Customer Reviews

The Art of Pastel Painting (Practical Art Books)

5 star:		(5)
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3 star:		(1)
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Besides drawing with the things, Flattman shows how to prepare your own papers, and even roll your own pastels! Wonderful for the incurable do it-yourselfer who wants custom ranges of colors, but you'll need a garage or basement space you can devote to the messy business (and you'll need a respirator, too, not just a dust mask). There are lots of finished works, but the how-to step-by-step stuff uses too few steps usually. You need to have a good background in drawing already, and experience with composition. Flattmann comes to pastel from watercolor, and never thinks you might not already be accomplished in another form of painting. Pastels were my *first* media, when I began lessons when I was six, so they are not "inherently advanced." I would recommend you use this in conjunction with Bet Borgeson's _Color Drawing Workshop_.

Alan is a master pastel artist and also a master teacher. No fluff here - just page after of page of real tips from a guy who really knows how to communicate at all levels. This book will teach even the pros a few things yet this book is really easy to understand. It will be THE pastel reference for years to come. The color reproductions could have been better on some pages, but it really doesn't hurt the overall message. Sometimes I like a book that I can pick up, flip through, and learn something without much investment of time -- this books can work like that. But it is also a great book to read cover to cover because of the author's ability to keep you interested in the creation of pastel art. This book should be read by anyone who plans to use pastels. Alan also includes some good "money-saving" tips -- so much so that the book will easily pay for itself if you take his advise.

The art and technique of modern pastel is taught in a text which revises an original 1987 version to include the latest details on new technical advancements, plus new demonstrations and new paintings from the artist author, who was indicted into the Pastel society of America hall of Fame in 2006. From surface texture and lighting to basic painting and preservation concepts, The Art of Pastel Painting thus expands expertise and options and remains a standard, highly commended pick for any art library catering to amateur painters who would learn professional techniques.

As a student of pastel who practices in spare time, I found this book to be both educational and inspirational. Flattman provides specifics on his "tools", his process for developing a picture and inspires with his beautiful drawings. I recommend this book for someone who has spent some time working in this medium as well as someone comfortable with drawing. I am inspired and excited by his ideas! That alone makes this book worth buying.

Yes, I bought the same book again. I had the older version and some of the products are no longer available. The second one has more awesome pictures by Mr Flattmann. This is truly the complete book of pastels. Anyone who is setting out on a pastel journey needs to digest this information.

There are a lot of tips in this book that I have not heard from other sources.
The directions are clear and easy to follow. A great book for beginner and
the more experienced painter.