Essential technical resource number 1.

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Product Description

First published in 1940, this is the fifth edition of Ralph Mayer's book. It is designed as a reference guide to the materials necessary for the modern artist. Techniques for watercolour, oil and acrylic painting are included.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #163257 in Books
• Published on: 1991-09-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 776 pages

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Customer Reviews

No pictures: just how to make them!
This book is extremely authoritative and helpful on the technical aspect of all painting media: I've read my copy to bits--it can become very obsessive, wanting to know all about each pigment, where does that oil come from? can you paint this over that? and so on. It has the answer to any question along these lines, and tells you methodically and carefully how to do any painting operation you might reasonably want to do: how to make your own colours in various media, preparing surfaces and so on. Restoration and printing are quite well covered too.

If you're serious (very serious?) about painting, you'll find this compelling.

first class materials book
this is the book you need if you are wanting ot pursue painting at a serious level. its modern and deals with everything from old style tempera to acrylics and scrutinises every aspect of these styles. i thoroughly recommend this book. it allows people to make their own judgments about formulating a painting ( the author sometimes can come across as being a bit of a killjoy though and i disagree with his views on cotton canvas which is perfectly suitable for average sixed paintings primed with acrylic polymer (gesso)), however it is an excellent book written by a man who did an awful lot of research it seems and is indeed the 'artists bible'

A big book
Yuk. This might be a great book, but there is too much text and no glossy pictures. I bet the info in it is good... I wouldn't really know... but this brick book will not get read.