Customer Reviews

Colored Pencil Solution Book

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Get this book. Really. Even if you work in colored pencil only occasionally it is worth it. This book is as close to being a reference guide on anything to do with realistic colored pencil work I've ever seen. The only things missing are styles that are more experimental in approach and no focus on water-soluable colored pencils.

Some of the things I particularly liked:
1. Focus on specific name-brands of colored pencils, their binders, the effects this has on different types of paper, etc.
2. Techniques - such as:
a. mixing colors, how to apply colors evenly on varying degrees of rough to smooth paper, tonal gradations.
b. linear, stroke overlap, circular/oval strokes, burnishing.
c. liquifying dry colored pencil layers with solvents.
3. Underpainting in grey tones to get values correct and more vibrant color applied on top.
4. The actual patterns of each of the demonstrations shown step-by-step in the book. So you can actually practice each technique used in each of the demonstrations. Each demo gives a recipe of the "ingredients" used.
5. A section on common mishaps or mistakes along with tricks to fix them.

And this is only a portion of the things you can learn. I would like to mention one other thing. Most of the subjects chosen for the book all lean to the still-life or floral arrangement category. So you won't find in-depth discussions of skin tones for portraiture or fur for wildlife paintings. Even so, I believe the consistent high quality of the artwork displayed and wealth of techniques make it a worthwile addition to any colored pencil artists library.

There is a lot of good information for every colored pencil artist in this book. I certainly have gotten my money's worth. It is excellently organized and answers many questions and problems. However, the sole style represented throughout is super realistic. What you see pictured on the cover represents the one style shown throughout the book. If this is not your style, and it is not mine, then some of the information you will have to try to adapt to your own style. Some of the rest of the information you will not be able to adapt at all if you have a different style. The colored pencil field desperately needs a book showing styles that are not so realistic. I don't regret buying this book though. Despite my having a radically different style from theirs, there was still a lot of information for me to glean from its pages.

First of all, the book is good in a way. It has a lot of useful explanations and even has drawings that you can copy to practice what they teach you. But the authors concentrate exclusively on still lifes, which makes the book rather limited for other subjects. For example, it doesn't cover animals or animal "textures" such as fur, scales or feathers. Landscapes are not even mentioned, or natural textures such as tree barks, leaves, rocks, wood, water, etc. Portraits or people are not included either. So no skin types, hair or clothing are present in the book. Flowers are very briefly covered. The book has gorgeous illustrations, and it was carefully done, but incomplete. It should have been called "Still Life Colored Pencil Solution Book", in order to be really true to its contents. To "fill the gaps" left by this book, I had to buy other colored pencil books: "Creating Textures in Colored Pencil" by Gary Greene which is very comprehensive,"Creating Radiant Flowers in Colored Pencils" also by Gary Greene, "Colored Pencil Portraits, step by step" by Ann Kullberg and "The big book of Drawing" by Lee Hammond.

On the front of the "Coloured Pencil Solution Book," it says 'Tips and Techniques for Winning Results.'The book is definitely a winner from beginning to end as far as I am concerned, and is an absolute must for artists of all ability. After the introduction, each of the seven sections is made up of questions, such as "How should I arrange my Workspace?" A very good place to start. This form of questions follows through right to the end, making it easier to look for the solution you want. It covers everything from Composition,Application, and Technique, to a very good section on Colour and Light, which ends with the question, "How Can I Create Impact in My Work?" Something I really wanted to read about! My favourite sections were those on Reflections and Transparency Solutions, and Texture Solutions. Absolutely great, including a wealth of knowledge. The final section ended with "Problem Subjects and Fixing Mistakes." In this wasthe part dealing with 'How do I make Lace?', which was well worth waiting for, a clear demonstration, and as in all of them, the names of all the pencils used, were included. All demonstrations are clearly defined, with step by step drawings, all of which are a decent size, so that you can really see the detail. The one of 'Objects distorted in Water,' firstly, highlighted each of the six pencils, individually, as they stood in the water, so that it was easy to refer to them as pencils 1 to 6, in the demonstration that followed, which made it much easier to keep tabs on what was happening. Another very good idea, I thought. But, the 'gem' of the whole book was due to the generosity of both of the artists, Janie Gildow and Barbara Benedetti Newton, in including 24 of their own line drawings at the back of the book for artists to use, both, for the demonstrations, or for their own use to practise on. This immediately eliminates the mental block of deciding what to draw first, before even colouring! A truly wonderful book, and one I shall treasure. Thank you.

This is a pretty good book. I've never seen a better 'how-to' coloured pencil book then this one. Everything is so clear and understandable with lesson examples in the back of the book. If you want to learn colour pencil then I completely recommend this book. However as someone else pointed out. I feel that the images are a bit lacking. If anyone wants my advice - buy Bernard Poulin's book 'The Complete Colored Pencil Book' which has amazing imagery and this one for the know how. Between the two you'll probably never need to buy another book on this subject again.

PS: The images shown on the 'look inside' feature of this site make the book look better then it is. The real images are a little more boring in my opinion.

A better title for this book would be Color Pencil Solution Book for Realistic Still Life Drawing. People and animals have merely one or two appearances each among the examples, and land- and seascapes have no representation at all. It would have been an excellent reference to showcase multiple styles also, but we see only the work of the two authors, whose styles are very similar. The topics that are presented are well presented, and if realistic still life is your thing, this book will be a good resource. But if your interest is in multiple styles and landscapes or portraits, you'll often be looking elsewhere for solutions.

I just paid $175 to attend a colored pencil workshop by a woman that I thought was going to really help me with my work instead she said that this book was what got her started. I found that 99% of what this woman taught in the class was ALL from this book I already owned!! So save yourself money on workshops from so-called "famous" teachers & invest in this book!! You won't be sorry & it will teach you so much!!!! By the way, the reviewer who wants a less realistic approach to cp , there are too many cp books out there like that already (Bet Borgeson, Michael Warr, & 2 Walter Foster ones).

I am new to colored pencils and I found this book to be refreshing and detailed and actually had step by step how to's for newbies as well as those experienced in colored pencil. the artwork demonstrated was awesome and this is a main source of learning for me. It not only told you how to, but with what colors of pencil as well as strokes to use. Great book, so glad I bought it.
thanks

The Colored Pencil Solution Book offers not only practical solutions to problems encountered by the colored pencil artist, as the title suggests, but also the chance to view colored pencil work at its best. In addition, it offers the reader a chance to practice color application and techniques with 20 step-by-step, easy-to-follow demonstrations. The authors' also offer a peek at their studio setups and a wealth of information on materials and methods. All in all, it is a book I am thoroughly enjoying!

For a second book this is probably the best thing out there. Actual exercises applying the techniques are provided as opposed to merely providing samples of work. Also, the sections on composition are excellent, a great primer on things most books skip. I'm still looking for a 'First Book' though. I've purchased all of Bet Borgenson's publications but they just don't fit the bill so I'm slowly building a basic technique as I work thru this one.