The Brushstroke Handbook: The ultimate guide to decorative painting brushstrokes Kindle Edition

As a long time bumbling hobbyist graced with absolutely no talent, and also as a long time educator more than capable of spotting good teaching tools; I think my background is more than sufficient to evaluate this book........and it is a 100% winner!The mysteries of blending colors and brushstrokes have always amazed me and my hopeless attempts at any type of artistic brushwork have been such monumental failures that about the only thing I would attempt to paint were my nails.I picked up this book automatically figuring it to be one more half baked attempt at instruction that was too hard to understand for the beginner, and too boring for the advanced who had "been there, done that". I was wrong on both counts.Maureen McNaughton has put together one of those rare books that can truly teach the beginner from the ground up as well as offer tricks of the trade to the more accomplished.I had always assumed that all artists were born with technique already programmed into their brains and for the most part, this is probably true. However there are certain techniques and finer points that simply have to be learned; and for the naturally talented as well as for those who have no such programming, such as I, this book fills the bill.Directions are clear and precise and there are excellent illustrations and photographs that demonstrate each step. Most helpful is an introduction describing various types of brushes and how to load them. Prior to this I had thought brushes fell into three categories: little, medium, and big and as for "loading" a brush, I had assumed all one had to do was dip it in the desired color...........WRONG.Following this are many lessons on how to use each brush to accomplish basic strokes, starting with the easiest to the most advanced.The book doesn't stop there. It's loaded with projects that make use of what has been so clearly explained and even supplies patterns to trace and copy at the end.I was amazed at the clarity of the instructions presented in this book. They were so easy to follow because they were so well written. A good table of contents at the beginning is complemented and supplemented by a very complete index at the end.For those individuals who have always wanted to paint something pretty as well as those who would like to add to their techniques, this book is wonderful.One last thought..........the concentration in this book is on painting decorative designs such as flowers and scrolls with a few birds and bees thrown in; so if your forte is painting monsters and the like, you might want to try another book of instruction.

I purchased this ebook in preparation for an acrylic painting class I enrolled in as I don't know much about acrylic paints. I've been using soft pastels and oil pastels. It has very clear instructions and pictures on how to load different shape and size brushes with paint and do all different brushstrokes. I've thought it as been quite good for a beginner but I'm not sure how anyone with a lot more experience than I have would find it. I would actually like to get a hard copy of this book so I can flick through it for reference and bookmark pages. I also do acrylic nail enhancements and this book is an accidental find in helping learn how to do freehand nail art!

This beautifully illustrated book covers the basics such as materials and brush loading etc (Maureen paints with two colours on the brush). She covers round and flat brushes and shows the brushstrokes in detail and how they can be used. There is a section showing some common mistakes and how to avoid these, as well as sections on borders and floral compositions (with patterns). I liked the clear text, illustrations and the spiral binding of the book which allowed it to lay flat while working through the "lessons". The book is a good guide for those with some painting experience and is an excellent reference book.

This is a beautiful book with wonderful step-by-step instructions on how to do a variety of strokes with different brushes. Unfortunately, I missed the "Decorative Painting Brushstrokes" in the sub-title. I was hoping for ways to use different brushstrokes when painting in different mediums, such as watercolors. If I were interested in Tole Painting or other decorative styles, I would LOVE this book as an excellent resource. I would recommend getting the wire binding, so the book can be opened flat and propped up when practicing the different strokes.

The pronunciation of the word. Rosemaling Brush Stroke Handbook is the best book that I have found, particularly for beginners and intermediate painters. the information describes the tools - brushes needed in infinite detail. Then, the how to-- hold your hand, how much pressure to use, etc. Colorful photos of the desired strokes and a few patterns. The descriptions are well written. You have to practice and practice to "get" the Art of Norwegian Painting.

This was part of a painting supply box I put together for my granddaughter for Christmas. She love, love, loved it. She sat here showing me different strokes she thought she would be able to do. She is only 8 years old but may have inherited her other grandmother's talent of painting. I wanted to encourage that interest. While shopping I could not fine one single solitary book that would show different strokes you can make with each brush. This book did just that. The book was advertised as used but I commend the owner - it looked brand new. Very happy.

Worth your time. Great instruction book for beginners. Comprehensive and good intro information about materials and methods for more than the flat brush technique. Better than Donna Dewberry method.

It's ok but nothing I couldn't have got on YouTube

Wer, so wie ich, nicht sonderlich gut in Englisch ist, kann dank der sehr tollen Schritt für Schritt Anleitungen mit Bildern, trotzdem alles nachmalen. Die einzelnen Methoden, geeignete Pinsel ect werden ausführlich dargestellt und das Nachmalen und Üben macht sehr viel Spaß!

丸筆、平筆、フィルバートの順で、描きやすい絵柄からやや難しい絵柄、縁取りの順で解説しています。左頁は写真で筆運びと筆のサイズを、右頁は描き順とお手本の絵柄が載っていて、最後の方に図案も付いています。一通り描いてみるととてもよい練習になると思います。

une bonne approche au niveau de la connaissance, trés belle illustration, motivation en recherche de création, trés beau livre ,

This book is one which does EXACTLY what it says on the tin....it is ultimate! It explains everything from start to finish and gives a good step by step pictures to follow. Even to the mistakes you could make and how to rectify them, I would recommend this book to anyone....my use is to paint parchment cards easily, and this gives the depth I need in this craft, without spending hours and hours....I may even start doing the odd household item too! These fowers would brighten anyones day.

The step by step instructions are easy to follow, there is enough to get you started with some fabulous looking designs yet simple enough to base your own upon. Highly recommended