Pastels: A Step-by-step Guide for Absolute Beginners (Collins You Can Paint) - Hardcover

Marie Blake

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0004134036 ISBN 13: 9780004134031

Publisher: Collins, 2000

Synopsis

Emphasizing more "show" than "tell," this very visual instructional takes even the most hesitant, absolute beginners of all ages by the hand and demonstrates, stage by stage, how to start painting in pastel with enthusiasm, confidence, and success. The book assumes no prior painting experience, opening with the materials, making marks, mixing color, understanding foreground and distance, and making objects look three-dimensional. Step-by-step exercises show how to paint separate features of pictures-plants, flowers, trees, skies, stones, water-then how to combine them into finished paintings.

About this title

About the Author

Marie Blake is an experienced professional pastel artist who has had years of experience teaching beginning art students of all ages and skill levels.

From Library Journal

I worry when I see books claiming categorically that everyone can be taught to paint. These two books confidently insist that the "absolute" beginner can produce pastels and watercolors in no time. In Blake's attempt to prove this, she sensibly points out that pastels can be seen as crayons for adults no messy oils, tubes, and brushes to deal with. She takes the student from simple marks on a page through tone, perspective, and so forth to simple still lifes, landscapes, and figures. Despite initial doubts, Blake does deliver in this volume, and for those on a budget, it's less than half the price of Jackie Simmonds's more comprehensive Pastel Workbook: A Complete Course in Ten Lessons (LJ 11/15/99). With an identical format and purpose, Crawshaw takes on watercolor for the beginner. Starting with a basic flat wash, he advances to simple fruits and flowers, people and buildings. Unlike Blake, he skips certain drawing fundamentals. Nevertheless, this delightful little book will complement Mary Whyte's Watercolor for the Serious Beginner (LJ 3/15/98). Both step-by-step guides for the absolute beginner are recommended, especially for libraries on limited budgets.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Collins
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0004134036
• ISBN 13: 9780004134031
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 96