Reviews (3)

A genuinely helpful book for the beginning plein air painter
I am a beginning plein air painter.As a working adult, I don't have time to take a university extension course ot enroll in local art classes.For the time being, I have to make do with instruction from books, and inspiration from published collections, galleries, art shows and museums.I purchased and read a large number of books - in and out of print - on drawing and painting.There is a great deal of fine material out there, but at the very beginning stage I find Frank Serrano's little book to be the most helpful.
A workshop for the price of lunch!!
This is by far the best plein air painting book for the money that I've ever purchased! It's packed full of easy-to-understand lessons on every page. Excellent for either the beginner or intermediate-level oil painters out there. Advanced painters probably already know most of this stuff, so should probably turn to Richard Schmid's "Alla Prima." I think the only other plein air painting book that's as good as this one is Kevin MacPherson's.
Do not miss this gem in the making. Get it now.
This little gem is one of the FINEST how-to books about oil painting that you will ever read, or come across in your life-time. I strongly suggest that you get this book before it goes out of print-and enjoy it forever. Read more

Subjects:  1. Art & Art Instruction    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Landscape painting    5. Painting    6. Plein air painting    7. Subjects & Themes - General    8. Technique    9. Nature in art, still life, landscapes & seascapes    10. Oils   

Reviews (8)

I LOVE THIS BOOK
This is a great book about decorative furniture painting. McGraw gives creative tips and techniques that I hadn't seen in other books, such as using caulking to create raised effects. She also shows you how to create your own block stamps on a roller to create consistent patterns. Although some of the projects aren't my style, many of them employ techniques that I definitely will use. I bought this book along with "Painted Furniture" by Diane Weaver because I wanted to paint some dressers that had been handed down to me and was looking for inspiration. This one is so much better than the Weaver book. I'm inspired to paint my kitchen table and chairs too. I was going to buy new kitchen chairs, but this book had an example of a painted chair that's exactly like mine. One of my chairs is wobbly and has been glued and clamped several times. This book gave me tips on how to really fix it and although I don't care for the floral motif on the example chair, I'm bursting with ideas for mine.

Easy read for beginners
The title is deceptive as the contents is purely for the beginners and a lot of the projects are decoupaging. It would be a plus if the book includes more painting techniques.Thus, this is not a book for the experienced decorator or painter. Good for beginning furniture painters
I would NOT recommend this book if you are an advanced artist looking for new and fabulous furniture ideas.I was disappointed after receiving this book.This book does not contain anything that is "to die for", just the plain ole basics.However, if you are a beginner, this book will give you the basics for step by step furniture preparation and materials.It has good information on tools and lots of materials that are important to the beginner.Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    3. Decoration and ornament    4. Furniture    5. Furniture Arts And Crafts    6. Furniture finishing    7. Furniture painting    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. House & Home    10. Painting    11. Residential Interior Design    12. Decorative arts & crafts    13. Funiture painting    14. Home furnishing & decoration    15. House & Home / Furniture   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Glass & Glassware    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Marbling    6. Painting    7. Papercrafts    8. Textile Arts - General    9. Textile painting    10. Crafts & Hobbies / General    11. Decorative arts & crafts    12. Handicrafts    13. LITERATURE - LIT CLASSICS TRD PB    14. Painting & paintings   

Subjects:  1. Acrylic painting    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Landscape painting    5. Study & Teaching    6. Technique    7. Techniques - General    8. Techniques - Painting    9. Techniques - Watercolor Painting    10. Acrylics    11. Art techniques & principles   

Reviews (1)

Detailed, practical, and user friendly
In Painting On Ceramics, expert ceramic artist Kate Byrne draws upon her many years of expertise and experience to provide the reader with a compendium of tips and techniques suitable for even the most novice ceramic art student for tableware, decorative pieces, and ceramic gifts ranging in styles from contemporary to tribal, 1950s to floral. Utilizing eight contemporary tableware projects for the home, Byrne shows exactly what is needed and how to proceed step-by-step. She even suggests design alternatives. Offering comprehensive, detailed, practical, user friendly, "how to" information, Painting On Ceramics is profusely illustrated with more than 140 color photographs and informative illustrations. Of special value is Byrne's instructions on using underglazes on bisqueware, and acrylics on glazed china. If you aspire to become a ceramic artist, professionally or just for fun, begin by reading Kate Byrne's Painting On Ceramics. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ceramic tableware    2. China painting    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Decorating    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Painting    8. Pottery & Ceramics    9. Pottery craft    10. Technique   

Editorial Review

The authors of the superb Read more

Reviews (4)

A FURTHER MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHORS
Incredibly, this is still one of the most successful motif books available - it has sold nearly 50,000 copies worldwide.Don't miss the other books that we have written, our new motif book, 1,000 Motifs For Crafters and Art Nouveau Glass Painting Made Easy.Our new book, The Complete Guide to Stamping is published in March 2004.If you have broadband internet access you can see us featured regularly on www.createandcraft.tv where we present many of the shows.Also don't miss regular features on us on HGTV in the United States.

Great resouce!
I understand that this book was written with glass painters in mind, but I have found it to be a wonderful resource for several crafts. The drawings are clear, concise, and scan beautifully for enlargement or reduction. The technique instructions were brief, but surprisingly complete. The designs run the gammut from simple to ornate, humerous to mythical, and everything in between. If I only had one design book to suggest to a beginning crafter this would be it.

glass painter's motif ary
I saw this book in the library I feel like hugging this book I enjoy each and every picture. I wish to have one in my collection but I could not get this book. This is the best book I saw for the glass painting. Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Glass & Glassware    4. Glass painting and staining    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Painting    7. Patterns    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Glass & Glassware    9. FICTION - FICTION TRD PB    10. Handicrafts    11. Reference works    12. Stained glass   

Reviews (1)

Fun & Easy Crafts
I found out about this book when an online newsletter (Family Corner News) featured one of its projects.The project was decorating a flowerpot with seashells, filling it with sand and a fat candle.Really looked nice and just what I needed for my seaside themed bathroom.
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Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decoration and ornament    4. Flowerpots in art    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Painting    7. Ceramics   

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive
Covers a wide range of styles, materials, and techniques as well as subjects applicable to painting in general.Heavy on acrylics, lighter on gouache, although many of the techniques can be applied to both paints.A compilation from many sources, serves as an introduction to acrylics and gouache.An overview rather than a step-by-step instructional guide, shows you what an artist has done and often how it was done.If you have the experience and skill, you can duplicate the procedure.If not, you will have to consult more basic guides for details.Many colored illustrations, some of which can best be studied with a magnifying glass. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acrylic painting    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Gouache painting    5. Technique    6. Techniques - Acrylic Painting    7. Art / Acrylic Painting   

Subjects:  1. Techniques - Oil Painting    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorative arts & crafts    4. Flowers in art    5. Crafts & Hobbies    6. Arts And Crafts    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Technique   

Reviews (1)

Steel Acrylics
CREATIVE ACRYLIC PAINTING TECHNIQUES begin with working out composition, color study and theme, quality of light, painting atmosphere, and textural possibilities. They need no more than 1-2 textural techniques and a palette of no more than 4-5 colors for compositional unity and picture harmony. They can include Georges Seurat's pointillist technique: irregular dots of unmixed color dry fast into vibrant color effects; and tiny amounts of different colors make for more realistic rushing water, which looks white but has all the colors of the rainbow. They also draw on many layers of thin glazes to give a painting the depth and surface-reflected light of water, or to build up the subtly graded flesh tones for painting translucent skin. They even break color into irregular patches with a wallpaper roller, spatter the sea into frothy waves with a toothbrush and water into running parallel lines, sponge churning and trapped water into steaming foam, and curve or straighten lines of grass with a credit or phone card. In the end, the book's clear step-by-step illustrations and text leave readers all set for Earl Grenville Killeen's THE NORTH LIGHT BOOK OF ACRYLIC PAINTING TECHNIQUES and Rachel Rubin Wolfe's THE ACRYLIC PAINTER'S BOOK OF STYLES AND TECHNIQUES.
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Subjects:  1. Acrylic painting    2. Art    3. Painting In Specific Media    4. Technique    5. Techniques - Acrylic Painting    6. Techniques - General   

Reviews (6)

the most in deep painting tutorial
Recently I bought a load of painting tutorial book and this one has got to be the most detailed and well explained of them all.I was really surprised because I was not expecting them to go in such detail. I got the book "painting wildlife texture step by step" and "painting the secret world of nature" was even better in explaining how to paint nature texture.For exemple, the snake scales are better explained in the secret world of nature..and there are also step by step on how to paint realistic wood texture which was not in any of the other books that I have.
wonderful book!
Truely generous of the author to share his great techniques. The book is a gold mine of color and applications. The steps are
You won't learn to airbrush from this book, but--nice pix!
Gorgeous nature artwork. The frog is exceptional. Agnew's rendering of translucent animal skin, dewdrops and leaves is miraculous, but you won't learn how exactly to airbrush those types of things. How the works get from roughed-in ideas to detailed airbrushed plant foliage is NOT well-documented here. If you want to learn how to do detailed airbrushing, this is not the book for you. But if you want to be inspired by some great technique and learn some of it (for example, how to do translucent effects) this book is excellent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acrylic painting    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Nature (Aesthetics)    5. Technique    6. Techniques - General    7. Techniques - Painting - Specific Subjects    8. Techniques - Watercolor Painting    9. Art techniques & principles    10. Nature in art, still life, landscapes & seascapes    11. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (1)

Just okay
If I had been able to peruse this book in a store I never would have bought it.While the pictures are very nice, I know I'll never actually do any of the things in it, so it was pretty much a total waste for me. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    4. Furniture painting    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Home Maintenance And Repair    8. House & Home    9. House painting    10. Kitchens    11. Painting    12. Plastering And Painting    13. Remodeling & Renovation - Kitchens   

Reviews (1)

Excellent--All-inclusive, Detailed, Concise Reference
While this book may be too much for the beginner, it is an excellent guide for those who are intermediate or more experienced textile artists. It is an excellent, step-by-step guide to many different techniques of fabricpainting. The authors provide clear, concise instructions and beautifulphotos to guide you through each procedure. Tools and equipment arethoroughly described and listed with a list of mail order suppliers at theend of the book. I love this book! I use it on a regular basis forinspiration and reference. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Painting    5. Textile Arts    6. Textile painting   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    4. Decoration & Ornament    5. Floor coverings    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Painting    9. Handicrafts    10. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (3)

For Mallards Only
The book is inexpensive and provides basic images of several duck species. However, it provides painting instructions only for mallards. For example, the book lists the primary paint colors for the other species,but it doesn't offer any information as to which of these colors are to be mixed to obtain the colors depicted in the images. This was a problem when I needed to repaint by Woodie dekes.

Painting Duck Decoys (crudely)
If you're looking for a super-accurate detail-oriented definitive authority on duck plumage, you won't find it in "Painting Duck Decoys..."The 24 color plates within could've been done by any budding high school art student. If not crude, they are at best poor approximations, not terribly useful for anyone concerned with painting decoys realistically.Perhaps the proportions of the ducks depicted will be of use to some.But most serious artists will undoubtedly find much more accurate information in books featuring photographs rather than the amateurish paintings in "Painting Duck Decoys..."

Thank you Amazon for helping me find Painting Duck Decoys
I am excited to see this book being offered at Amazon.com I became familiar with Anthony Hillman's book when I began painting my own decoys and had trouble finding any refrence material at hobby shops, craft stores or sportsman shops but my wife called our local library and found this book and it has been a God send.People have been very impressed with my refurbished decoys!So were the ducks! Although I am finnished painting my decoys, I am going to buy a copy for my collection! It is a piece of art in it self, The illustrations are crisp, clear and precise.The instructions are freindly enough for a beginner!I want to thank the author, Anthony Hillman for sharing his knowlege in his book.I have looked at all the hunting catalogs and have found that with the help of Anthony's book, my decoys look more realistic and I have saved money that I would have forked out for at least 4 dozen new decoys. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decoys (Hunting)    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Painting    6. Painting In Specific Media    7. Woodwork - Decoys    8. Woodwork Arts And Crafts    9. Art techniques & materials    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    11. Furniture & cabinetmaking    12. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (22)

Color Me
This book explained things I never did know about colors and served a a tool when creating my web site.The author take you through the history and usage of colors.It is truely a worthty purchase.

Web Developers with no sense of color look no further...
As a web developer I spend most of my day writing code and worrying about the code working on all browsers, etc. Up until recently I had no desire to learn about color and the feelings behind it. If you are in a similar situation look no more. This book has made a permanent position on my desk and will continue to help me with the design and development of my future projects. Hats off to the authors.... Excellent tie-in to pantone colors
Easy and quick to read and understand.Ties into the Pantone Color Guides very well.Combine this books, the Textile Guide, and ColorCue TX for a real lock on the color issues of interior design. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Applique    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. General    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Painting    8. Psychology    9. Art / Color    10. Home furnishing & decoration    11. Interior design   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Techniques - Acrylic Painting    4. Art / Acrylic Painting   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decoration and ornament    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Painting    7. Technique    8. Crafts & Hobbies / Painting    9. Decorative arts & crafts    10. NEW AGE - New Age TRD PB    11. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (2)

decorative furniture with donna dewberry
Great book for anyone who thinks they can't paint freehand!Donna Dewberry is the master of instructional simplicity when it comes to showing just how easy it is for anyone to do decorative painting. A+

Just wonderful!
DonnaDewberry is an amazing artist who shows you step by step how to create beautiful decorations on furniture in your home.Decorative Furniture was written with the beginner painter in mind.Everything is made simple, and it starts from square one.Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decoration and ornament    5. Design - Furniture    6. Furniture painting    7. Painting    8. Antiques & Collectables    9. Decorative arts & crafts   

Editorial Review

Decorated pumpkins don't always have to be carved, they don't necessarily have to be spooky, they don't have to portray faces all the time--heck, they don't even have to be pumpkins. Hence Read more

Reviews (1)

Wonderfully Fun!
This book has 80+ unique and creative ideas for decorating everyone's favorite symbol of the season--the pumpkin!While some feature the traditional carved features, there are many other fresh, new ways to bring your Halloween characters to life.But jack-o'-lanterns are only some of the great ideas to be found in this book.Many designs can be used throughout the season--I especially liked the turkey and the football player pumkins.There is even a pink flamingo!The directions for each project are precise and easy to follow and there is a wealth of general information to get you started.If you like to decorate and you love autumn like I do, then this is the book for you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acrylic painting    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Halloween decorations    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Jack-o-lanterns    6. Seasonal