Looking at Prints, Drawings, and Watercolours: A Guide to Technical Terms [Paperback]

Paul Goldman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0892361484 | ISBN-13: 978-0892361489 | Publication Date: March 23, 1989

What is the difference between etching and engraving, or between aquatint and mezzotint? What is bodycolour? And what exactly does it mean to say a work is 'ascribed' or 'attributed' to an artist? With the aid of numerous illustrations, this book defines and explains the techniques, processes and materials used in works of art on paper. It will be invaluable not only to all those wishing to increase their understanding and enjoyment of prints, drawings and watercolours, but also to anyone who is thinking of starting a collection. The inclusion of more colour images, modern printmaking techniques and other new developments in the field make this the ultimate up-to-date, concise reference book on the subject.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Goldman is an Associate Fellow at the Institute of English Studies, University of London and was formerly Assistant Keeper in Prints and Drawings at the British Museum. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (March 23, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892361484
• ISBN-13: 978-0892361489
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,071,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars more, and less, than I expected, January 1, 2002

By 

audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Looking at Prints, Drawings, and Watercolours: A Guide to Technical Terms (Paperback)

I had hoped this book would incorporate aesthetics with art history, but that is not quite the author's intent. Instead, it is similar to a dictionary, being a 63-page volume of alphabetically arranged technical definitions, from aquatint to wood-engraving. It is also more than a dictionary, having more than 60 examples to illustrate techniques and methods.

This book is neither historical nor biographical in focus, but you will learn a great deal of technical information.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of Looking at Prints, Drawings and Watercolours, August 25, 2007

By 

Lynne N. Reno "art historian" (Conneaut, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Looking at Prints, Drawings and Watercolours: A Guide to Technical Terms, Revised Edition (Paperback)

This is an informative glossary containing terms pertinent to works of art on paper but as the author Paul Goldman notes the book only briefly treats photomechanical processes and contemporary trends in printmaking. The illustrations are all drawn from the Getty Museum or the British Museum collections so readers can go directly to the online digital sites at those institutions for more information. This make the book valuable as an introductory text for a course on the History of Prints and Drawings. It is also a "must read" for emerging collectors and for art lovers who desire a deeper appreciation of the complexities of the graphic arts. Used in conjunction with Linda C. Hults, The Print in the Western World (U. of Wisconsin Press) and Ursula Weekes, Techniques of Drawing (Woodstocker Books) it provides a sound overview. Unfortunately the book omits some important terms and slights the history of paper making, but again it is a handy reference and not a definitive one. While the bibliography will point readers to many valuable printed resources, a list of relevant web sites would be a useful addition. The book is printed on quality paper and the binding appears sturdy. The second edition contains basic information on conservation issues. Those seeking more information on prints should consult the website at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (N.Y.) which gives extensive technical information and many digital examples. Lynne N. Reno, Assistant Professor, Edinboro University, Edinboro, Pa.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK, but hardly complete, August 4, 2007

By 

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Looking at Prints, Drawings and Watercolours: A Guide to Technical Terms, Revised Edition (Paperback)

What's here is good material. It lists a fair range of terms used in art on paper, with many reproductions of art showing the effects of different tools or materials. The book itself if well printed, on heavy paper that shows the sample artworks very clearly. And, as a parting benefit, it offers a helpful bibliography.

It's what's not here that's the problem. A book twice this size might have been adequate for either drawing or watercolor, and a printmaking would have needed a lot more than that by itself. What's here is good, but possibly not enough to justify this book for most collections.

-- wiredweird