Amazon.com Review
It sounds corny, but when you first see this book, you have to resist the urge to say, "Wow!" Part of a long-running series, this one has to be the prettiest: the outstanding artwork is extremely inspirational. Like a kid in a candy store, you can't wait to get your hands on the techniques.
This is the fourth edition written by Threinen-Pendarvis, and her experience shows. The chapters have a logical structure that offers first the basics and then a variety of techniques that are shown step by step, with tips sprinkled throughout and galleries of work by talented artists (including the author herself). After an introduction to the application, the book covers working with color, brushes, selections and masks, layers, working with photographs, special effects, type, working in conjunction with Photoshop, creating animations in Painter, creating for the Web, and printing and archiving images.
This edition has been completely revised, with new material covering the latest features in Painter, like the industry-standard level masks and layers, a more versatile magic wand, editable Dynamic Text (with live drop shadows and other effects), and the ability to make sliced GIFs, image maps, rollovers, and animations. The companion CD-ROM includes custom brushes, textures, and other effects and scripts, demo software and stock images, and, best of all, QuickTime movies in which you can watch the artwork as it is made, stroke by stroke--very Wow!-worthy stuff.
The layout is clean and easy to read. You can glean a lot just by reading the detailed captions and tips in the slim left-hand column on each page. The writing is clear, detailed, and to the point--no conversational digressions get in the way. And, printed in full color throughout, the book almost glows.
Although this Wow! book isn't meant to replace the Painter manual, a beginner will get a good handle on all the tools, as well as quite a bit of painting and color theory. Intermediate and advanced Painter users will add a wealth of new tricks to their palettes. --Angelynn Grant
Topics include:
- Basic instruction, tricks, and techniques in Painter 6, including building brushes (colored pencils, pastels, oils, watercolors, gouache, washes, thick paint, and custom brushes)
- Working with masks (embossing, airbrush, color masks)
- Working with layers and shapes (drop shadows, melting text into water)
- Photo enhancement and montage/collage (sepia-tone photos, simulated motion, solarizing, tinting)
- Special effects (distortion, impressionist looks, terrain maps, mosaics, draping effects on a weave pattern)
- Working with type (over a photo, graffiti style, glows, beveled chrome, ice and stone effects)
- Working in conjunction with Photoshop
- Working on Web images and animations
- Printing and archiving images
From the Back Cover
Get artistic inspiration and practical, step-by-step examples in one book: The Painter 6 Wow! Book. Over 100 of the world's most accomplished Painter artists contributed stunning, full-color artwork, accompanied by detailed techniques, helpful tips, and expert tricks on how to re-create the effects you see. It's the ideal companion for fine artists,designers, photographers, and illustrators who use Painter to work in print, multimedia, and on the Web. Thoroughly updated, The Painter 6 Wow! Book explores the major new features of the program: its streamlined interface, enhanced integration with Photoshop, easier export to page-layout programs, and more realistic natural media. It also includes expanded chapters on Web graphics and printmaking, a revised chapter on painting using the new high-performance brushes, and a brand-new chapter on special typography effects, geared toward designers. The CD-ROM is loaded with custom tools, stock photos and video clips, demo versions of MetaCreations and Adobe programs, and much more. Check out the following excerpts from the book: Painting an Expressive Color Study Creating a Montage Using Masks and Layers
