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Library
Jun 6, 2007 11:35:32 GMT -5
Post by Martina on Jun 6, 2007 11:35:32 GMT -5
Book reviews and recommendations Please tell us which art related book you like and which one was really helpful. I think we are all interested in books about - step-by-step demonstrations
- instruction books
- "How to" books
- Art history
- illustrated books of old masters
- etc....
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Library
Jun 6, 2007 15:41:31 GMT -5
Post by SweetSilverBird on Jun 6, 2007 15:41:31 GMT -5
I think the most helpful book of all since I've been drawing is 'Grey's Anatomy for Artists'. I also have Kullberg's 'Portraits in Coloured Pencil'.
I don't know if it is really enough though for my planned soire into colour in the future. I think I need an even more basic book. Any suggestions?
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Library
Jun 6, 2007 16:13:54 GMT -5
Post by Martina on Jun 6, 2007 16:13:54 GMT -5
Hi Birdie,
I have Kullberg 2. book - "Capturing soft realism with CP". It is pretty helpful concerning backgrounds and foregrounds and interieur.
It depends on what you want to draw - portraits, or pets or landscapes? Gary Greene has a good book (beside his reference photo books) "Colured and watercolour pencils". It descriebes very good washes, solvents, the combi of wc pencils and permanent pencils (wax- or oilbased).
Bet Borgeson too has written some books on CP, but I like the others more.
The "encyclopedia of colored pencil techniques" by Bev Martin is NOT helpful!!!! It was one of my first CP books and helped really nothing. But this is my experience with it - others may have others. lol
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Library
Jun 6, 2007 16:40:55 GMT -5
Post by SweetSilverBird on Jun 6, 2007 16:40:55 GMT -5
Thanks for these Martina! I'll check 'em out at our local bookstore. I seldom leave my apartment complex to visit the wide world out there, but I think it would be really fun to go and browse the art books!
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Library
Jul 2, 2007 17:36:21 GMT -5
Post by Miranda on Jul 2, 2007 17:36:21 GMT -5
books i found to be useful to me.
The Pastel Artist Bible (edited by Clair White Brown). Chartwell Book. inc
The Nude Figure , a visual reference for the artest ( by Mark Edward Smith )
Secrets to Drawing realistic Faces ( By Carrie Stuart Parks )
The Human A anatomy for Artists ( by Andeas Szunyohy & Dr Gyorgy Feher ) Koemann
Drawing the Head & Figure (by Jack Hamm ) the bettey publishing group Frist published in 1963
I now the last book is realy old, but it was a good find
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Ted
Full Member
The Artist Formally Known As Tehobu
Posts: 246
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Library
Jul 3, 2007 20:41:15 GMT -5
Post by Ted on Jul 3, 2007 20:41:15 GMT -5
Few years back when I got a little serious with Profiles I found "Draw Real People" by Lee Hammond.Even looking over the book in the store it was "WOW,,I didn't know that!!"After reading the book and using it as a reference ,my next drawing was a 100% improvement. I loaned that book out and it seem I wasn't going to get it back,so I went to replace it.The book wasn't in stock so I got "Drawing for Dummies" by Brenda Hoddinott.
With those two books and the web sites"'Drawspace and Wet Canvas",,I'm where I'm at today..
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Library
Aug 11, 2007 15:40:34 GMT -5
Post by jan on Aug 11, 2007 15:40:34 GMT -5
I really learned a lot about cp from a book by Kristy Kutch called Drawing and Painting with Colored Pencil. I especially liked it because she dealt with both cp and watersoluable cp.
Today I went to Hobby Lobby and found a book that I just had to buy (I don't buy a lot of books because of limited space). This one is called Paint Radiant Realism in Watercolor, Ink & Colored Pencil by Sueellen Ross. I think I like this book because it deals with 3 of my favorite media & shows how to paint a mixed media painting from them with amazing results. While I'm not sure I would follow her way exactly, she has some great tips that fit my way of working.
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Library
Sept 13, 2007 16:05:06 GMT -5
Post by grampybone on Sept 13, 2007 16:05:06 GMT -5
For painting, by far the best book I have read is "Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting" by Richard Schmid. There are so many good tips in that book that I'm a bit overwhelmed. The downside is its $50, but worth every penny IMO and it will change the way you paint. Also, Schmid is one of the living masters and its full of his paintings.
For drawing, I liked "Drawing for the Right Side of the Brain". I could have done without all the right/left brain discussion (first few chapters), but once you get down to the drawing tips, its good.
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Library
Sept 14, 2007 2:02:25 GMT -5
Post by papillon on Sept 14, 2007 2:02:25 GMT -5
Grampy - thank you for pointing out Richard Schmidt. I've read some reviews of the book and they all corroborate what you said - it does seem to be a sort of Bible of painting.
I doubt however whether I will ever use oils. So do you thing this volume would be worth getting even if you intend to use only acrylics for painting? Also, does it contain any colour mixing recipes? I'm very much interested in that since at this stage I find it's where I need to study most.
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Library
Sept 22, 2007 15:57:26 GMT -5
Post by grampybone on Sept 22, 2007 15:57:26 GMT -5
Rose, Yes, he paints straight from the tube, and doesn't use any medium, so I think most of the techniques would apply to acrylics or oils. Its not really a step by step instruction book (although there are examples in there). Its more about how to approach painting in a general sense. There are color charts and value scales in there. He's also quite funny and the book is a good read. I'm still in the middle of the book, but its already started to change the way I look at painting. For example, has a whole chapter on edges, which I never really paid any attention to. He tells you how to blend edges, how to see edges in your subject, how to quint and see values, etc. Also, I'd put his paintings in the "master" category. His paintings appear to be done with just a few brushstrokes, and their detailed and beautiful at the same time. Check out the flowers paintings on his site: www.richardschmid.com/Default.htm
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