Painting Portraits of Homes in Pen, Ink & Watercolor [Paperback]

Helen J. Haberstroh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000

A how-to guide by an experienced artist who specializes in portraying homes. She supplies 18 demonstrations showing how to create and sell attractive, accurate house portraits. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891349545
• ISBN-13: 978-0891349549
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #471,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Pen & Ink

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Throw Away Your Old T-square!, January 28, 2003

By 

I. Gross Georg "imgeorg" (Edmond, Oklahoma USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Painting Portraits of Homes in Pen, Ink & Watercolor (Paperback)

A graphic artist of the old school, like myself, eats this kind of thing up. Using things like T-sqares and engineers rulers is like using my own hands, and to use them in an artistic manner to produce beautiful works of art gives these old tools new life.

Mrs. Haberstroh gives the best instruction possible by simply telling what SHE does to produce a painting, not what other people USUALLY do. All you have to do is follow what she does...then if you want to try a different style on your own, go for it!

You jump right in learning what tools you'll need; smooth Bristol board, she calls it plate finish; an engineer's ruler (meaning the pyramidic one the drafters use); 12" steel cork ruler with centimeters; T-square; 90˚ transparent triangle; 4H pencil; graphite eraser (a soft white one like the Factis); circle template; rapidograph pen; quality ink eraser; 140 lb. cold-press, cotton rag watercolor paper (she uses Arches in blocks); brushes (1-inch flat, Nos. 10, 9, 7, and 3 round quality brushes); and watercolor paints, being careful of lightfastness of the reds and greens you use (she says Hookers green fades badly.)

She also uses distilled water because of the mineral problem in tap water, and handy items such as a medicine dropper for gradual lightening of pigment, mask or frisket, paper towels, and that all-important apron!

She uses a point and shoot 35mm with 200 speed film for sunny days and 400 speed film for cloudy days. She then shows how to pick the best view, shoot in the best light, and what to do with the details.

The fun begins with one pen-and-ink step-by-step demonstration, and two watercolor ones. If you can't follow her instructions, there's something wrong! She couldn't be clearer, and if you follow along using her own drawings, it's magical the way things take shape.

The thing is, you can't rush the process. No blow-dryer...the ink must dry 24-hours before applying watercolor! This type of painting calls for a lot of patience, and may not be for everybody.

Mrs. Haberstroh generously offers a lesson in architectural rendering by showing us how to render different elements of the house, like the window, garage door, siding, and bricks.

Finally, in case you DO want to try doing this for a living or a sideline, she shows you how to set up your studio and get your name out there.

Her methodical approach suits me to a T; while I'll not be going into "house painting" full-time, I've learned enough to produce a very nice Christmas present for a few close friends of mine that won't be taken back to Wal-Mart and exchanged, and that makes me very, very happy!

4.0 out of 5 stars specific information, November 15, 2010

By 

Terry Hartzell - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Painting Portraits of Homes in Pen, Ink & Watercolor (Paperback)

This book has very specific information on the topic. It defines working with pen and ink on a drawing board, not digital graphic arts and has ideas for marketing such original artwork.