Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists: Experimental Techniques for Composition, Layering, Texture, Imagery, and Encaustic

I am not one to write reviews often - especially on books about art technique, mainly because I am beyond disappointed. HOWEVER, this book, by someone whose website I have visited often, exceeds my expectations.I am a mixed media artist, self taught, but am always looking to grow my background, to integrate it, to add depth, to make the background work for my piece, and good information is hard to come by. This book gives great examples and instruction, WITHOUT leaving out any steps - which is a real problem with a lot of instructional books by artists. Ann even provides photos of a piece in process (very insightful and reassuring).There are exercises as well, and Ann provides the colors needed. You will notice that all of the products mentioned are Golden - and Ann is a Golden Working Artist, lucky dog! But you can make do, or experiment, with your own supply of paints. The exercises are more about how color works together to add depth and interest, contrast, etc, than a specific palette.Best of all, she keeps the language conversational and real. You feel like you could be in a workshop with a friend instead of reading a book. There are wonderful tips and techniques that any artist could adopt (and alter) to enhance their own style. This is how 'how to' art books should be written. Nothing pompous and dry about this book. Just actual useful information, and lots of it. This book is rich with lots of full color photos AND text. Each spread has multiple photographs of work and a lot of information. This book is for artists to use, it is not a vanity book for the author.I recommend it to anyone working with acrylics - from beginner to an old codger of an artist. I would give it ten stars if Amazon had them!

If you are a practising mixed media artist or teacher, this book is a must have for your library. It is full of eye candy to inspire you. The type is well set out and the pictures high quality.I liked the examples all through the book and the lessons are well suited to the beginner yet still challenging for the more advanced artist.It is a book that I go back to time and again and I always find something new that really intrigues me. I love the sturdy hard cover.I regularly run mixed media classes from my home studio in Rotorua, New Zealand and three of my pupils from my classes took a look at this book shortly after I bought it and they ordered it online through Amazon as well.They have included a number of techniques from it to their own artworks, for example the use of doilies and and corrugated cardboard. We had an exhibition last November in the Rotorua Public Library and one in a cafe and ten works were sold.I bought two works from one of my pupils, I was so impressed.You can see some details of their work and iinformation about my mixed media classes at [...]

The title says it all. This book shows it all -- from experimental techniques for composition, layering, texture, imagery to encaustics and cutting edge collage, Ann Baldwin is the eminent authority on this subject. If you've taken her popular workshops you already realize how fortunate you are to have met her and her clear knowledge on the subject of making fine, innovative art that is stunning, has impact and is award-winning.This very artist-friendly guide book answers all your questions on art materials, creativity, digital photography in mixed media and plenty of step-by-step encaustic painting. Enjoy the opportunity to learn from Ann Baldwin. This book should be in your studio.

Lately we have seen a plethora of books regarding different aspects of the mixed media world. Unfortunately, they have begun to all look the same. So many of them are lovely eye candy without much substance. This book is different. If you have ever been fortunate enough to take a workshop with Ann Baldwin, you will easily recognize the experience created within this books' covers. I really did feel like I was back in the classroom with Ann. Her directions are clear and logical; but best of all they create a unique experience in mixed media. Ann begins by explaining the basics and continues to build on these basics throughout the book. By the end of this book you will feel like you have just finished a semester long class in art school. But this is better than that because you can open it and review over and over. I would strongly recommend this book to people at all skill levels. It is definitely a book that is worth having on your shelf. It is one you will open over and over again.

sehr zu empfehlen, lehrreich und gut nachvollziehbar. nicht bereut. ich würde es immer wieder kaufen. kann es gut für meine Malereien nutzen.

I bought this book mostly based on a review, because as one reviewer wrote, he had purchased many books that were suppose to be instructional but were not, but that this one was. And he was right. I also have purchased many art books that claim to be instructional but really are just pretty to look at, but this one has quite a few step by step instructions, as well as being very informative. I haven't started any projects yet because I have been thoroughly enjoying reading it, and I am going to read it one more time before I try any of the projects, of which I am very excited to start. Whether this is your first book or 10th, I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to try their hand at mixed media art.

Not as exciting as I thought it would be, have seen better books on mixed media.

You know when you flick through a new book and immediately get a general feeling about it? (Well, I do anyway!) I flicked through this when it arrived and was so excited that I put it to one side so I could look forward to doing it again!At last, a "how to" book that actually gives useful advice and lots of useful pictures. Admittedly it's also a HUGE plug for the author's own works - but then they are used to illustrate various methods. It makes sense to show work that the author has created as she has the knowledge of the whole process and mindset behind it. The projects she describes are really useful in showing how something quite bland and boring-looking can become a very covetable work of art. It's inspired me and I'm currently awaiting lots of lovely artist thingies that I've ordered so I can get started. Be warned though, decent artist materials aren't cheap! I only hope I can go some way to emulating the finished works on show here, then all the expense will be well worth it.

This is s great book for artists with some mixed media experience. It has beautiful and inspiring illustrations and many new ideas.