Review by Booklist Review
This treasure-filled trio of richly illustrated resources covers everything from the basics of composition to creating murals to and using the "light language" technique in watercolors. Albert's how-to reduces compositional guides to one "master rule": never make any two intervals--of distance, length, spacing, and dimensions of shapes, or the value intervals on a value scale and colors on the color wheel--the same. His discussion of the "golden rule" and its uses entail an exploration of design dynamics, an examination of the finer points of dynamic balance, tonal value, and contrast, and application of the theoretical knowledge to analyses of still lifes, landscapes, and portraits. In her book on "quick and easy" murals, Dewberry presents projects that can be done in as little as a single day, starting with six colorful floral borders, then helping readers cumulatively develop skills with four step-by-step wall murals. From classical columns to picket fences, trees and birdbaths, these paintings dramatically change a room, transforming it into its own landscape. With an eye to the practical, Dewberry provides a final chapter with tips on developing a muraling business. Color theory and the depictions of light and texture comprise "the language of light," according to watercolorist Moyer, who uses the three main techniques of brush line, wash, and wet-into-wet applications with two systems of space representation in five minidemos. These practice steps allow readers to develop layering skills on simple projects before progressing to the three larger demos, all complete paintings rich with radiant luminosity--no small thing in a medium many feel is the most demanding and least forgiving of the two-dimensional plastic arts. --Whitney Scott
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Beware of art teachers offering the one secret to painting, whether it be a new brush or a new design concept. In the case of Albert's book, however, read carefully and discover a very old and universal concept that really will improve one's work. Albert, who is editorial director of North Light Books, also teaches at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Simply put, his rule is "never make any two intervals the same." In a carefully designed, progressive text, he applies the concept to intervals of distance, length, spacing, and dimension, as well as those of tonal value and color. Concise, abstract diagrams and sketches evoke movement, stasis, lightness, heaviness, boredom, tension, and chaos. As the theory becomes more complex, the works of contemporary artists, like Frank Webb and Tony Couch, are used to buttress it. In The Painter's Workshop, Dews (Creative Discoveries in Watermedia) puts her years teaching workshops to practical use, offering a good if unexceptional manual on composition and design. She uses the elements of line, shape, space, form, color, value, and texture to explore issues of proportion/scale, unity/variety, contrast, and rhythm/repetition. The works of six professional artists illustrate the concepts in a variety of media and styles. Though it goes unmentioned, Dews's theory has a firm basis in the Greek design doctrine of the Golden Section (or the Golden Proportion). Of the two, Albert's work makes the more imaginative contribution to the field and is highly recommended for all collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
