Painter's Handbook: Revised and Expanded (Paperback)

by Mark David Gottsegen (Author) "This chapter covers the auxiliary materials you will use when painting-the tools that do not become part of the painting itself..." (more)
Key Phrases: health label, acrylic dispersion paints, acrylic dispersion grounds, List of Suppliers, Material Safety Data Sheet, Kremer Pigments (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
• Fully revised to address the newest materials and the latest health issues • Dozens of make-it-yourself recipes for paints, pastels, varnishes, and more • Expert author is chairman of ASTM committee on art materials

Much more than just another guide to artists’ materials, The Painter’s Handbook is an amazingly useful resource, with information on everything from the canvas up: the canvas itself, plus paper, sizes and grounds, pigments and binders, solvents and thinners, varnishes and preservatives. Dozens of step-by-step recipes for make-it-yourself paints, pastels, varnishes, gessoes, sizes, supports, and equipment take this indispensable guide way beyond the competition. Authoritatively written by Mark David Gottsegen, chair of the federal government’s ASTM committee on artist’s materials, the revised Painter’s Handbook considers the enormous changes in the art-materials world since the first edition was published in 1993. New materials, new health issues, new information on outmoded and even harmful supplies and practices mean that every painter needs a copy of The Painter’s Handbook.

About the Author
Mark David Gottsegen, in his role as chairman of the ASTM subcommittee on artists’ paints and related materials, helps develop ASTM standards for art materials. A professor of art at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he lives in Climax, NC.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill; Rev Exp edition (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823034968
• ISBN-13: 978-0823034963
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #260,498 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference, November 13, 2000

By	mix whit (Urbana, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Painter's Handbook (Practical Art Books) (Paperback)

While not as large and sometimes not as detailed as Ralph Mayer's excellent book on all artist's materials, the Gottsegen often offers a more recent explanation of materials and techniques for painters specifically. One of its most useful elements is a series of step-by-step instructions for various processes, including stretching canvas, making mediums, etc. When researching information on painting topics, this book serves as an excellent source which I would not want to be without.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good reference, February 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Painter's Handbook (Practical Art Books) (Paperback)

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.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best painting materials reference book I've ever used, October 14, 2004

By	Debra Yoo (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Painter's Handbook (Practical Art Books) (Paperback)

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.