With the abundance of art materials and brands on the market today, the average artist is often unsure about what to buy, even for a familiar medium. Artist Phil Metzger solves the problem with this extraordinary compendium, organized by medium and designed to help artists make informed choices. Inside they'll find: Information on today's most popular mediums, including watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel, colored pencil, egg tempera, pencil, pen & ink, charcoal and mixed media; In-depth discussions of paints, surfaces and brushes; A set of basic techniques and a suggested shopping list to help artists get started in each medium; Personal recommendations and advice from other popular North Light artists