hero, and this book is a true source of inspiration for children and adults.

This is a great children's book. I have read a few of this author's books and I like this one the best.

Simple, yet profound. Many lessons can be learned from this story. The Dot is encouraging and uplifting and I recommend it to everyone.

I love how this book helps kids make their mark. I use this book in my class rooms and it goes great with my little ones who are just learning how to make art for the first time.

This is one of the greatest kids books ever! Especially for my son, who always thinks he has to be perfect. This book shows kids that everyone has their own talents; it might not be what you thought was perfect, but it can still be beautiful and amazing, unique and yours. I hope this book gives more children the courage to do their own thing and express themselves.

How do you teach a child confidence?
You could put their work on the refrigerator, frame it, or talk about it with others. In this story the teacher frames a small dot drawn by a child who claims she is unable to draw. The little girl is also asked to sign her work, which emphasizes value.

Society values signatures. We want the signed book, the signed football pendant, the autograph, etc. because we perceive it is more valuable. Children can relate to signatures. Children understand signatures mean something (whether it is a report card that needs signing, an illness note for school, or the need to sign a "take home" folder). Thus, immediately the little girl realizes when asked to sign her work that her dot, her creation, is also valuable.

This wonderful story teaches children about trying, about at least starting, at least making an effort, and then seeing where that start can take you... This lesson is taught through art in this storybook but reminded me of what we were always told in writing, "Write, just start.... "

Henry Ford said, "If you think you can... or if you think you can't... you're right." This simple story illustrates a message of positive "can do" type thinking.

I also especially like that the little girl passes on what she learns at the end of the story by asking a little boy to sign his work. Setting a good example and passing on your knowledge to help others is a lesson for all children!

On paper (which I guess is a phrase that doesn't work quite as well in regard to books), the concept of this book thrills me! Geometric puzzles, art history clues, and natural phenomenons? I love it all! And even when I first read this book, I was totally gripped by the story and all the layers of mystery and curiosity. It was in my second reading that this house of cards flattened out on me.

This book frustrated me much in the same way that Harry Potter has. The author just takes too many liberties to allow the reader to feel part of the story. It feels unfair when an author gets to have a surprise hidden panel in the wall at the end of the story. I don't know if this is so much true for all genres. A mystery, however, should be tight. It needs to feel like a completed puzzle at the end - either leaving you feeling satisfied that you called it right, or amazed at how well it all came together. When it feels like a jumble that nobody could have pieced together except the author (and even appears that the author took pains to make it more complicated than necessary) it just doesn't work. In some cases of literature (and art!), when you think "I could have made that," it is a compliment on how easy the creator made it look. In the case of Chasing Vermeer, and knowing full well my limitations as a writer, thinking "I could have written that" is not a good thing.

For a book club book, I think this will still be a delight to young readers. If the club is given all the extra ingredients to completely lose themselves in a world of mathematical and artistic mystery, fall in love with Chasing Vermeer. I have only read this book aloud with students. To independently read it as a book club, students would probably need to be older and have strategies for figuring out the references the book makes.

My main problem with this book is the lack of realism in regards to the young protagonists. Children don't think, act, or speak the way Calder and Petra do in this novel. Their thoughts and actions reflect how an adult might like a child to think and behave. There is little or no authenticity in these characters.

Another issue is with the plot and the way in which the story progresses and ultimately resolves itself. Events are random and there is little causality. This might not have bothered me so much, though, if the characters had been engaging and realistic.

I have never tried so hard to not like a book. I'm not sure exactly what I had against the book, but I fully intended to read it and then pick it apart. I originally bought a copy for my little sister with the full intention of stealing it from her and finding out why it was so darn popular.But only after a few chapters I was sucked into the enchanting mystery. Balliett has made a fine puzzle with all the intricacies of "The Westing Game" and "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E.Frankweiler" and just as much human passion. It is a clever, pop-corn entertaining mystery that explains why this book is so darn popular. Even after the fluffiness, the book has plenty of its own emotional meant--the author cared for his characters and he cared for his story, even the itty-bitty minor things that in the end ironically proved to be of vast importance. I imagine Balliet originally writing this story simply to entertaing himself, which just so happens to be the origin of so many great stories.This is not just a story--this is about art and what makes various things art. It is about looking for beauty in unusual places and the emotional and mental journey it takes to discover that beauty. And it is all done without the hullaballo of snobby adult writers. The writing is simple, quick, with just a tinge of the right emotions, and I found myself getting very attached to the very real characters. Great plot, great characters, and simply a great idea. Excellent book.

Chasing Vermeer
By Blue Ballitot
Genre: Mystery
Review by Joseph

The book Chasing Vermeer is a great story about two Friends, Petra Andalle and Calder Pillay. In the beginning the book is very confusing; it opens with a letter - a very misleading letter, which three people from Hyde Park Chicago receive. Then later a painting is stolen. When Calder and Petra hear about this, they set out to find the Lost Vermeer.

One thing I liked about this book was the challenge. It is confusing in parts and doesn't make sense but the more you read it the story will start to unfold. This book seems never ending; it seems like you can never put it down.

Petra and Calder may succeed or fail; read to find out. When you read this book, you will have many questions. Keep track of them and write down the page because when you finish this book you may need to read back to make sense of it all. I recommend this book to 3rd graders and up, as it is confusing and a challenge. However a challenge is no reason not to read it.

Chasing Vermeer is definitely in my top 5 favorite books.

I first checked out this book from the library thinking, "Eh. Just something for reading points." Well, let me tell you something. I WAS WRONG!!! This book is about to 6th graders who try to find the missing Vermeer painting, A Lady Writing. The story takes you through twists and turns and has a deep plot. I finished it in two days. Some people may say that this is not the best story, but I am living proof that THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR GREAT STORIES WHATSOEVER!!!! Take my advice and READ THIS BOOK. I am near positive that you will be sucked into it by the first page.

The two things I got the most from the book were compositional theories, theories I didn't know existed but have proven to be very helpful, and direction for practice and study. With the exception of graphics training and a couple workshops, I'm self taught. Though I have had much success in both ability and sales I have always wondered what the old masters did to learn their craft and I think this book has shown me. As this book implies it is very sad that thousands of years of accumulated artistic knowledge and beauty was completely tossed out the window a hundred years ago in the name of so called liberation. I feel artists and our culture in general have been greatly deprived as a result. This book will hopefully help resurrect what we have lost and what was stolen from us.

In my opinion I still think the best book on the concepts of painting is Alla Prima by Richard Schmid, however Alla Prima does not have much focus on composition; this book does. Alla Prima focuses more on direct painting where this book teaches more of the steps on slowly developing the skills to become a great artist. I don't think it gives as many of the straight forward artistic concepts as Alla Prima does but unlike Alla Prima it gives great exercises to work on. Like anything else I think the person who purchases this book has to put these exercises to creative practice and hard work. You cannot become a better artist just by reading it; you have to set up your own atelier program and get to work on it. Though a lot of the book is about art philosophy and history but I think if a person seriously puts the ideas and exercises into practice it will be of great help in growing as an artist.

This book is an essential addition to the bookshelf of any serious representational painter or student.

The book is nicely designed and some of the drawings are well duplicated. I expected the book to have more practical information about drawing in the atelier. However, the instructions were very general, fit only for a top professional artist who only needs some refreshing of techniques. There are exercises but the explanations are too sketchy and general. In one of the exercises there were photos of the various drawing stages. But each photo is of a different drawing! It's difficult to follow the drawing process this way. The book is good only as a general guide to get an idea of the atelier method, but you won't get much practical information from it. All in all it's disappointing because I was expecting practical information. Good drawings to copy I can find over the Internet.

The Atelier method of art education is to take a master artist and have them instruct a student artist - the method has produced some of the greatest artists the world has ever seen and as such, some of the greatest works of art as well. "Classical Painting Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice" is an attempt to emulate this artistic practice in book from as author and artist Juliette Aristides seeks to pass on her skill and wisdom to her readers by going over distinct techniques and practices lesson by lesson. A book of essential advice for any painter, "Classical Painting Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice" is highly recommended to community library collections catering to art.

How the heck were great painters of old trained anyway? They were apprenticed in Ateliers. Reading this book is like trying to sip water from the fire hydrant of knowledge. Now I understand why they painted from plaster casts: if you can't paint in black and white from a white object holding still, how can you possibly hope to succeed with a live, flesh colored figure?

This book explains a lot, and then has exercises. The first exercise is to Di Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine", in black and white. Then you move up to doing studies in only warm and cool values. Why bother to apply color when the values aren't doing their job?

There are many gorgeous pictures, both of famous master paintings so you can examine their techniques, and student works, which are just as well done. If you want to paint realistically, get this book.

All the reviews written on this Amazon site for FIRST ART explain why this book is exceptionally good for toddlers, twos and other little guys. But what I like is that it also gives the adult in charge some clear hints for success as well as suggestions for easy prep and collection or selection of materials. This is the key to making things work for the little guys...if we are ready as adults with a clear idea of what's happening, we can make sure it is smooth and fun for the kids too. I also like how materials are very flexible: If you don't have cardboard, then use an old poster. If you don't have paint, use food coloring. If you don't have paper, use the evening newspaper. Many people whose kids are grown already know some of this (some, not all!!!), but if you're new to art with little ones, this is a life-saver. EXCELLENT!!

I wanted to thank all of the folks who have taken the time to review "First Art", a book of art projects and experiences for toddlers and two's. I've read every single review! How happy I am that this book is bringing great experiences to kids, and to their moms too. Thank you so very much to each of you for your wonderful reviews that remind me I am doing the right thing with my life!!!!
~ MaryAnn
w w w dot brightring dot com

I purchased this book so I could have more fun with my daughter, about a year and a half at the time of this review, and teach her a thing or two about creativity along the way. When I first got the book and read it, I LOVED it. There were tons of homemade recipes for saving money, ideas seemed relatively simple, yet fun, directions thorough... However, when I started implementing the ideas with my toddler, I slowly changed my mind.
I see a number of problems with this book:
Homemade recipes sound wonderful. You save money, you use ingredients you already have in your pantry, and you feel like such a handy supermom, what's not to love, right? Well, wrong...
First, the recipes often call for things I definitely don't have in my pantry, I was not even sure what some things were. For instance, cream of tartar. I wrote down a list of things I needed for a project and asked 3 employees at the store for it and all of them pointed me to tartar sauce. So, I had to go home empty-handed and do research online to find out what it was and why I needed it and where I could buy it, what I can substitute it for, etc. Most of the sources online seemed to indicate that it is something that used to be big in baking, but hardly ever needed now that we have baking powder. It'd be nice if the author provided some substitutions. I ended up using baking powder and it seemed to work alright. I later accidentally found cream of tartar in the spices section of my grocery store - and I looked in baking to no avail.
Another things is that a lot of recipes (80%, I'd say) call for tempera paint... If I'm going to buy paint, why buy tempera paint and mix it with stuff to make finger paints, might just as well buy finger paints - will probably end up cheaper. Same goes for, for example, a home-made blackboard. You need to buy the tape that has that chalkboard surface or chalkboard spray paint. Well, both are rather pricey, so it is almost as cheap to buy a ready-made chalkboard easel (not to mention much less trouble). Also, some recipes call for things like "an old grater you no longer use" (because you're going to be grating a bar of soap, for example) or "a big appliance box". I don't know if it's just me, but I think my Mom still uses the same grater she had when I was a year and a half and I don't buy big-screen TVs on a monthly basis... So, I don't really have all these lying around the house, nor is it always easy/cheap to find/buy one just when you want to try a project - often it really is easier and maybe even cheaper to just buy whatever it is you were going to make (case in point - beads).
Also, many recipes call for huge amounts of flour, salt, cornstarch, and food coloring. While those aren't that expensive in and of themselves (and food coloring CAN be), they add up! 4 cups of flour here, 4 cups of flour there, with a lot of these recipes not having the same shelf life as the store-bought equivalents. So, once again, the savings are questionable, even if we don't factor in the time we have to spend preparing stuff versus buying it ready-made.
The quality of projects.
My daughter is a pretty determined and focused toddler when she wants to be, but a lot of those projects are too contemplative to really keep her attention for more than 10 seconds. For instance, exploring the sounds and textures of a piece of foil or the much-favored by many feeley goop. My daughter was done exploring the sounds and textures of foil in 5 seconds and she did not want to explore the feeley goop at all after the initial try, so how was I supposed to make her realize that it has some unique qualities? The same goes for quite a number of projects that are meant to just "explore", but I realize that it is highly individual and there might be children out there who love those projects, just be aware that it is not automatic. Perhaps some of these activities would work well in a group, where children can feed off of each other's ideas and where interaction is already exciting enough, but for one child they can be a tad on a boring side and are over too quickly to be called an "activity".
Another thing in the projects I often have issues with is their messiness. The author does do a good job of outlining how to prep the working space, but with some projects, the colors will get splashed all over the place - it's toddlers we're talking about! I can cover a relatively large portion of the floor and the whole table, but I can't cover the walls and the ceiling... Not to mention that toddlers are known to run away in the middle of a project. So, unless you have a whole room you don't mind getting dirty and where you can contain your child (porch, sunroom, child-proof play room?), some of those projects will be just too much of a risky business to attempt in a nicer room. We live in a fully-carpeted apartment, and there is no way I'll be able to clean it up nicely if my child decides to have too much fun with one of the messier projects.
Finally, I find some "cooking" directions a little too sketchy. I have never made this thing before, I don't know what it should look and feel like, I actually ruined a couple of projects because I did something too soon or too late, even though I thought I was following the instructions religiously - there went 4 cups of flour and 2 cups of salt :-). Just so you don't think I'm a complete idiot, I do bake regularly and cook quite a bit too, and while sometimes my pizza dough made from scratch does turn out a little drier than I like, it is always edible, never a complete failure.
Overall, I'd say it's a good book with good ideas. If I were a kindergarten teacher, or had 2 or more kids of different ages, I'd probably rate this book better. But as a parent of only 1 child, I'd probably ever use only 1/3 of all the ideas of the book, with 2/3 being eliminated for one or several of the reasons mentioned above, which I find rather disappointing, since I am not paying only for the ideas I'm using...
Our favorite project so far? The bread. It did not taste spectacular (although was edible), but my daughter loved messing with the flour, watching it turn to dough, playing with the dough, etc.

I'm not very imaginative when it comes to "projects" for my kids (who are currently 3 and 1) so I love this book. I am thankful that there are people in the world with great ideas who share them in books. :P

First Art : Art Experiences for Toddlers and TwosI teach children 18 to 24 months great book with great ideas

One of the most helpful art books I have in my collection - lots of step by step descriptions and painting challenges. I highly recommend this book not only for oil painters, but all media.

This is a great book with lots of useful suggestions about painting, managing a career, developing self discipline as an artist, etc. I expect to use a lot of these ideas even though my primary genres are figure and portraiture.

Kevin MacPherson has written a wonderful book. As an artist I am constantly trying to perfect my paintings, and this book is a great tool. If you are wondering "Should I purchase another art book?", the answer is YES to this one.

This book is very interesting; I have many art books, and this one gets you to thinking. It offers many ideas about how to go about creating better artwork (including using the computer, creating great value studies, use of color, etc.). A beginner or advanced artist would benefit from this book. This artist's work is beautiful. The book is well written, contains great content, and deserves "five stars." RMD

This guy knows his stuff and conveys his ideas superbly with great examples to support his recommendations. I respectfully disagree with his comment in the book "that while copying a picture may require great skill, it is not art. With the fabulous digital technology available today, we students of art can freeze that moment in time that we all wish to capture. Painting with passion comes from within and can be stimulated in various ways. An excellent book for any artist's library.