Creating Textures in Colored Pencil || Gary Greene

As a quick and easy to access guide, this volume, originally published in 1996, is hard to beat. It pretty much says what it does in the title, and each subject is dealt with in a single page. This inevitably means that coverage is sparse and you’re left on your own to develop techniques further, but conciseness has its virtue and you get everything quickly and straightforwardly.

The range of subjects varies from the inevitable rusty metal and weather-beaten timber to water, flowers and human faces. There really isn’t much more you could wish for. I do take issue with the cover’s claim of “50+ step-by-step demonstrations”, as a single image and 5 or 6 numbered steps does not, in my humble opinion, make for a full-on demonstration. However the information is all there and you may find that you far prefer the lack of fuss to pages and pages of only slightly different steps.

	Creating Textures in Colored Pencil Book with Gary Greene

Creating Textured Landscapes || Claudia Nice

In the wake of Claudia Nice’s latest book, on trees, comes this paperback reprint of one of her earlier works. Actually, it came as something of a surprise to discover that it’s taken four years for this to happen, but it’s also fair to assume that this is because sales of the hardback were holding up

Regular readers of Claudia’s books (and she justifiably has a very strong following) will know what to expect and won’t be disappointed. New readers could start with any of her texture books, but this is as good a place as any. What you get is pages of beautifully executed examples of texture in just about every subject and setting – from how to capture the sparkle of sunlight on moving water to giving a three-dimensional effect to weathered timber. Most of the text is hand-written which, while it doesn’t add anything tangible to what’s being said, does engender a personal and somehow homely touch. One of Claudia’s more recent books (on drawing techniques) eschewed her trademark style in favour of type throughout and it came as something of a shock!

Given what Claudia does, as well as what’s expected of her, it’s entirely understandable that this has the title it does. However, if it was by anyone else, I can’t help feeling it might be called “Bringing Landscape to Life”. I don’t mean the existing title is misleading, but my suggestion is a closer representation of what you get. Anyway, if that’s what you were looking for, you’ve found it.

	Creating Textured Landscapes with Pen, Ink and Watercolour Book with Claudia Nice

Classic Portrait Painting in Oils || Chris Saper

Although figure painting has been much better served of late, there have historically been few books that look at formal portraiture as opposed to the more popular style of a relaxed likeness. This is perhaps understandable as the classic style is seen as a specialised field requiring particular skills and maybe even equipment.

However, if you want to have a go, this book will help you considerably along the way. The introduction to materials and methods is comprehensive without being overwhelming and includes lighting, positioning the subject within the frame and how to evaluate skin colours. Chris also has useful advice on working from photographs, including what to aim for when you take them. In fact, the book has a neat trick up its sleeve in this respect, as each of the demonstration portraits is done twice, once from life and once from a photograph, and it’s interesting to see how this influences the result.

This is an American book and you should expect American facial types. I don’t mean that it’s outlandish, but there are some quite subtle differences that we don’t see this side of the Atlantic. This shouldn’t put you off, however, as the principles remain the same and, if you’ve followed what Chris is talking about, you’ll be painting your subject, not his.

Landscapes – art journey America || ed Kathryn Kipp

This substantial, large-format volume features the work of 89 artists working across the United States. Each painting is reproduced to the full width of the page and the square layout also allows for the occasional upright composition.

There is a brief biography of each artist and also a short questionnaire which gives them the chance to explain the inspiration for the piece illustrated as well as how they work. Production is excellent and does justice to the paintings, although there are a few that look as though they may have been reproduced from less than perfect transparencies, which is a pity, as the artists surely had others they could have chosen?

Overall, though, this is something to delight anyone who wants to explore landscapes, either visually or practically.

Lee Hammond’s Big Book of Acrylic Painting

The above-the-title billing gives you a clue to Lee Hammond’s popularity in the US and, if the title suggests a bind-up, you’d be correct. The material has previously appeared in four other titles, but the selection here provides an excellent introduction to the medium. More substantial than many similar books, this one covers still lifes, landscapes, animals and people as well as the basic techniques. Each section is admirably thorough – the one on people includes exercises covering all the main facial elements as well as demonstrations that deal with both male and female subjects as well as babies and toddlers. Overall, there’s a good sense of your money’s worth here.

Drawing & Painting Trees in the Landscape || Claudia Nice

Books on trees are relatively few and far between and one that deals with them not as individual subjects but as part of a landscape where they are, nevertheless, something more than just a blob of colour in the background, is pretty much unique. When you add to that Claudia Nice’s way with colours and textures, you know you’re already onto a winner and this high level of expectation isn’t going to be disappointed.

Although the cover promises “more than 70 species of tree”, this isn’t really the point as it’s the shapes and colours that matter, as well as how trees appear in each of the four seasons, a neat summary of which you get on the very first page. The book begins with the technical stuff, introducing ways of working with pen and pencil before progressing to the colours of foliage and the texture of trunks. Further chapters concentrate on evergreens, deciduous hardwoods, flowering trees, and the colours of autumn and winter.

There’s a wide variety of styles here, and this is very much a book for the general painter who just wants to get the landscape right without worrying too much about the intimate details.

	Drawing & Painting Realistic Trees in the Landscape Book with Claudia Nice

Start Sketching & Drawing Now || Grant Fuller

I have an immediate problem with this otherwise acceptable primer: the repro’s suspect and the illustrations have an unsharp look to them. This detracts from the book’s message as it’s hard to see the individual pencil lines that are really rather essential. The other problem is that the layout is unnecessarily fussy and the designer seems to have been let loose in a font factory. Some of the headings are really quite difficult to read, and that’s before I’ve got on to the curlicues and the fake antiquing!

Both of these are schoolboy errors that the editor should really have jumped on, as there’s a good mix of subjects and techniques and a reasonable sense of progression that could have made this into a worthwhile introductory course. As it is, I have to recommend that you look elsewhere as it’s not as if there aren’t plenty of similar guides out there.



Strokes of Genius 3 – Fresh Perspectives || ed Rachel Rubin Wolf

For this survey of contemporary work, the contributing artists were asked to complete the phrase, “Drawing is…”. That’s a wide brief, but it’s also arguably the best way to go as it merely provides a conundrum for thought rather than a constriction. Rachel was obviously pleased with the response, “the connection between eye, heart and hand”, as she’s quoted it on the jacket flap. It’s an obvious answer, perhaps rather trite, saccharine even, but it’s quite hard to sum it up any better.

Every book needs a way in and this is as good as any for what’s otherwise going to be a random collection (and none the worse for that). As long as it’s a rattle- rather than a rag-bag, we’re OK. In fact, this is a generously formatted and superbly reproduced look at what’s going on in the world (or at least the North American part of it) today. There’s some stunning and genuinely innovative work here, all of which the book does full justice to (and, in these straitened times it’s nice to see the publisher hasn’t been afraid to do the work and let the price follow). The chapters groups things by land and townscapes, portraits, still lifes, figures and animals, and each artist has provided short notes that explain what they were trying to do.

If you love drawing, this is definitely one to put on your Christmas list.

Encaustic Mixed Media || Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch

I’m at a loss as to how to describe this. On the face of it, it’s a book about painting with wax, but open it at random and you’d be hard put to spot that because there are so many other techniques and media involved. The best thing I can say is that it’s a whole new craft in itself and I haven’t seen anything like it before (and I don’t think I’ve led that sheltered a life!).

Find a copy. See it for yourself. If new ideas and methods appeal to you, I think this could keep you busy for a long time to come.



Mixed-Media Paintbox || ed Tonia Davenport

I think I’d place this fairly firmly in the craft category, but it’s an interesting collection of ideas from paint textures to jewellery. Everything involves paint at some stage, but this is not mixed media in the pen & wash sense. Each section is just a couple of pages, so these are not extended demonstrations, but rather ideas for projects that you can try out and develop for yourself.

If that’s your thing, then there’s a lot here and, even if you don’t want to try it all, you should get your money’s worth.