The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques: Fifth Edition, Revised and Updated (Reference),   ISBN:9780670837014

Customer Rating: 

I ordered this used book and it arrived quickly and in pristine condition. Couldn't be happier!

Customer Rating: 

It was just what I was looking for. The condition of the book was great at a very low price. Thank you!

Customer Rating: 

The item arrived on time, in fact it was one of the first books to arrive that I had ordered. The book was in brand new shape even though I paid for it used!! The book is perfect, I am in a beginning painting class and we reference this book along with another all the time. It's great if you want to learn the technical side to painting as well. Id recommend this seller and this book to anyone!

Customer Rating: 

I had this book in the 1980's. Some significant changes on grounds like masonite so it is best to revisit what you thought you knew. But still an excellent resource.

Customer Rating: 

The book was useful, but it was a real hard slog to read it all; unlike other books on this subject.

Probably the biggest problems I had with was that many of the materials mentioned... I had no idea what they were because they are called something different in the US, plus many other newer materials weren't mentioned. The book was quite dated, and it made me wish I'd sprung a few extra dollars to get the 5th edition.

But still, this book (perhaps the 5th edition rather than the 4th) IS essential reading for any serious oil painter. (If you can understand all the very technical and long-winded information!)

I wasn't taught MOST of the technical information on oil paints at all at art school! It is great to have a bit of information on how to make your paintings last for many years. (I hate the thought of putting all that work in only for them to warp or crumble or peel in time!)

This book is not suitable however for beginners or amateurs who only want to know the basics about materials and so on. (This is a difficult read and very technical, in my opinion.)

A great book that does that is Encyclopedia of Oil Painting Techniques by Jeremy Galton which is suitable for beginners and serious painters alike (and has a LOT of pictures in it as compared to this book which is all TEXT!).