Review by Booklist Review
A personal connection with her subject matter infuses Scott's animal portraits with an imaginative spark that should fire up students of the genre. Aiming to differentiate between animals, Scott stresses the basic anatomy of wild and domestic creatures while pointing out the importance of individual traits that set subjects apart and create interest. To help beginners get started, she specifies the necessary brushes, pencils, materials, and supplies. Scott then brings a detailed and cogent approach to her instruction, guiding painters to build upon whatever level of skill they possess in mixing colors, using value to define form, or adding textural effects. Pencil, oil, acrylic, and gouache techniques are delineated in a variety of projects. In Classic Techniques for Watercolour Landscape, instruction comes in the form of clearly written explanations, with Smith offering an analysis of the process whereby a novice realizes a fluid aptitude in watercolor painting. Likewise, illustrations take the mystery out of creating special effects that cast a glowing light on a landscape or make a body of water glitter. Smith directs students away from ill-advised attempts at texture (e.g., using bubble wrap!), and instead presents techniques to help achieve effects like an artistically represented broken surface. Touching on color theory and perspective, Smith includes a range of step-by-step projects accompanied by methods for rendering elements in a landscape. Weber spells out the fundamental differences between smooth brushwork and the calm mood it can impart, and the rough texture of a scumbled or thickly painted surface expressing an energetic aura. Photographs show the exact premise behind each of Weber's lessons, from what the paint looks like when you vary the consistency with mediums or solvents, to mixing with a brush or cleaning your brushes to best maintain them. Illustrations are followed by images of finished paintings, reinforcing the specific points discussed. Weber writes with humor and confidence, keeping things lighthearted whether he is teaching the mechanics of holding a brush or a wet-into-wet application of paint on canvas. --Alice Joyce
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
