Customer Reviews

The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques: Fifth Edition, Revised and Updated (Reference)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I guessed writing review using reverse-psychology is rather easily misunderstood, considering review readers are from around the world with different ways of thinking. So, let me rephrase my comments about this book.

This book is a 5-STAR, due to the following reasons:

1) The book provides detailed discussion of pigments (pp 65-134), including both physical and chemical properties such as lightfastness (resistance to fading on long exposure to sunlight), density, vehicle compatibility, chemical class, formula, etc.

2) The book also covers other materials used in oil, watercolor painting, as well as other painting techniques such as tempera, mural, etc.

3) Readers will find formulas for preparing mediums throughout the book, as well as supports, solvents, safety issues; along with information on painting tools (brushes, knife, etc.) and other techniques (silk screening, sculpture, etc.)

4) Finally, for readers who prefer further reading on certain subjects, a thorough reference index serves the purpose.

This book targets professional and serious artists, and will serve well as a great reference book.

STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!

This is the Artist's classic, and the Artist's Bible of not only what materials are but when they came into use, how they are formulated and why. Want to learn how to make your own gesso for silverpoint? Want to cut a quill pen? Want to make your own pastels? Can't remember how to make your own sizing or gesso? Want to try your hand at encaustic or egg tempera painting? Want to know which colors in the spectrum are likely to fade (are fugitive colors) in watercolor and which are not? It's here.

Probably the best, most available and comprehensive book on the technical aspects of painting. Very useful for artists who pursue absolute soundness of technique with a mind for permanence of their work. Explains in detail the wide range of supports, grounds, primers, pigments, media and application methods, as well as their respective benefits and defects. Certainly not for the casual reader.

After 50 years of painting I still find this book the most used book in my library of art materials and technigues books. An artist may as well be without his brushes as to be without this book. The help on difficult to answer questions is a wonderful resource in the studio.

I had this and an earlier edition of the book and found both to be exceptional resources. We are buying this book for our daughter, who after 3-1/2 years of high priced college study in art conservation still doesn't know how to do so many of the basic, time tested procedures that are the foundation of enduring artwork. Ralph Mayer's approach takes the mystery out of the science of art. Every student of art should have this book.

After all my searching and looking I found this book.It covers everyting from the materials used in painting to techniques used,be they murals or encaustics.I cant leave it down.It pushes me even to try new things and consequently new work.It is a book for alchemists and artists alike.I got the hardback and it stays close to me at all times even when I fly!I have my copy smudged all over with blues,greens,etc.You will also read about picture framing and reparation of work...how to tackle mildew..the list just goes on.Its not for painting by numbers thats for sure.I set out to write a short review!A real tome of a book.Get it for reference or for its "secret" knowledge.Opens worlds for artists.Good luck

it was a required book at a county college. once i got it i realized it was very informative. it has very good information and i refer to it all the time. the professor said it would be our "bible for art" and he was right. it has techniques such as how to do egg tempra, suggestions on types of paints, etc. i would highly recommend it.

The book was useful, but it was a real hard slog to read it all; unlike other books on this subject.

To be fair, this book is really a reference book rather than one designed to be read all the way through over a few days.

Probably the biggest problems I had with was that many of the materials mentioned... I had no idea what they were because they are called something different in the US, plus many other newer materials weren't mentioned. The book was quite dated, and it made me wish I'd sprung a few extra dollars to get the 5th edition.

But still, this book (perhaps the 5th edition rather than the 4th) IS essential reading for any serious oil painter. (If you can understand all the very technical and long-winded information!)

I wasn't taught MOST of the technical information on oil paints at all at art school! It is great to have a bit of information on how to make your paintings last for many years. (I hate the thought of putting all that work in only for them to warp or crumble or peel in time!)

This book is not suitable however for beginners or amateurs who only want to know the basics about materials and so on. (This is a difficult read and very technical, in my opinion. I don't mean to say it isn't necessary and useful information though, it is.)

A great book that does that is Encyclopedia of Oil Painting Techniques by Jeremy Galton which is suitable for beginners and serious painters alike (and has a LOT of pictures in it as compared to this book which is 500 pages or so of all TEXT!).

If you are searching for a book that will explain materials and tools for the artist this is the first book you should turn to. I have been referencing this book for a decade now and still have a lot to learn from Ralph Mayer, a man who spent his life investigating various techniques of painting.

If you open this book up, you will come across just about any question you might have. For instance, I recently used Mayer for egg tempra painting. In his book he has a few pages regarding the subject, not many, but enough to fully explain the basics and get you started properly. He covers brushes, pigments, paints, from the obscure to the most basic.

One section of the book that I am keenly interested in is his break down of a massive number of pigments where he goes into more detail on each than any other source I have come across.

This is not exactly a how to paint or draw book. This book is intended for those who want to make a serious study of process practices in the correct manner for archival purposes. This is a must have book that should be in any painters studio.

One last item of note: If you have used this book before and found it of interest, I highly suggest that the next time you are around New Haven CT that you visit the Yale 'Ralph Mayer' center. Yale itself has many museums and buildings worth visiting and the Mayer center is just one small highlight. Its staff was very kind when I visited. When I showed an interest in Mayer, they were eager to share some of the more interesting aspects of the collection.

If this text were to reside in EVERY artist studio, and was referred to often, the world would be a better place. This book has been a standard reference, and in many instances a required text, for ages and for good reason. Get the revised 5th ed. but when you see earlier editions cheap, snatch them up as well. Information on things like older pigments has in some cases been dropped to make way for later additions; the handy oil index chart disappeared from the 3rd edition, that info is now included in the pigment descriptions and not near as handy; you get the idea. All this is understandable from an editor's pov but a loss non-the-less. Get the newest edition and refer to it often but don't neglect the older editions. Just because some info has been dropped doesn't necessarily mean it's obsolete or no longer relevant.