Drawing and Painting Dinosaurs || Emily Willoughby

With new discoveries regularly in the news at the moment, this is nothing if not timely. We’ve all seen artists’ impressions of what these prehistoric creatures may have looked like, but I for one hadn’t realised the extent to which paleoart is a recognised discipline (there is, in fact, another book on the same subject coming from another publisher at about the same time).

These are not, therefore, flights of fancy, but rather serious pieces of science based on the surprising amount of detail we have about creatures no human has ever seen. Those working in the field do so in conjunction with specialists and their pieces are based on thoroughgoing research which, of course, develops all the time.

I’m honestly not sure who this book is aimed at. Well, that’s slightly unfair, but there are, as well as some superb and informative illustrations, exercises and demonstrations. These will show you how to paint a variety of species from basic outline shapes to a realistic outline as well as, if you want, scales, colours and feathers. Quite how many amateur artists want to study this field I’m really not sure and I assume that those who are serious will already be working in universities. Children, you will say. Yes, they are fascinated by dinosaurs, always have been, but this is far too advanced (mostly) for them, unless they have considerable artistic ability and are old enough to have maintained their interest into their teens.

For anyone old enough to at least retain curiosity, this is a fascinating study of where we are now in the field. It contains plenty of information about the dinosaurs themselves as well as images that show them in likely habitats and performing likely behaviours. For that alone, it’s worthwhile. The stand-out? For me, it’s a small ink drawing of a Velociraptor. We know that birds are the survivors of what was a mass extinction, and that’s a Magpie if ever I saw one.

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The Book of the Tree || Angus Hyland & Kendra Wilson

Trees, you love them, don’t you? Majestic beings that are at the centre of the countryside or indeed any landscape. Books have been published celebrating them ever since people started chopping them down to make paper. Oh.

I’m being unfair. This is an absolute delight and includes paintings and photographs from mostly Twentieth Century artists with nicely-judged explanations of how arboreal subjects fit into their work and life. Some, such as Claude Monet, get several pages and in these cases, the specific focus provides a fresh perspective on their work. You also get, of course, a variety of different styles and once again the single-subject approach allows for comparisons to be made that a wider view tends to obscure.

The result is a fascinating and enjoyable book that works whether you take an extended tour, concentrate on a specific theme or just dip into it at random. The authors never lose sight of the fact that the images are the most important thing and keep the words to the minimum required to complement them, but without leaving you wishing they’d said a bit more.

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Painting & Drawing – techniques and tutorial for the complete beginner

When you’ve produced a series of excellent media-based guides, it makes sense (and will always be irresistible to marketing departments) to put them together in a doorstep volume.

Such is this. I’ve always doubted whether “real” artists buy this sort of thing, as they usually have a favourite medium or two and regard others as interlopers. Friends, however, or those considering having a go, are prime targets.

At twenty quid, this is at the top end of the price range for this kind of book, but the material is recent and, it should be said, first-rate. The ten pound variety is usually recycled from books published long ago and frequently anonymous.

Well, OK, the chapters here are anonymous too, except for acknowledgements at the back, but that’s perhaps inevitable if you’re going to present a coherent whole rather than a blindingly obvious bind-up. The approach works, not least because this isn’t a book to read from cover to cover, so changes of style, presentation and working won’t be immediately obvious. Yes, I am labouring this point, but a compilation is a compilation and should at least be consistent within itself, and this is.

If you want to know about the individual sections, click the publisher link below and look for media-specific titles. The gang’s all there.

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Happy Abstracts || Etta Vee/Jessi Raulet

This, to be honest, isn’t something I’d normally review. However, I asked for a copy and it’s my policy to review anything I’ve asked for. The title sounded intriguing and, now that it’s here, the idea does too.

I’m going to be as complimentary as I can because I think the book fulfils the brief it sets itself tolerably well. “Fearless painting for true beginners”, it proclaims, and there’s a chapter headed “Host a paint party”. My immediate reaction is that this is mainly aimed at the sort of person who likes the idea of drinking too much pinot grigio a lot more than they like the intellectual exercise of a book club.

That, though, is grossly unfair because, as I implied, this is aimed at a market that just isn’t the one I normally write for. My bad, but it would be wrong to criticise it for that. I’m honestly not sure of the authorship either, but I think Etta Vee may be an art system of which I’m ignorant. Think Bob Ross, but for millennials.

So, no, I can’t recommend it if you come here for my more advanced pearls of wisdom. However, it has a certain attraction and it’s just possible it would press enough of your creative buttons for you to think it was worthwhile. Jim Morrison reminded us that people are strange and, in a strange way, I’m coming round to rather liking it.

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Artist Toolbox: Tools & Materials/Surfaces & Supports

This handy little series offers a lot more than appears at first sight. You would be forgiven for thinking that it was something aimed at the complete beginner and maybe even for the buying-it-for-someone-else market.

Although it is both of these – if you know someone who’s expressed an interest in art, these are a good starting point – there’s also information that will provide a handy resumé for the more experienced worker. The contents are much more than just a list of what’s available with the sort of description that leaves you muttering, “well, I could have worked that out for myself”.

What separates these books from the crowd is the amount of information (packed into a very small space) about what to do with the equipment you’ve just bought. Oils, watercolours, acrylics and ink are there, of course, but also glass, plastic and even stone. Technical information runs to shading, perspective and composition as well as the more expected methods of application. Within that limited space, don’t expect a full-on course, but do be amazed by the amount of depth achieved in only a page or two.

These are genuinely useful books that have been well thought out and are very much more than just the shelf-fillers that this sort of thing so often is.

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Learn Colour in Painting Quickly || Hazel Soan

This excellently-conceived series has proved that it is possible not only to learn quickly, but that the unadorned approach is often the way to go. I’m always at least a little sceptical of such claims simply because something that can be a lifetime’s study can’t be mastered in a few minutes. However, I have to concede that getting to grips with the basics is something where speed can be a considerable help. Getting bogged down at the start is not only unhelpful, but positively discouraging to efforts to proceed.

Colour is, of course, the artist’s stock-in-trade, at once the vocabulary and grammar of the language of painting. Those for whom it’s second nature wonder at the number of books about it but, for all that, there are perfectly capable painters who struggle, at least at the outset. However, once you grasp the idea that the basic concept is really quite simple and that a lot of the difficulties are self-imposed, everything becomes much clearer.

Hazel is a master of colour in all its forms and, following the series format, shows plenty of examples linked with just enough words to make sure you know and understand what you’re looking at. She explains colour theory in practice (which means as little explanation and theory as possible) as well as demonstrating ways of creating light, shade, form, tone and hue.

I’m tempted to say that this is the complete guide, but of course it isn’t, and doesn’t pretend to be. It is, however, the complete introduction and you might find that what it teaches you is enough for you to be able to learn the rest for yourself, and that’s a heck of an achievement.

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Realistic Painting

I’ll be honest, I’m not absolutely sure what this is. The blurb tells me that it “will provide both the amateur and the seasoned creator with helpful knowledge in order to successfully execute the Realism style”. That, however, is not Magic Realism – highly detailed work that emulates photography – and looks suspiciously like conventional art that gets things like form and perspective right. There are occasional slight echoes of Edward Hopper, but I’m not convinced that’s deliberate. There is also an associated app that claims to be augmented reality but is, as far as I can tell, just a portal via on-page codes to video tutorials. I think it’s more added content than augmented reality.

So, having pretty much trashed the intent of the book, is there any point in going any further? Well, yes, because once you get past the ache to be new and high-tech, this is a very sound introduction to painting a good variety of subjects in watercolour, oil and acrylic. Yes, that old cross-media chestnut rears its head and, yes the subject you want may not be covered in the medium you use but, as long as you can follow the basic principles, the actual style of instruction, particularly working with problem areas and enlarged details is perfectly sound.

The lack of a named author is slightly odd, but there are plenty of different contributing artists and the text is concise and to the point. My initial thought was that it has the feel of a Parramon original and so, on further investigation, it turns out to be. That pedigree is generally a recommendation in itself and I’d say it is here. It’s hard to know who to recommend the book to – it’s a little too advanced for the complete beginner and sometimes a little too basic for the experienced artist. However, it’s something that may grab your attention and, as long as you feel you can get enough out of it to justify the price, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed and may well feel it has more to offer than you first thought.

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Drawing and Painting the Landscape || Philip Tyler

Although it is subtitled “a course of 50 lessons” and is intensely practical throughout, this is also a philosophical approach to both the landscape and the practice of its representation.

The use of a variety of media, from oils and acrylics to pencil, ink, oil bar and pastel betokens a book that isn’t heavily centred on technicality, even though those 50 demonstrations remain at its heart. Think of it, if you will, as an artist working and musing about creativity while they paint.

That variety of media may put some readers off. I’ve had “I only paint in …” said to me many times by buyers who literally weigh the book up and count the number of pages they wouldn’t allow to sully their delicate hands. While it’s true that most amateurs will concentrate on one or two mediums for largely practical reasons (time, cost, ability), the idea of working with what the subject suggests is an attractive one and leads to a discussion of interpretation that can be illuminating even if the details of the work are less than relevant.

There is much to get stuck into here, from the many illustrations to the well-written text that maintains your interest throughout. The icing on the cake, though, is the inclusion of the work of several other artists, which expands immeasurably the theme of understanding and interpretation.

Overall, this is a book which is a great deal more than just the sum of its parts and a worthwhile, perhaps even essential, read if you enjoy landscapes.

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Drawing and Painting Cars || Keith Woodcock

Books on this subject are not exactly thick on the ground and it is certainly pretty specialist. However, if it’s something you want to pursue, this book offers all the coverage you’re likely to need.

There are very specific requirements in this market and Keith covers them all. For those who want extreme, almost photographic detail, the rivets are there to be counted. If you want the impression of speed, that’s here too. You’ll also find era-appropriate backgrounds as well as the people who drive and fettle the vehicles. The bulk of the subjects, it’s worth pointing out, are vintage, that being where the market for this type of artwork largely lies.

For all that, there is sufficient infrastructure that you could use the techniques to paint just about any model in any style and setting you choose. Media run from pencil and pen & wash to oils, watercolour, pastel, gouache and acrylic. As well as the many examples, there are detailed lessons in perspective specifically as applied to cars, as well as lighting, reflections and shadows. This really is as comprehensive as it’s possible to get.

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Drawing & Painting – the complete artist’s handbook || Gabriel Martin

There is much to like about this refreshing approach to the “all things to all people” school of literature. On the face of it, this is the sort of book you’d buy if you were thinking about taking up art but didn’t know where to start. That seems odd, as I’d assume most people have at least some idea of what they like in the first place, but there are enough books of this nature to imply a continuing market. Or maybe non-artists buy them as an ad hoc gift?

Delving further, though, suggests a more serious intent as, on top of just about every drawing and painting medium, a wide variety of styles, techniques and subjects are covered. It’s a bit of a scattergun approach and I think, to be honest, that a beginner would find themselves not a little confused and considerably overwhelmed by the sheer weight of information and lack of an obvious course-like progression. For the more experienced artist – who I’d assume would be more set in their ways and media – there’s bound to be something in the considerable cornucopia that will catch the eye. I said at the outset that there’s a lot to like and the freshness of the style and layout contribute a great deal to that. Books of this nature are often quite stuffy and old-fashioned. This is bright, vibrant and positively invites you in.

Although this is, at 288 pages, a substantial book, it’s not especially cheap, and perhaps not quite an impulse purchase. Nevertheless, I doubt you’d find it disappointing, even if it wasn’t something you kept by your side for everyday reference.

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