The airbrush has been rather elbowed out by computer graphic techniques lately, but this is a timely reminder that the medium has rather more painterly qualities than pure technology can provide. This new book packs a lot into its 144 pages and, necessarily therefore, skates over a certain amount.
Although it’s intended to appeal to beginners as well as the more experienced artist, I can’t help feeling that a complete tyro would do well to seek out something a little more basic to begin with. Although types of gun and basic techniques are covered, there’s no real disguising that this quickly develops into something of a masterclass, with a series of demonstrations that make heavy demands on your technical ability.
None of this is to say that this isn’t a hugely worthwhile book, and it’s also true that the airbrush is a difficult tool to learn and handle, albeit one which repays study and diligence. The accompanying DVD features all the six demonstrations and goes a long way to helping you follow what’s going on.
Author: Roland Kuck, Medium: Airbrush, Publisher: Search Press, Subject: Techniques
If you were going to buy just one book on painting in watercolour, you wouldn’t go far wrong with this one. Looked at from the perspective of someone who has seen a great many art instruction books, from the basic to the advanced and from the brilliant to the terrible, my first impression is that there isn’t anything special about this one. On the other hand, that is in many ways its strength. Sally Harper covers a wide range of techniques and subjects without going into more detail on any of them than a beginner needs. The page format is relatively small, but that also makes it unintimidating and tends to concentrate one thing to each spread, which also makes it straightforward to follow.
All in all, this is a book it’s hard not to damn with faint praise, which is a shame, because it’s good value and sits well with the market it’s aimed at.
Author: Sally Harper, Medium: Watercolour, Publisher: A&C Black, Series: Artist’s Handbook, Subject: Techniques
Terry Harrison is among the best there is at explaining the technical process of painting and he’s also a very generous teacher, unafraid to share his many personal secrets.
This series from Search Press is developing nicely and they’ve done well to be selective about who they get to contribute to it, because it’s an easy format to do, but a hard one to get right. You get a good range of topics here, including painting from photographs, the use of additives, skies, foregrounds, trees, mountains, water and coastal scenes. There are plenty of illustrations with the text confined to simple captions that give you just the essential information so that you know what you’re looking at.
Author: Terry Harrison, Medium: Acrylic, Publisher: Search Press, Series: Top Tips, Subject: Techniques
Do you see what they did there? It’s a clever portmanteau word that sums up exactly what this book is about, namely, a thorough collection of embroidery stitches.
I’m not qualified to say whether it lives up to its strapline: “the only embroidery reference you’ll ever need”, but it claims to include blackwork, canvas work, crewel work, hardanger, pulled work and stumpwork. To a non-specialist, it certainly looks the part and the instructions seem admirably clear and well laid out.
Author: Helen Winthorpe Kendrick, Medium: Embroidery, Publisher: A&C Black, Subject: Techniques
Rather than a conventional instruction manual, this is more of a celebration of the medium of acrylics that reads like one of those “good enough to eat” cookery books. It’s not often than an art book features pictures of swirls of paint, but the author started out as a photographer and he captures some startling images. Even in his paintings, the paint itself becomes part of the composition and there’s something somehow luscious about the results. It’s all intriguing and sometimes a little disturbing, too.
This certainly isn’t a book for anyone looking to learn how to paint but, as an immersion in the medium, it’s really rather beautiful.
Author: Jean-Paul van Boxtel, Medium: Acrylic, Publisher: Search Press, Subject: Techniques
Mike Bernard’s style is unique and in this, his first book, he shows how he builds up images, starting with a paper collage and then working up the shapes and textures using acrylic paint, inks and other materials. The results are a stunning meeting of the abstract and the representational, with recognisable scenes that are nevertheless constructed from geometric shapes and strong colours that add an artist’s commentary to the finished work.
It’s important to look at the title of the book in full, because this is by no means something about collage itself as the technique is only part of the final result and both the book, and Mike’s style, are about using a number of different tools and techniques in painting.
There’s no doubt that this is a style of working that’s so individual that you’d never want to emulate it completely, but Mike offers many valuable insights into the way he works that you can use to stimulate your own creativity and provide jumping-off points to get yourself started in a wealth of new directions.
Author: Mike Bernard, Medium: Acrylic, Medium: Collage, Publisher: Batsford, Subject: Landscape, Subject: Techniques, Subject: Townscapes
This first appeared several years ago in conventional hardback form. It was a good book then and there’s no reason to suppose it isn’t now, indeed its simple approach and sound advice have stood the test of time well. The general approach is that each chapter is a few pages devoted to a particular painting technique such as the use of masking fluid, toned paper or different types of brush. With 75 different sections, it’s packed with ideas and is something to dip into when inspiration has dried up or you just fancy having a go at something new.
And that’s the problem, because this new edition has been shoe-horned into a format North Light have dreamt up that gives you a book that folds back into a mini-easel and stands up by itself. For books that you need to follow while you’re painting and which have a lot of information packed onto one page, this is fine. However, for something like this, which is much more something to sit down and dip into, it’s an absolute pain. The spiral binding is stiff and you have to turn the page every time (you don’t get two at a spread). And as it’s not a book you need to be constantly referring to as you paint, there isn’t even a payback from the convenience factor a stand-up provides.
All-in-all, I can only suggest you look out for a secondhand copy of the original format. I can’t help feeling that frustration would have this one going out of the window after a few minutes!
North Light
Author: Cathy Johnson, Medium: Watercolour, Publisher: North Light, Subject: Techniques
Ray Campbell Smith is an experienced and respected teacher as well as being one of the best watercolour technicians there is.
This is a slowly-developing series from Search Press that they’re so far resisting the temptation to stuff with every Tom, Dick and Harry who’ll put brush and pen to paper. It’s been a while since the first volume appeared and this second one is certainly worth the wait – when Ray offers you 85 pearls of wisdom, you’d certainly better sit up and take notice! And he doesn’t disappoint. Reading the contents list, you could be forgiven for thinking that the usual suspects (composition, use of colour, perspective. skies, foregrounds, etc, etc) are all here, and so they are, but seen from the unique perspective of a man who paints the best water and the best skies in the business, bar none.
Ray can do more in a simple sketch than many artists can in a multi-page demonstration and this pocket-size guide is far larger in scope than its format. Ray will show you how to use colour and shading to give objects shape and to suggest perspective as well as to balance composition. The truth is that there’s a veritable masterclass in here positively elbowing its way out.
Author: Ray Campbell-Smith, Medium: Watercolour, Publisher: Search Press, Series: Top Tips, Subject: Techniques
There aren’t that many books around on pastels, which is a pity, because it’s an attractive and relatively simple medium. To have one that concentrates on the absolute basics and comes from a series that assumes very little previous knowledge on the part of the reader is a double treat.
Carol Hodgson shows you how to handle pastels and then provides three very thoroughly illustrated step by step demonstrations of sunflowers, an olive grove and a Venetian scene that cover a good variety of both subject and techniques. Everything you need is there, all that’s missing is the mystique.
Author: Carol Hodgson, Medium: Pastel, Publisher: Search Press, Series: How to Paint, Subject: Techniques
Any title like this is a bold claim and something of a hostage to fortune, but a quick flick through the pages reveals a pretty thorough cornucopia of subjects and techniques and a well-designed layout based on a series of 2-page spreads that allow you to see everything at a glance. Trudy Friend is an experienced author and this is an approach she has used to good effect in previous books, so you can fairly say that it’s tried and tested.
As a manual covering all media, subjects and techniques, it’s necessarily relatively superficial and there are inevitable gaps so, if you’re looking for something specific, you might find that it falls through one of them or that the coverage isn’t quite as detailed as you’d like.
The progression of the book is in four stages. After a brief introduction to the various media, what they do and how they’re used, you have basic mark-making, developing your skills, problems and solutions and composition. To an extent, these are devices rather than obvious divisions and this is a book that’s best used by simply opening it more or less at random and seeing whether what you’ve found takes your fancy. There’s a good variety of subjects covered, including landscapes and figures and some very sound advice on all of them. It’s fair to say that, even if you don’t connect with everything in the book, you’ll find more than enough to justify the purchase price and that the browsing approach will yield gems that will stand you in good stead at all times.
David & Charles
Author: Trudy Friend, Medium: Various, Publisher: David & Charles, Subject: Techniques