Product Description

The author shows how to create form, volume, and space and avoid overworking a picture. She also shares special techniques for both popular and nontraditional subjects and discusses how to become a professional artist. 200 color illustrations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #185622 in Books
• Brand: Watson Guptill
• Published on: 1998-09-01
• Released on: 1998-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780823007615
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Bet Borgeson is the author of one of Watson-Guptill's all-time best-sellers—The Colored Pencil. Her work is published widely in the United States and Europe, and she intructs ongoing workshops. Borgeson lives in Portland, Oregon.

Customer Reviews

moving beyond beginner
It seems a deep chasm yawns between the amateur artist and the emerging artist. This insightful and instructional book bridges that gap. Finally, a book that addresses how to move beyond the beginner stage! The author's generous advice is clear, relevant and timely. And you don't have to be a colored pencil artist to benefit---the majority of the book is applicable to other media as well. Written in a rare, articulate style, the author delivers provocative theories and philosophies not found elsewhere in art instruction books. An added bonus: detailed reproductions, in-progress artwork by the author, and no skimping on text. A most valuable addition to your personal art library.

One of the best books of colored pencil
This is one of the best books on colored pencil I have found. The artwork is beautiful and the instructions are superb. Projects and techniques are demonstrated step-by-step with color illustrations and photos.

The book starts with an overview of materials and tools including great advice of setting up a workspace. Then, it covers the fundaments of drawing such as perspective, volume, space, form and composition. The demonstration and discussion of color mixing and creating edges is excellent. This really helped me a lot. The book then goes on to help you really get started by giving tips on finding inspiration, using photographs, tracing and deciding when your project is finished. It explains color lifting and impressed line techniques as well as helping you build your own style.

The next section focuses of still life and floral drawings. It covers selecting and setting up a still life and well as lighting it. There are two great demonstrations of this. It nice that one included the photo the artist worked from making it easy to practice what the author describes. A section on landscapes follows. This gives all kinds of advice from working on location to assembling the elements of a basic photography kit. There is a great discussion on finding the perfect setting and center of interest, as well as using color to suggest space. There are two demonstrations here as well, showing both naturalistic and fantasy landscapes.

The afterward on integrating art into your life and selling your artwork is great for the serious artist. Whether you are just starting out or having been using colored pencil as a medium for a while this is a wonderful book on the subject.

Knowledgible/Inspiring
Even as a somewhat-experienced artist I found this book to be at just the perfect level. While basic for anyone new to colored pencil, the book is by no means simplistic. It is intelligently written, and well illustrated. After finishing it (which I found to be as difficult as putting down any good novel) I felt I'd found a new awareness about the medium. Since, I have been excitedly pursuing all Borgeson taught me through her wonderful book. Note: A special reading treat at the end is her own prespective/insight on being an artist, whether choosing to be amatuer or professional. I highly recommend this as a good A to Z study.