Jun 06
A larger-format reissue of a title that first appeared in 1994, it's good to see that this little classic remains available.
Although, at the time, there had been demand for a guide to the then relatively new watercolour pencils, the truth was that this was never really going to need much more than a magazine article or a chapter in a larger book. However, by combining pencils with a look at water-soluble pastels, Wendy did manage to get a small (48 page) book out of it and to cover pretty well all of the information that's needed for a general introduction to the medium.
Known for her mixed media work, Wendy was the ideal person to write this book and she also shows how water-soluble media can be combined with other techniques rather than being used solely on their own. Short step-by-step demonstrations cover subjects including flowers, landscapes, trees and people and the limited space means that nothing is ever over-stretched, but is rather kept well onto the point. As an easily-followed introduction to water-soluble media, it's hard to fault and stands the test of time well.
* Artbookreview.net *
Jun 06
I remember my first tin of water-soluble pencils when I was ten. They opened up a whole new world of art for me. I've never been without a set since, but this is the first book on the subject I have seen and therefore I have been finding out how much I didn't know through my own trial and error!
This is a thin volume, but it has plenty to say for itself. Find out the different effects you can get with them both wet and dry and what they look like through simple exercises (surely the best way to learn anything). There are water-soluble pastels in the market too and they get put through their paces in the same way, as do other aquarelle media. There are exercises on mixed media work, and paintings to work through in stages of still life, landscapes, people and animals, which covers most likely topics. This is such a user-friendly book that I just had to get my pencils out and have a go, and that is surely what a good practical book ought to make the purchaser do. There isn't anything else, but by then the beginner (and more experienced user too) ought to be ready for a little experimenting on their own.
If you are thinking of buying some aquarelle media for yourself or as a gift then this book should accompany the purchase; highly recommended.
* Myshelf.com *
