Painter's Handbook: Revised and Expanded Paperback – April 1, 2006

What a great reference tool for an artist. I have been looking for something like this for a very long time. I have taken lessons, but they get expensive. Even after the lessons you have so many unanswered questions and you don’t know who to refer to. There is so much info out there and quite a bit is not good. Some books give you a small bit of info with a lot of useless boasting. People experiment all the time and lead you down a hole that can be detrimental to your completed artwork. So, Who do you trust? This book is full of important scientific info behind the creation of ones art. Yes I said the bad word science! Nothing worse than creating a beautiful work of art that you have poured heart and soul into, only to have it fall apart and become worthless because you didn’t do the necessary pre-work to set it up properly to protect it so that it will last. Worth the money and your time to read it. I will be referring back to this book over and over. Quite a bit to absorb in one read.

I want to urge any aspiring artist to purchase this book! It answers questions which my instructor was not even able to shed light on. The topics run from very fundamental to very detailed and technical; and it is written and illustrated in a very easy to follow style. Perhaps the best part of this is that the author (an accomplished artist) has a website from which the reader can directly engage him for advice and questions:[...]If you have a palette and easel, this book has to be as close at hand as your brushes! It is indispensable!

Wish I'd had this after art college. But glad I have it now.Detail and clear writing on materials and technical and archival information

I bought this to get some guidance on varnishing and storing paintings. The book provides a fair amount of detail, but seems to stop short of giving complete instructions. For example, it provides a list of all of the materials you'll need to build a storage crate, but then doesn't provide a detailed diagram of how the crate is constructed (just a sketch of the final product).I felt the same way about the information on varnishing. I feel I have 90% of the information I need to make a good decision, but would really appreciate more advice on specific brands of varnish. The book has a lovely chart comparing the different types of varnishes, with their pros and cons, but it list varnishes according to their main ingredient/chemical structure. I've tried searching for products based on this information and have come up empty handed. I wish the author had simply listed some common brands of each type of varnish.Overall, I'm glad I got the book and feel better equipped to make decisions regarding my paintings... but I'll still need to supplement it with information on the Internet (at least now I have a better idea of what to search for).

We are so ignorant of proper painting materials and mediums. Some artists will be unhappy with this book as it asks them to really step of their technical knowledge, which I find in most artists is sorely lacking. Great art material and methods bible from someone who is really passionate about his subject.

While not as large and sometimes not as detailed as Ralph Mayer's excellent book on all artist's materials, the Gottsegen often offers a more recent explanation of materials and techniques for painters specifically. One of its most useful elements is a series of step-by-step instructions for various processes, including stretching canvas, making mediums, etc. When researching information on painting topics, this book serves as an excellent source which I would not want to be without.

This is an excellent "first book" on personal involvement in art. I really did not need to know how to make papyrus manuscripts,however, there is a wealth of information inside these covers that makes it worthwhile for any level of artist.The detail and depth of information is well worthwhile for anyone who cares about participating in art personally.

This is a very serious book with a somewhat arrogant and condescending stance towards "sunday painters". The information and the tables is very thorough and researched. Some is of interest only to the conservator or chemist, but very handy for a better understanding of what colours are made of and making it easier to navigate colour maps. The book covers all major and minor (and some obscure) types of paint/media. It seems very encyclopedic, but is however very outdated when it comes to manufafcturers (based on a 2006 ed., I think) and brands of paint. For this a catalogue like jacksonsart's is much better. Its usefulness is limited, but very thorough where it hits. I try to ignore the writers elitistic points of view which seep through.