Harley Brown's Eternal Truths for Every Artist

by Harley Brown

Book Overview

A popular workshop instructor offers his "truths" for painting success. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1929834063
• ISBN13: 9781929834068
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Northlight
• Length: 130 Pages
• Weight: 2.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.8" x 11.5"

Customer Reviews

My favorite artist and Author!

I first met Harley in a book called "How to be a successful artist" where he told his inspiring start . I really like his honest straight forward writing style (The same way he paints) I just read this book and it has already helped me as an artist. It answers many questions that no other book has,such as what to do with edges. I now know that I have been painting my edges much too harsh..ditto for my shadows. Harley also explains how hair should not be clearly defined but blend into the background and the forehead so as to avoid the wig affect. Good advice. Not only does Harley give good advice for painting,but inspirational advice to avoid ruminating and worrying about outside influences. Freedom from guilt!! The last segment on setting up the studio was very helpful also. Important advice such as adding a paper towel holder to your easel to avoid running to the kitchen. I just moved and have been setting up a room for my studio which my daughter quickly decided to take over because "You aren't using it"..I now have the courage to reclaim it and make the finishing touches with a comfortable easel chair and stereo. Male artists are SO lucky to have wifes who help to insure that there are no distractions. This is impossible as a single Mother, but I have held firm to my committment to being an artist and rely on my talent for my income. However, I haven't painted for my own pleasure and passion in quite some time. Because of Harley..I know that I am on my way! Thanks Harley!

A Few Appetizers of Eternal Truths

A lot of reviewers give their reaction to the book reviewed. While that's helpful I'm going to do something a bit different. I'm going to show a few examples of some of the "eternal truths" the author gives. 1. The author on beginning a painting of a ballerina and after explaining in detail several of his measurement techniques continues, "Believe Your Eye. But Trust Measurements - ...every professional artist I've ever seen, without exception measures. You need to do it too. ...it will save your artistic life."2. From the chapter 'Composition - Who Needs It?' - "Not Everything Should Be Equal! - We have a natural (though distressing) tendency to equalize everything in art, which is a problem. Placing equal amounts of warm and cool in a painting, and equal amounts of light and dark, can make a painting look weak and indecisive. Face it: dominance of color or value is easy to talk about, but much harder to pull off. That's one reason why many pros do one or more, sometimes many more, small studies to arrive at one powerful visualization of the intendeded work. Then they'll follow the little study closely to avoid their natural tendency to equalize."3. From Chapter 6 - "Edges, in case you haven't figured it out by now, are among the half-dozen most important things in a painting."... "The more gradually an object turns away from the light, the softer and wider its shadow edge will be"... "As a shadow goes from light to dark, the soft transitional edge is called the 'core'... "These principles go way back in art. The Impressionists understood them well. Hardly an artist in history, painting a nice pink cheek, would miss the opportunity to make it pinkest just where it goes into shadow."4. From "30 'Magic' Solutions to Common Problems" - 2. We've all seen the stereotypical artist holding his thumb before his squinting eye. He may be measuring proportions, but he might have something else in mind: comparing relative values of the objects before him. His thumb has a constant value to compare them with. Try it right now and see the revelation."Hopefully this gives an idea of some of the insights this book contains. It's chock full of step-by-step examples demonstrating all the hints, tips and tricks. I re-read this book frequently. Often I'll pick a page and then critique a picture I'm working on to see if I've forgotten or misapplied one of the principles mentioned on that page. Sometimes I'll do the same for a technique. It's a good way to reinforce what I've learned and strive to improve. Artists of any medium can benefit from this great book.

One of the best "how to" books on art I've read

Well, I'm only up to page 39, but I can tell that this is a gem of a book. Harley Brown is an award winning artist that works mainly in pastel--and is very opinionated in a wonderful way. Lewis Lehrman, and artist himself, is a seamless writer--bringing out the very best of Harley Brown's personal teaching style. Though Harley Brown works mostly in pastel, the book doesn't dwell on specific pastel techniques, instead it addresses major issues of design, color, composition and lots of other wonderful "eternal truths"--Actually, I wouldn't call them eternal truths, just the "doink" I knew that, why don't I take that into consideration when I paint! I work in watercolor and find what I've been reading to be invaluable. The section on color alone is worth the purchase.If you are just beginning, some of the content may not be of value, as beginners are just learning to be comfortable with their mediums. I wouldn't get this book if you're looking for specific art techniques. This isn't a painting 101 type book, its more a graduate level type course. Don't get me wrong, even beginners could learn from it, it has been designed so well. But if you are an intermediate painter, or even an advanced painter, looking to rethink your methods of creativity and trying to push yourself to the next level of creativity--this really is the book for you.The writing style is refreshing, with two different colors of text, the black being the formal, complete sentence descriptions, the red is the humorous and short--but meaningful re-interpretation. Then there are little tiny footnotes at the bottom with very personal asides and running up the sides of the page, in the margin, inspirational quotes. Its pretty neat, definately something to read over and over again, and in short, about the best "art how to book" I've read. Its almost like being in the same classroom with the authors.

A perfect five

Bravo Mister Brown! Finally I have found an HONEST instructional art book that gives away ALL the secrets that only come from a life long persuit of true art.This book sifts through all the misconcepts,takes away all the myth and presents to you The beginner,You the intermediate, You the master, a comprehensive easy to read easy to follow interactive look at the way true art is really achieved. For someone to truly give in this way is almost unheard of. I felt a kinship from the first page. He then takes you on an amazing journey, hand held trip into the real world of REAL art. If you want to be an artist and can handle the truth, here it is!! If you are an artist as my self, and are open to learn more, you have struck gold. I will have this book by my side for a long long time. Bravo Mister Brown!!