Reviews (12)

Excellent
I read and re-read this book then handed it over to my sales and marketing manager.A MUST for a faux business owner.

Thank Heaven for Rebecca Pittman
This book gave me everything I need to start my own faux painting business, including confidence!Thank you Rebecca for the insight, the humor and the weekly accounting ledger located in the back.Great, superb, and HIGHLY recommended.

excellent
starting out as a muralist, and i bought the book before i landed my first job. i found it amazing how DETAILED and ENTERTAINING this book was. i knew nothing about how to start being in this business, and this book served as a complete guide. as i was reading it i thought that there were suggestions what i would never never need in life, BUT !!! boy, was i wrong. every word this book has in it is worth the pennies you pay. if you are startin out and have no clue how to manage your own business, this is a must for you!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Careers - Arts    2. Construction - Contracting    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. House painting    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration firms    8. Management    9. Small business    10. Technology    11. Texture painting    12. Advice on careers & achieving success    13. Fresco   

Reviews (4)

Great Addition to My Fabric Painting Resource Library
I've already collected a number of painting/dyeing/surface design books for working with fabric, and this makes an excellent addition. I don't think it could stand alone as the be-all and end-all, but it is comprehensive in the sense that the author presents all kinds of ideas and inspiration, as well as photographs and instructions/resources. The one thing I might have found more helpful would be greater detail in the steps she took to achieve certain results. Although she does offer descriptions, it seems that sometimes steps and/or details of the process are missing.

Explains why
This book is particularly strong on explaining the theories behind the different fabric types and why they react as they do to dyes and paints. Some of the instructions are very clear and good photos of stamps and other printing techniques. I found the finished items and cloth a bit messy - not really my style. But a good addition to the library.

Comprehensive
This book is wonderfully comprehensive of the latest methods for embellishing with dyes and inks.I would have liked to have seen other artists results with her techniques, but I find the technical information more than compensates. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Dyes and dyeing    5. Dyes and dyeing, Domestic    6. General    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Sewing    9. Textile Arts    10. Textile Arts - General    11. Textile fibers    12. Textile painting    13. Textile printing    14. Needlework & fabric crafts   

Subjects:  1. Art / Design / Decorative    2. Art / Folk Art    3. Art / Individual Artist    4. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Aarseth, Sigmund    7. Art    8. Decorative arts & crafts    9. Design - Decorative    10. Folk & Outsider Art    11. Folk art    12. Individual Artist    13. Norway    14. Rosemaling   

Editorial Review

One lovely feature of this volume is that it shows the real material that inspired different faux finishes next to the excellent painted imitations. After extensive coverage of all aspects of getting started (tools and materials, preparation, safety concerns, and design and color considerations), and of working with glazes, there are dozens of detailed recipes for various marble and graining effects. The final chapter, "Professional Practice," explains how to set up your own decorative-painting business, including assembling a portfolio, identifying and reaching your market, financial planning, calculating rates and expenses, preparing samples, organizing the workspace, and working with clients. You'll even find a prototype contract and a checklist of supplies to bring on the job. Those who want to produce spectacular faux-finish results will learn a lot from Read more

Reviews (10)

Not really recommended but OKAY
I was looking forward to this book but was rather disappointed due to the extensive written instructions but the rather sketchy illustrative photos.

The best of the best
I bought this book more than ten years ago, I have an almost complete collection of books on painted finished, especially of wood and marble. The "Professional Painted Finishes" is absolutely the best I have, it is oozing QUALITY throughout. It is not for beginners but is The reference to return to again and again. It is also lovely just to browse through.

Good variety
I liked this book because it contained great illustrations and it also had helpful information about the business side of faux finishing. The text is compact, so each page contains alot of data. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Color decoration and ornament    3. Commercial Interior Design    4. Construction - General    5. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    6. Engineering - Chemical & Biochemical    7. Finishes and finishing    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. Paint materials    10. Painting, Industrial    11. Study & Teaching    12. Technique    13. Art techniques & materials    14. Interior design    15. Painting & paintings    16. Small businesses & self-employed   

Reviews (16)

Not instructional
This is a great book to see what someone else has done using trompe l'oeil, however it is not instructional.

Oh The Possibilities
The murals in this book are beautiful, fantastical, grand and WAY above my abilities. :-) I enjoyed this book because of the possibilities and the ideas it fostered versus my ability (or inability) to mimic the designs. I've been looking for a book that addresses how to incorporate doors into murals and this is the first one that I've come across that showed some ideas.
Not useful
Although the work depicted in the photos is incredible, none of it is very useful.Nice to look at - not at all practical for everyday painters. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Applied Arts (Specific Aspects)    2. Decorating    3. Domestic    4. General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Interior Design    7. Interior decoration    8. Mural painting and decoration    9. Rust, Graham    10. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (4)

This book has the answers
I like this book very much. Not only does it answer color questions for inside my house, but it gives me color guidance and inspiration for the outside of my house (which is in dire need of a paint job). The photography in the book is lovely . The detailed instruction for choosing colors makes it easier than I thought it would be. This beautiful book is a useful tool.

Very good resource
My wife and I found this book very helpful in determining colors for the outside of our house.I learned what was needed to prep and paint the house as well.My wife enjoyed the information on color for our rooms and is planning a color scheme. This book is worth the investment.

Quick and Easy Paint Color Solutions
I gave this book to several friends as house warming and wedding gifts.Both friends said they loved the book, but more than that, they were able to get use out of it.One friend found a beautiful putty paint color for the outside of her house.Her house looks amazing with charcoal colored shutters.She is so happy with the result.My other friend chose a color scheme for her living room, dining room and family room.She said the book made it easy.I have since purchased a copy for myself.I'm reading it now and am getting very inspired to make changes in my own home. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Do-It-Yourself - General    5. Furniture painting    6. General    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. House painting    10. Painting    11. Sale Books   

Editorial Review

This volume clearly and thoroughly explains the methods of adorning objectswith stylized flowers, fruit, scrolls, and other organic designs. After a full explanation ofthe preliminaries (color mixing, brush control, basic strokes, surface preparation), JackieShaw walks you step by step through all manner of decorative painting motifs, from thesimplest comma-stroke leaf to the most elaborate floral sprays. Each motif is covered inthree skill levels, which can be mixed and matched; a beginner, for example, can utilizethe easy techniques on advanced-level patterns. Projects are many and varied and includewood, tinware, and glass objects. Read more

Reviews (14)

All Levels
As an artist learning something new I was looking for a basic book explaining all terms and projects showing the author to be truly talented. This is all you need for a complete first course.
A Must Have for any Painter or Wannabe Painter!
I have a ceramics business and got tired of plain ol painting and wanted to expand when I found this book.It has taught me so much and my sales are way up!The techniques are explained in precise detail and are easy to follow.It even has practice strokes which I found to be very helpful.There is not a more informative book about painting out there from taking care of your brushes to a beautiful array of advanced technique.This is just a plain wonderful book and I could not say enough good about it!

I've seen plenty and this is the best
Jackie Shaw does an excellent job of showcasing all that is possible in decorative painting. Her examples of stroke work apply across the board for any kind of painting. But, what makes this book work is the way she breaks down each stroke into its individual parts to show how to form them properly. Along the way she imparts words of encouragment and motivation to get you going!Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Arts And Crafts    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Decoration and ornament    6. Design - Decorative    7. Painting    8. Technique    9. Techniques - General    10. Art techniques & materials    11. Decorative arts & crafts    12. Painting & paintings   

Reviews (5)

The Ultimate Basic
Anyone interested in ONE-Stroke painting (Bless you Donna) must have this as basic reference material - a wonderful gift for any you know who have gotten into this form of painting.

My painting frenzy
I bought this book as part of my efforts to learn Dewberry's methods.It has numerous tempting projects, clearly written instructions, and an understanding of its audience's needs.Dewberry's method is the easiest I've ever tried, and the results are outstanding with just a little practice and concentration.I am very grateful to Donna for introducing the world to her painting techniques and I look forward to more books like this one.I have more projects lined up now than I'll be able to finish in a year, but I'm sure I'll complete them and be gratified with the results.

not for beginners
The book is very good but not for the beginner, it did not go in to enough detail with the strokes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Acrylic painting    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Decorating    4. Decoration and ornament    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Painting    7. Technique    8. Handicrafts    9. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    10. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes   

Reviews (6)

painting secrets
Great book.However, one of the pictures had been neatly cut out.

Lot's of Good Tips
This book was very good...many interesting ideas & tips that one would only hear about from a person that was painting regularly & had tried many things by personal trial & error.This book is great for the novice, as well as one who's been painting awhile...but needs the inside scoop & new shortcuts etc.I read the other book Mr. Santos put out called "Faux Finish Secrets" which doesn't measure up to this one...& quite frankly...contains MUCH duplicate information. Save yourself the money & just get this one...get another source book for Faux Finishes that covers more finishes in greater depth etc.

Best Painting Book
I was so impressed with Painting Secrets from Brian Santos that I bought one for my friend and mother-in-law. The ideas that are in the book are so practical and made so much sense to me that I sat there saying "Wow". I've tried his method for removing wallpaer and it worked like a charm. I can hardly wait to get his new book Faux Finish book. Everyone should have this book in their home. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating - General    2. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Plastering And Painting    7. Home furnishing & decoration    8. House & Home / Do-It-Yourself    9. House maintenance   

Reviews (13)

BEST EXTERIOR COLOR BOOK
This is a great book for anyone serious about choosing paint colors for their house with professional results.A wide range of house styles and color combinations are presented.The book starts out with a brief step by step for choosing exterior paint color.It provides instructions for actually painting the house yourself.This is followed with page after page of gorgeous photos of painted houses, and it includes the paint color used for each house.There are very few resources available on the subject of choosing color for the exterior of the house.The book is truly the best I've seen.

Great Book!Great Help!
I have two of Ms. Krims' books, The Perfectly Painted House and The Perfect Palette.We bought a Federal Style home built in 1820 in downtown Fitchburg, MA for my husband's psychology practice last year.We consulted the book and decided on the Phelps Putty color, but kept the shutters black (although your choice of gray was stunning and I may do that in the future).The color suggestions along with the pointers on painting cedar shingles in the appropriate way yielded great results and we have gotten many compliments. Our next project is our own home and I chose the Glastonbury combo for my main floor and the Marblehead for our downstairs.Clearly Ms. Krims' books have been used and enjoyed.Thank you very much!

Disappointing
Anyone using this book as a means by which to choose paint colours, is making a huge mistake. Like most books of this genre, it is candy for the eye - you may be inspired, but to go out and use the same colours as in the book is foolish.Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction - General    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. House painting    8. Home furnishing & decoration    9. Houses, apartments, flats, etc    10. Interior design   

Reviews (12)

Excellent
I loved this book and although I would have liked more instruction on painting some of his illusions, I am quite happy with what the author did include.Great photos of his completed works.

Very inspiring
I found this to be a wonderful book and will give it often as gifts.

Just Okay
I mistakenly thought this was a Graham Rust book. I don't buy this type of book thinking I will be a grand muralist. I buy them for high-end decoupage images. I rip the book apart and use the images. This book did not meet my needs. I found the images bland. Again, I do not buy these books for the intended purpose so keep this in mind ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts / Hobbies    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Decoration and ornament    5. House & Home    6. Mural painting and decoration    7. Painting    8. Technique    9. Techniques - General    10. Trompe l'oeil    11. Decorative arts & crafts    12. Handicrafts    13. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (14)

Helpful book
I found the book to be helpful, but I would have liked more "color recipes".There were ideas for all types of rooms.

Vibrantly Colored Rooms
This book has good, clear photos and include the paint brand (Glidden, Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams) and color number. Always helpful when you are trying to match colors. Most of the rooms are very vibrant in color and the rooms are decorated in a mostly traditional style. Very nice book if you like vibrant colors, but my taste leans to a more subdued color palette.

THIS BOOK GIVES OUT THE COLOR NUMBERS!
I have looked at a lot of home decorating books for help with my paint colors.Many have lovely photographs, but not a one of them gives you the paint color numbers that you see on the walls of the photographed rooms, EXCEPT THIS ONE.I couldn't believe it.I was still nervous going into the paint phase, not knowing whether the colors would look as good on my walls as they do in the book.Well, let me tell you, they look even better!I am as pleased as punch.If you don't want to look through paint chips, try this book.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Color in interior decoration    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Decoration & Ornament    6. General    7. House & Home    8. House painting    9. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (1)

Great Faux Book
This book contains some very interesting faux techniques. The finishes require various skill levels from beginner to advanced. Many use various products on the market, i.e. Lusterstone and Aqua products. The more complex projects must be done over several days to allow time for base coats, textures, Lusterstone, etc to dry. The pictures are gorgeous. The steps are clear and easy to understand.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Finishes and finishing    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. House painting    7. Texture painting    8. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (5)

Worth the money
I cannot say enough about this trompe l'oeil artist.I am a complete fan and have learned a ton from both this book and his book on trompe l'oeil panels.

Very pleased with my purchase.
If you like to learn new painting technics, and be inspired by others, this is a fantastic book.

Pretty, good book
This book is great for rendering faux marbles and some woods, but as a professional decorative painter, I was very disapointed with the level of artistry when it came to fieldstone, tortoise shell, and some others.It looked totally amaturish.Also, if you use watered down paint, as is recommended, you will have problems clearcoating without streaking your work.I have always found the use of glazing compounds a much better solution. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction - General    2. Decorating    3. Decoration and ornament    4. General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. Interior Design    8. Interior Design - General    9. Painting    10. Technique    11. Decorative arts & crafts   

Reviews (8)

Not instructional
This book is chock full of beautiful painted ceilings using trompe l'oeil.There are no instructional references.

very useful
i'm starting out as a muralist. i found this book very helpful. great pictures, useful designs...
View from a professional
As a professional mural painter, I found some of the ideas in this book to be inspiring. However much that was written in the book was useless information describing what you are seeing in the picture. This is not an instruction book. As for his artistic style, I really didn't care for it - his use of color seems rather Disney-esque. Everything is bright and vibrant without much richness and depth. While the creatures he paints look decent, his cherubs and people leave a lot to be desired. Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Ceilings    4. Decorating - General    5. Decoration & Ornament    6. History - General    7. House painting    8. Individual Artist    9. Mural painting and decoration    10. Techniques - Painting    11. Art / Individual Artist   

Reviews (1)

Simpla & Basic
Good for someone with a need for very basic color scheme for historic homes. No imagination needed. Colors are boring by our modern day standards, but give the old world look desired in the older victorian neighborhoods that despise the brighter californian look. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating - General    3. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    4. General    5. History - General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House painting    8. Architecture / General   

Reviews (6)

A beautiful book
I found the information in this book very helpful in directing a group of adult students this summer in creating sketchbook/journals.

Very Rich and Detailed
This book brings a lot to the table! I was really amazed at how much there is to read, learn and digest from this wealth of information.
I love this Book!
I thought The Decorated Page was a great book and had checked it out from the library so many times that I decided to buy it. When I saw The Decorated Journal advertised, and read other reviews, I knew it would be good. I wasn't disapointed. It's every bit as good as the first and maybe better. I especially like the book binding portion in the back of the book. My favorite journaling book so far. I would highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bookbinding    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Painting    7. Paper Crafts    8. Papercrafts    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Papercrafts    10. STUDY NOTES - SparkNotes   

Reviews (1)

wall paining for starts
This book was very much what I thought it would be, clear and direct and most useful. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Natural products    7. Paint mixing    8. Painting    9. Technique    10. House & Home / Decorating   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Christmas in art    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. Decorating    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Painting    8. Santa Claus    9. Seasonal    10. Technique    11. Art techniques & principles    12. Christmas books    13. Decorative arts & crafts   

Editorial Review

Even if you know what your favorite colors are, you may be unsure about covering your living space with them. Yet with the right approach, colors can greatly enhance--even create--the visual and emotional appeal of any room. Properly chosen, color can make a smaller room seem larger, a cavernous space seem cozy; it can add structure or introduce simplicity. Drawing on a palette of 26 full-spectrum colors, this book demystifies color properties, explaining how to plan a palette that will work wonders throughout a home. Learn how intensity, light and shadow, background tones, contrast, and architectural details all play a part in a successful color scheme. Find the colors for your walls, doors, and trim that will make everything in the room come alive. By adapting ideas from this beautifully photographed book, you can create an interior you love, enlivened with the colors that are both right for the space and for your own personal style. Read more

Reviews (24)

A source of practical knowledge and inspiration!
This book is easy to read and offers simple, but thorough explanations on the basic principals of colour (i.e., warm tons versus cool tons, colour intensity versus hue etc).It also gives the reader an easy to follow guide on how to go about choosing colour and how to tackle a painting project for any sort of room.A delight to read and filled with beautiful photos that are sure to inspire a decorator of any income.

"Atmospheric" ?
Well, this book was a big waste of money. If you want to live with all the "atmosphere" of a brown paper bag, buy this. If you want to put color into your home, don't.

Real color for real life
This book is very good for those that realize normal colors exist.I can't decorate a home like a magazine because I live on earth.Color Palettes helps provide information on how to paint and decorate a home for those that can't afford $25k a room for bright reds and blues.It provides excellent suggestions and pictures for basic colors.I am very satisfied and highly recommend Color Palettes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Color    2. Color in interior decoration    3. Decorating    4. Decorating - General    5. Decorating - Painting/Wallpapering    6. Decoration    7. Decoration & Ornament    8. Home Improvement / Construction    9. House & Home    10. Interior design    11. Interior walls    12. Residential Interior Design    13. Home furnishing & decoration    14. House & Home / Decorating