Customer Reviews

The Painter's Handbook (Practical Art Books)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a painter, this book has been a reliable and useful reference for just about everything to do with oil painting along with recipes for a large variety of paints and means of methods of framing, matting, crating, varnishing, and other practical matters. This said, painters not primarily interested in oil, might be able to find a book better suited to them elsewhere, but, for oil painters, this book is an asset.

A final note, the person who claimed this book to be too dry and without illustrations should be disregarded, this is not a picture book for the entertainment of children but a comprehensive handbook for serious painters.

I recommend this book enthusiastically to my students as a concise, clear, easy-to-use and thorough reference on painting materials, especially oil painting (though it does cover other painting media). There hasn't been a technical question about materials that it hasn't answered for me, and the information provided has also led me to experiment with new materials. It is not a "how-to" book on painting and there are no pictures or anecdotes, but it is oriented towards serious students and professionals. For me, "The Joy of Cooking" of painting -- wouldn't be without it.

The Painter's Handbook is without doubt to artists' painting materials. Gottsegen's knowledge and expertise in the field allow for an in-depth understanding of the tools of the fine artist, and his book dispels so many of the myths surrounding art materials that have been perpetuated in other resources.
-Mark Golden, CEO, Golden Artist Colors, Inc.

This would be a good book for someone looking for basic information. Its not a book on techniques or special mediums, but instead a book that answers alot of technical questions. A step up from Mayer's book. The Oil painting section is very brief in the area of painting techniques, but has several charts for reference on binders, pigments and drying times.

I want to urge any aspiring artist to purchase this book! It answers questions which my instructor was not even able to shed light on. The topics run from very fundamental to very detailed and technical; and it is written and illustrated in a very easy to follow style. Perhaps the best part of this is that the author (an accomplished artist) has a website from which the reader can directly engage him for advice and questions:
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If you have a palette and easel, this book has to be as close at hand as your brushes! It is indispensable!

This book was recommended to me by an instructor. It is indeed very detailed about all materials for painting. This is not a "how to paint", but comparison of media, supports, finishes, safety, even "how to make your own"of the aforementioned. Would be well to have this on your shelf for reference. Well organized and written.

I bought this to get some guidance on varnishing and storing paintings. The book provides a fair amount of detail, but seems to stop short of giving complete instructions. For example, it provides a list of all of the materials you'll need to build a storage crate, but then doesn't provide a detailed diagram of how the crate is constructed (just a sketch of the final product).
I felt the same way about the information on varnishing. I feel I have 90% of the information I need to make a good decision, but would really appreciate more advice on specific brands of varnish. The book has a lovely chart comparing the different types of varnishes, with their pros and cons, but it list varnishes according to their main ingredient/chemical structure. I've tried searching for products based on this information and have come up empty handed. I wish the author had simply listed some common brands of each type of varnish.

Overall, I'm glad I got the book and feel better equipped to make decisions regarding my paintings... but I'll still need to supplement it with information on the Internet (at least now I have a better idea of what to search for).

This book is the practical one to buy, giving in-depth information about varnishes, mat cutting, crate creating, preservation, permanant inks, etc. It also alerts the artist to possible health issues. This answers all the questions my art teachers couldn't answer from a scientific basis ("well, I heard that this varnish. . .") This book goes beyond conjecture, explaining choices about art products from a scientific basis.

"The" book reference for artist materials that is clear, concise, and accurate.
Every student, artist, and anyone interested in art materials should have this essential reference manual.

My painting instructor reccomended this book. If you're serious about art, you might want to get this...It's a handy reference to materials (frames,grounds,paints,solvents), techniques and safety/protection...It's also easy to follow, well researched and comprehensive. The 4 stars is because there is some outdated information...e.g. Gottsegen explains how to make oil paints...But given the health risks (of working w/ dry pigments), difficulty and time required in this process, it really isn't feasible.