Customer Reviews

Portraits from Life in 29 Steps

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Now this is a hard case when it comes to rating. The fact of the matter is this is a good book about portrait painting in oil; and the paintings presented in the book using Mr. Sanden's approach (plus his over 30 years of experience) are just beautiful. The book, however, does present a method to paint based essentially on products promoted by the author; and this may be too much for some readers.

I thought I'd point out a few points:

STRENGTHS:

- The book presents a step-by-step approach to render portraits in oil. Two demos are presented systematically in 29 steps, which may be easy for starters to follow. This perhaps is the strongest point of the book to be used as a reference.

- The book also introduces the Pro Mix oil paints and brush packages, both promoted by the author. This may be very good for readers who wish to become professional portrait artists, using the approach presented in the book.

WEAKNESSES: The aformentioned strengths, ironically, may also be the weaknesses of the book.

- In his approach, the author refers frequently to the choice of colors taken from the Pro Mix product. In all fairness, the author DOES describe (in the section "The Pro Mix Portrait Palette", pp38-39) the formulas of how to prepare these Pro Mix colors from commercially available basic colors. So the choice is for the readers to make. One could order the Pro Mix product or mix them oneself. Consequently, to maintain the flow of energy and interest while painting, the readers might as well get the product or pre-mix all the tonal colors before trying out these demos.

- The fact that some products are promoted in the book, apparently, has caused some negative responses from other reviewers (as we see here). In my opinion, if one would like to learn this approach and eventually make a living out of it, one might as well buy the ready-to-use Pro Mix colors for convenience.

In closing, I simply find this is a good reference book in portrait painting, whether one will follow the systematic approach presented in the book. Therefore, I'd give it a 4-star rating.

The first time I paged through this book, I was struck immediately by Sandin's obvious abilities as a portrait painter, but even more, I was enchanted with the bold crispness of his alla prima paintings and demonstrations. I so envy the confidence, technical skill, and freedom that such paintings radiate. I was also struck at once by the seeming contradictions through out the book. Could someone who looks like a doctor, paints in a tie and lab coat in a pristine, lavishly furnished studio really produce such dramatically rendered work? And then there are the 29 steps mentioned in the title. Twenty nine? Not thirty? Not twenty? And finally, the author's "Pro Mix" paint system seemed a little like a paint-by-number approach. But now, having read this beautiful book dozens of times and painted several portraits under its guidance, I can recommend it without hesitation.
Mr. Sandin has made me understand the importance of discipline in what I do as an artist. His insistance in following a routine (the 29 steps) and using predicable, tested color combinations (his pro mix system) are part of this lesson. Through out the book, he hammers on the concept, "...marshall all your concentration, alertness, and energy so that every stroke of the brush becomes part of the finished statement....concentrate all you effort upon getting it right the first time..." It took awhile and a number of readings before I begin to truely understand, but now my portraits are dramatically improved because of this approach.
As you have read in other reviews here, Mr. Sandin references his color mix system throughout the book. At first I found this inconvenient, since it was necessary to constantly turn back to the part of the book where the mixes are explained. However, this was easily solved by painting a color chart using the mixes, labelling them with his color mix names, and putting it next to my easel. He recommends this as an essential exercise, and I agree. Not only did I create a conversion chart of his mixes, but I learned a lot about cooling, warming and nuetralizing colors. I haven't bought the Pro Mix system, yet I have had great success with his color approach. Don't let this issue keep you from having this invaluable resource book.
I am painting more, and having greater success because of Mr. Sandin's emphasis on discipline in the painting process. It is a constant struggle -the urge to dabble and fuss is powerful - but I constantly remind myself of his direct and controlled process and my paintings are better and better.

Within the narrow scope of portraiture for the well-to-do, Sanden is the best, and he knows how to teach; the book is as methodical as he is. And his paintings look great- the epitome of a sort of smooth and buttery '50s illustrational style, like Haddon Sundblom, but tighter- very disciplined and technically acccomplished, yet lyrical. Any objections to Sanden's seeming promotion of his "Pro-Mix" brand of paints are unfounded (that's where you order a box of pre-mixed colors made by a company which has a deal with the author). He tells you exactly how to mix the colors yourself out of the usual tubes of paint you can buy in any art store, so you can either order them pre-mixed, or do it yourself, so where's the problem? The delight of this book is looking at the step by step demonstrations of all those juicy, painterly pictures of people with lots of personality. His two hour sketches are beauties (more "artistic" than his finished commissions). I got a lot out of the book, most of which is the wisdom of the ages anyway, but stated in a no-nonsense fashion (maybe a little dogmatic in a few instances, but the guy does a certain style and he has his game down pat, so just pick what you need). Sanden's work is aimed at the tastes of those who have become CEOs, Church leaders, and heads of State, and is frankly corny (unless, like me, you are so modern you get off on that) but his revealing demos really explain the dazzling virtuosity. If you're serious about painting heads, this belongs on your shelf. In and of itself, it won't teach you to paint, but what will?

...a guy who makes tens of thousands of dollars a pop on portrait commissions doesn't desperately need your $70 for his Pro Mix paint set (esp since he gives the reader the recipes right there in the book). Rather, this author offers this time-saving option as a convenience to artists, at the same time encouraging artists to learn to mix the colors themselves (also stated in the book).

And as to his lavish studio, would you want to bring CEOs, heads of state, foreign diplomats, etc., to some cramped, dusty little studio (like most of us work in), or would you re-invest your earnings from such a clientele to obtain a comfortable venue for them to pose in, for many hours at a time?

Look beyond reviews posted here with comments that obssess on these and other irrelevant details (success-envy). It's apparent that Sanden is a master teacher who has worked very hard to get to the level of achievement he now enjoys. It's also apparent he's got this giddy enthusiasm for sharing his secrets; he's got nothin' to lose.

So get and USE this book if you want superior, straightforward and very succinct instruction in portrait painting --indeed in any kind of painting you'll ever do (landscape, still life, abstract, what have you) where an astute understanding of color and value is a requirement. Take the instruction and personalize it, make it your own. You'll be glad you did when you see the big difference it makes in your artwork.

The key value of the book I think is the explanation of the importance of Value and color mixing. The simplified explanation of the use of the Value scale is clear and the examples clarifies this clearly. Furthermore the basic characteristics of color--hue, value, intensity and temperature are well demonstrated with a clear guide to learning how to change and reduce intensity, value and temperature in painting a portrait. Also Sanden gives a convincing demonstration on building a portrait fron the foundation ------great book!

Very comprehensive book to show tricks he discovered over the years of the artist's long well regarded career. As long as you use this book as a start up learning book, it's a great book. Not recommended for serious traditional artists.

I gave this five stars because it is a wonderful step by step book on portrait painting, directing you where to put the shaded/highlighted areas. The authors promotion of his paints do not bother me one bit. When you get into portrait painting, it is fun to make your own colors (which will be learned with time). In my opinion, this is the best "how to" on painting portraits I have found so far, and I have many.

I gave this book a 5 out of 5 because it was exactly what I was looking for! Being an artist in my spare time I found John Howard Sanden's approach extremely helpful and motivating. I would have to agree in saying this book is for artists who are starting out, or looking to adapt their style and approach to painting. Definitely a first in your collection of books on painting!

As a portrait artist, I was hoping to glean some new tips/tricks from this book. What Sanden illustrates in the "29 steps" is nothing more than a quick (completed in one hour) color study of his subjects. He admits in the text toward the end that the portraits featured in the book actually took many days to paint. Really, what a surprise! While it was interesting to see how he prepares his canvas and blocks in his subject, Sanden does not spend any time on the techniques he uses to give his portraits their "finish," which is what most portrait artists are seeking to improve upon. What he does focus on are his own brand of paints that he pushes throughout the pages.
Don't be fooled by the portrait on the cover. If you want to end up with a finished painting that looks like that, you will NOT learn how to do it in this book. If you are a beginning painter, and need to learn basic underpainting, or how to block in a subject, then this book might hold some interest.

I was already a portrait painter when I bought this book. I was not turned off by the offer to buy his products. As a matter of fact, I've thought of buying them to check out the quality of his oils. Since buying the book, it has gotten plenty of use. For those of you who gave it a low score, had you really delved into it, you would have seen that he does present a formula for mixing portrait colors. This is something that I found very valuable. The reality is that we can pull a little expertise from all art books and use it to paint like ourselves. This book has been well worth the money I spent. I did not buy it with the intention of painting like the author.