Nov 12
Always wanted to learn pastel painting? Here's the book for you. See the approach of three different artists and learn from each. Get straight into the basics with Peter Coombs. Use a limited palette to complete a finished step by step painting. Then have a go at a landscape, river or moonlit scene. Paul Hardy introduces more serene landscapes in pastel, including valleys, trees and water, autumn, a seascape and townscape. Margaret Evans looks at portraying flowers in pastel. Each artist includes techniques and information. There are 13 demonstrations in all and over 250 step by step clear photographs supported by galleries of finished paintings. This is useful for beginners upwards. This book has material published previously in four other books.
* Karen Platt Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts *
Nov 12
If you want a book to help you develop your technique when painting with pastels, this is definitely the book to choose. A step by step guide, it is extremely comprehensive covering a wide range of styles and techniques. You can learn how to master creating tone, colour blending, composition and perspective. Then there are the individual sections on projects like painting landscapes, seascapes or flowers which give inspiration as well as useful tuition. There are 13 separate demonstrations which can be followed including using photographs and sketches, painting an old tree, a step by step guide to developing atmosphere when painting a moonlit stroll and even painting potted plant. The book links together the skills of three artists who bring their specialist knowledge to each subject covered. An very useful book for both novices and more experienced artists.
* Monstersandcritics.com *
Jan 13
Based on previously published material, Pastel Painting Step-by-Step brings together the work of Margaret Evans, Paul Hardy and Peter Coombs to help you to master the pastel medium. The three artists bring a good balance of work to the book, with Peter Coombs and Paul Hardy covering landscapes and townscapes, while Margaret Evans concentrates on flowers. Sections on using a limited palette, composition, colour mixing and colours for painting flowers, are interspersed with 13 demonstrations accompanied by good, clear step-by-step photographs.
* Leisure Painter, The *
Feb 13
Based on four earlier books on the subject by the above authors, this is a comprehensive guide to the art of using pastels. I like the way that what you need to buy and the differences between pastels is dealt with once only at the beginning, leaving out this part from the other three sections. You don't need as much to take up this aspect of art as most others and there is even a helpful section on working with a limited palette, as well as another on what colors to buy for flower paintings. This is, like most Search Press books, a very hands-on approach with a minimum of theory for its own sake and a maximum of learning through actual painting. The book contains thirteen different projects to work through as well as many other things to try out, enabling even a beginner to get some professional-looking results. Each project tells you what you need and has a good number of stages, each with a short caption telling you what to do next and a photograph showing the picture with the next steps added. It is a great way to learn, and I particularly liked having three different approaches to play with and three different artists to learn from. This way there is less of a chance of slavish copying, and a good look at more than one style in pastel painting. Sometimes I think that compendiums take away too much from the individual books but this is an effective one for the above reasons. An excellent tool for those who want to learn pastel painting, or improve their technique.
* Myshelf.com *
Feb 13
Written by a team of three experienced artists, this thorough guide exposes the reader to a variety of viewpoints, techniques, subjects and tricks. It covers all the basics of this medium, including materials, color blending, mark making, texture, perspective and composition. Photographs throughout show the authors' working processes, as well as many completed pieces. Readers can follow along with 13 step-by-step pastel painting projects to create landscapes, seascapes, city scenes, floral still lifes, and more. VERDICT: Best for beginner and intermediate artists new to pastels.
* Library Journal, USA *
