Customer Reviews

The Painter X Wow! Book

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was forced to read and use this book for a class in Corel Painter X. I also owned the first Painter Wow book. This one is a great improvement over that, however it still misses the mark on what is needed. Painter has improved greatly also, and has become more complex, if not enigmatic program. Painter was designed for a special group of people, (artists, yes we're special,) who generally like to just pick up a tool and start making art with it. While this book has great full color illustrations of what is possible, thus the "WOW," i feel it has too many exercises, trying to emulate someone else's example, and not enough organized detailing of the tools.

What an artist needs with Painter is an accurate reference manual, where one can easily look-up a brush or other tool, find out all its standard variants, what they do and don't do, and what you may do to adjust it. The author attempts to do this, but you have to follow too many cross references, and too much detail is left out.

This book is however the best you can get and she does do a great job of explaining the principles behind the different aspects of this program. Painter is so complex it is not easy for any person to fully know, but this is why a complete and usable guide is needed.

First, I have every single edition of Cher's books, and am a fan and friend. Why trust a review I give? Because I do not hold back when something isn't quite right, and am interested in people truly enjoying their art experience, whether on a computer or using more traditional means. If one doesn't understand the medium one can not rise to the best of their abilities.

That being said, I unreservedly endorse this edition of Painter WOW as the current standard in Painter education. Corel's new edition of Painter brings back old familiar tools and introduces new ones, including the RealBristle Painting System, tools for photographers such as Underpainting and Auto-Painting, Divine Proportion, and more. For professionals, each new edition of the family of PeachPit's WOW series is a thorough and inexpensive way to quickly assimilate vital information to keep current, and Cher has always proven reliable in producing clear and relevant examples - one of the reasons I trust her books.

Right now, as I write this review, this edition of this book is sitting next to my side of the bed, with a bookmark for where I left off yesterday afternoon. (A microbiology book is on my wife's side, so I consider myself by far the more fortunate.) In two hours the bookmark will be a bit further along.

For anyone starting with Painter, this is THE book currently available. Cher does not try to produce clones of herself or any other artist, but instead aims (and succeeds) at equipping beginners, novices and experts alike with information particularly pertinent to them. For example, I am much more comfortable with Photoshop and enjoy traditional media, so when I want to work with oils I can feel totally overwhelmed. Her explanations on how to use oil brushes, and then manipulate them to my particular desire, is both straightforward and immediately useful. Yet with the new painting system unique to Painter X a mystery to me, and something I want to master right NOW, I am spending time on that particular subject, which is handled clearly and is immediately helpful.

From one version of a book to the other there is obviously going to be carry-through on some art and exercises, simply because the program itself isn't reinvented at each release. Many of the articles do NOT carry over from previous editions, and ALL of them have been carefully reviewed and reworked wherever necessary to reflect the changes occurring from Painter IX to Painter X. This particular edition has been thoroughly edited to cover both minute and major changes/additions to Painter, and the gallery examples contain extensive new work that, like every other edition, challenges and inspires. The galleries show how Painter and the Painter community has grown.

If you're new to Painter or to Cher's materials, you can't go wrong with this edition. If it's been awhile since you bought an edition of Painter WOW and want to find out what's going on in the world of Painter, it's time to "upgrade" to Painter X WOW!

This book is a superb reference for beginners and intermediate users. It won't teach you the absolute basics of the program - you need to figure them out yourself but it delivers in every other aspect. Artists with diverse sets of styles show the steps on how you can use the many brushes in Painter X to your advantage and explanations with lots of detail help you along the way. Galleries of professional work throughout the book serves as inspiration as you study. It covers so many things that you can do with Painter that you'll sometimes find yourself overwhelmed. Despite that, the book is well organized, the techniques are explained thoroughly, and most important of all: the information is great. Truly a great book; the extra goodies like brushes, textures, etc are icing on the cake!

And as always in this new edition, Cher Threinen-Pendarvis does not disappoint. The Painter WOW! X Book is clear and concise with regards to layout and organization. It's easy to cross reference, and visually stimulating. I suspect you'll find, as I do this is a book that's tough to put down! As I said, the organization is such that you can jump around finding what you need quickly and easily. It's an exciting book too! I can't remember flipping through, and not getting the urge to "make stuff". You'll find tips and tricks in this book that you'll find nowhere else! I've examined similar Painter manuals, and find that they are either repetitive, hard to understand, and surely not as all-inclusive as The Painter WOW! X Book. One of the great things about this particular book is that it matters not whether you are a photographer, illustrator, fine artist or graphic designer. Nor does it matter what your style or aesthetic, figurative, illustrative, fantasy, photorealism, modern, or even if you're into typography! There is truly something in here for everyone; there is surely a doorway to your next great inspiration! I've been an Adjunct Faculty teaching Painter at an art college in Boston for years. And I've been highly recommending this text, edition after edition for as long as I've been teaching. There is none better! Regardless of your level of expertise, this book is a MUST HAVE for any digital artist that's using Painter. Oh, and if you've sitting on the fence with this purchase due to the fact that you have an older edition of this text, do not delay, as the application grows, so does this book! Enjoy!

TITLE: Painter X Wow! wows even longtime Painter user
David Purnell, M.A., CMI
NEW YORK WEST Medical Illustration Studio
skyotter@aol.com
September 16, 2007

This edition -- "The Painter X Wow! Book" -- of the book series by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis, like its predecessors, is beautifully done, and packed with valuable, accessible information.

I am a professional medical illustrator. Illustrations I create in Painter are the backbone of my work; of my business. I reserve Photoshop for image editing. But for original art that simulates natural media, I don't believe Painter can be beat.

One aspect of this book I especially appreciate are the many examples of how different artists have made use of various Corel Painter features. I find these "case studies" in Threinen-Pendarvis's book to be not only extremely informative, but highly inspiring.

As much as I've used Painter (since 1994, Painter v2.0), there is always more to learn. Within five minutes of perusing this new edition of Threinen-Pendarvis's book, I found something basic that I never knew. This new information will allow me to perform a frequently used task quicker and easier than I knew was possible.

Now here's something important I think new users of Painter should know. Painter, in my opinion, isn't difficult to learn. That is, it doesn't have a steep "learning curve." But what it does have is a steep "experiential curve." This is because it has so MANY fabulous features, tools, brushes, and effects. Even after all these years, there are features of Painter I've never explored. But I have a sense, generally, of the features available -- should I need to use them, or wish to explore them.

Painter is a rich gold mine of digital graphic tools waiting to be experienced. And Threinen-Pendarvis's "The Painter X Wow! Book" is a valuable road map to those riches.

As I'm always trying to learn how to handle Painter X in more depth, but so far I've only just scratched the surface, (same with Photoshop), I purchased Cher's book. She definitely packs a lot into it, and is an excellent publication and learning tool, but, I don't feel it is for the first timer. I have messed around with Painter X for about six months, and still feel I need a "this is how you do this". I thought Cher's book was a bit of a "chuck 'em in the deep end", thing. If you have covered all the basic's and are handling them well, then this is the book for you. However, if like me, you are still coming to terms with a lot of Painter X, then I would look furhter for something that provides more basic steps and explanations, and easy exercises to complete, so you know you have successfully learned the steps. Try "Digital Painting Fundamentals with Painter X - Rhoda Grossman", first, then move into Chers's book, then you'll have everything you need to really make Painter X work. Cher's book is a great tool, worth all 5 stars.
01/03/2010 - Okay, since my review above, 24/04/2009, I have a further comment that may help Painter X users. For those having problems coming to terms with the program, try doing Painter 1 & 2 at LVS Online, these are two great six weeks courses that I can guarantee will get you into Painter X without pain, and if you have purchased Cher's book, you will make great use of it as I am. Hope this helps and goodluck.

I have purchased quite a few books relating Photoshop and Painter, this is the first that has maintained my undivided attention from cover to cover. The layout is different to the other books I have purchased in that it is clear, great layout and has concise instructions in small doses. If you are a starter with Painter go for it. I have picked up quite a few pointers and will continue to use The Painter X Wow as a reference book. The Gallery of paintings is also of interest, especially the descriptions of how the paintings were achieved. For me, it works. Malcolm Judge

This is not a book for a person with no experience with the Painter software. While I believe there is useful information contained in it, it is not organized in a manner for a newbie to easily garner the workings of the software. The book is overloaded with pictures and screen shots accompanied by extremely small type which, while interesting, both detract from the content and do little to create a learning experience. I will probably come back to it after finding a more useful book and gaining more experience.

Painter X Wow! is an essential addition to the library of Corel Painter X users. With the included cd, it is a complete text for instruction that is user-friendly.

Painter X Wow! has been a real boost to my desire to try digital media for artwork. As a traditional artist, making that move is a challenge. The Painter X program is overwhelming with its endless options. But the book really helps to focus on the necessary tools and the basics to get started.