Painting Beautiful Watercolors from Photographs
Painting Beautiful Watercolors from Photographs, by by Jan Kunz
This is a wonderful book if you are interested in learning about using photographs as reference material. The author gives explicit information on photographing flowers, people, animals and still life. She includes tips on lighting and painting the illusion of light.
She also includes solid information on making enlargements, as well as simplifying, cropping and combining photos to get the best composition.
There are many excellent photographs that show the early, middle and end steps of a painting, including color suggestion. Her text is well organized and easy to follow.
The author also has a section on some of the most asked student questions such as how to paint brilliant darks and how to paint the folds of fabric.
I have used this book extensively in teaching high school students. There are many wonderful tips for scaling and enlarging images, easy perspective tricks and painting different types of details.
CONS: This book in not for beginning watercolorists. Information on paint, brushes, paper and basic techniques is not included. In addition, while all the photos are excellent, they are only from the author.
PROS: Even though this book is about painting with watercolors, there is excellent information on taking and using photographs, composition, perspective and lighting that can be applied to any media you happen to be working with. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in improving their painting skills.
Summary
Learn more about this book at
Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
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Art Smart, by Susan Rodriguez
As a beginning art teacher at the elementary and middle school level I found Art Smart invaluable. The activities provide a fun and creative way to teach art history. I’ll never forget seeing half a class of 6th graders lay on the floor while their partners traced around them on bulletin board paper to create their own individual “Mummy Cases”! Even students that didn’t like art class got excited about this project.
This book is full of these kinds of activities. Chapters include information on the Stone Age, Egypt, the Greek and Romans, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Post-Renaissance, Pre through Post-Impressionism, Modern Art, Art of the Americas, Art of the Middle and Far East and Africa.
Also available is a set of art history slides that are keyed to specific activities. Paired together, the activities and slides offer an exciting approach to teaching about the art of the past.
CONS: Slides need to be available as DVD’s with more visuals included.
PROS: Lots of great ideas for younger students.
Summary
Learn more about this book at
Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
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Handbook of Arts and Crafts
A Handbook of Arts and Crafts by Phillip Wigg, Willard Wankelman, and Jean Hasselchwert
This text, now in it’s 10th edition, is a standby for elementary and middle school art educators. Using basic and readily available materials such as clay, chalk, crayons, paper and cardboard, teachers can find a wealth of ideas on how to use these materials creatively.
The instructions are simple enough that even those who have not had art training can use them in the classroom and at home.
The information on a child’s artistic developmental stages and on the teaching of art in general would be especially helpful for those teachers not trained as art educators.
CONS: Most suited to elementary students. The information presented is mostly on how to use the materials. Specific project ideas are not included.
PROS: Lots of different ways to use common materials. Good for programs on a tight budget.
Summary
Learn more about this book at
Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
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